By Mawlānā ʿAbdul Ṣamad Rafīqī (ḥifẓahullāh)
① Heart
② Tongue
③ Physical limbs (e.g., eyes, ears, hands, feet)
④ Wealth
These correspond to the four classic categories of worship:
① Heart-based (Qalbī) Acts
② Verbal (Qaulī) Acts
③ Physical (Badani) Acts
④ Financial (Mālī) Acts
Similarly, striking one’s relative’s face is sinful, but refraining out of fear of Allah is righteous.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3465)
**﴿وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ﴾
“And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge.”
(Al-Isrā’: 36)
The Prophet ﷺ himself waited for revelation before answering questions about the sleepers of the cave, Dhū’l-Qarnayn, and the nature of the Soul—until Sūrah al-Kahf was revealed.
**﴿يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ﴾
“O you who believe! Do not precede Allah and His Messenger…”
(Al-Ḥujurāt: 1)
After the Prophet’s passing, this verse teaches us: do not legislate an act or abandonment without guidance from the Qur’ān and Sunnah—rather, adopt tawaqquf.
اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ
(Ṭā Hā: 5/20)
The Salaf accepted this wording without delving into how—they neither anthropomorphized nor negated, but remained silent on its modality. Tawaqquf is thus the correct stance when neither affirmation nor negation is provided by textual proof.
We respond: If even the Prophet ﷺ never practiced it throughout his life, then abstaining is Sunnah—if you insist on inventing it, it is bidʿah.
① Reconciliation (Taṭbīq/Tawfīq)
② Abrogation (Naskh)
③ Preference (Tarjih)
④ Tawaqquf (only if the above fail—rarely needed)
This threefold framework preserves the purity of Islamic practice and shields against the ever-present danger of innovation.
All praise is due to Allah alone.
1. Introduction to ʿIbādah (Worship) and Its Means
Islam is defined as attaining Allah’s pleasure through obedience. A servant has five primary means of obeying Allah:① Heart
② Tongue
③ Physical limbs (e.g., eyes, ears, hands, feet)
④ Wealth
These correspond to the four classic categories of worship:
① Heart-based (Qalbī) Acts
② Verbal (Qaulī) Acts
③ Physical (Badani) Acts
④ Financial (Mālī) Acts
1.1 Heart-based Acts (Qalbī ʿIbādāt)
Matters of belief and intention—choosing correct Islamic creed over falsehood, seeking only Allah’s pleasure, guarding against heedlessness and doubt with sincere certainty.1.2 Verbal Acts (Qaulī ʿIbādāt)
Matters of the tongue—professing the Kalimah, reciting the Qur’ān, uttering prescribed adhkār and duʿās, teaching and preaching, and avoiding idle talk.1.3 Physical Acts (Badani ʿIbādāt)
Matters of the body—prostrating solely to the Creator, lowering the gaze to one’s lawful spouse, forsaking gatherings of immorality in favor of pure assemblies, aiding one another in good and refraining from supporting evil.1.4 Financial Acts (Mālī ʿIbādāt)
Matters of wealth—regularly giving zakāh, khums, and fidyah; assisting the needy; fulfilling others’ rights; and withholding expenditure from sinful or futile pursuits.2. Action (Fiʿl) vs. Abandonment (Tark)
Just as performing an act is a deed, so too is refraining from a lawful deed when one is able.- Example of Fiʿl: Praying the ṣalāh earns reward.
- Example of Tark: Failing to pray despite ability constitutes disbelief.
Similarly, striking one’s relative’s face is sinful, but refraining out of fear of Allah is righteous.
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3465)
3. The Third Option: Refraining from Speculation (Tawaqquf)
Beyond action and abandonment lies tawaqquf—suspending judgment where the Book and Sunnah are silent.**﴿وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ﴾
“And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge.”
(Al-Isrā’: 36)
The Prophet ﷺ himself waited for revelation before answering questions about the sleepers of the cave, Dhū’l-Qarnayn, and the nature of the Soul—until Sūrah al-Kahf was revealed.
**﴿يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ﴾
“O you who believe! Do not precede Allah and His Messenger…”
(Al-Ḥujurāt: 1)
After the Prophet’s passing, this verse teaches us: do not legislate an act or abandonment without guidance from the Qur’ān and Sunnah—rather, adopt tawaqquf.
4. Application to Attributes of Allah
For instance, Allah’s attribute:اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ
(Ṭā Hā: 5/20)
The Salaf accepted this wording without delving into how—they neither anthropomorphized nor negated, but remained silent on its modality. Tawaqquf is thus the correct stance when neither affirmation nor negation is provided by textual proof.
5. Signs of Bidʿah (Innovation)
A hallmark of innovation is that:- The Book and Sunnah neither mention nor legislate it.
- Innovators claim, “The Prophet ﷺ did not forbid it, so you must not forbid us.”
We respond: If even the Prophet ﷺ never practiced it throughout his life, then abstaining is Sunnah—if you insist on inventing it, it is bidʿah.
6. Resolving Apparent Contradictions in Ḥadīth
When two authentic ḥadīths seem to conflict, scholars proceed in stages:① Reconciliation (Taṭbīq/Tawfīq)
② Abrogation (Naskh)
③ Preference (Tarjih)
④ Tawaqquf (only if the above fail—rarely needed)
7. Conclusion
True adherence to the Sunnah entails:- Fiʿl – Performing what Allah and His Messenger commanded.
- Tark – Abandoning what they forbade.
- Tawaqquf – Suspending judgment where they remained silent.
This threefold framework preserves the purity of Islamic practice and shields against the ever-present danger of innovation.
All praise is due to Allah alone.
