(Nawawi:) There are three categories of Sacred Knowledge. The first is the personally obligatory (fard al-`ayn, ), which is a morally responsible individual's learning the knowledge that the obligatory acts he must perform cannot be accomplished without, such as how the ablution (wudu) and prayer are done and so forth.
Its obligatory character is how groups of scholars have interpreted the hadith in the Musnad of Abu Ya'la al-Mawsuli, from Anas, who relates that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
"Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim."
The meaning of this hadith, though the hadith itself is not well authenticated (A: being weak), is true.
As for the basic obligation of Islam, and what relates to tenets of faith, it is adequate for one to believe in everything brought by the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and to credit it with absolute conviction free of any doubt. Whoever does this is not obliged to learn the evidences of the scholastic . The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) did not require of anyone anything but what we have just mentioned, nor did the first four caliphs, the other prophetic Companions, nor others of the early Muslim community who came after them.
Rather, what befits the common people and vast majority of those learning or possessing Sacred Knowledge is to retrain from discussing the subtleties of scholastic theology, lest corruption difficult to eliminate find its way into their basic religious convictions. Rather, it is fitter for them to confine themselves to contentment with the above-mentioned absolute certainly.
Our Imam Shafi'i (Allah Most High have mercy on him) went to the greatest possible lengths in asserting that engaging in scholastic theology is forbidden. (A: What he meant thereby was the heretical scholastic theology that proliferated in his time and put rationalistic theories ahead of the Koran and sunna, not the science of theology (`ilm al-tawhid) by which Ash'ari and Maturidi scholars have clarified and detailed the tenets of faith of Sunni Islam, which is an important part of the Islamic sciences.) He insistently emphasized its unlawfulness, the severity of the punishment awaiting those who engage in it, the disgrace of doing it, and the enormity of the sin therein by saying,
"For a servant to meet Allah with any other sin than idolatry (shirk) is better than to meet Him guilty of anything of scholastic theology."
His other statements expressing the same meaning are numerous and well known. But if someone has doubts (Allah be our refuge) about any of the tenets of faith in which belief is obligatory (def: books u and v), and his doubt cannot be eliminated except by learning one of the theologians' proofs, then it is obligatory for him to learn it in order to remove the doubt and acquire the belief in question.
Scholars disagree about the Koranic verses and hadiths that deal with the attributes of Allah (n: such as His `hand' (Koran 48:10), His `eyes' (52:48) or His `nearness' (50:16)) as to whether they should be discussed in terms of a particular figurative interpretation (ta'wil,) or not.
Some say that they should be figuratively interpreted as befits them (n: interpreting His `hand.' for example, as an allusion to His omnipotence). And this is the more well known of the two positions of the scholastic theologians.
Others say that such verses should not be given a definitive interpretation, but rather their meaning should not be discussed, and the knowledge of them should be consigned to Allah Most High, while at the same time believing in the transcendence of Allah Most High, and that the characteristics of created things do not apply to Him. For example, it should be said we believe that
"the All-merciful is 'established' [Ar. istawa,] on the Throne" (Koran 20:5),
but we do not know the reality of the meaning of that, nor what is intended thereby, though we believe of Allah Most High that
"there is nothing whatsoever like unto Him" (Koran 42:11),
and that He is above indwelling in created things (hulul,), or having the characteristics of temporal, contingent existence (huduth,). And this is the path of the early Muslims, or the vast majority of them, and is the safest, for a person is not required to enter into discussions about this. When one believes in Allah's transcendence above created things, there is no need for debate on it, or for taking risks over what there is neither pressing necessity nor even any real call for.
But if the need arises for definitive interpretations to refute someone making unlawful innovations and the like, then the learned may supply them, and this is how we should understand what has come down to us from scholars in this field. And Allah knows best.
A person is not obliged to learn how to perform ablution, the prayer, and so forth, until the act itself is obligatory for him.
