In the previous article, the discussion focused individually on Amr (command) and Nahi (prohibition). The present study combines the two and explores the usuli question: when Allah or His Messenger issue an Amr or a Nahi in the Qur’an or Sunnah, does that inherently denote wujub (obligation) or tahrim (prohibition)? Or can it also indicate istihbab (recommendation), ibahah (permissibility), or karahah (dislike)?
Arriqaaq
Arriqaaq
The foundational qaidah (principle) among the fuqaha and usuliyyun of Ahl al-Hadith is that the Amr inherently dictates wujub (obligation) unless there exists a dalil—from the Nusus—indicating that the intent is istihbab (recommendation) or ibahah (permission). Likewise, the Nahi by default implies tahrim (prohibition) unless an evidence indicates karahah (dislike) instead.
However, as will be seen in the subsequent sections, this principle has not been without debate according to other school of thoughts. Some scholars differentiated between commands in matters of ibadah and those in adab and akhlaq, while others took a position of waqf—suspending judgment until external evidences determine the ruling.
Foundational Principle
Amr (order) dictates obligation (Wujoob) unless there is evidence to say it is recommended (Mustahabb) or Mubah likewise Nahi means Prohibition not Karahah (detested)
This is the position of many scholars from different schools who are classical authorities on usul al-fiqh. This principle has been mentioned in their books, such as:
- Khateeb al-Baghdadi in his book al-Faqeeh wal Mutafaqqih (2/219)
- Ibn Hazm in his Al-Ihkaam fee Usool al-Ahkaam (3/2)
- Ibn Taymiyyah in Majmoo al-Fatawaa (1/317)
- Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi in his Rawdah al-Nadhir (2/597)
- Ibn Najjar in his Sharh al-Kawkab al-Muneer (3/39).
- Hafidh Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari 2/436-437)
- Ameen al-Shanqeeti in his al-Mudhkirah p. 191.
The usul formulated by these scholars can be summarized as follows:
“When there is Amr, it dictates wujub, unless there is a dalil that specifies it as mandub (recommended).
When there is Nahi, it dictates tahrim, unless there is a dalil that indicates karahah.”
This principle is built upon the linguistic and juristic understanding that the form of command (sighat al-amr)—when issued by one of higher authority to one of lower authority—carries the presumption of obligation. The same applies to the form of prohibition (sighat an-nahi), which carries the presumption of absolute forbiddance unless specified otherwise.
Hence, the default rule among the usuliyyun is that the Amr and Nahi both carry binding force. The shift away from obligation or prohibition occurs only when supported by contextual evidence from the Qur’an, Sunnah, or other maqasid-related indicators.
Evidences for Amr Indicating Wujub
The usuliyyun derived this position from the Qur’an, Sunnah, and the linguistic usage of the term in revelation. Among the strongest evidences are the following:
1. The Verse in Surah al-Nur
فَلْيَحْذَرِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِۦٓ أَن تُصِيبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أَوْ يُصِيبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
So let those who disobey his orders beware, for an affliction may befall them, or a painful torment may overtake them. (Quran 24:63)
Al-Qurtubi said: This verse is quoted as evidence by the Jurists to show that order means means obligation. (Tafseer al-Qurtubi under 24:63)
2. The Verse in Surah al-Ahzab
وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ
It is not for a believing man or woman—when Allah and His Messenger decree a matter—to have any other choice in that matter. (Quran 33:36)
So Allah has decreed that His command and the command of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) rule out any other option, which proves that it is obligatory. (al-Mudhkirah by al-Shanqeeti, p. 191)
3. The Hadith of Ibn Abbas (Sunan Abi Dawud)
Ibn Abbas said “Mughith was a slave.” He said “Messenger of Allah ﷺ make intercession for me to her (Barirah)”. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said “O Barirah fear Allah. He is your husband and father of your child”.
She said “Messenger of Allah ﷺ do you command me for that? He said No, I am only interceding. Then tears were falling down on his (her husband’s) cheeks.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to ‘Abbas “Are you not surprised with the love of Mughith for Barirah and her hatred for him.” (Sunan Abi Dawud 2231, Saheeh)
Ibn Taymiyyah, in Majmoo Al-Fataawa, 1/317, comments on this hadith, explaining that Barirah’s question — “Are you commanding me?” Because it is established among the Muslims that his command means that a thing is obligatory.
This proves that the Amr of the Prophet was understood among the Companions to indicate obligation.
Differences on this Principle
Among the other school of thoughts, two positions emerged regarding how the Amr and Nahi are to be interpreted.
1. The First Position: Variation in Adab and Akhlaq
A group of scholars held that the Amr does not always denote obligation. They maintained that in matters of adab (etiquette) and akhlaq (character), the Amr signifies istihbab (recommendation).
This is position of group of scholars from different schools as mentioned in the books. Some have also ascribed this position to majority of the scholars.
For details refer to,
- Al-Sharh al-Kabeer li-Mukhtasar al-Usool by Abul Mundhir al-Minyawi p 203.
- Sharh Matn al-Waraqat by Shaykh Khalid Mushayqi chapter “Awaamir and Nawahi related to al-Adab wa al-Irshaad.
This position is considered weak, because
- There is no clear dalil from Qur’an or Sunnah to specify that Amr with regards to Adaab (etiquettes) or Akhlaaq (Morals) are Mustahabb (recommended) not obligatory
- There are not specific conditions outlined for such differentitation.
Evidence against this view is found in the hadith of siwak, where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger ﷺ said,
لَوْلاَ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي ـ أَوْ عَلَى النَّاسِ ـ لأَمَرْتُهُمْ بِالسِّوَاكِ مَعَ كُلِّ صَلاَةٍ
"If I had not found it hard for my followers or the people, I would have ordered them to clean their teeth with Siwak for every prayer.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 887)
This hadith is related to Adaab (etiquettes). Hafidh Ibn Hajar stated in al-Fath al Bari based on above hadith that a command can imply that a thing is obligatory in two ways:
- If a command can be interpreted as a recommendation, the hadith would not have specified that it is not obligatory.
- The command is described as being difficult for them, which would only be the case if the command was understood as being obligatory. There is no hardship in a thing that is merely encouraged but left as optional, because it is permissible not to do it. (Fath al-Bari 2/436-437)
2. The Second Position: The Concept of Waqf
A second group of scholars held that both Awamir (commands) and Nawahi (prohibitions) are to be placed on waqf (suspension).
This means that one should neither presume wujub nor istihbab when a command appears, nor tahrim or karahah when a prohibition appears, until further evidence clarifies the intent.
They argue that since Amr and Nahi are used in the Qur’an and Sunnah in various ways—sometimes for obligation, sometimes for recommendation, and sometimes for permission—it is not sound to fix one meaning by default without examining the context.
Ibn Hazm’s Refutation
Ibn Hazm dedicated an entire chapter in his Al-Ihkaam fi Usool al-Ahkaam (vol. 3, pp. 2–6), titled:
“On Awamir (orders) and Nawahi (prohibitions) in the Qur’an and the speech of the Prophet ﷺ, and taking them upon their apparent (zahir) meanings and as immediate obligations, and the falsehood of the view of those who move any part of that to ta’wil or delaying or recommendation (nadb) or waqf (silence), with no burhan or daleel.”
He records the opposing view as follows:
“And some of the Hanafiyyeen and Malikiyyeen and Shafiyyyeen said that the orders (Awaamir) of the Qur’an and Sunan, and their prohibitions (Nawahi), are upon waqf, until there is proof to take them according to either obligation in action, or prohibition, or according to recommendation, or permissibility, or being makruh.”
1. The Claim of “Shared Meaning”
He quotes their argument that commands can have different meanings beyond just obligation, such as recommendation or permission. So we shouldn't assume a command always means obligation unless we have evidence to support that specific interpretation.
He quotes their analogy:
“According to them, the phrasing of commands is among the shared phrases, from which a single meaning cannot be specified.
