The Correction  of  Concepts

The Renovation of Religion in light of the

Prophet’s Tradition

Abu Hurayrah, God Bless Him (GBH), relates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said : "Once every hundred years, Allah sends to this nation a man to renovate its religion"(1). This Hadith was quoted by Abu Dawud at the beginning of The Book of Malaahim, in the chapter treating the issue of  what is usually stated about the beginning of each century(2).

The authentication of the Hadith is as follows : Suleyman Ben Dawud Al Mahri informed us that Ibn Wahab said : "I was informed by Sa`id Ben Abi Ayyub on the basis of a quote by Sharahiil Ben Yazid Al Ma`afiri quoting Abu 'Alqamah reporting that Abu Hurayrah, as far as my knowledge permits, said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said "Once every hundred years, ..... the end of the Hadith".

Abu Dawud reports that Abdul Rahman Ben Shurayh Al ‘Iskandaraani quoted the Hadith without going past Sharaahiil, i.e. he did not mention anybody beyond him.

In Mukhtasar Al Sunan (Number 4123), Al Mundarii states :“Abdul Rahman Bin Shariih Al ‘Iskandaraani is trustful, Al Bukhari and Muslim agree on the authenticity of his Hadith in spite of the fact that he abridged it (3); i.e. he dropped two of the referees from his authentication: Abu `Alqamah and Abu Hurayrah. The problematic Hadith is the one whose authentication is missing two of the referees Hadith is the one whose authentication is missing two of the referees who are mentioned one after the other elsewhere.

The fact that Abu Dawud raises this point does not falsify the Hadith.  Even if Abdul Rahman abridged it, we should also mention that Sa`id Bin Ayyub summarised it and authenticated it. This is further authentication as it is explicitly stated in the sources of the Hadiths.

The authentication of the Hadith is correct and the men who have authenticated it are trustworthy, they are Muslim’s disciples.  Many people have authenticated it, and even Al Suyuutii alluded to its authenticity in Al Jaami` Al Saghiir. It was confirmed by the scholar Al Manaawii(4),  who commented and explained it and mentioned that Al Haakim corrected it(5).  He said, "Al Ziin Al `Iraqi and others have said that its reference is correct and it was quoted in Sheikh Al Albaanii in his collection of authentic Hadiths (No. 559)"(6).

A further comment on the content of the Hadith

This noble Hadith is made up of a single declarative sentence, which contains one piece of information about the unseen, and  given by the one who does not speak vainly. He knows of the unseen only what Allah Almighty taught him, as stated in the following Quranic verse : "(He is) the Knower of the Unseen and He Revealeth unto none His secret, save unto every messenger whom He Hath Chosen"(7).

Abu Dawud quoted it in the book of "Malaahim" in his Sunan. The Arabic word "malaahim" is the plural of "malhamah", which means : the battles which will occur in future between the Muslims and their enemies. This notion is taken from the close contact of the two opposing armies, as was the case in what was predicted by the Prophet (PBUH) in terms of the battles between Muslims and Turks, Romans, Jews and others.

Some of what was predicted by the Prophet (PBUH) has actually happened, the rest is still in the realm of the unseen. We are certain that it will take place at the moment when Allah wills it. Muhammad (PBUH) has never lied and was never mistrusted.

The topic of these fierce battles is usually mentioned in the context of two other topics : trials and the signs of the day of reckoning.  It may include both of them as the two may be distinguished one from the other. But they all refer to the future and all the events that Allah may hold within it.

The truth is that such topics as the trials, fierce battles, signs of the day of reckoning are among the topics which the most enlightened scholars have to research more thoroughly. They should not leave them to hastier individuals who shy away from these topics by denying their existence totally, or to others who believe everything that is said about such topics without due consideration, or even to others who misinterpret them.

The aim of the Hadith

The aim of this Hadith is to fill the hearts of Muslims with the hope that their flame will never go out and that their religion will never die. It also ensures them that Allah Almighty provides them regularly, i.e. once a century, with the person who brings youth and life back to Islam. 

Once a century does not mean precisely the hundredth year or the hundredth and one of the century, but the end of the century or the beginning of the following century. This is the actual meaning of "Once every hundred years, ..." in the Hadith. In reality, we cannot decide when this is; whether it is one hundred years after the Prophet's Hijra, or death or resurrection as we will show below.

What is important is that Allah does not leave this Ummah without providing it with someone to awaken it from its sleep and to gather its dispersion.

We absolutely need to emphasise this meaning, in order to fight the wave of despair whose tide has risen. We need to fight the feeling that there is neither use nor hope, and that Islam is receding and that unbelief is on the rise. We also need to fight the feeling that the minor signs of the day of reckoning have already appeared, and that the situation will remain as such until the major signs are with us and the day  of reckoning will arise on the people who do not say "Allah! Allah!" as stated in Al Sahiih(8).

There are people who confirm this meaning by other Hadiths, which they construe differently from what the Hadiths mean. The following Hadith is one that has been used thusly : "Islam started in loneliness, and will end as it started in loneliness, blessed  be the lonely"(9).

These people seem to have omitted that the loneliness of Islam does not at all mean its weakness. The same applies to the loneliness of those who believe in it and who defend it. It does not mean their weakness or their insignificance. It means that they are uniquely distinguished and that their personality has not dissolved in others, actually they are the pride of their people.

In some versions of this Hadith, the Prophet (PBUH) described the lonely in the following manner : "those who repair what others have abused in my tradition"(10). These lonely people are neither desperate nor negative in their societies, but rather, they repair what others have abused in terms of the traditions of Islam, and revive its good behaviour and morality, which had declined.

