Islamic

Studies

Chapter 1

Benefits of Becoming a Muslim
Benefits Explanation
Muslims can identify their Creator & get to know Him • Know His roles & their relationship to His names
• Muslim’s will be able to communicate with Him 23 hours/day
• We will be able to know our origin, our roots & wisdom
• We will get good answers to question that can be answered by logic & thinking
Muslims will express their loyalty, allegiance & obedience to their • Muslims will transcend themselves to all types of allegiance
Creator • When there is a conflict, Muslims will put their trust in Allah
Muslims will acquire peace, harmony, tranquillity & happiness with • The source of peace is Allah (al-Salam)
everything
Muslims will get rid of electrostatic charges in their Central • When Muslims ‘sujud’, they place their forehead on the ground, discharging all the
Nervous System through Solat extra charges
• Which rids neurological diseases
Muslims will gain pleasant personality. • They will be friendly & amicable
• They won’t drink alcohol, use drugs, or get involved in immorality, all of which is
not beneficial to humans
Muslims will gain self-control, self-education, self-restraint, self- • They will be able to improve health, personality, character, & behaviour
discipline, self-evaluation, & self-obedience to Allah through
fasting
Muslims can control Lusts, Selfishness, Desires, Greed, Ego,
Conceitedness
Muslims will become generous & hospitable • The will purify themselves by sharing happiness & wealth to the less fortunate
• Their rewards will manifold until the day of judgement
Muslims will transcend themselves from being Nationalistic, • They will be part of an essential constituent of rainbow of Islam
sectarian, denominational to Universal through pilgrimage • They will be part of the brotherhood of Islam
Muslims will be in sync & harmony with all the messengers of Allah • Muslims will be able to visit the places of revelation of the Quran as well as the
places visited by prophet Abraham & members of his family
• Muslims will visit the place where the first astronauts, Adam & Eve landed on earth
Muslims will stop all types of exploitations • economic, biological, mental, spiritual, psychological, political
• Muslims will liberate people & give them freedom of worship, freedom of speech,
& freedom of expression
• Muslims will be a leader & help lead people to peace, tranquillity & happiness
Muslims will reduce social ills (juvenile, delinquency, • They reduce & eliminate diseases like AIDS
homosexuality, premarital relationship)
Muslims will have a happy life in the grave & later, eternal • At the time of death, Angels will comfort them, they will show to them their place
happiness in Jannah
• On the day of judgement, Muslims will see & meet all messengers, friends, relatives
Muslims will have an eternal life of bliss in Jannah

• The benefits can’t be bought with money
• There are no one to sell them to you or advertise it
• Humans have to take the initiative to acquire these benefits
• Humans have to be truthful to themselves & to their Creator
• Humans should practise their belief

Knowledge in Islam
Al-Jurjaani
• Knowledge is a strong belief that is in accordance with facts & reality
• Knowledge is to realise things of what they are

Syed Qutub
• Knowledge is a complete comprehension & interaction in the depths of the soul & conscience, followed by action in harmony with them

Al-Ghazali
• Man is not a being of his physical powers, size, courage, appetite, coitus but rather by virtue of his noble aims & ideas, he was created to know

Degree of Confidence in Islam
Ilm - 100%
‘Zhan’ - 51% – 99%
‘Shak’ - 50%
‘Waham’ - 1% - 49%
‘Mardud’ - 0%

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Types of Knowledge in Islam
• Revealed knowledge (Fardhu Ain)
o Sent down by Allah
o No human interruptions
o No human thinking involved
o Examples: Quran, Sunnah

• Applied Knowledge (Fardhu Kifayah)
o By human thinking
o Through Fardhu Kifayah
o Examples: Biology, Engineering

• Combination of revealed & applied knowledge
o E.g. Usul Fiqh

Mukallaf
• A person who has fulfilled a requirement & responsible to perform tasks
• Requirement:
o Muslim
o ‘Aqil
o Baaligh
o Mumayyiz

Fardhu Ain
• Process which is compulsory to the Mukallaf

Ilm Fardhu Ain
• The process of learning which are compulsory to the Mukallaf
• Examples: Tawheed, Fiqh

Fardhu Kifayah
• The process which is compulsory duty to the Mukallaf to the community
• But is some have fulfilled it, others do not have to

Ilm Fardhu Kifayah
• The process of learning which are compulsory duty to the Mukallaf to the community
• But if some have fulfilled it, the others do not have to
• Examples: Usul Fiqh, Mathematics, Science

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The Quran
• The speech of Allah, sent down upon the last Messenger, Prophet Muhammad PBUH, through the Angel Gabriel, in its precise meaning & wording,
transmitted to us by numerous persons (tawatur) both verbally & in writing.
• Inimitable & unique, protected by God from corruption
• Derived from the word ‘qara’a’
o To recite
o To read

• Names of Quran
o Furqan
o Tanzil
o Dhikr
o Kitab

The Hadith
• News, report, narration
• The reports about the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad PBUH which covers all that He did (fi’l), said (qaul), sanctioned as permissible by His silence when
any particular action was done in His presence (taqrir) & what He was like (sifa).

Hadith Qudsi
• Wording is from Prophet Muhammad PBUH
• Given through inspirations such as dreams
• Transmitted by a few or even one individual
• Some are sahih, hasan, dhaif
• Cannot be read in prayers

Difference between Quran & Hadith
Quran Hadith
Speech of God Words of human being
Reported by its precise meaning Not necessarily reported in their precise meaning
Transmitted by tawatur Some are transmitted by tawatur

Revelation & How it Came to Prophet Muhammad
• God guides His creation
o Allah creates, sustains & direct His creations in a way that He has created everything
o Allah provides many forms of guidance
o A system guiding principles – includes the laws of nature
• Guidance through Revelation
o Prophets receive the word of God through revelation & then conveys it to human beings

Revelation
• Means of revelation
o Inspiration – dream
o Speech hidden away – words sent through special messenger from God

• Revelation of Quran to Prophet Muhammad PBUH
o Revealed in 2 stages
o From lauh al-mahfuz (well preserved tablet) à lowest of heavens (bait al- ‘izza) of the world, altogether in the Laila al-Qadr
o From heavens (bait al- ‘izza) à Earth in stages for 23 years through Angel Gabriel

Reasons to Why the Quran Was Sent Down in Stages
• Strengthen the heart of the Prophet by addressing Him continuously & whenever the need of guidance arose
• Consideration for the Prophet since the revelation was a difficult experience for Him
• Makes understanding, applying & memorising the revelation easier for believers

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Memorisation & Oral Transmission
• Memorised by the prophet
• Memorised by the companions
• The prophet encourages memorisation
• The prophet sent teachers
• Quran readers among the companions

Transmission of Written Text
Jam’ al-Quran
• General Meaning:
o Bringing together the Quran orally (hifz)
o Bringing together the Quran in written form (paper / books)

• Classical Literature:
o Learning the Quran by heart
o Writing down every revelation
o Bringing together the materials upon which the Quran has been written on
o Bringing together the reports of people who have memorized the Quran
o Bringing together all sources (orally & in written form)

Methods of Collection of Quran
• Quran had been written down in its entirety in the time of Prophet Muhammad but had not been brought together in one place – not arranged in order
• The arrangement of the Surah was fixed by the Prophet & safeguarded through oral transmission

Stages of Collection of Quran
• In the time of Prophet
• In the time of Abu Bakar
• In the time of Uthman

Book was not left by Prophet
• The revelation did not come down in one piece (came down in stages)
• Some verses were abrogated in the course of revelation (flexibility needed to be maintained)
• Ayat & Surah were not revealed in their final order (arranged later)
• Prophet lived 9 days after the last revelation
• There was no dispute about the Quran in the time of Prophet

Writing of Revelation
• Writing was not widespread among the people in Arab at the times of Prophet, but there were persons of who writes

Claims that Quran was written by Prophet Muhammad
• Scholars unanimously agree that the Quran was not written by Prophet Muhammad
• “And you did not recite before it any scripture, nor did you inscribe one with your right hand. Otherwise the falsifiers would have had [cause for]
doubt”
• The Quran was written during the Prophet’s lifetime
o People come to Madinah to learn about Islam, they were given copies of chapters of the Quran

Quran was dictated by the Prophet

The Prophet did not leave anything behind
• The revelation is available in written form & memorised by the Companions
• It is available in loose writing material to arrange it in proper order
• The order was fixed in written form & memorisation by the Companions

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The Science of Hadith
• A process Muslim scholars use to evaluate Hadith
• Jalal al-Din à Principles by which the conditions of the Sanad (the chain of narration) & the Matn (the text of the hadith) is known
• Ibn Hajr à Knowledge of the principles by which the condition of the narrator & the narrated are determined
• The Sanad & the Matn – to distinguish the sahih, from the others

Categories of hadith
Categories Explanation
The recurrent Hadith (al-Hadith al-mutawatir) 4 conditions:
• Decisive in its certainty (qat'i thubut), no doubt that it came • At least 4 different persons must have narrated the Hadith.
down from the Prophet. • The 4 must be deemed as impossible to lie
• They must have narrated the Hadith from similar people from the beginning of the
chain of transmitters until the end of it
• Their narration of Hadith must rely on the mind & the senses because the mind might
be mistaken
The non-recurrent Hadith (al-Hadith al-ahad) 3 groups according to the number of narrators
• Any Hadith which is not recurrent (mutawatir) • The well-known Hadith
o Has been narrated by 3 or more people in the chain of transmitters but did
not arrive at the rank of recurrent Hadith.
• The strong Hadith
o There are no less than 2 narrators in each part of the chain of transmitters
• The rare Hadith
o Narrated by a single person at one point in the chain of transmitters

