Limits of the Law

Friday sermon (jum'ah khutba) by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 13 March 2009 - 23 mins 27 secs

In this sermon, the sheikh relates a hadith (saying) of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in which he divided actions into the compulsory, the forbidden, and things about which God has been silent out of mercy for mankind. At first, this idea seems confusing or troubling: why would God leave some things out of the guidance He has established? The sheikh goes on to explain this by examining the relationship between the boundaries and signposts provided by God through the shari'a on the one hand, and on the other the human conscience - called in another hadith 'God's preacher' (wa'iz Allah). Through the dynamic of this relationship, we can see the importance of understanding the fundamental purpose of the law we follow. Further, we can appreciate another dimension of God's Mercy in establishing His law in such a way that it facilitates that understanding.

Listen to this sermon

Download this sermon (MP3, 21.5 MB)