Currently, we observe that the matter of imitation reached its worst peak. Infact, the extent of imitating the non-Muslim West becomes very disgraceful for many Muslims liked to imitate them in every vice and bad customs.
They imitate them in scorning the noble manners, values and religion…!
They imitate them in greed, selfishness, deception, cheat, cunning and betrayals..!
They imitate them in instability, wearing obscene clothing, displaying beauty want only, immorality, displaying effeminate manners..!
Moreover, there will be inevitable humiliation and degradation because of the blind imitation of them politically, economically, culturally, and intellectually.
Unfortunately, they (imitators) turned a blind eye to all what is beneficial, positive and useful of their production in different means of life, sciences, experiments, and inventions that Allah made permissible.
At-Tashabuh (Assimilation):
Imaam Muhammad Al-Ghuzi Ash-Shaf'i defined it as absorbing and adopting the characteristics and manners of another group. It is done deliberately and intentionally.
Taqleed (Imitation):
It is to copy the speech, actions, beliefs or behaviors of someone else without any proof, contemplation, reasonable consideration or careful thinking.
Imitation From a religious Perspective:
Imitation is to follow someone else in a religious ruling without making any legal reasoning and discretion about such ruling and without any proof. In that point, imitation will not be dispraised. Rather, it is desirable for everyone who does not have the qualifications of legal reasoning and discretion in the rulings of religion, to follow one of the Mujtahid scholars as Allah says:
"So ask of those who know the Scripture (learned men of the Torah and the Injeel), if you know not." [16:43]
That means: If the lay person follows one of the Mujtahid scholars, then it will be a kind of imitation.
However,
imitation will be dispraised and unfavorable for the one who has the
qualifications of legal reasoning or discretion in the rulings of
religion. And whoever imitates another one in misguidance, religious
innovation or adheres to a specific opinion and enforce people to adopt
will be surely rejected.Blind Imitation:
It is exactly the kind of imitation that the Muslims adopted without reasonable consideration, careful thinking or taking care from imitating non-Muslims, treading the same path of them and following them in the different means of life, manners and behaviors, forms of production, beliefs, visions, way of thinking, philosophy, policy, economy, literature, arts, culture, systems and legislations. They absorbed their lifestyle without taking account of the principles of the Islamic creed, the rulings of religion, or the noble moral standards, and without adhering to the honorable Islamic teachings.
Imitation is a Character Flaw:
1. Imitation is in fact a negative attribute found only in those who have weak personality and thus it is a character flaw.
2. Imitation implies the meaning of absorption, defeat, blind following, apathy, adopting, blind obedience without any careful thinking or considerable consideration of what can be beneficial or harmful and without differentiation between what can agree or contradict with the rulings of religion.
Wisdom behind Forbidding Imitation:
Actually, forbidding imitation in the Islamic Shari'ah has many interests and benefits. We know some of them while many other still cannot be realized. Generally, the serious repercussions of imitation are undeniable and known by all people. As for Imitating non-Muslims, it has many harmful effects that are witnessed by reality, experiments, and historical investigation of the history of nations, peoples, civilizations and the Islamic nation in particular.
Proofs that Prohibit Imitation:
First: Proofs of the Noble Quran:
Actually, forbidding imitating non-Muslims is mentioned in many verses and in different styles. Amongst them are:
1. Explaining that imitation is a general danger to the interests and entity of the Islamic nation: Allah says:
"O you who believe! Take not as (your) Bitanah (advisors, consultants, protectors, helpers, friends, etc.) those outside your religion (pagans, Jews, Christians, and hypocrites) since they will not fail to do their best to corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their breasts conceal is far worse." [3:118]
2. Warning against them and not to be deceived by their bad characteristics and misleading desires, Allah says:
3. Explaining their envy, deception and wishing evil for Muslims, Allah says:
"Many of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) wish that if they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed, out of envy from their ownselves, even, after the truth (that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger) has become manifest unto them." [2:109]
Second: Proofs of the Sunnah:
1. Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Whoever imitates a group people is one of them." [Ibn Hibaan, Authentic]
2. Prophet (saws) said: "You will certainly follow the ways of those who came before you hand span by hand span, cubit by cubit, to the extent that if they entered the hole of a lizard, you will enter it too." We said: "O Messenger of Allah, (do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?" He said: "Who else?" [Al-Bukhari]
3. Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Differentiate yourself from the Mushrikeen (polytheists, disbelievers): trim the moustache and let the beard grow." [Muslim]
This
Hadith has clear-cut evidence and a direct command to be different from
non-Muslims. It, furthermore, indicates that it is Haraam to tread the
same path of them.Reason behind such Blind Imitation:
1- Ignorance of the reality of Islam.