The examples given are words like ʿeer, rijl, lawn and ʿayn, where the meanings are not fixed to a single interpretation. For instance, rijl does not always mean ‘a limb,’ it can also mean ‘a group of locusts’. Similarly, ʿeer does not always mean ‘donkey,’ it can also mean ‘the bone that is in the foot’. The same applies to ʿayn and lawn — they can have multiple meanings beyond the obvious ones. Likewise, when someone says ‘Do...’, it is sometimes used to mean recommendation and sometimes obligation. Therefore, the phrasing of a command should not be automatically interpreted as meaning obligation, unless there is evidence to support that specific meaning.”
Their reasoning, in essence, is that Amr is linguistically “shared” like polysemous nouns; hence one cannot assert wujub without additional proof.
2. Linguistic Refutation
Ibn Hazm refutes this by stating the fundamental nature of language and communication:
“This argument is false, for if such were the case, there would be no possibility of meaningful communication between people. Every object or concept has a specific name by which it is distinguished from other things. This allows for mutual understanding when people communicate. If this were not the case, there could never be any clear communication, and Allah's revelation to us through the Qur’an would be invalidated.”
Here, Ibn Hazm says that if language had no stable meanings, no conversation could be intelligible. Commands and prohibitions would lose all functional purpose.
He supports this by citing the Qur’an:
And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people to state clearly for them, and Allah sends astray [thereby] whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise. (Quran 14:4)
If every word could have multiple, ambiguous meanings, then true clarification would be impossible, as confusion over meanings would be the height of problematic communication.
3. The Invalid Analogy Between Commands and Shared Nouns
Ibn Hazm acknowledges that the language does contain some words that can have multiple meanings. However, he argues that the default principle should be that each meaning has a specific name associated with it. Only if it is clearly proven that a name is used in a different way than its standard usage, should one seek clarification from other sources.
Ibn Hazm continues by addressing the analogy between commands and shared nouns:
“The examples they provided of shared names like lawn (color), ʿeer, and rijl are not a valid analogy. If someone addresses us with a narration or order regarding rijl or lawn, we can interpret it to include everything that falls under those names. For example, if someone says ‘Do not eat ʿeer,’ we would avoid everything that the name ʿeer applies to, even if the types differ.”
He explains that shared nouns (mushtarak) may cover multiple referents, yet all within one unified category. Their multiplicity does not undermine communication, because all are still “understood” within linguistic convention.
He cites Allah’s words:
And He is the One Who sends down rain from the sky—causing all kinds of plants to grow—producing green stalks from which We bring forth clustered grain. And from palm trees come clusters of dates hanging within reach. ˹There are˺ also gardens of grapevines, olives, and pomegranates, similar ˹in shape˺ but dissimilar ˹in taste˺. Look at their fruit as it yields and ripens! Indeed, in these are signs for people who believe. (Quran 6:99)
It applies to all types of fruits, even if they are different.
Hence, just as “fruits” includes all their varieties under one known category, such words retain communicative clarity. Hence, addressing people using these shared names is still useful and allows for mutual understanding, unless there is evidence to specify a particular meaning.
4. The Logical Impossibility
Ibn Hazm then advances to a logical argument:
“However, this is not possible with orders that can mean both obligation and permissibility. It is impossible for something to be both obligatory and permissible to not do, at the same time, for a single person. Therefore, treating orders the same as these shared names is invalid, because it would mean orders could never be followed, which would invalidate the very concept of commanding.”
Thus, he concludes that the waqf position leads to contradiction: if the Amr has no inherent bindingness, it cannot oblige at all — rendering commands of Allah meaningless.
He adds:
“It is proven that Allah gives us commands that we are capable of following, so the order must have a specified meaning, which is simply the act that the person is being ordered to do.”
5. The Principle of Contextual Diversion
Finally, Ibn Hazm clarifies an important qualification:
“If clear evidence is provided that a linguistic phrase has been moved from its original meaning and placed in a different context, then we must accept that new meaning. However, without such evidence, there is no justification for arbitrarily shifting a word's meaning away from its typical usage in the language.”
