Why is a "Shafi'i manual of Islamic law" needed?

[enceladus]

I have a question related to something that I posted in another thread.
Apparently, "Umdat al-Salik" is a Shafi'i manual of Islamic law. This is puzzling.

We are constantly told that "the Quran is clear", are we not?

If that is the case, then why is a "Shafi'i manual" of Islamic law needed?

Either the Quran is clear, or it is not. If it is clear, then the manual is not needed.
If it is *not* clear, then the manual may well be needed, but *then* the Quran lies about itself being "clear".

- enceladus

[sum]

Hello enceladus

You raise a very valid point. What you present also applies to the Hanafites - Hedaya.

Hedaya It is the law manual of Hanafi sect of Islam. Hanafi sect dominates India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan.

Why should the Shafi sect differ in any way from the Hanafites as per reasons re belief and law that you have already stated?

A bit about the Shafi sect -

1.4.2 A Muslim's Responsibility in Tenets of Faith

As for the basic obligation of Islam in relationship to the tenets of faith, it is
adequate for one to believe in everything brought by the Messenger of Allah -
may Allah venerate him and give him peace - and to credit it, with absolute
conviction, free of any doubt. Whosoever does this, is not obligated to learn the
detailed evidences of the scholars.

The Prophet - may Allah venerate him and give him peace - did not require of anyone further detailed evidences other than that which has just been mentioned, neither did the first four caliphs, the companions of the Prophet, nor yet the community of the early Muslims who came after them.
[i]Rather, what befits the common people and vast majority of those who are learning or possessing Sacred knowledge is to refrain from discussing the subtleties of scholastic theology, lest corruption, which is difficult to eliminate, should find its way into their basic religious convictions.
It is more befitting for them to confine themselves to being content with the
above-mentioned absolute certainty. Imam Shafi'i (may Allah, the Most High have mercy on him) went to the greatest possible lengths in asserting that engaging in scholastic theology is forbidden.

(This statement was issued to address the heretical scholastic theology that was
proliferating during his time in which rationalistic theories were sought and placed
above the Koran and Prophetic practice, not the science of theology (‘ilm altawhid)
by which Ash’ari and Maturidi scholars have clarified and detailed the tenets of the faith of Prophetic ways (Sunni) Islam, which is an important part of Islamic sciences.)

Imam Shafi'i insistently emphasized scholastic theology's unlawfulness.
The severity of the punishment awaiting those who engage in it, the disgrace of doing
it, and the enormous sin of the sin therein by saying, “It is better for a worshipper of Allah to meet Him with the sin of idolatry rather than being guilty of the sin of
scholastic theology (which is not based on the Revelation).”

Imam Shafi’i made many similar, well known statements. However, if anyone has
doubts (may Allah be our refuge) about any of the tenets of faith in which belief is
obligatory, and his doubt cannot be eliminated except through learning one of the
theologians’ proofs, then it is obligatory for him to learn from it that which removes the doubt and thereby acquire the belief in the questioned pillars of faith.[/i]

It is very simple - just accept and do as you are told. No questions, no expression of doubt but only blind obedience otherwise Allah`s punishment on JD will be most severe. Fear Allah. Fear rules.

sum

[enceladus]

Hi sum - thanks for your reply!

Yeah. For all of the talk that "the Quran is clear, blah, blah, blah...." it sure does seem to need an awful lot of backup and support (like a collapsing old house with scaffolding and bracing all around it.) Hadith, this manual and goodness knows what else.

Hmmph. "The Quran is clear." Yeah, right..... "clear", my infidel backside......
- enceladus

[marduk]

That's what happens when a camel trader tries to be the legislator, he makes such a large number of omissions that later people have to try to figure out what Muhammad SHOULD have put in there in the first place. The Quran is so imperfect that it has caused nothing but confusion and arguments since the day it was published by the Grimm's Fairy Tale Book Company of Arabia.

[enceladus]

That's what happens when a camel trader tries to be the legislator, he makes such a large number of omissions that later people have to try to figure out what Muhammad SHOULD have put in there in the first place.
(snip)

Agreed! I could not agree more!
- enceladus

[Fernando]

A bit about the Shafi sect -

1.4.2 A Muslim's Responsibility in Tenets of Faith
<snip>
The Prophet - may Allah venerate him and give him peace

Shurely shome mishtake - shouldn't it be the prophet who venerates the god?