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Question: What are the arguments
of those who think that one must blindly follow a jurist? What are your
rebuttals to these arguments?
It is said that according to some of the
scholars of the early times the words ‘those in authority’ refer to religious
scholars.
The Holy Qur’an here depicts the
character of the hypocrites who would spread anything they heard threatening
public safety. They would do so in order to create unrest and unease among
Muslims. It is stated that had they any sympathy with the faith they would
have passed on the news to those who held the realm of affairs. It cannot
be in any way said that the verse has any thing to do with the religious
scholars as the matter concerns state affairs and the verse is addressed
to the state.
It is said that the verses direct that
some of the people should acquire religious education and others should
follow them. Whereas the full message in the verse is that though it is
not possible for the entire population to set out of their towns and get
religious education so some of them should go and do so. These people should
come back and do Indhar. The word Indhar means ‘to warn people
of the Hereafter’. It deals with inviting others to the guidance provided
by the Almighty. To earn awareness of religion and teach others is the
basic purpose and all other things are secondary in nature. The verse does
not indicate that others should blindly follow these people. In other places,
it has been stated that we should not blindly follow others. 25:73 states
that it is the great virtue of the Companions (rta) of the Prophet (sws)
that they would not fall over the verses of the Divine Book without understanding
them and pondering over them.
It is commonly held that the words ‘ask of those who possess the message’ refer to religious scholars whereas the context shows that they refer to the People of the Book. 21:7 is addressed to the Idolaters of Makkah and occurs in the context that the denial of the Messengers of God can lead them to worldly punishment. It is the established practice of God that when a people deny one of His Messengers after being convinced of his veracity, they are punished in this world. The Idolaters are directed to ask the People of the Book since they know the history of all the Messengers and are aware of the fact. Thus this verse also does not refer to religious scholars of the Muslims. (Tariq Hashmi)
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