There is nothing in the Hadith that indicates that the loneliness is general, comprehensive and lasting. As it was mentioned by Ibn Al Qayyim(11), this may happen in one country but not the other, to one people but not the other, in one time but not the other. Then the conditions change, and the weak become strong and the defeated become victorious.

In this respect, the following Hadith of Anas's cited in Al Bukhari is often quoted : "The era you are living in is always better than the era that will follow"(12). This Hadith should not be taken literally or in its absoluteness and generality.

Some scholars have uncovered a positive interpretation of this Hadith, and this was mentioned by Hafidh Ibn Hajar in his interpretation. He said : "The Hadith refers to the Prophet's companions who heard it, in spite of the fact that Anas, God Bless him, understood that it was addressed to people in general"(13). This means that the Prophet (PBUH) wanted this Hadith to advise the group of followers who heard it, in order for them to be prepared for the changes yet to come after the time of the Prophet. So neither should the conditions they will experience after him, nor the tremendous changes they will see afterwards discourage them or shake their belief in their religion and their path.

Without this understanding of the contradiction between the Hadith and reality, one would not understand why the time of Omar Ben Abdulaziz was better than the time of the Ummeyyads before him. 

The same can be said about the time of Noor Al Diin Mahmuud(14), the Martyr and Salaah Al Diin Al Ayyubi(15).  It is on the hands of these two men that Allah liberated the land of Islam from the grasp of the crusaders, revived the Prophet's tradition and annihilated blasphemy. The time of these two men was better than that of those who lived before them.

In the same vein, if the Hadith had been taken at its face value, as many people understand it, it would be in contradiction with the Hadiths that referred to the emergence of Islam, and its appearance before the day of reckoning especially at the time of the appearance of that Caliph, or the righteous prince who fills the land with justice in place of the injustice and tyranny that it had been undergoing. This Caliph is the one who has come to be known as the Mahdi(16). The same contradiction would apply also to the time when Jesus Christ, son of Mary, came to spread Islam, and not accept any other religion in its place(17).

I do not know why such kinds of Hadiths do spread, while other Hadiths which bring hope and good news to the Muslims are concealed. This is the case of the following Hadith by Ahmed and Attirmidii : "The case of my Ummah is like that of rain, one knows not which is better, its beginning or its end"(18).

This is also the case of a Hadith quoted by Ahmed, Ibn Hibbaan and Al Haakim : "Announce this Ummah the good news of sublimity, piety, nobility, victory and control over the land..."(19) The same can also be said of the Hadith quoted by Ahmed and Ibn Hibbaan : "That this matter (meaning this religion) reaches what night and day have reached and that God Will leave behind neither the house of Madar nor that of Wabar without introducing Islam to it be it with honour or with disgrace, the first honouring Islam, and the second disgracing unbelief"(20).

As to the appearance of minor signs of the approaching of the day of reckoning, it does not mean that the page of Islam has been turned, and that the day of reckoning is coming tomorrow or the day after. The coming of the Prophet (PBUH) is a minor sign of the day of reckoning. In the Sahih the Prophet is quoted as saying : "I and the day of reckoning came together like these two",(21)  and he indicated his index and middle finger.

A Muslim is required to work always for both his religious and worldly matters

The Muslim is required to work for his living and to be productive and creative, until the very end of his life. He should not procrastinate in the working of the land, and this is what Allah's Messenger (PBUH) taught us when he said : "If the world is about to end and one of you has a palm tree plant in his hand, he should plant it before he dies, if he can".

Why should he plant it if the world is about to end?  Why should he plant it if he is not going to live till he can pick its fruit?  There is not even somebody who is going to live after him so that he can say:" People before us planted so that we can eat, and we are planting to provide those after us with food," because when the world ends it ends for everybody. The idea here is to glorify work for the sake of work and to keep the Muslim productive and creative until the last moment of his life, and as long as he is able to work.

If this is required for man's worldly matters how could it be possible that the same would not be asked of his religious activity? How can religion be lower in priority than worldly matters?

The Muslim is required to observe the commands of his religion as much as he can.  He should advise people to do good deeds and to be charitable and to avoid committing evil deeds. They should fight for the cause of Allah, and against evil and decadence. They should also collaborate with their brother Muslims in doing good and worshipping Allah. The texts which have come with all these commands have not been abolished, and are not specific to a particular time. They are permanent and will be there until Allah inherits the land and its inhabitants.

A further look at the Hadith

We have to show what is meant by renovate in the Hadith and who is the renovator, and what is a renovated religion, who it is renovated for, what is the meaning of renovation, what is its extent and what are all its aspects?

Who undertakes the renovation?

As to who undertakes the renovation and the revival, it is dependant upon the clarification of the sense of the word“who” in the Hadith. Many people have understood this to be in the singular and considered that the renovator is no more than one individual from amongst the geniuses and extraordinary people of the Ummah, who is sent by the care of Allah to renovate what has become old, to strengthen what has become weak and to mend what has become torn.

