The Need of Understanding Religion

The people in the suburbs of Medinah, who had embraced Islam during prophet Muhammad (pbuh)'s time, had not been able to spend time learning Islam directly from him. These people lived far away from him and as a result it was not easy for them to join his company. Despite this difficulty in being able to learn from the Prophet (pbuh), they were reprimanded by the Almighty for their not having taken the initiative. Then Quran presented a remedy for such a situation:

In the light of the above verse it can be deduced that it is the duty of every individual Muslim to make sure they gain understanding of the religion. The emphasis on this learning is so much that when the knowledgeable were not present in a community, the community was required to arrange for a group to travel out and gain that understanding so that when they returned, they were able to transfer that knowledge to everyone living in that community.

Many Muslims today avoid the learning of religion on the basis that once they know more about religion, life will become tougher for them. However, this author believes that it is completely absurd to assume that by not learning religion one will be able to get away from the repercussions that are entailed in the actions they take. One may be able to pass on an easy life in this world, but they will not be able to escape it on the Day of Judgment. Fact of the matter is that one cannot play dumb to God who, being All Knowledgeable, knows each of His slaves who is deliberately avoiding religion solely with such an intention. He knows everyone who possesses the capacity but does not put himself out to understand it. An attitude of negligence is akin to closing one's eye instead of looking at the danger and preparing to face it.

It is also important to add that the phrase used 'تَفَقَّهُواْ فِي الدِّينِ' implies understanding and gaining deep insight into religion1. Maududi2 correctly points out that incorrect understanding of this phrase has led Muslims into educating themselves in the area of religious rulings only, completely giving away understanding of the Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh). It is this misconception that eventually ridded Islamic education of its basic spirits and transformed it into a bookish form that does not even appeal to Muslims of the new age. The understanding of religion, however, under the implication of this phrase, stands for gaining an insight deep into it and, by doing so, enlightening one's innersole.

Similarly the word انذار, used for imparting the knowledge gained to others actually implies warning someone and making them aware of the aftermath of a set of actions and their behavior3. It is only such an understanding – undertaken with an effort to get closer to God – which shall equip an individual to fight evil thereby making him eligible for the ultimate bliss in the Hereafter. Anything short of that bliss in the Hereafter would be a great loss and should not be experienced at the expense of one's negligence. It is important to note that such an insight into religion is not possible without an in-depth understanding of Quran. Quran emphatically puts it forth thus: