branches, and it is a crime, a sin, not to learn them.[1] 2) al-’Ulûm al-’aqliyya (also called ‘experimental sciences’): These sciences are divided into two groups: technical sciences and literary sciences. It is fard kifâya for Muslims to learn these sciences. As for Islamic sciences, it is fard ’ayn to learn them as much as is necessary. To learn more than is necessary, that is, to become specialized, in Islamic sciences is fard kifâya. If there is no ’âlim who knows these sciences in a town, all of its inhabitants and the government authorities will be sinful. Religious teachings do not change in course of time. It is an unexcusable crime to go wrong as a result of reasoning and erroneous thinking on ’ilm al-kalâm. In matters pertaining to Fiqh, the variations and facilities shown by Islam can be made use of when one has the excuses permitted by Islam. It is never permissible to make alterations or to make reforms in religious matters with one’s own opinion or point of view. It causes one to go out of Islam. Changes, improvements and progress in al-’ulûm al-’aqliyya are permissible. It is necessary to develope them by searching, finding and learning them from non-Muslims as well. The following article is quoted from the book Al-majmû’at azZuhdiyya. The book was compiled by an ex-Minister of Education named as-Sayyid Ahmed Zühdü Pasha ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaih’: “The word ‘fiqh’, when used in Arabic in the form of ‘faqiha yafqahu’, that is, in the fourth category, means ’to know, to understand’. When it is used in the fifth category, it means ‘to know, to understand Islam’. A scholar in ’ilm al-fiqh is called Faqîh. ’Ilm al-fiqh deals with the actions which people should do and those which they should not do. The knowledge of Fiqh is obtained from the Qur’ân al-kerîm, from hadîth-i-sherîfs, from Ijmâ’, and from Qiyâs. The consensus of the as-Sahâbat al-kirâm, and the mujtahids who came after them, is called ijmâ’ al-Umma. The Islamic teachings derived from the Qur’ân al-kerîm, from hadîth-i-sherîfs, and from the ijmâ’ al-Umma, are called Qiyâs alfuqahâ. If it could not be understood from the Qur’ân al-kerîm or from hadîth-i-sherîfs whether a certain act was halâl (permitted) or harâm (forbidden), then that act was compared to another act which was known. This comparison was called qiyâs (analogy). Applying qiyâs required the latter act to involve the same factor which made the former act permitted or forbidden. And this could [1] al-Hadîqa, p. 323, and in preface to Radd al-muhtâr.
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