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Meaning
Linguistically, Daleel means a proof, indication, or an evidence. As
a term, Daleel means the source or evidence for a thought, concept,
or a ruling. Any law or ruling must have a Daleel, which can be from
Quran, Sunnah, or a source, which Quran and Sunnah directed us to adopt.
Any ruling from the text of either the Quran or Sunnah is considered a
Daleel. For example, the Quran states:
'Let there arise out of you a group of people
Inviting to all that is good (Islam) and enjoining what is right and
forbidding what is wrong.' (Al Imran:104)
This Ayah is considered a Daleel for the obligation of establishing a Hizb
(party or group) calling for Islam and enjoining what is Maruf (good)
and forbidding what is Munkar (bad). An example of a Daleel from the
Sunnah is the prohibition to the call for nationalism. The Prophet (saaw)
said about all types of Asabiyah (nationalism, racism, tribalism):
Structure of a Daleel
As mentioned earlier, a Daleel is an evidence for an opinion, concept,
ruling, or a thought from Islam. There are two aspects related to any
Daleel, Riwayah (reportage) and Dalalah (meaning).The
Riwayah covers issues related to how the information was relayed to us,
which includes the number and the integrity of reporters. The Dalalah
is related to the meaning of the text in the Daleel. There are also
two terms used in connection with Riwayah and Dalalah i.e. Qatai and
Thanniy.Qatai is defined as being conclusive or
decisive, while Thanniy is the opposite of Qatai and means
non-definite or indecisive.
Any Ayah from the Quran or Hadith Mutawatir is considered Qatai (conclusive)
in its Riwayah (report).The Qatai in Riwayah implies that the
evidence is authentic without any shadow of doubt. This authenticity is
established based on the methodology of transmission. The methodology by
which Quran was transmitted to us precludes any possibility of fabrication.
The report was transmitted generation by generation in exactly the same
manner. It is impossible for an entire generation to fabricate, erase, or
add contents to the Quran. It is inconceivable to believe that every single
individual in that generation assembled together and agreed to add or delete
parts of the Quran. Everyone in that generation was reciting the same
contents of the Quran, thus authentifyng its contents. Hadith Mutawatir was
not transmitted generation by generation, but rather by a large number of
people. Due to the large number of people reporting the Daleel, and their
diversity of residence, their established reliability and conviction, it is
inconceivable that this Daleel could be wrong.
Any report of information other than through the Quran or Hadith Mutawatir,
such as Hadith Ahad, is considered Thanniy (non-definite), meaning that
there is a minute possibility that the Daleel could contain error.
Dalalah
The second aspect of the Daleel is the Dalalah (meaning). If the text
of Quran, Hadith Mutawatir or Hadith Ahad is clear, specific, and has only
one meaning, then it is considered Qatai. The text of a Qatai Daleel
has to have only one meaning and cannot be open to any other interpretation.
If the text is open to more than one interpretation, then it is considered
Thanniy. Since interpretations are due to the Arabic language, any
interpretation has to be justified through the Arabic language.
Example of Quran with a Qatai (conclusive) meaning:
'What your wives leave, your share is a half, if
they leave no child.' (An Nisa:12)
'Those who accuse chaste women of zinna (adultery)
and fail to bring four witnesses (to prove it) flog them eighty strips.'
(An Nur: 4)
This quantitative aspect of these rulings, namely one half and eighty are
clear and therefore cannot be open to any other interpretations.
Example of Hadith Mutawatir with Qatai (conclusive) meaning:
''Whosoever lies about me (Prophet Muhammad (saaw))
deliberately, let him take his place in the Hell fire''
This Mutawatir Hadith is very clear in its subject; thus there is only one
understanding from the text, that whoever lies about what Prophet (saaw)
said intentionally, he will go to hellfire.
Example of Hadith Ahad with Qatai (conclusive) meaning:
It is reported from a non-Mutawatir Hadith that the Prophet (saaw) fasted 6
days in Shawwal. The conclusive meanings from this Hadith are the following:
a) Permissibility of fasting 6 days in Shawwal.
b) Except on the first day, since it is the day of Eid, and it is Haram to
fast on Eid.
Example of Quranic Ayah with a Thanniy (non-definite) meaning:
In Surah al Maid'a Ayah 6, Allah (swt) says if you
touch (lamastum) the women it breaks the wulu(ablution).
The word lamastum has been interpreted as having two meanings:
a) Touching.
b) Sexual Intercourse.
Thus the Ayah has a Thanniy Dalalah, i.e. it could mean touching
women breaks the Wulu, or sexual intercourse with a woman breaks the Wulu.
Example of Hadith Mutawatir with a Thanniy (non-definite) meaning:
It was reported that the Prophet (saaw) used to take off his Ihram in a
specific manner. However, when the Sahabah (raa) told the Prophet (saaw)
that they took it off in a manner different from the way he (saaw) took it
off, the Prophet (saaw) approved of their actions.
Though this incident is Mutawatir, the rules to take off ones Ihram
are many.
Example of a Hadith Ahad with a Thanniy (non-definite)
meaning:
It is reported from a non-Mutawatir Hadith that the Prophet (saaw) fasted 6
days in Shawwal. The non-definite meanings of this Hadith are:
a) Whether the six days of fasting are consecutive or not?
b) Fasting in which part of Shawwal?
So far we have discussed the Qatai and Thanniy aspects of both
Riwayah and Dalalah separately. However, the method to determine whether the
Daleel (both in Riwayah and Dalalah) is Qatai (conclusive) or
Thanniy (non-definite) is the following:
1. Qatai Riwayah + Qatai Dalalah = Qatai Daleel
2. Thanniy Riwayah + Qatai Dalalah = Thanniy Daleel
3. Thanniy Riwayah + Thanniy Daialah = Thanniy Daleel
4. Qatai Riwayah + Thanniy Dalalah = Thanniy Daleel
Any idea, thought, or concept related to the Aqeedah has to be based
upon a Qatai Daleel. As an example, the concept that Angels exists is
based upon a Qatai Daleel not Thanniy. Also, in Usul al Fiqh, to establish a
source for extracting rulings, the source must be based upon a Qatai Daleel
as well. As an example, to consider Ijma as Sahabah (consensus of the
companions) as a source of rulings, the Daleel to prove the authority of
Ijma as Sahabah has to be Qatai both in Riwayah and Dalalah, though a
ruling can be derived from either a Qatai or Thanniy Daleel.
One might wonder why understanding the text of Quran and Sunnah is so
complicated? By examining the text of Quran and Sunnah one can see that it
is limited in its volume. With its limited text one can generate rulings to
any problems affecting us anywhere and anytime until the Day of Judgment. It
is a miracle from Allah (swt) that the text of the Quran and Sunnah have the
ability to express numerous rulings from a single Ayah and Hadith; whereas,
the ability to understand many meanings from a single text cannot he found
in any other legal text in the world! The challenge is for Muslims in each
generation to try to understand the text and relate it to their lives since
the Quran and Sunnah are relevant to all times and places. Besides the point
mentioned above, we have to realize that there are rules and guidelines
related to understanding and deriving laws from the Quran and Sunnah. No
one, without being acquainted with these rules (Arabic language, rules which
differentiate one type of text from another, etc.), can understand the text
of Quran and Sunnah. Even to understand man-made constitutions, one has to
spend a few years studying and understanding the text. So, how can we expect
an individual who is unfamiliar with the Usul al Fiqh to open up the
Quran and Sunnah and start extracting laws from it?
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