PRESERVATION, UPDATING, DA‘WAH

~ 25 ~ becomes essential that the original religion (al-din) could be reapplied to changing sets of circumstances. For instance, the Shariah permitted the touching of leather socks with wet hands for purification instead of the normal washing of feet during ablution. Now when socks made of artificial fibres came to be used, the question arose as to whether doing masah (rubbing with water) was lawful or not. Then it became necessary to reapply the old injunction to the new situation; after the exercise of ijtihad, permission was given to do masah on these socks. In every age the necessity arises of re-applying divine injunctions. And this has happened in modern times on a large scale. In ancient times, war was a means of settling conflicts, but with the invention of the latest deadly weapons, war today serves no positive purpose. Now power lies in peace alone. Such is the state of affairs that the commands of war in Islam require a reapplication. In days gone by, kingship, whereby the ruler unilaterally possessed absolute power, was the order of the day. Now it is the age of democracy,