بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَ الصَّلاَةُ وَ السَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَلَى آلِهِ وَ صَحْبِهِ اَجْمَعِينَ

C) IJTIHADS ARE NOT TO BE MADE ABOUT THE ESSENTIALS OF RELIGION (DHARÛRIYYAH)

1- “Some of the matters of the ghayb were made known to the Prophet in detail. These he could in no way alter or interfere with, like the muhkamât of the Qur'an and 'Sacred' Hadiths.” The Rays ( 98 )

2- “Ijtihad may not be made about the dharûriyyah of religion, for they are specified and definite. Moreover, dharûriyyah are like basic food and sustenance.” The Words ( 495 )

3- “that group of the people of dhalâlah saw that the matter does not end with the mujtahidîn, for what lay on their shoulders were only the theoretical matters (nadhariyyah) of religion. Whereas this group of the people of dhalâlah wants to give up and change the dharûriyyah of religion. If they say: "We are better than them," the matter does not finish there. For mujtahidîn may interfere in theoretical matters and in secondary matters which are not categorical, but these people of dhalâlah who follow no madhab want to mix their ideas in the dharûriyyah as well, and to change matters which are not capable of being changed, and to oppose the incontrovertible pillars of Islam. And so they are bound to attack the Sahâbah, who are the bearers and supports of the dharûriyyah of religion.” The Words ( 512 )

4- “Fakhr al-‘Âlam1 ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm, who is the owner of the religion and Sharî’ah of Islam, is the sultân of the two worlds, and the East and West and Andalusia and India are his seats of sovereignty, he himself both demonstrates the fundamentals of the religion of Islam, and brings the secondary matters and other injunctions of the religion, including even the most minor matters of âdâb; he reports them; he commands them. That is to say, the secondary matters of Islam are not like a garment capable of change so that if they are changed, the essential religion may remain. Rather, they are a body to the fundamentals of religion or at least a skin. They have blended and united with it; they cannot be separated. To change them infers directly denying the owner of the Sharî’ah and pronouncing him to be false.

As for the differences in the madhabs, these have derived from the manner of understanding the theoretical (nadharî) principles shown by the Sharî’ah's owner. Principles called dharûriyyah of religion, which can not be interpreted, and those called Muhkamât can not be changed in any way and may not be opened to ijtihad. One who changes them excludes himself from religion, being included under the rule: يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الدِّينِ كَمَا يَمْرُقُ السَّهْمُ مِنَ الْقَوْسِ 2 .” The Twenty-Ninth Letter/Seventh Section/2nd Sign

5- “If you were to ask: The Qur'an is one of the dharûriyyah of religion, yet there has been dispute over its meanings?

You would be told: In every passage of the Qur'an there are three propositions:

The First: This is Allah's Word.

The Second: Its intended meaning is the haqq.

It is kufr to deny these two.

The Third: Its intended meaning is this.

If this last proposition is muhkamât or expounded, it is wâjib to have îmân in it once one is informed about it and to deny it is kufr.” Signs of Miraculousness ( 73 )