On the basis of this, they mentioned a number of individual renovators.  Thus the renovator of the first century is the fifth of the guiding Caliphs Omar Ben Abdulaziz (d. 101 H). The renovator of the second century is Mohammad Ben Idriis Ashshaafi`ii (d. 204 H). There is disagreement over the renovator of the third century, as there were many outstanding people during that century.  Amongst those who were mentioned, we have Abulhassan Al Ash`arii (d. 324 H), Abul`abbas Ben Surayj (d. 306 H), and Annasaa'ii the author of Assunan (d.303 H). For the fourth century, they mentioned Judge Abubakr Albaaqillaanii (d. 403 H) and Abuhaamid Al'isfaraayiinii (d. 406 H). For the fifth century they mentioned Abuhaamid Alghazaalii (d. 505 H), and for the sixth Alfakhr Arraazii (d. 606 H) as well as Arraafi`ii (d. 623 H).  For the seventh century Ibn Daqiiq  Al `id (d. 703) was mentioned and for the eighth we have Al Haafidh Zinaddiin Al`iraaqii (d. 808 H) or Siraajaddiin Albulqainii (d. 805 H).

Al Haafidh Jalaaladdin Assayuutii (d. 891H) wrote a poem in relation to this and included in it the names of the renovators up to his time, and aspired to be nominated the renovator of the ninth century, as he claimed himself to be an absolute innovator, but his contemporaries denied him this honour.

This poem was quoted in Fayd Alqadiir by the scholar Al Manaawii as follows :

Thanks to God Almighty the Generous

The Provider favours to the followers of the Prophet's tradition

We request His Blessing and Peace

Upon a Prophet whose religion does not obliterate.

It was heralded in outstanding news

Which was reported by every valuable scholar

That at the beginning of each century

God Almighty sends gracefully to the religion of this Ummah

A creative scholar to renovate

The religion of the right path because he is a renovator

For the first century there was Omar,

The just Caliph by consensus and certainty

Ashshafi`ii was the  renovator of the second century

As he was knowledgeable in the noble sciences

Ibn Surayj was the third leader

But Al Ash`arii was considered the third renovator by his followers.

Al Baaqillaanii was the fourth, or was it Sahl or

Al’ Isfaraayiinii, a difference of opinion was related

And the fifth learned renovator is 'Al Ghazaali

Whose rank is unquestionable

The sixth man to be proud of is Imam 'Arraazii

And 'Arraafi`ii is like him in ranking

And the seventh is he who rose to high standings

Ibn Daqiiq 'Al`id upon whom there is total agreement

The eighth learned man is 'Albalqiinii, or Zineddin, the preserver of the people,

But the condition is that the man should be alive amongst

His people as the century changes

He should be known for his knowledge

And he should defend the Prophet's tradition in his discourse

He should be versed in all fields of knowledge

And his science should spread to all his contemporaries

He should be saturated with the Hadiths

And should be one of the Prophet's people and should be strong

The renovator is known to be one

This was testified by the Hadith and all the scholars

The ninth century is now upon us

And the Right Guide(22) does not fail to keep his promises

And I have prayed to be the renovator of this century

And the favours of Allah are not denied(23).

While Assuyuutii has considered that the renovator is an individual, who is famous amongst his people, 'Almanaawii has repeated what 'Alhaafidh Adhdhahbii had said : Who, stands here for the plural, not the singular. Thus we say for example that at the end of the third century there was Ibn Surayj in jurisprudence, 'Al'ash`arii in the foundations, and 'Annasaa'ii in Hadith. For instance, at the end of the sixth century there was 'Alfakhr Arraazii in theology, 'Alhaafidh Abdulghani in Hadith, etc.

Ibn Al Athiir said in Jaami` 'Al'usuul : Many have contributed to the interpretation of this Hadith, but each one has mentioned the leader who belongs in his own rite, and attributed the Hadith to him. The better interpretation is the one which is more general. Who may refer to the singular and the plural, and does not refer exclusively to the religious scholars. The welfare of the 'Ummah may come from its statesmen, the Hadith scholars, the Qur'an readers, the preachers, etc. But the messenger must  be mentioned in all fields of knowledge. 

Thus, at the end of the first century, the statesman was Omar Ben Abdulaziz, and among the scholars there were Muhammad 'Albaaqir, Alqaasim Ben Muhammad, Saalim Ben Abdullah, Alhassan, Ibn Siiriin and others; as to the readers there was Ibn Kathiir and for the Hadith there was Azzuhrii.

At the end of the second century, the statesman was Almaamuun;  for the scholars there were Ashshaafi`ii and 'Allu'lu'ii from Abu Haniifa's rite, 'Ashhab from Maalik's.  As to the readers there was 'Alhadramii, for the Hadith there was Ibn Ma`iin, and for the ascetics there was AL Karkhii.

At the end of the third century, the statesman was Almuqtadir. The scholars were Ibn Surayj Ashshaafi`ii, Attahaawii Alhanafii and Alkhallaal Alhanbalii, the theologian was Al Ash`arii and the Hadith  scholar was Annassaa'ii.

At the end of the fourth century, the statesman was Alqaadir. The scholars were Al'isfaraayiinii  from the Shaafi`i rite, Alkhawarizmii from the Hanafi’s rite, Abulwahaab from the Maaliki’s rite and Alhussayn from the hanbali’s rite(24). The theologians were Albaaqillaani and Ibn Fowrk and the Hadith scholars were Alhaakim, the ascetic was Annuurii; and so forth for the rest of the centuries(25).

Al Haafidh also has mentioned in Al Fath, what others had pointed out elsewhere, that it is not imperative that there be only one renovator at the end of each century. The situation is like the one which Annawawii mentioned in the Hadith :"There is still a group of people in my nation who defend the truth".  This means that it is possible that the group is composed of a variety of people from the Muslims, amongst whom there are the courageous people and war experts, a jurisprudence scholar, a Hadith scholar and interpreter, a statesman, a person who promotes good deeds and advises against evil deeds and an ascetic and a worshipper.  It is not necessary for all of them to be in the same country, but it is possible for them to be in the same continent, or be located in several continents. They may also be located in the same country or that they be in some countries but not in others.  It is also possible to evacuate the whole earth from some of them, one by one until there is only one group left in one of the countries. When they all disappear the world ends.

