The Meaning of the Phrase, ‘Something Emphatically/Unequivocally Known to be Part of the Religion [المعلوم من الدين بالضرورة]’
February 12, 2014 § 2 Comments
Questioner: What does, ‘Something emphatically/unequivocally known to be part of the religion [المعلوم من الدين بالضرورة],’ mean, we hear this phrase a lot? And is it something established in all times and ages or does it differ according to the time and place?
Al-Fawzaan: That which is, ‘emphatically established in the religion [المعلوم من الدين بالضرورة],’ is something which is established by unequivocal proof, either by being unanimously reported [tawaatur] or through the Ummah’s unequivocal consensus, and the one who denies it is regarded as a disbeliever.
For example, the obligation of the five prayers, zakaah, fasting, Hajj, the pillars of Islaam, likewise the forbiddance of alcohol, interest, fornication, and [conversely] those things which are permissible and whose permissibility is emphatically/unequivocally known in Islaam, like [eating] grazing livestock that has been Islamically slaughtered, or bread and things like that.
Whoever denies something whose ruling of permissibility or impermissibility is emphatically established in Islaam is regarded as a disbeliever in Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, an apostate from Islaam.
And such things are constant in all times until the Hour is established, because the rulings of the religion are permanent, fixed and abiding, from the time Allaah sent Muhammad ﷺ to the establishment of the Hour, they do not alter or change.
Al-Muntaqaa min Fataawaa Fadeelatis-Shaikh Saalih ibn Fawzaan ibn ’Abdillaah al-Fawzaan, vol. 3, p. 388.
Gifts of Knowledge 
May Allah bless you!
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Assalaamu’alaykum,
I just wanted to point out that بالضرورة here has a deeper meaning than just being “unequivocal” or “clear” or “certain”… it’s referring to the fact that every Muslim knows this matter “without having to research/study it”…
Shaikh Saalih Aal Ash-Shaikh said:
معنى قولهم معلوما من الدين بالضرورة يعني مما لا يحتاج الناس في إثباته إلى برهان، مثل الصلاة هل يحتاج لما بيننا أن يقال هات دليل على وجوب الصلاة، هات دليل على حرمة الخمر، هات دليل على حرمة الزنا، هذه من المعلومة من الدين بالضرورة يعني مما لا يحتاج فيه إلى استدلال
Shaikh al-‘Uthaymeen said:
المعلوم من الدين بالضرورة هو ما لا يمكن لأحد من المسلمين جهله، كوجوب الصلاة -مثلاً- وتحريم الخمر والزنا وما أشبه ذلك، هذا من المعلوم من الدين بالضرورة، فأما الشيء الذي لا يعلم بالضرورة إلا بعد البحث والنظر فهذا ليس مما يعلم من الدين بالضرورة
Shaikh ar-Ramlee when specifically asked about بالضرورة in this expression he said:
يعني من غير تعلم لا تحتاج إلى دراسة
They are all explaining it to mean that a Muslim does not need to research or the like to know it. I think this meaning should be reflected in the English translation of معلوم من الدين بالضرورة to convey a more comprehensive and accurate meaning of بالضرورة…
And Allaah knows best.
Wassalaam.
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