In addition...

In addition, I have commanded and taught you all of the things which bring you closer to Paradise and which keep you away from the Hell fire.” The purpose of this tradition is to show us that we must strive and struggle to put the laws of Islam into practice and it is this act that separates us (the Shia) from the Ahlus Sunnah, who are of the belief that whatever has not been expressly legislated (in the Islamic texts) is not an applicable ruling (to follow).

With this said, we see that the Ahlus Sunnah give the permission to their Fuqaha to devise their own Islamic rules and regulations through the practice of Qiyas[^2], Istihsan[^3] and Masalah Mursalah[^4]. Is such a school of thought (that of the Ahlus Sunnah) in which half of their teachings are from Allah (SwT) and the Infalliable Prophet of Allah (S), while the other half which are from the whims and desires of the people (their Scholars) the true set of beliefs?

Or is the true school of thought in which all of the teachings are from Allah (SwT) and the Ma'sumin (meaning the Shia)? Thus, there is a great difference between these two groups.

Of course the apparent understanding of the verse that states: أَلْيَومَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ “On this day (the 18th of Dhul Hijjah), I have completed your din (al-Islam) for you.”[^5] is just as we have mentioned since the word 'din' includes all of the theological beliefs, practical Islamic laws and the moral and ethical guidelines.

Thus, the tradition which we started with shows us that we must deduce the laws of Islam, the theological beliefs and our moral and ethical guidelines through the process of Ijtihad (from the sources of Islam) and we are not permitted to formulate and devise our own laws!

At this point, the following issues must be mentioned: There are some lazy people who feel that by relying on the verse of the Qur`an which states: وَ مَا مِنْ دَآبَّةِ فِي الأَرْضِ إِلاَّ عَلى اللٌّهِ رِزْقُهَا “There is not a single creature on the Earth except that its sustenance is guaranteed by Allah.”[^6] or by relying on the traditions which state that everyone's sustenance has been decided and specified (by Allah (SwT)), they assume that there is no need to struggle to make ends meet since their sustenance has already been designated and it will reach them in any way (whether they work or not).

Thus, they feel that no mouth will remain open except that sustenance will reach it (from Allah (SwT))!

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