Alhaafidh Ben Hajar said : "This is approved. The necessary set of features that need to be found in the renovator are not specific to a particular kind of good-deeds, and it is not necessary either that all characteristics of good-doing should gather in a single individual, except if that is attributed to Omar Ben Abdulaziz. He was considered the renovator in the first century because he was a statesman and had all the characteristics of a righteous man and excelled in that. It is on this basis that Ahmed said that the Hadith which refers to renovators initially coincided perfectly with him. As to the ones after Omar, there is Ashshaafi`ii. In spite of having all the good characteristics and the pure attributes, he was not the statement in charge of the Holy War (Jihaad) and the application of justice. Alhaafidh also said : "On the basis of all this, anyone who has some of the required characteristics at the end of the century is a renovator, be they one or many"(26).

Discussion and Preponderance

What I will advance here is that which was concluded by  Ibn Al'athiir and Adhdhahbi and others, that Who in the Hadith under discussion, may indicate the plural as well as the singular. The reason for that is that Who in its original use refers to both. This is true in the Glorious Qur'an : "And whoso doeth good works, whether of male and female, and he (or she) is a believer, such will enter paradise"(27).  If we assume this, then the renovator can be one individual, whom Allah sends for the purpose of rebirth and renovation, as was the case of Omar Ben Abdulaziiz. It has been said in this context that a person of high rank will revive a whole nation! A poet has said :

There is nobody who can deny that Allah

Can gather the world in one person

Renovation and revival can be undertaken by a group, or a school or a cultural, educational or ideological movement whose members all advocate good deeds and patience and collaborate in good deeds and piety.

The task of renovation may be undertaken by different individuals or groups, each from his own position and points of interest and speciality. There may be one in the fields of intellect and science, others in the fields of behaviour and education, others in the fields of social work, government and politics, others in the fields of defence and resistance.  Each one of these covers one of the fronts of Islam with united aims and principles, in spite of differences of positions and methods.

At this point, I would like to draw the attention of those who work for the cause of Islam, be they individuals or groups, to a matter that they need to be aware of : That there are differing methods governing work for the cause of Islam or that there are numerous groups endeavouring to renovate it,  is neither an unhealthy phenomenon nor one that is unacceptable to Allah or to the Muslim believers, as long as the difference is one of diversity and speciality, not one of opposition and contradiction. In other words, complementarity, compatibility and co-operation must be the basic ingredient shared by the tasks of this undertaking, in such a way that each complements and supports the other. At the same time, they should all have the same stands toward important issues and vital attitudes in order to confront common enemies and stand in their face as one rank and as a solid structure.

As to the situation when each one of these groups wants to establish itself and deny the others, or make the most important issue that of establishing oneself on the efforts of others; it leads to the weakening of all the Muslim potentials and their destruction from within. This would also open up a gap for the common enemy to strike everybody at its own ease and comfort.

The root 'ba`th' in the Hadith refers to: the securing of favourable motives, the arrangement of appropriate conditions, the creation of the appropriate climate for the emergence of the renovation of religion and the rebirth of the nation according to the unchanging traditions established by Allah Almighty.

Then the meaning of 'ba`th' is not an apparition of a renovator that is brought about by a universal miracle which suddenly descends from the sky, or ascends from the earth instantly in order to change the conditions of the people, if they have not been able to do it themselves.

This is what we have understood from this Hadith and which corresponds to the other Hadiths, which have linked the glorification of Islam during the recent times to a group of people, and not a single individual, who advocate righteousness, as in the well-known and authentic Hadith : "A group of our people who advocate the word of Allah, will keep doing so and not be disturbed by opposition, until the command of Allah reaches them".  This has been quoted by a number of the Prophet's companions in approximately similar words(28).

The content of this Hadith is also similar to what we find in the following verse in which Allah Almighty says : "And of those whom We created there is a nation who guide with the Truth and establish justice therewith" (29) It has also been stated that this verse is for "you", i.e. you the Muslims, and He Has Given people like you a similar verse(30). This refers to Allah Almighty's word in the same Surah : "And of Moses' folk there is a  community who lead with truth and establish justice therewith"(31) .

What the divine news have brought in these verses has been confirmed in this other Quranic verse : "And there may spring from you a nation who invite to goodness, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency. Such are they who are successful"(32). This is confirmed also in the following verse : "But help ye one another unto righteousness and pious duty"(33), and also in : "And exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance"(34) and also : "Lo! Allah loveth those who battle for his cause in ranks, as if they were a solid structure"(35). This is also taken up in the Prophet's (PBUH) : "God's hand is with united people"(36).

The truth, however, is that whatever gifts the individual may have, and whatever his productivity may be, he remains limited in his energy and his abilities, so long as he does not have collaborators who provide him with support and strength. Man remains limited and weak as long as he remains alone but as soon as he is surrounded by his friends, they provide him with company and strength. It is for this reason that Moses, the strong and upright Prophet, PBUH, said when God sent him as a messenger, "Appoint for me a henchman from my folk, Aaron my brother. Confirm my strength with him and let him share  my task, that we may glorify Thee much and much remember Thee. Lo! Thou art ever Seeing us"(37).   Allah Almighty said in His response :  "We will strengthen thine arm with thy brother, and We will Give unto you both power"(38).

