The Golden Pendant by Ibn Balban

The Golden Pendant by Ibn Balban

The Golden Pendant by Ibn Balban

Footnote: It should be noted that the issue of "the first obligation" is a point of debate among the scholars. Some scholars of the school such as Ibn Hamdan, Ibn Balban (here), Ibn Qa'id, Abd al-Baqi, al-Saffarini, al-Buhuti, and others declare awareness of Allah as the first obligation as opposed to an examination of evidence typically held by the Ashari school. There are others who specify the first obligation to be the shahadatan, tawhid, or Allah's worship (obedience). Ibn Taymiyah, a great Hanabli scholar, concluded that the first obligation upon the morally responsible depended on their personal condition. In other words, if they need to ponder and reflect to accept faith, they are required to do so as a means to an end. If they do not, they are not. This issue is the starting point to the ruling on blind-following in issues of faith. Those that believed that awareness of Allah, which may require a precursory examination of evidence, typically believed it was not permissible to blindly follow in the foundations of faith. They held the view that certainty was necessary which could not be achieved through blind-following. Though considered impermissible, they deemed such faith is sufficient (as mentioned in the video) as it was for the bedouin Arabs during the life of the Prophet. Those that deemed it permissible typically did so in consideration for the masses of the lay congregation that were simply not equipped to achieve the certainly that study and analysis produces.