(Refer to: Al-Ihkaam fee Usool al-Ahkaam of Ibn Hazm, (3/2-6)
Summary of Ibn Hazm’s Argument
Ibn Hazm’s position balances two truths:
- Amr inherently denotes obligation by default (zahir).
- But it may shift to recommendation (istihbab) or permission (ibahah) only if daleel explicitly redefines it.
- Language conveys meaning through fixed convention (zahir).
- Denying default meanings nullifies all communication and revelation.
- The analogy between Amr and shared nouns is invalid.
Benefit
Principle: If it is proven from evidence that Amr in a particular instance is not an obligation, then it is Mustahabb (recommended) by default, as istihbab is the next level after obligation.
(See Usool al-Fiqh ala Manhaj Ahl al-Hadith by Dr. Zakariya bin Ghulam Khadir, p. 115)
Case Study (The Case of Keeping the Beard)
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Cut the moustaches short and leave the beard.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, 5893)
The imperative form (Amr) — “leave the beard” — appears here as a direct command. According to the established usul, such Amr inherently denotes obligation unless an external daleel (proof) specifies otherwise.
There are multiple narrations conveying the same instruction. Hence, the form of the command itself (sighat al-amr) carries its apparent ruling of wujub (obligation).
Ibn Hazm’s Position
Ibn Hazm explicitly supports this inference. In his Maratib al-Ijmaʿ, he records:
“The scholars have ittifaaq (agreement) that shaving beard is Haraam.”
(Maratib al-Ijmaaʿ, p. 182)
Hanbali and Shafi‘i Discussions
Ibn Muflih states that Ibn Hazm viewed growing the beard as fard (obligatory), while acknowledging that some among the Hanbalis regarded it as mustahabb (recommended):
“Ibn Hazm, in his book al-Ijmaaʿ, has said growing the beard is fard (obligatory). However, our companions (Hanbalis) have said it is recommended.”
(Al-Furooh, 1/151–152)
However, Al-Safareeni al-Hanbali states:
“The mutamad (official) position of the Hanbali madhhab is that it is haram to shave the beard.”
(Ghiza al-Albab, 1/376)
Within the Shafi‘i school, the mutamad opinion is as stated:
“The mutamad (official) position of the later Shafi‘i madhhab is that it is mustahabb (recommended) to grow the beard, as mentioned by al-Ghazali, al-Rafi‘i, and al-Nawawi.
However, other Shafi‘i scholars, such as Ibn al-Rafah, opposed them, citing explicit text from al-Shafi‘i that it is haram to shave.”
(Hawashi ‘ala Tuhfat al-Muhtaj, p. 436)
Explanation and Usuli Application
Those who held fardiyyah (obligation) relied on the zahir of the Amr and the absence of any valid qarinah (contextual indicator) diverting it from wujub.
Shaykh Muhammad bin Ali Adam al-Ethiopee said in explanation of aforementioned Hadith on beard in his book Dhakiratul Uqba 1/380:
Ibn Hazm and some Hanafi scholars have derived from above Hadith that it is Fardh (obligatory) to grow beard, whereas Jumhoor Ahlul-Ilm (majority of people of knowledge) have said it is recommended. Apparent (Dhahir) goes with the position of first group.
Those who said it is recommended, even though there is Amr in the hadith, did so because they believe that Amr in matters of morals and etiquettes denotes recommendation rather than obligation.
Whereas others believe that Amr implies obligation in general unless there is explicit proof to say it is recommended.”
Conclusion
We explored how Amr (command) and Nahi (prohibition) are understood in usul — that the command inherently implies obligation (wujub) and the prohibition implies forbiddance (tahrim), unless a clear evidence indicates otherwise. We also examined the differing views, including Ibn Hazm’s strong refutation of the concept of waqf (suspension).
InshaAllah, in the next lesson we will move to the study of Istinbaat and its types.