This shows that however strong the individual may be he still needs the help of others in order to strengthen his defence. More eloquent and clearer what Allah Almighty said to His messenger (PBUH) "He it is Who supporteth thee with His help and with the believers, and (as for the believers) hath attuned their hearts"(39). 

God has favoured him by backing him with his glory and by surrounding him with believers whose hearts are all set in the same direction, that of a unified conviction. In other words, he has given him support that resides in the fact that the group surrounding him are all solidary believers.

If we construe the Hadith in such a way, we no longer need to expect an individual renovator who is sent to us from the heavens like a present that we did not have to make any effort for. We would also no longer need to imagine that for each century, we have to name one of the people as the renovator of that century, with some people accepting him and others not.This was the case of Al Jalaal Assuyuutii, (GBH), when he proclaimed himself the renovator of the ninth century and had many of his contemporaries refute that.

We also no longer need an individual or a group to support one person or the other to be the renovator for the tenth or the fourteenth century, and that there is nobody that  can equal him, with the result that his followers accept him and the others reject him through sarcasm and ridicule.

We will not need that each group presents its candidate renovator, with the Hadith specialists presenting one from them and the theologians doing the same. We will not need either that the jurisprudence experts also present their own, with each presenting one from their rite, the shafiites presenting a shafii and the Hanbalis presenting a Hanbali ..... Even the politicians used to promote a Caliph or a prince as a candidate, and the ones involved with the defence of Islam presenting an army chief as a candidate.

With the kind of explanation we have given this Hadith, we involve the whole Ummah in the required renovation, and also in the selection, training and activity of the renovator. It also prepares the appropriate climate so that they can appear and be active. It also helps them achieve their aspirations, and remove the difficulties from their path. It supplies them with provisions and energy for their long journey towards what they hope to achieve. It is the nation which assigns each individual his task in the renovation program, so that he takes charge of it as it was said: you are guarding one of the fronts of Islam, so let no one cross it.

In such a situation, the question that every Muslim will ask is : What is my role in the renovation program and what is my duty?  Instead of wondering when the next renovator is going to appear.

When does renovation take place?

So when does renovation take place? The Hadith has set the time for renovation. It is the beginning of each hundred years, as the word 'ra's' in Arabic refers to the top of something and 'ra'su ssana' is the beginning of the year.

The interpreters have raised the issue of the beginning of the century.  Al Manaawi said : "It refers to the Prophet's birthday, or the prophesy, the Hijra or death. He said : Even if it was said that it is the second, prophesy, which is closer to the meaning, this is possible.  But, Assubkii and others state that it is the third(40), Hijra, that is the correct answer. Even in their discussion of the renovators they assumed the Hijra calendar as the basis, and that is reasonable.  Because it is the calendar that Allah has inspired the Muslims to use since the time of Omar, and not any other. So they have not used the birth, or the resurrection or the death.

It is to be noted also that they have made it a rule that the death of the renovator may indicate the meaning of the beginning of the century, as is clarified by the death dates of those they had appointed as renovators. For example, Omar Ben Abdulaziz d. 101 H, Ashshaafi`ii d. 204 H, Ibn Surayj d.306 H, Albaakillaanii d. 403 H, Al Ghazaalii d. 505 H, Arraazii d. 606 H, Ibn Daqiiq Al `id d.703 H and Al`iraaqii d. 808 H.

They have not mentioned such leaders as Ibn Taymiyya in spite of his great renovating movement in all aspects of the field of Islamic thought, because his death occurred much later than the beginning of the century, he died in 728 H. 

The Hadith did not say that the renovator dies at the beginning of the century, but that Allah sends him at the beginning of the century. The meaning of this is that his duty starts at the beginning of the century, and not that it ends then. I have also noted that the scholar Almanaawii has drawn attention to this meaning when he wrote : "It should be realised that everybody who has interpreted the Hadith "God sends ..." and so forth to the end of the Hadith discusses this matter on the sole assumption that the renovator of a century is one who dies at the beginning of the century.  And one should be aware that the meaning that should be drawn from the Hadith is that the appointment happens at the beginning of the century. The meaning of the appointment of the scholar refers to his competence to serve the people and his readiness to spread the wise thoughts.  His death at the beginning of the century is a withdrawal not an appointment. Therefore, we should judge in fairness.

He continued : "And I know that Attayyibi said : "The selection of a renovator occurs when the century ends and there happens to be at the same time, a well-known and frequently-quoted scholar." Al Karmanii also said: "There used to be, before the end of a century, people who would start to preach and take charge of the matters of religious scholarship, but the meaning here is that of the scholar who is alive and well-known at the time the century ends".  Almanaawii said : "There may be such a man during the century, who may even be better than the one who comes at the beginning of the century. The special mention of the beginning of the century is because it is usually a time of unsettlement for the scholars and that of the appearance of aberrations and the rise of charlatanism" (41) This interpretation seems to be reasonable.

I think the Hadith actually refers to the idea that at the beginning of each century there is the beginning of  a new era, new hope, and a rebirth.This allows the Muslim society to meet the new century with hearts that are full of hope for a bright future, and determination to achieve ideal actions and have truthful intentions to replace realities and make them coincide with what should be.  One has to note here that what is expected of the Ummah is that at the beginning of each century it should take the time to account for what it has done and evaluate its achievements, so that it can learn from its past, improve its present, and look towards its future. It should supplicate its God that today be better for its people than yesterday and that tomorrow be better for them than today.

