Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
The Four Duties – The Basis for the Preservation of Deen
In order to establish deen in the world, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was entrusted with four primary duties by Allah Ta‘ala. These four duties were: (1) teaching the ummah the correct manner of reciting the Qur’aan Majeed (2) teaching them the laws and injunctions of deen (3) teaching them how to live their lives according to the Sunnah (4) reforming their lives and purifying their akhlaaq.
When the ummah will uphold these four duties in their lives, then deen will remain established and continue to spread in the world. The reason is that as long as people are taught the proper recitation of the Qur’aan Majeed, the importance of upholding the injunctions of the Qur’aan Majeed and the Mubaarak Sunnah, and they reform their lives and purify their akhlaaq, a strong bond will be created within their hearts for deen and for Allah Ta‘ala. This, in turn, will impact positively upon their lives, causing them to remain committed to deen and motivating them to also guide others towards deen.
In the event of them seeing people incorrectly practising upon any injunction of deen or flouting any command of Allah Ta‘ala, then since they themselves understand deen correctly and are firm upon deen, they will be in a strong position to correct the wrong practices prevalent in society and guide people towards the correct path.
In essence, we understand that the ummah upholding the effort of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) in regard to the above-mentioned four duties is the basis for deen being preserved in the ummah.
It is reported in the Hadith that on one occasion, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) explained certain signs that will manifest in the ummah prior to Qiyaamah. In regard to those signs, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) mentioned to the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum), “These signs will manifest at a time when the knowledge of deen will be raised from the people.” A Sahaabi by the name of Ziyaad bin Labeed (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) asked, “O Rasul of Allah, how will the knowledge of deen be raised from the ummah, whereas we are currently reciting the Qur’aan and teaching it to our children, and they will teach it to their children in turn until the Day of Qiyaamah?”
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said to him in surprise, “O Ziyaad! I consider you to be from among the intelligent people of Madinah Munawwarah (in other words, how is it that you have not understood this?)! Do you not see that the Yahood and Nasaara (Jews and Christians) recite their books and teach them to their children, yet due to them not practising upon deen and its injunctions, the knowledge of their deen no longer remains with them?” (Sunan Ibnu Maajah #4048)
From this Hadith, we learn that the main cause for the Ahl-e-Kitaab (the Yahood and Nasaara) losing the knowledge of their deen and going astray was that they had ceased practicing upon deen. Even though they recite their books and teach them to their children, on account of them abandoning their deeni practices, deen has left them.
One can well imagine what the plight of the ummah will be if they cease going for hajj, abandon performing salaah, neglect discharging zakaat, stop giving the deceased an Islamic ghusal and burial, refrain from slaughtering qurbaani during the time of qurbaani etc.! What would happen to their deen! In a short period of time, deen will no longer remain preserved in the ummah.
Even if the Muslims continue to recite the verses of the Quraan Majeed and Mubaarak Ahaadith regarding all these obligations, on account of not practicing upon them, the knowledge and masaa’il of all these ibaadaat will be forgotten and lost.
Thus, from the aforementioned Hadith, it is abundantly clear that the main cause for deen being destroyed is the ummah not practising upon deen, and the main cause for deen remaining alive is the ummah practicing upon deen and imparting it to others. As long as the ummah continues to practice upon deen and impart it to others, deen will remain alive, established and preserved in the entire ummah.
