Assalamu Alaikkum,
I think you mistook me. I am not calling for Taqleed or blind following of scholars. But we should listen to them as they produce evidence from Hadith and Qur'an. They do Ijtihad but we don't.
Walaikum as'salam
Dear Brother, I think you mistook me too, I was calling for evidence from Hadith and Qur'an to be presented, rather than relying on so-called "expert opinion" of scholars. There is no opinion in matters of faith, just as there is no innovation. There is right and wrong, nothing in between. We identify what is right and wrong through referring to the revelation (Qur'an) and wisdom (Hadith) that the Prophet left us. Please show me even one reference in the Quran or Hadith that we need a scholar to interpret the Qur'an and Hadith for us, that we are not capable on our own to refer to the Qur'an and Hadith.
My. Al-Albani said that there can be no Jihad of a large group without a Khalifa, only a small group, without citing any Hadith, he was just asking questions in the Socratic method from the "Jihadi" (which is an offensive disparaging term to give to the questioner), he doesn't use the method the Prophet gave, of simply relying on the Book (Qur'an) and Wisdom (Hadith). According to his logic of waiting for the ideal system to be in place, before following the command of the Quran for every believer to give his life for the protection and security of his homeland from attack and confiscation, then similarly why should one rely on the Ulema without a Khalifa? Why should one respect the judicial ruling of the Ulema, when there is no Sharia court to enforce it, and no Khalifa to oversee and guide the system? All this leads to endless fitna, which the Prophet gave the solution from such occurring in his Ummah whenever it started, by staying firm to the Qur'an and Hadith, and the guidance of the righteous predecessors (the as-Salaf as-Saleh), and no one after them.
I pray you understand the importance of relying on the Qur'an and Hadith, and the as-Salaf as-Saleh as the only guidance, and all other opinions, and decisions in religion contrary to these being innovation and how this easily causes fitna, and thus staying away from matters where there is doubt or of a questionable nature to avoid it and maintaining a uniformity among the Ummah enhances our unity and strength.
I have pondered on this subject for a long time, if there could be a compromise on this issue, and there can't. If you look at it even from a purely material point of view, societies that are relying on the ever increasingly wasteful and sophisticated technological mode of life end up bankrupt in money and morals. You can't have a television set which is capable of producing music, and say that it is not a musical instrument, when it is, and then when some people use it as such whether openly or not, and how it corrupts society, similarly all other sins are also invited coincidentally from this same evil box, which is also capable of making pictures, which are also haram, even if you call it video, video is defined as rapidly moving images which gives the illusion of animation, when in fact it is just a series of pictures being shown. About such devices and innovations leaving societies bankrupt financially, Western countries can last longer with such conveniences because they have relied on third world countries, which includes the Muslim countries, because of their use of the cheap labor of third world countries. Look at how chained the Muslim world is to the influence of the West, through television, and how it is clearly an unlawful invention, yet many Muslims continue to flirt with it, and suffer the consequences. A good start is for us to rise above petty conveniences and rely on the Creator, above what we feel is a convenience or not, and look at television and even computers for what they really are. They are in fact distractions, and it has been demonstrated as such and proven conclusively.
I see a lack of resolve on the part of Muslims, through this most evil invention of television and now computers, which is just a modified and more enhanced version of television. Television is robbing many Muslims of their resolve, it has been proven that the countries with the highest demand for internet *!*!*!*!ography, (which shows fornication and adultery), are all Muslim countries. The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion is a document which details the means by which the Jews, whom the Qur'an warns are the most hostile among all toward Muslims, use against us, and among the things mentioned in that document is the use of electronic media and *!*!*!*!ography.
Below are some relevant Hadith pertaining to Jihad as well as on innovations (in the same breath the Prophet speaks about the need for unity among Muslims for Jihad, he also warns against innovations, clearly showing how innovations disrupt unity, which disrupts the ability of Muslims to defend themselves in Jihad, and today Muslims fight with one another about the most basic right of Muslims to be able to live under the legal code of the Quran rather than a secular law imposed from non-Muslims or those inspired by them), and how novelty (inventions), such as Television lead to innovations, which is
error.
Narrated Irbad ibn Sariyah: AbdurRahman ibn Amr as-Sulami and Hujr ibn Hujr said: We came to Irbad ibn Sariyah who was among those about whom the following verse was revealed: "Nor (is there blame) on those who come to thee to be provided with mounts, and when thou saidst: "I can find no mounts for you." We greeted him and said: We have come to see you to give healing and obtain benefit from you. Al-Irbad said: One day the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) led us in prayer, then faced us and gave us a lengthy exhortation at which the eyes shed tears and the hearts were afraid. A man said: Apostle of Allah! It seems as if it were a farewell exhortation, so what injunction do you give us? He then said: I enjoin you to fear Allah, and to hear and obey even if it be an Abyssinian slave, for those of you who live after me will see great disagreement. You must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error. (Sunan Abu Dawud Book #40, Hadith #4590)
Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib: Qays ibn Abbad and Ashtar went to Ali and said to him: Did the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) give you any instruction about anything for which he did not give any instruction to the people in general? He said: No, except what is contained in this document of mine. Musaddad said: He then took out a document. Ahmad said: A document from the sheath of his sword. It contained: The lives of all Muslims are equal; they are one hand against others; the lowliest of them can guarantee their protection. Beware, a Muslim must not be killed for an infidel, nor must one who has been given a covenant be killed while his covenant holds. If anyone introduces an innovation, he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion), he is cursed by Allah, by His angels, and by all the people. Musaddad said: Ibn AbuUrubah's version has: He took out a document. (Sunan Abu Dawud Book #39, Hadith #4515)