The Hadith did not deny the presence of renovators in the middle of centuries or at their end. As a matter of course, this is what happens quite usually if one reads the history of this Ummah. In this context, one should mention among other renovators: Ibn Aljawzii, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Alqayyim, Ashshaatibii, Ibn Alwaziir, Ibn Hajar, Addahlawii, Ashshawkaanii and other eminent authorities.

Whom is the renovation for?

As for whom the renovation is intended, it is this Ummah, as the Hadith shows. It is for the followers of Mohammad, as Al Manaawii said. The original etymology of al Ummah is the group, grammatically singular but semantically plural.  It may refer especially to the group to whom a Prophet was sent. On the basis of the fact that the Prophet emerged from them and that they invite people to Islam, they are called 'Ummat Adda`wah', 'the nation of Allah’s message'. So if they, as a whole or only part of them, believe in what the Prophet brought to them, they are called the people who have responded, and that is the meaning here, the proof being in the fact that he mentions "its religion", in the Hadith(42).

The expression 'li haadhihi l'ummah' (for this nation) refers to the nation of Islam, the nation which has responded, along centuries and generations.  As if the Prophet (PBUH) brings it in front of him and points to it when he says haadhihi l'ummah. This is the nation that is mentioned by God Almighty in His Glorious Qur'an : "Thus, We have appointed you a middle nation" (43), "You are the best community that hath been raised up for mankind"(44).

The Qur'an and the Prophet's Tradition mention no nation other than the Islamic nation, it is one whole nation in spite of differences in race, colour and nationality. "Lo!, this your religion is one religion"(45), " And lo!, this your religion is one religion and I am your Lord, so keep your duty unto Me"(46).   We are not allowed to say the "Muslim nations", because in Islam we do not have many nations, but one single nation, but we may say "Islamic peoples" within this nation.

The absolute and complete renovation is that which covers the whole nation, and affects it all, in the same way as the total renovation is what includes both knowledge and action together. We have noticed this in such instances as that of the influence of Omar Ben Abdulaziz, Ashshaafi`ii, Al Ghazzali and their likes who have influenced the whole Muslim Nation, even though their influence may have affected one or many aspects of Islamic life.

Renovation may also be partial, affecting only one of the aspects of life or one country of the Islamic nation, or one single group and so forth, as it may affect more than one aspect, or more than one group or more than one country.

What is the renovated religion?

The word "renovated" in the Hadith refers to the noun "religion". Then what does the word religion mean in the Hadith? The use of the word "religion", like that of the word "Islam", refers to one of two matters:

First, the Divine way by which Allah Almighty sends His Prophet (PBUH) and to reveal His Book, including the beliefs, the forms of worship and morality as well as the jurisdiction to regulate the relationship of man with his God, and the relationship linking men to each other. This is what the scholar Ibn Khaldun described as : "A divine situation which guides humanity to the choice of whatever is good for their life and their living." If we look at the origins and bases of this meaning we find that it is stable and does not undergo change or accept renovation as it is an external truth.

Second, the state in which man is in his relation with the first meaning intellectually and emotionally as well as in practice and behaviour.  It is in this sense that one may be referred to as having a weak religion or having a strong religion, or one whose Islam is perfect or imperfect.

Religion in this situation is changing and mobile, it may increase or decrease,  weaken or strengthen, become clear or troubled, straighten or deviate, according to man's understanding of it, his belief in it and his commitment to its instructions. This is the meaning that allows renovation. It is no small wonder that the word "religion" in the Hadith refers to the word "nation" and not God.  Renovation refers to the religion of the nation and not to the religion of God Almighty.

The Meaning of Renovation

In this context, I feel that there is no motivation why some scholars should deny the use of the word "renovation" in religion, under  the assumption that some deviant individuals might use it in situations that are unacceptable to Islam. We cannot be greater guardians than the one who was appointed by Allah to bring Islam to Humanity. He himself used the word 'renovation' and that has been confirmed by the scholars. Thus, there is no appropriate reason why some Muslim should be afraid to use it. The most important issue for him is to delimit its meaning so that it is not used by every individual or group  in whatever way they wish. Thus, what is the meaning of renovation in this context?

In his explanation of Al Jaami` Assaghiir, Al`azizi, quoting Al`alqami explains that renovation is the revival of what may have receded as concerns the application of the instructions given by the Book and the Tradition and advice to apply such instructions(47). He thus makes renovation focus on religious action.

Al Manaawii explains renovation as showing the difference between tradition and deviance, increasing the use of religious scholarship, glorifying religious scholars, and minimising the promoters of deviance(48). He thus made renovation focus on scholarship. 

In another context, he stated that it is renovation of what has been lost in terms of the laws of jurisprudence, what has disappeared from the significant traditions, and what is implicit in the concrete and abstract sciences(49). This involves both scholarship and action, and indeed absolute renovation concerns both scholarship and action.

I would like to point out in this context a very important meaning of the word renovation.  Renovation of something is not the attempt to take it back to its initial and original state, so that in spite of its old age, it appears as if it were new. This would be achieved through the strengthening of what has weakened in it, and the restoration of what has collapsed, and the sewing of what has been torn, so that it takes on again an image as close as possible to its original one.  So renovation does not mean the change of the nature of what is old, or its substitution by something else that is newly created. Such is not renovation.

For an illustration, let us take an example from perceptions. If we want to renovate an ancient monument, such a renovation would mean the preservation of its essence, mark and characteristics and all aspects of its distinctive features.   Restoration should involve all the effects of ageing. It also involves the improvement of its entrances, and the restoration of the paths and ways leading to it as well as its promotion, etc. Renovation does not mean destroying it and building an enormous and most modern building in its stead.

