MASHRAB – مشرب

Etymologically and Literally: Derived from the Arabic root sh-r-b (ش ر ب), which denotes drinking, imbibing and swallowing liquids. The noun form mashrab (مَشْرَب) literally signifies a place where drinking takes place, a drinking vessel, or a water source, while also metaphorically extending to denote the innate disposition, or inclination that quenches the ma’nawî thirst in a person's rûh.

As an Islamic term: A place and path where ma’nawî pleasure and faydh are obtained. While preserving an absolute and unshakeable unity and consensus in the fundamental Sharî‘ah rulings, aqâid and essential ordinances of Islam — the diversion of which places one outside the sphere of religion —, it encompasses the subtle differences and diversities in temperament, inclination, disposition and methodology among those following the same religious path.

The source of the word mashrab is the term مَّشْرَبَهُمْ in the 60^th âyah of Surah al-Baqara:

وَإِذْ اسْتَسْقَى مُوسَى لِقَوْمِهِ فَقُلْنَا اضْرِبْ بِعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ فَانْفَجَرَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْناً قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍ مَّشْرَبَهُمْ

When the sons of Israel were crossing the desert with Mûsâ (as), they became thirsty and asked Mûsâ (as) for water. Allah said to Mûsâ (as), "Strike the stone with your staff." When Mûsâ (as) struck the stone with his staff, water gushed forth from twelve places, corresponding to the number of tribes of the sons of Israel. Thus, each tribe drank water from its allocated section without any dispute, as expressed in the phrase قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍ مَّشْرَبَهُمْ meaning “each of them knew their drinking place.”

Fakhraddîn Râzî mentions the following event in his book to explain the differences in mashrab:

When Muhammad (asm) was consulting with his sahabah about how to treat the prisoners of Badr, Abû Bakr suggested, "Let us release them in exchange for ransom," while ‘Umar proposed that each sahabah be entrusted with their own relative among the prisoners to execute them, thus embodying an uncompromising and severe measure of the Sharî‘ah. Both of these choices — reflecting two distinct dispositions — were entirely valid and contained within the vast sphere of the Sharî‘ah. The Prophet (asm) acted in alignment with Abû Bakr’s suggestion of ransom, while likening Abû Bakr to Ibrâhîm (as) and ‘Îsâ (as), and ‘Umar to Nûh (as) and Mûsâ (as), pointing to the foundational roots of these respective mashrabs as manifested in the du‘â of these prophets in the Qur'an.

In his du‘â, Ibrâhîm (as) said to Allah,

رَبِّ إِنَّهُنَّ أَضْلَلْنَ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۖ فَمَن تَبِعَنِى فَإِنَّهُۥ مِنِّى ۖ وَمَنْ عَصَانِى فَإِنَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

"O my Rabb! They have indeed led many people astray. Therefore, only those who follow my ways belong to me, and I leave those to You who disobey me; surely You are Ghafûr and Rahîm.”

He stated that he has entrusted his ummah to the forgiving and merciful names of Allah.

Regarding his ummah, who had abandoned tawhîd and fallen into the error of the trinity, ‘Îsâ (as) said to Allah,

إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ ۖ وَإِن تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ

"If You punish them, they surely are Your ‘abds, and if You forgive them, You are ‘Azîz and Hakîm.”

He did not directly ask for their destruction.

In contrast, regarding his ummah who insisted on their kufr, Nûh (as) said,

رَّبِّ لَا تَذَرْ عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ دَيَّارًا

"O Rabb! Do not leave a single kâfir on the surface of the earth.”

And Mûsâ (as) prayed against his people and said,

رَبَّنَا ٱطْمِسْ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ وَٱشْدُدْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَلَا يُؤْمِنُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَرَوُا۟ ٱلْعَذَابَ ٱلْأَلِيمَ

"Our Rabb, destroy their wealth and harden their hearts, so that they may not believe until they see the grievous torment."

And for example, the mashrab of Hasan al- Basrî and ‘Uways al-Qarâni, who are considered among the most prominent of the Tâbi'în, were certainly not the same. Hasan al-Basrî maintained a close presence among the people of his time and trained numerous students, whereas ‘Uways al- Qarâni, who was abundantly blessed with ‘ilm and faydh, lived a secluded and reclusive life.

Since Allah created every human being differently, and each individual is a place of manifestation of different names of Allah in various ways, differences in mashrab are inevitable. However, this difference should not be a cause for conflict or hostility. Just as the âyah describing the order of celestial bodies like the sun and moon states,

لَا ٱلشَّمْسُ يَنۢبَغِى لَهَآ أَن تُدْرِكَ ٱلْقَمَرَ وَلَا ٱلَّيْلُ سَابِقُ ٱلنَّهَارِ ۚ وَكُلٌّ فِى فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ

“Neither is it possible for the sun to overtake the moon, nor for the night to outstrip the day: each floats along in its own orbit.”

So too should individuals possessing different mashrabs continue on their paths without interfering with the orbit of another — that is, without colliding or clashing.