Q. During my home visit, my sister told me that if a person cannot afford to go on pilgrimage, he should undertake a trip with the Tableeghi group, and he will get equal reward from God. I told her that this was absolutely wrong and suggested that she consult you, but she retorted by questioning the authority of Arab News to give religious rulings. Please comment.
A.S.
A. Your sister is right to question the authority of anyone issuing religious rulings. The important thing, however, is that the person issuing such rulings should have profound knowledge of Islam, the Qur’an and the Sunnah, as well as an excellent standard in Arabic and good knowledge of scholarly research, in order to answer such questions. We should all know that Islam has only the sources I have just indicated. It does not accept any view that is not based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah. After all, this is the implication of the first step that one takes to declare himself a Muslim. When we declare our belief in God’s oneness and in the message of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), we actually acknowledge that the only source from which we receive information about our religion is God, and that such information is passed to us only through His Messenger. Thus, anyone writing about Islam, whether in Arab News or anywhere else, should produce the basis of his views, arguments or rulings.
Now when your sister suggests that a trip with or for Tableegh is given a reward equal to that of pilgrimage, she is expressing either a personal opinion or making a religious ruling. If the latter, then it is certainly wrong because she cannot support such ruling with any evidence from the Qur’an or the Sunnah. A trip with Tableeghi group may be highly inspiring, productive, or enriching, and, in certain conditions, it may be rewarded generously by God, but to consider it as equivalent to performing the pilgrimage is something that no one can suggest. How can they when the pilgrimage is a duty God has imposed, while a trip for Tableegh is neither obligatory nor a Sunnah? If, on the other hand, she is expressing a personal view, we only say to her that she must not speak of the reward God may grant for any action on the basis of a personal view. It is God who rewards actions in accordance with His absolute fairness. It is not for anyone to suggest the level of reward for any action whatsoever.
Having said that, I would like to add a word of advice. We all may be strongly convinced of the superiority of the method we have chosen to follow or the soundness of the group we have joined. We may be right. However, we should always remember that we are only human and we are liable to make mistakes. Therefore, we must not take anything as absolute. We should always look up to the Qur’an and the Sunnah for judging our own actions. We should do our best to always follow the Prophet’s guidance, and we should pray that God will guide us to what is best.
Purchase by Installments
Q. When we buy some expensive item, such as a car, and pay its price by installments, we end up paying more than what we would have paid if the price is paid in full straightaway. Please comment whether such purchase by installments is permissible from the Islamic point of view.
M. Abd Al-Qadir
A. Of course the price will change according to the method of payment. Suppose a car dealer agrees to sell you a car and receive a small portion of the price immediately and the balance in, say, three months time. He will certainly require you to pay more than what you would have paid had you tendered the full price on the spot. By giving you more time to pay, the dealer is losing the benefit of using that price in his business. Thus he loses some potential profit by not having access to such funds as belong to him. Hence, compensation by raising the price is acceptable. The same applies to hire purchase, when the price is paid over a specified length of time.