The same goes for religion, its renovation does not mean to issue a new version of it, but to take it back to its original state as it was during the time of the Prophet, his companions and those who have followed their line.

This return to the original version should not scare us, as it does some people. It is in reality a return to leniency and not to difficulty, a return to good news not bad news, a return to focusing on the important issues and not the details.

He who reads the comments of the Prophet's companions and those who have toed their line will find that they are the most knowledgeable of the spirit and aims of Islam. And these people did not take everything literally and were not unduly formal. They were wholly attached to Allah's laws and at the same time they interpreted these laws with a magnanimous spirit, to show people that Allah established His religion to their benefit. It also shows them that Allah wants them to live in ease and not in difficulty. Their method was like what Imam Ali (GBH) referred to as giving predominance to the middle pattern which can be reached by the one who follows and to which the one who precedes can return.

The key to the renovation of religion is awareness and understanding, and in essential Islamic terms it is jurisprudence. I do not mean by jurisprudence the well-known conventional meaning of the word, i.e. that which concerns knowledge of the minor laws dealing with ablutions, prayers, breastfeeding, marriage and divorce only. Although this is required and commendable, jurisprudence is taken  here in the meaning it is given by the Quran and the Prophet as mentioned in Allah Almighty's verse : "We have detailed Our revelations for a people who have understanding" (50) And that is exactly what Allah denied the idolaters and other enemies of Islam when He described them as "a folk without intelligence"(51). He also described hell dwellers as : "having hearts wherewith they understand not"(52).  God Almighty also said : "Of every troop of  them, a party only should go forth, that they (who are left behind) may gain sound knowledge in religion, and that they may warn their folk when they return to them, so that they may beware" (53). The Prophet (PBUH) said : "He whom God wants to bless is made knowledgeable in jurisprudence" (54).

Jurisprudence as it is known in the Qur'an and the Prophet's tradition covers two scholarly disciplines: knowledge of the universe and knowledge of religion. The first concerns knowledge of the creations of Allah and the second is knowledge of the laws of Allah.

Knowledge of the universe means knowledge of the blessings of Allah to minds and hearts of people, and of his laws which do not change wherever and whoever we are, as that is clear from the glorious verses.

Knowledge of religion refers to that which we acquire after a close study of Islam from its crystal clear sources, so that we have a sound understanding of it. An understanding which is free of all deviation and of the exaggerations of extremists and of all the oversights of the squanderers. In our understanding of Islam, we should be inspired by the guidance of the first generation which was the most understanding of the aims of Islam and the most committed to following and applying its commands. This generation was also aware of the distinctive features of Islam concerning comprehensiveness, moderation and leniency, and distinguishing between important issues and details, between essential and minor laws, between what is stable and permanent and what is flexible and changing. They also distinguished between the ranks and levels of actions in the eye of the law, be they good deeds or sinful ones. The pillars are not like the rest of the regulations. The regulations are not like the obligations and the obligations are not like the practices of the Prophet or the fixed voluntary acts of worship, and these latter are not like the commendable acts.

On the other hand, unbelief is not like sins, even if they are major ones, and major sins are not like minor offences. The offences that are considered minor are not like the ambiguous ones, which scholars disagree about.  Forbidden acts are not like reprehensible ones, and forbidden reprehensible acts are not the same as unforbidden reprehensible acts. The latter are not necessarily the opposite of the former.  These acts are ranked, and each rank has its assigned punishment.

The most foolish and dangerous attitude is to try to blur the differences between these ranks and acts, and to consider them all the same. Putting together what Allah has separated is like separating what Allah has put together.  Both attitudes are sinful.

As we are at the dawn of the fifteenth century of the Hegira, we need a large scale intellectual and cultural renovation. A renovation which would bring back to creativity its life and renewed activity. We are referring here to creativity in both its facets: the plausible and selective and the artistic and creative. We need creativity that would find for present-day problems solutions from within Islamic law. It should prescribe medicines for the ills of our societies from the ones provided by Islam itself, not concoct ones from the fabrication of the secular West or from the atheistic East. 

This makes it imperative for the scientific institutions which are in charge of these matters to help towards this end, and that it should be open-minded towards the innovative views. The Schools of Law should establish their curricula, books and methods of the study of jurisprudence, its origins and history, especially the study of the Qur'an and the Tradition in light of the scientific comparison, in such a way that they allow the shaping of an independent intellectual mentality, capable of creativity in the productive and selective domains. These schools should also enhance the capabilities of its brighter students and strengthen their commitment to pursue this path. 

We should also have an innovation which would allow for Islam to be restated in the language of this epoch, and to address each people with its own language. This re-statement should show greater awareness of the characteristics of the modern world and those of Islam, as well as those  of the people. It should also show that we have fathomed the deeper and wider meaning of Allah Almighty's verse "And We never sent a messenger save with the language of his folk, that he might make (the message) clear for them" (55).

The meaning of the verse is not only that we speak English to the English, or Chinese to the Chinese, but also that we know how to access the hearts and minds of the English and the Chinese.  The way of access that may be appropriate for one of them is not necessarily the appropriate one for the other. This means that we need to improve our means and methods of spreading the word of Allah as well as the capabilities of the men who undertake this mission. These improvements should meet the requirements of the modern world, those of Islam, and should be made according to the actions that are made necessary by the acts of others.

