CONSIDERATION OF CIRCUMSTANCES
In Sahih al-Bukhari, it is narrated that the Prophet Muhammad told Aisha that when the Quraysh later rebuilt the Kaaba, they did not construct it on the foundation laid by Abraham. Instead, they altered it (Abraham had built the Kaaba lengthwise, but the Quraysh made it square, leaving a portion of the original Kaaba outside, now known as Hateem). Aisha asked, “O Messenger of God, why don’t you rebuild the Kaaba on the foundation of Abraham?” The Prophet replied, “Your people (the Quraysh) have recently abandoned disbelief and entered Islam. I fear this may provoke them. If it were not for this fear, I would have done so” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 1583).
Imam al-Bukhari included this Hadith in the Book of Hajj (Chapter on the Virtues of Makkah and its Construction). Suppose later generations restrict their understanding to the chapter title given by Imam al-Bukhari. In that case, they may only derive lessons regarding the virtues of Makkah from this Hadith and fail to uncover its broader relevance. However, this Hadith conveys a very significant lesson of Islam, which can be encapsulated as the “wisdom of life.”
Rebuilding the Kaaba on the original foundation laid by Prophet Abraham would have been the correct course of action. However, leaving it on the foundation laid by the Quraysh during the pre-Islamic period of ignorance was apparently an improper act. Yet, the Prophet refrained from making this correction because, under the circumstances of the time, such a change could have led to more serious issues.
From this example of the Prophet, a vital principle can be derived: in life, there are situations where the consideration is not about what is right or wrong but about what is possible and what is impossible.
This principle is of immense importance. Achieving success in the present world often requires adherence to this pragmatic approach. Many of the failures of Muslims in the modern era stem from neglecting this principle. Instead of considering what is realistically achievable, they focus solely on what they perceive as right. They often rush to act on this perceived rightness, even when circumstances make its attainment impossible. The resulting fruitless sacrifices of Muslims in the present era are a direct consequence of ignoring this principle.
The root cause of this detrimental outcome is blind imitation (taqlid). By viewing the Hadith only through the lens of the chapter title provided by Imam al-Bukhari, they limited their understanding to the virtues of Makkah. They failed to extract the broader principle of the wisdom of life from it. This confinement to imitation prevented them from advancing to the subsequent stages of independent reasoning (ijtihad), which is essential for progress.
