0 - Introduction

The 5 Degrees/Levels of Rulings are known as ___

الأَحكَم التَّكلِيفِيَّة

The 5 Degrees of Rulings are:

(This question is only asking for their names)

1. الوَاجِب (Al-Wajib - Obligation)

2. المُحَرَّم / الحَرَام (Al-Haram/Al-Muharram - Prohibition)

3. ُالمَكرُوه (Al-Makruh - Disliked)

4. المَندُوب / المَسنُون / المُستَحَبّ (Al-Mandūb/Al-Masnūn/Al-Mustahab - Favored or Recommended)

5. المُبَاح (Al-Mubah - Permissible)

What is Al-Wajib?
ما هو الوَاجِب؟

That which the Shāri’ demanded doing decisively

(مَا طَلَبَ الشَّارِعُ فِعلَهُ طَلَبًا جَازِمًا)

Shāri’ means legislator (i.e. Allah and the Messenger ﷺ)

What is Al-Mandūb / Al-Masnūn / Al-Mustahab?

ما هو المَندُوب / المَسنُون / المُستَحَبّ؟

That which the Shari’ demanded doing not decisively

(مَا طَلَبَ الشَّارِعُ فِعلَهُ طَلَبًا غَيرَ جَازِمٍ)

Shāri’ means legislator (i.e. Allah and the Messenger ﷺ)

What is Al-Haram / Al-Muharram?

ما هو الحَرَامُ / المُحَرَّم

That which the Shāri’ demanded abandoning decisively

(ماَ طَلَبَ الشَّارِعُ تَركَهُ طَلَبًا جَازِمًا)

Shāri’ means legislator (i.e. Allah and the Messenger ﷺ)

What is Al-Makruh?

ما هو المكروه؟

That which the Shāri’ demanded abandoning not decisively

(ماَ طَلَبَ الشَّارِعُ تَركَهُ طَلَبًا غَيرَ جَازِمٍ)

Shāri’ means legislator (i.e. Allah and the Messenger ﷺ)

What is Al-Mubah?

ما هو مباح؟

That to which no command or prohibition is related to

(مَا لَا يَتَعَلَّقُ بِهِ أَمرٌ وَلَا نَهيٌ لِذَاتِهِ)

So the rulings are five, and it is obligatory upon the Mukallaf to learn from Fiqh everything that he needs for his Ibadat, Mu’amalaat (transactions & dealings), and more.

With regard to having Fiqh, the Prophet ﷺ said: Whoever Allah wants good for…..” (Finish the sentence and say the hadith in Arabic).

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “To whomever Allah wills goodness, He grants him understanding of the religion.” Agreed upon (by both Bukhari and Muslim)

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُفَقِّهْهُ فِي الدِّينِ (مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيهِ)

With regard to that which is wajib, Imam As-Sa’di explained that it is that which if carried out, you are [compliantly] rewarded and if abandoned you are punished. The ulema added to the word “punished” the word “deservingly”. So you are punished deservingly. With regard to that which is haram, it is the opposite of what is wajib.

Why did the ulema add the word deservingly?

Shaykh Ibn Aqil said it is because of Allah’s saying, the meaning of which is: “Verily! Allâh forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners (in worship) with Him, but He forgives whom He wills sins other than that…” (4:48 & 116)

So the benefit here is that Allah may or may not punish the person.