Talking to people who have reached the surface of the Moon, cannot be the same as that of people who have been living in caves.  To each one of them is a way of speaking, and we have to know each, in order to be able to communicate with each one of them, and to understand them and explain to them.

We should undertake an innovation to revise the fields of the human and social sciences from within a genuine Islamic outlook, which is inspired from the universal philosophy of Islam. This revision should take into consideration the way Islam views religion, life, humanity, society and history and should benefit from all the established schools of thought and from the results of their research and analyses.  Nevertheless, it should not be enslaved to a single one of its philosophies or to all of them.

All this means that our universities have to liberate themselves from the noose of imitation of the western thought, be it liberal or marxist. They also have to return to the roots and origins of our glorious heritage, borrowing from it and enriching it or altering it. This would allow the birth of generations of independent thought combining the authenticity of Islam and modern innovation.

This is the responsibility of all universities in the Arab and Islamic countries, but principally that of Islamic universities, such as Al Azhar University, the University of Imam Mohammad Ben Sa'uud, the Islamic World University of Islamabad and others, given their training, affiliation and the calibre of their staff .   

Such an innovation would allow the Nation of Islam to achieve excellence in the fields of collective duty, in the cosmic and mathematical sciences and their technological applications in the civil and military fields.  This would also allow the Nation of the Surah of Iron to be capable of industrialising iron, and of exploiting its hidden and apparent riches.  As a result it will not be dependent upon other countries for food and weapons.

This calls for the revision of the methods, means, objectives and systems of education in accordance with the requirements of the modern world, of Islam and evolution.

If the officials in the United States of America call for the necessity to revise their educational system in order for their country to satisfy the requirements of the epoch, and advance that their nation will be in danger if it does not,  then what should we do?

Innovation of Islam is not only intellectual, as it is understood by many when they discuss innovation. These people only think of the innovation of interpretation and the awakening of the Muslim mind to confront the evolution of life.

There is no doubt that intellectual innovation, the  rebirth of innovation and the correction of the meanings of concepts come in the forefront of the awaited innovation. There is no doubt also that knowledge precedes action and ideas precede motion.

It is sufficient for us that God Almighty started His Revelation to His Messenger (PBUH) with His verse "Read!", and reading is the key to knowledge, intellect and meditation.

But man does not have a mind only, he has a mind and a heart, a body and a spirit. Thus innovation has to englobe the whole person. That is what Islam has glorified to the greatest extent, and has given to each its share.

The scholars who have undertaken the naming of the innovators in the history of Islam agree that Omar Ben 'AbdulAziz (d. 101 H) is the innovator of the first century in spite of the fact that his reign was short and lasted only thirty months.

The innovation that Omar has undertaken did not reside in the intellectual or scientific aspects, as in the case of the innovation of Ashaafi'i in the second century. It resided in the fields of action and justice, as he disallowed the traditions of injustice, and resuscitated those of justice, removed tyranny, restored rights to their people, denied the requests of the greedy amongst his people. He also spread the atmosphere of worshipping and fearing God, and aspiring to what he has. That is why he was considered the fifth of the guiding Caliphs.

He did all that without any pretension or appearances of boasting, instead he did it to invoke  Allah in hope and fear, saying :" Oh, Allah Almighty, Omar does not deserve to receive your grace but your grace is so grand that it is bound to reach Omar".

Once, after one of his appreciated stands, a man said to him : " On behalf of Islam Allah will pay you generously oh Commander of the Faithful." He said, "So you mean, Allah will pay Islam back for its generosity to me."

So he gave people their rights and put matters in their places. It is Islam which made Omar, and not Omar who made Islam. 

Innovation of faith

Faith refers here to Islamic faith, and its basis is the oneness of Allah, which has three principal elements : That we accept nobody but Allah as our God, that we do not assume anybody but Allah as our protector, and that we take only Allah as our judge. This is the meaning of  the creed that there is no God but Allah.

After the oneness of Allah comes the second facet of faith, that is belief in the message of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), "and that Mohammad is His messenger.He is neither a God, nor the son of a God, nor the Holy Spirit, nor an incarnation of God. He is only the servant of Allah and His messenger. God Revealed His Book to him and he passed on to the people what God Revealed to him. He neither betrayed, nor did he conceal the truth, nor did he speak vainly. "It is naught save an inspiration that is inspired"(56) .

Among the pillars of the faith that Mohammad (PBUH) received from his God, is belief in the Hereafter and in punishment, and that death is not an end in itself. There is an eternal life  after our ephemerous life, when each person is given everything that he has earned and thanked by his good deeds. "And whoso doeth good an atom's weight will see it then, and whoso doeth ill an atom's weight will see it then" (57).

The importance of faith in our life

In the life of Muslims faith is not marginal. It is the essence of our existence, the secret of our living and the gist of our message. Without it there is no sense to our life and no reason for our being.

If each personality has a key to it, and if you discover it and use it, you will be able to discover its hidden contents and unfold the secrets of its capabilities. The key to man's personality in our religion is faith.

And as it is possible to set a car, a ship or an aeroplane in motion and to set it forward just by the touch of a key, or the push of a button and to use them to travel long distances, it is also possible with the effect of faith to move the emotions of this nation and to use it to make miracles and exploits of championships which can be related like legends.

Many have struck different strings in order to move this nation, but it has neither moved nor has it responded. They have struck the nationalist string, and the socialist string, the democracy string, but have achieved nothing other than crises and catastrophes.

But when you lead this nation with the Holy Qur'an, you hold it high and the same when you call "Allah is Great" and when you  invoke the breeze of paradise.  Then you will find that the people respond in millions and are ready