Tajdeed

Knowledge linked to Action & Divine Legislation – A Zaydi Reading

It is narrated that a man asked [i.e. the Prophet], peace

and blessings be upon him and his progeny, three times about the best of actions. He replied each time:

((Knowledge of Allah)). Then, the man said: “I asked you about actions and you responded with

knowledge?” He, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, replied:

((Woe unto you! Verily, with knowledge, actions benefit—whether small or great.

However, with ignorance, actions do not benefit—whether small or great)).

Reference: ‘The Right Path Towards Gnosis of the Lord of Creation’ – By Sayyid Allama Muhammad bin al-Hasan bin Imam al-Qāsim bin Muhammad

For those who ask whether actions, deeds and commands are innately righteous or whether they are right or wrong due to the legislation of the Ultimate Legislator.

The answer to this argument is quite clear. We say that it is evident that God Almighty is Omniscient and knowing of every single intricate detail of reality, and it is also obvious that benefit is essentially and intrinsically good (until proven otherwise) and that harm is in the same way evil.

Therefore, since the reality of benefit and harm exist in the universe and since the Creator knows exactly what He has created, then this shows that God Almighty legislates for the overall benefit of his creation and he opposes harm.

Loving and worshipping God alone without any partners is beneficial for humanity and it promotes well-being. Whereas, associating partners with the Indivisible One God with other than Him is intrinsically a harmful evil.

Nevertheless, at times certain things may seem to have some harmful aspects to them, but their essence and ends are nothing but benefit and well-being. Similarly, certain evils may have some benefit to them, but overall, they are harmful.

Moreover, God is the Most-Wise and the All-Knowing, so how can the Creator randomly and arbitrarily legislate and command what is right and wrong? Isn’t this contradictory?

If legislation was random and arbitrary, instead of being based on wisdom, knowledge, well-being, and principles, then according to this argument God could have commanded the people to be indulged in polytheism and paganism and He could have neglected or punished those who loved, obeyed and worshipped Him.

However, the innate disposition testifies that this is far from the truth and that this is an impossibility.

Through this analysis we see that God’s legislation is through wisdom, knowledge and well-being and that there is always a wisdom behind legislation.

Almighty God created love, mercy, morality and ethics, not just dry and simple rules of do and don’t do.

– By Abul Hasan al-Gabikani al-Shadi al-Shaddadi al-Hadhabani -al-Kurdi