As for trade, marriage, and so forth, of things not in themselves obligatory, the Imam of the Two Sanctuaries (A: Juwayni), Ghazali, and others say that learning their means and conditions is personally obligatory for anyone who wants to do them.
It has also been said that one should not call this knowledge "personally obligatory," but rather say, "It is unlawful to undertake them until one knows the conditions for their legal validity." And this expression is more accurate.
It is obligatory for one to know what is permissible and what is unlawful of food, drink, clothing, and so forth, of things one is unlikely to be able to do without. And likewise for the rulings on treatment of women if one has a wife.
Shafi'i and colleagues (Allah have mercy on them) say that fathers and mothers must teach their children what will be obligatory for them after puberty. The guardian must teach the child about purification, prayer, fasting, and so forth; and that fornication, sodomy, theft, drinking, lying, slander, and the like are unlawful; and that he acquires moral responsibility at puberty and what this entails.
It has been said that this education is merely recommended, but in fact it is obligatory, as the plain content of its scriptural basis (n: mentioned below) shows. Just as it is mandatory for a guardian to wisely manage his charge's property, this is even more important. The merely recommended is what exceeds this, such as teaching him the Koran, Sacred Law, etiquette, and teaching him what he needs to earn a living.
The evidence for the obligation of teaching a young child is the word of Allah Mighty and Majestic,
"O you who believe, protect yourselves and families from a fire" (Koran 66:6).
'Ali ibn Abi Talib (Allah be well pleased with him), Mujahid, and Qatada say it means. "Teach them that with which they can save themselves from hell,"
As for knowledge o the heart, meaning familiarity with the illness of the heart such as envy, pride, and the like (dis: book
p, r and s). Ghazali has said that knowledge of their definitions, causes, remedy, and treatment is personally obligatory.(A: And this is what Ghazali meant when he said that Sufism (Tasawwuf,) is personally obligatory for every Muslim. He did not mean that taking a way (tariqa) and sheikh are obligatory, but rather the elimination of unlawful inner traits, which one could conceivably accomplish through the companionship of a single sincere brother.)
Others hold that if the morally responsible individual is endowed with a heart free of all these unlawful diseases, it suffices him, and he is not obliged to learn what will cure them. But if not safe from them he must reflect: if he can purify his heart from them without instruction then he must purify it, just as he must shun fornication and the like without learning the evidence proving he must. But if he cannot rid himself of these unlawful traits except through learning the above mentioned knowledge, then he is personally obliged to. And Allah knows best (al-Majmu', 1.24-26).
(Nawawi) The second category (in of Sacred Knowledge) is what is communally obligatory (fard al-kifaya,), namely the attainment of those Sacred Sciences which people cannot do without in practicing their religion, such as memorizing the Koran and hadith, their ancillary disciplines, methodological principles, Sacred Law, grammar, lexicology, declension, knowledge of hadith transmitters, and of scholarly consensus (ijma') and nonconsensus.
As for learning which is not Sacred Knowledge but is required to sustain worldly existence, such as medicine and mathematics, it too is a communal obligation (al-Majmu', 1.26).
(Nawawi:) The third category is the supererogatory, such as in-depth research into the bases of evidences, and elaboration beyond the amount required by the communal obligation, or such as an ordinary Muslim learning the details of nonobligatory acts of worship for the purpose of performing them; though not the work of scholars in distinguishing the obligatory from the nonobligatory, which is a communal obligation in respect to them. And Allah knows best (al-Majmu' , 1.27).
(Nawawi:) Having mentioned the categories of Sacred Knowledge the subjects it excludes are those that are unlawful offensive, or permissible.
Unlawful knowledge includes:
Offensive knowledge includes such things as post-classical poetry which contains romance and uselessness.
Permissible knowledge includes post-classical poetry which does not contain stupidity or anything that is offensive, incites to evil, hinders from good; not yet that which urges one to do good or helps one to do it (n: as the later would be recommended) (al-Majmu' , 1.27).