Suspicion of stopping work with the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah (analytical study) 1442 AH - 2020 AD

Abstract

The suspicion or stopping the work according to the texts of the Holy Qur’an and the Prophet’s Sunnah has been repeated throughout history, especially during the caliphate of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him. Such incidents have been a subject of controversy and discussion since that time. Many people return to them by questioning and criticizing, and in many cases, they suspect their accuracy claiming that they come against original texts.

In light of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the jurisprudential authorities in various Arab and Islamic countries made it legal to suspend Friday prayers and congregational prayers in mosques explaining their jurisprudent basis and objectives for those fatwas. This made many people question the correctness of such fatwas, considering them as stopping (suspending) or canceling of the work upon texts in the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah.

No doubt, the juristic judgment on this issue is consistent with other relevant texts, with the rules for understanding texts in Sharia, and with the rules of general and specific objectives in Islamic legislation. As for those who claim otherwise, they made a mistake in understanding and implementing the texts and did not understand the rules for reconciling them with the purposes of Sharia.

Accordingly, it has been necessary to study and verify this issue through points including:

• Explaining the difference between stopping (suspending) the work upon a legal text or canceling it, and suspending the text and not applying it due to the lack of necessary conditions.
• Listing the capacities of the Prophet (PBUH) according to which he behaved and judged, a mufti and an informer, a judge or an imam, and a leader.
• Returning the texts to the spirit of legislation according to which the Prophet (PBUH) ruled and which his Companions accurately understood and applied after his death according to the new conditions.

The verification of this topic will also be useful in refuting the suspicion and the claim of suspending the work according to texts.