2- Not adhering to the teachings of the Islamic education.
3- Mass media.
4- Great amounts of leisure time.
5- Weakness of the belief of Al-Walaa` Wal-Baraa` (loyalty and friendship vs. disavowal and enmity).
6- Many are impressed by the material development and progress, ignoring the reality of the western civilization.
Solutions:
1- Inventing some modern methods that can protect us from such violent attack that aims to undermine our basic tenets of faiths. The most important tool is the mass media in which the development of the intellectual presentation styles should be observed.
2- Establishing a complete defensive strategy that should be carried out by all; houses, schools, educational authorities, institutions of Da'wah and guidance as well as the security organizations.
3- Raising up and educating children according to the noble Islamic teachings from the beginning of their tender ages. This will give them immunity against such mottos so that they may not accept them. In fact, this entails the crucial role of families, educational curricula, knowledge and schools.
4- Scholars and thinkers of the Islamic nation should play their crucial role towards their societies and nation. They, moreover, should pay much attention to inviting people to the religion of Allah and lead and guide such invitation in conformity with the way of the Messenger of Allah (saws) and the righteous Salaf of that nation.
5-
Activating the noble message of Masjid, reviving its primary role as a
place for disseminating the religious knowledge for all Muslims in
simple styles that befit the mainstream of the modern age. Such things
should be done under a sound educational and scientific supervision.
6- Clarifying the reality of such imitation and that the bad effects of imitation affects not only the outer appearance but beliefs and heart as well.
7- Affirming the issue of enmity between Awliyaa` Ar-Rahmaan and Awliyaa Ash-Shaytaan. This enmity started from the age of Adam (as) and will persist to the Day of Resurrection. Consequently, the two parties will never be gathered together. The first party aims to inviting people to worshiping Allah while the other invites people to worship and obey At-Taghout and fighting Muslims to hinder them from following their religion. Allah says:
"And they will never cease fighting you until they turn you back from your religion (Islâmic Monotheism) if they can." [2:217]
8- Instilling and enhancing hope in the souls that the Help of Allah is near. Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "You will fight the Jews and you will prevail over them, so that a rock will say, 'O Muslim! there is a Jew, come and kill him!" [Muslim]
And in another narration with the same chain of transmission, the Prophet (saws) said: "There is a Jew behind me." [Muslim]
Surely, the believer has a strong belief that Allah will defend His religion and raise His word high. Surely, a guided group of such nation will continue guiding by truth and by it establishes justice. Moreover, there will still be a group of that nation which will continue victoriously adhering to the truth; those who let them down or differ from them do not harm them and they will keep adhering to this path until the decree of Allah reaches them.
The path is clear and truth is obvious. The supporters of right of scholars and callers should only have sincere intentions and spare no efforts in supporting such cause. The real man who has the praised independence is the Muslim who adheres firmly to the teachings of his religion, has full trust in it, and feels proud because of it.
Those whom we are forbidden to Imitate:
1- Shaytaan:
Ibn Al-Qayyim said: "The Prophet (saws) explained that the reason behind prohibiting eating and drinking with the left hand is that the accursed Satan, eat and drink with his left hand. So we come to know that a person should intentionally avoid doing actions that resemble the actions of the accursed Satan because of that prohibition. Narrations prohibit such imitation is actually ample."
2- All non-Muslim people:
6- Clarifying the reality of such imitation and that the bad effects of imitation affects not only the outer appearance but beliefs and heart as well.
7- Affirming the issue of enmity between Awliyaa` Ar-Rahmaan and Awliyaa Ash-Shaytaan. This enmity started from the age of Adam (as) and will persist to the Day of Resurrection. Consequently, the two parties will never be gathered together. The first party aims to inviting people to worshiping Allah while the other invites people to worship and obey At-Taghout and fighting Muslims to hinder them from following their religion. Allah says:
"And they will never cease fighting you until they turn you back from your religion (Islâmic Monotheism) if they can." [2:217]
8- Instilling and enhancing hope in the souls that the Help of Allah is near. Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "You will fight the Jews and you will prevail over them, so that a rock will say, 'O Muslim! there is a Jew, come and kill him!" [Muslim]
And in another narration with the same chain of transmission, the Prophet (saws) said: "There is a Jew behind me." [Muslim]
Surely, the believer has a strong belief that Allah will defend His religion and raise His word high. Surely, a guided group of such nation will continue guiding by truth and by it establishes justice. Moreover, there will still be a group of that nation which will continue victoriously adhering to the truth; those who let them down or differ from them do not harm them and they will keep adhering to this path until the decree of Allah reaches them.
The path is clear and truth is obvious. The supporters of right of scholars and callers should only have sincere intentions and spare no efforts in supporting such cause. The real man who has the praised independence is the Muslim who adheres firmly to the teachings of his religion, has full trust in it, and feels proud because of it.
