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Coolness of the eye - Istinbat (Deduction)

Istinbat (Deduction)

Tags: Yastanbitun, Istinbat, Ulu'l-amr, Well

In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

What mu'min can doubt that God is the Causer of all causes? It is He Who provides a means for every good deed. Thus, as in previous years, but with greater love, warmth and yearning, this humble darwish was once again invited to London and America by `azizan. This humble servant reached London on 19th June, 1991 and by the grace of God was warmly welcomed. Such a sincere invitation has also been received from friends in France.
In this journey for knowledge, fellow travellers wish to observe the marvels and wonders of knowledge and wisdom at every step. For this we need prayer, not ordinary prayer, but special prayer, which is a munajat, resulting from pure and sincere giryah-u zari and self-effacement, for how can we otherwise obtain the illumination of the light of knowledge?
Among the blessed Qur'anic words in which are hidden key wisdoms, one such word is "yastanbitun" (4:83). The usual meaning of which is "they search out, discover". From this word is coined the term "istinbat". Let us examine its original meaning also, in any authentic lexicon, such as Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon. According to this Lexicon (Vol. VIII, p. 2759) "istinbat" means "to dig a well and reach water and bring it out"; "to produce something with one's labour", such as istinbata'l-faqih - the faqih or the jurist elicited an esoteric doctrine of law, by his intelligence and his labour or study.
The word "istinbat" is mentioned only in one holy verse (4:83), but due to its link with the ulu'l-amr (the custodians of the Divine command), its meaning spreads from the beginning to the end of the Holy Qur'an. For it means to verify, establish or substantiate something, or to reflect properly, or it is the wisdom and ta'wil, or the batin (esoteric aspect) of a verse. In this sense, istinbat is in every place of the Noble Qur'an.
Because depth of meaning is only in the Qur'an and the Hadith, "istinbat" is related only to the speech of God and His Prophet. It is said: the faqih or jurist elicited a solution to this problem by reflecting on such and such verse. See: Qamusu'l-Qur'an, p. 717; Lughatu'l-Qur'an, Vol. VI, pp. 246-47.
The translation of the verse under discussion is: "And when there comes to them news of security or fear, they spread it abroad; and if they had referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority (ulu'l-amr) among them, those among them who can search out the knowledge of it (i.e. hudud-i din) would have known it." (4:83). The wisdom-filled allusion of this verse is that mu'mins should have faith and certainty in their hearts about the Prophet and the ulu'l-amr, so that they may attain the grace of istinbat from the Imam of the time, and the physical and spiritual hudud. In this verse, the word "min-hum" (from among them) is mentioned twice, of which the first is used for the ulu'l-amr and the second for the hudud under them. As you know, Divine knowledge was revealed to the Holy Prophet, who granted it to the ulu'l-amr (i.e. the Imams) and they open the door of knowledge and wisdom to their representatives.
These two verses (4:59, 4:83), namely, the verse of obedience and the verse of deduction respectively, become one subject because they are about the ulu'l-amr and they are the exegesis of one another. Verse (4:59) says: "O you who believe! obey God and obey the Prophet and the ulu'l-amr from among you (who are with you throughout history and in all the cycles); then if you quarrel about anything, refer it to God and the Prophet, if you believe in God and the last day; this is better (for you) and very good with respect to ta'wil."
An extremely important point which should be remembered forever is that, just as obedience to the ulu'l-amr (Imams) is enjoined upon mu'mins after obedience to God and the Prophet, similarly, it is also enjoined upon mu'mins to have recourse to them with problems and disputes. But obedience comes first and then having recourse to them. Therefore, if someone has recourse to God, the Prophet and the ulu'l-amr for a solution on a question of knowledge, without first being obedient, the door to knowledge and wisdom does not open. For the first and foremost requisite is obedience.
In verse (4:59), the command to refer ideological disputes to the ulu'l-amr is not apparent, but in verse (4:83), this command is very clear, because the latter verse is the exegesis of the former verse. Further, obedience is prior to having recourse and having recourse follows it. If a fortunate mu'min truly obeys God, the Prophet and the Imam, he automatically has recourse and without formal questioning, receives answers to all his questions. And this is the perfect guidance.
The nature of Qur'anic words is incomparably wonderful. For instance, the ta'wil of a word depends on its literal and lexical background. Thus the original meaning of istinbat is to dig a well and reach the water and bring it out, the ta'wil of which is, to dig a well in the personal world and bring out the water of spiritual knowledge. No wise person can deny this ta'wil. Thus istinbat is the work for knowledge by the special representatives of the Imam of the time, as exemplified by our great da`is of the past.
Under the surface of the spiritual earth of every mu'min, every muslim and every human being, there is an inexhaustible store of sweet water. Woe to those people who, in their personal world have left this miraculous well of the water of knowledge unused and the lofty palace empty (22:45).
A cow or an ox is an allegory for the gluttonous soul of man. Thus every adult mu'min is initially like the ox in the story of the Children of Israel, which has been commanded to be slaughtered, by which is meant arduous discipline and annihilation. If there is success in this struggle, the salik becomes as tame as the ox that ploughs the land and if there is still greater success, he becomes like an ox which brings out the water from the well and irrigates the fields (2:71). That is to say, with the water of esoteric knowledge, he irrigates and causes to prosper, the gardens and the fields of the personal world.
An example of the well of knowledge in the story of Hazrat Musa (May peace be through him) is that he removed a huge stone which was placed at the mouth of the well. By the stone is meant the Pearl of Intellect, for in this example, the well of knowledge and wisdom was under this stone (28:23).
Hazrat Yusuf's brothers cast him in the dark depths of a well, but God made him light and placed him in the well of intellect, so that this light may rise and set from there (12:15) and from there every mu'min-i salik (the mu'min who walks on the spiritual path) finds the Yusuf of the time, namely, the holy light of the Imam of the time, salawatu'llahi `alayhi wa-salamuh.
From the preceding discussion, it is evident that "istinbat" is another name for the ta'wil and is never less than ta'wil. As mentioned above, it relates to those whom God has blessed with luminous ta'yid (help) and grace to do ta'wil through the exalted Imam. Allahumma salli `ala Muhammadin wa-ali Muhammad.

Nasir al-Din Nasir Hunzai, London,
8 Dhu'l-hijjah, 1411/21st June, 1991.

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