And properly gauging worldly amenities and priorities in Islam…

As a frequent consequence of our zeal, ignorance, and patchwork base of Islamic knowledge, reverts–and even many ethnic Muslims with a basic foundation of knowledge–often make judgment calls that are wholly uncalled for as Muslims. For example, some brothers may think that silverware or Pepsi is haraam or that wearing a thobe is obligatory. They may believe they are being “firm on the Sunnah” by wearing shoes to pray in a carpeted masjid. Similarly, if someone says, “just a second,” they’ll check them and call them a liar if they delay more than one second. To avoid falling into these mistakes, there are some very important principles in Islam we must come to learn and appreciate:

Firstly, all material and “secular” things of this world are permissible to benefit from EXCEPT what Allah has explicitly forbidden. The evidence to this is derived from the verse:

{قُلْ مَنْ حَرَّمَ زِينَةَ اللَّـهِ الَّتِي أَخْرَجَ لِعِبَادِهِ وَالطَّيِّبَاتِ مِنَ الرِّزْقِ ۚ قُلْ هِيَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا خَالِصَةً يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ} ﴿٣٢﴾ سورة الأعراف

“Say: ‘Who declared as unlawful the goodly things of provision (obtained from plants, animals and minerals)?’ Say: ‘They are for the believers in the life of this world, but will be exclusively theirs with the Day of Resurrection.’ Thus do We detail Our Revelations for a people seeking knowledge.” [7:32]

This is important so that we do not unknowingly forbid things from ourselves or others without right. So just because the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not do a thing does not mean that it OPPOSES Islam. Examples of this include driving cars or riding airplanes (as opposed to riding camels), eating with a knife and fork (as opposed to eating with one’s fingers), getting a college degree (as opposed to sitting in a circle with a teacher in the middle), etc. So be careful when distinguishing between what is permissible in Islam versus what is TRULY forbidden, lest you come under threat of the verse,

{وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَا تَصِفُ أَلْسِنَتُكُمُ الْكَذِبَ هَـٰذَا حَلَالٌ وَهَـٰذَا حَرَامٌ لِّتَفْتَرُوا عَلَى اللَّـهِ الْكَذِبَ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّـهِ الْكَذِبَ لَا يُفْلِحُونَ} ﴿١١٦﴾ سورة النحل

“And say not concerning that which your tongues put forth falsely: ‘This is lawful and this is forbidden,’ to invent lies against Allah. Verily, those who invent lies against Allah, will never prosper.” [16:116]

The second important rule is, all means thought to get closer to Allah are forbidden except for what Allah has specifically legislated. Non-prescribed “worship” is called innovation or bid’ah, and is considered sinful, believe it or not. The primary purpose of commissioning the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and other prophets before him was to exemplify how to worship Allah. It is that source alone that provides the guidance for worshiping our Creator. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever performs any deed that does not agree with what we’ve demonstrated will have it rejected,” recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Third, one of the goals of Islam is to make things easier on the people around you, and not to harm others or cause disorder—wanting good for your fellow brothers and sisters in Islam, even and especially if they make mistakes.

An example of this can be illustrated from the Hajj pilgrimage. The Ka’bah in Mecca has a stone in one of its corners called “the Black Stone” or al-hajr-ul-aswad in Arabic. Briefly touching it and giving it a light kiss–yes, a kiss–something that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ performed and encouraged, yet he did not say it is obligatory, or that neglecting to do so was bad. On the other hand, we as Muslims are obligated not to hurt one another without right. Many Muslims confuse their priorities and even push and shove their brothers and sisters in Islam in hopes to kiss the Black Stone. As for the one who refrains from doing so, if he knows that if he were to try to kiss the black stone, he would injure others, then he will have a greater reward from Allah by refraining. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that Allah said that no slave comes closer to Allah except by implementing His Obligations, and then after that, those recommended deeds. So by following the obligation of not harming Muslims, you come closer to Allah than the one who foolishly and sinfully hurts his brothers and sisters in Islam to fulfill something that is only recommended. So remember this rule when dealing with your brothers and sisters in Islam—pray and hope well for them in their lives and after their deaths.

Lastly, Allah used the Arabic language as a medium for His revelation. Allah did not create new rules for the Arabs and force them to restructure their language. He addressed them with examples from the loftiest patterns of speech known to them. Idioms and metaphors, even if their most literal interpretation might suggest dishonesty, if it is used in a manner familiar to the people of the language, then it is not dishonesty in the least. For example, Allah says in the Quran what means, quoting Yusuf’s brothers,

{وَاسْأَلِ الْقَرْيَةَ الَّتِي كُنَّا فِيهَا وَالْعِيرَ الَّتِي أَقْبَلْنَا فِيهَا ۖ وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ} ﴿٨٢﴾ سورة يوسف

“And ask (the people of) the town where we have been, and the caravan in which we returned; and indeed we are telling the truth.” [12:82]

The intended meaning is not to ask “the town” like its walls, signposts and street bricks, but its inhabitants and representatives. In English, we may say, “the sun is hiding behind the clouds,” while everyone knows this is not to be understood literally. It is a figure of speech as everyone understands it.

I’ve heard of some converts calling people “liars” if they say “just a second” and delay more than one second. Being firm and conservative in faith is often substituted with extremism by the zealous and ignorant until they learn more about Islam, its fundamental ideals, and the Prophet’s unparalleled patience and perpetual smile with his countrymen.

The point is, take it easy. The imams around you that you deem lazy, fearful, or ignorant have no doubt learned what you know, and have gone beyond that a hundred-fold in their studies, but because they want good for people, they teach laity at an appropriate level so as not to repel them. Ali ibn Abi Talib used to say, “Speak to people by what they are familiar with, do you want them to belie Allah and His Messenger!?” 

Furthermore, many of the hadeeth books that we treasure and study to better learn the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet are devoid of commentary. Or they have commentary from one contemporary scholar, and lack mention of the rulings from the Four Imams and fiqh schools. What I have found amazing is that some narrations which might appear to clearly forbid an item or action–they have instead been interpreted by nearly all of the scholars of Islam to be disliked and not forbidden, or that the forbiddance is very narrow. Would you rather follow one or two modern day scholars who issue a blanket forbiddence OR follow 99% of the scholars in the history of this religion who have a more nuanced ruling, while knowing that the Prophet commands us to follow the mainstream body? 

When it comes to commanding good and forbidding evil, limit it to what is most important and indisputable, like the five daily prayers, and avoiding those prohibitions known in the religion by necessity, like alcohol and fornication. And Allah knows best.