Those whom we are forbidden to Imitate:
1- Shaytaan:
Prophet (saws) said: "No one among you should eat with his left hand, or drink with it, for the Shaytan eats with his left hand and drinks with it." [Muslim]
Ibn Al-Qayyim said: "The Prophet (saws) explained that the reason behind prohibiting eating and drinking with the left hand is that the accursed Satan, eat and drink with his left hand. So we come to know that a person should intentionally avoid doing actions that resemble the actions of the accursed Satan because of that prohibition. Narrations prohibit such imitation is actually ample."
2- All non-Muslim people:
Prophet (saws) said:
"You will certainly follow the ways of those who came before you hand
span by hand span, cubit by cubit, to the extent that if they entered
the hole of a lizard, you will enter it too." We said: "O Messenger of
Allah, (do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?" He said: "Who else?" [Al-Bukhari]
3- Followers of Innovations:
It was narrated that Abu Qilabah said:
"Do not sit with those who follow their whims for I cannot be sure that
they will not tempt you into misguidance or confuse you about what you
have known of religion."
4- Al-Fusaaq (corrupt people):
Imaam Al-Qurtubi said: "If
Ahl Al-Fisq (corrupt people) have a specific and unique clothes (that
distinguish them), then others will be prohibited to wear such clothes
because the one who does not know them may think that they are from such
deviated group and thus think ill of them, and then he will be sinful
and they (the imitators) will be sinful for they made him to think ill
of them."
It is one of the Major sins. It was narrated that 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas said: The Prophet (saws) cursed effeminate men (those who assume the manners of women) and those women who assume the manners of men, and he said, "Turn them out of your houses.", The Prophet (saws) turned out such-and-such man, and Umar turned out such-and-such man. [Al-Bukhari]
In another narration, Prophet (saws) said: "Allah has cursed those women who imitate men and those men who imitate women." [Reported by Muhammad Jar-Allah As-Si'eedi, Authentic]
Ibn Hajar said: "At-Tabaari said, this indicates that it is not permissible for men to imitate women either in clothing or adornments that are exclusive for them (women)."
6- Animals:
Prophet (saws) said: "Be straight in the prostrations and none of you should rest his forearms on the ground (in the prostration) like a dog." [Al-Bukhari]
In another narration, 'Abdur-Rahman Ibn Shible said: "The Prophet (saws) forbade from three things in prayer: pecking like a crow, spreading one's forearms like a carnivore, or always praying in the same place like a camel keeping to its own territory." [Al-Albani, Good]
Ibn Taymiyah said: "Imitating animals in the actions that are deemed disliked in religion, is dispraised and prohibited i.e. imitating their sounds, actions and so such as barking like dog, or braying like donkeys and the like."
Ruling on imitating non-Muslims:
Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymeen said: The actions of the enemies of Allah and our enemies, the kuffar (infidels), fall into three categories:
1- Acts of worship
2- Customs
3- Manufacturing and work
With regard to the acts of worship, it is well known that it is not permissible for any Muslim to imitate them in their acts of worship. Whoever imitates them in their acts of worship puts himself at great risk and that may lead to him becoming a Kafir who is beyond the folds of Islam.
With regard to customs such as dress etc., it is Haraam to imitate them because it was narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Whoever imitates a group of people is one of them." [Ibn Hibaan, Authentic]
With regard to manufacturing and professions: in the case of those which serve a general interest, there is nothing wrong with us learning from what they do and benefitting from it. This does not come under the heading of imitating them, rather it is a kind of sharing in beneficial actions and the one who does that is not regarded as imitating them.
Ruling on imitation:
Second: Some imitation is disobedience and sin, such as imitating non-Muslims in some of their customs and habits like eating and drinking with the left hand, wearing gold rings, adornment with gold for men, shaving beards, women imitating men and men imitating women, and the like.
Third: There is another kind of imitation that is Makrooh. It is what varies between being Mubaah or being Haraam. This may happen if the ruling is not clear i.e. that the ruling of some behaviors, customs and worldly matters may vary between being permissible or being prohibited. Such matters will be considered Makrooh in order not to include Muslims under the heading of imitation.
Fourth: Another kind of imitation is Mubaah; It is which is not an exclusive characteristic of them of the worldly life matters. That is to say it does not distinguish them from the righteous Muslims. It must not cause serious harm to the Muslims, nor contribute to the interest of the non-Muslims and cause the Muslims to fall into subjugation and belittlement or the like. One of the permissible actions (i.e. actions in which imitation is permissible) is the positive materialistic production and positive worldly sciences (i.e. that are not related to religion).
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