Types of Hadith
Types Explanation
Hadis Sahih • Transmitted by Bukhari & Muslim
• Transmitted by Bukhari or Muslim only
• Hadith that agree with the requirements of Bukhari & Muslim
• Hadith that agree with the requirements of Bukhari or Muslim only
• Declared Sahih by other traditionist
Hadith Hasan • Sanad contains a reporter who is mastur but is not totally careless in his reporting provided that a similar text is reported
through another isnad
• Sanad contains a reporter which is truthful & reliable but is a degree less in his memory of hadith in comparison to the
reporters of Sahih Hadith
• Several weak hadith that support each other to the level of Hasan
• Several Hadith Hasan may support each other to the level of Sahih
Hadith Dhaif • Hadith which fails to reach the status of Hasan
• Weakness in discontinuity of isnad
• Could be Mursal, Mudallas, Munqati, Mudal according to the nature of discontinuity, or one reporter having a
disparaged character
Hadith Maudu • Fabricated, forged hadith
• The text goes against the norms of the Prophet sayings or the reporters include a liar

Importance of Classifications
• The vagueness of ancient historians about their sources stands in contrast to the insistence of Muslim scholars manifested in knowing every member in a
chain of transmission & examining their reliability
• They published their findings which were subjected to inspection by future scholars for consistence with each other & Quran

Sanad
• Information regarding the route by which the Matn has been reached, Hadith specialist rely on Sanad to determine the authenticity & weakness of the Hadith
• Consists of a chain of the narrators each mentioning the one from whom they heard the hadith until mentioning the originator of Matn & the Matn

Matn
• The Matn is the actual wording of the hadith
o Its meaning is established, or stated differently, the objective at which the sanad arrives at consisting of speech
• Companions received the Hadith first
o They preserved & understood it, know its generality & particulars & conveyed it to those after them as commanded

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Condition for Acceptance of Hadith
Condition Explanation
Continuity of The Chain of Transmitters • This chain of transmitters has to be unbroken
• None of the transmitters must be missing from the chain of narrators
• Transmitter must have heard the Hadith in question directly from the previous transmitter
• Knowledge of this is verified with the help of the biographical sciences of the science of
Hadith
Integrity of the Transmitters • The integrity of the transmitters is in terms of their out-ward observance of Islam
• They practice what is required of them by Islam & are not known to engage in doing things
which are forbidden
• Precondition is verified through the biographical sciences of Hadith
Soundness of Memory of the Transmitters • Each transmitter must have sound memory or that his books were accurate & that he only
transmitted directly from his books.
• Verified through the biographical sciences of Hadith
Conformity • Both in the Sanad & Matn
• Non-conformity in the Sanad - if one of the transmitters in the chain is different than in a
stronger version of the same Hadith
• Non-conformity in text would imply divergence in the meaning of this Hadith with one which
is stronger
Absence of Defects • A defect in Hadith is defined as a hidden defect in the Hadith which takes away its
authenticity
• Hadith which has defect is one which appears to be free from defect at first, after
investigation it is discovered that it has a certain defect which would not be apparent
without investigation
• The defect can be in the Sanad or Matn or both

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Ijtihad

• Derived from the word JUHD - To strive with full exertion
• Intellectual reasoning accomplished by experts in Islamic Law with various techniques
• An educated attempt to choose between 2 or more differing legal interpretations to deduce from the Quran & Sunnah any new ruling in order to address
new legal situations which there are no previous literal precedence

Qualification of A Mujtahid
• Expert in the Arabic language
o To decide properly between the different meanings of the same word

• Memorised the Quran
o The study of the Quran should be intensive

• Memorised the Hadith
o To have all the connections of the Sunnah with the problem

• Expert in both the science of hadith Riwayat (historical criticism) & Dirayat (logical criticism)
o To view the worth & meanings of various hadith

• Possess true Islamic Character
o The heart should be imbued with Taqwa

Techniques of Ijtihad
Techniques Explanation
Ijma’ – Consensus of the Ummah • Agreement on something
• Three Talaq at one sitting is valid
• E.g. Intentionally missed prayer must be made up
Qiyas – Process of analogical reasoning • To solve or provide a response to a new problem that may arise
(compare & contrast the teaching of • The new problem that has come about will share operative causes (Illah)
Quran & Hadith) to make an analogy of • Illah – set of circumstances that trigger a certain law into action
a new injunction from a known • Steps:
injunction o Identification of a clear, known thing that might bear resemblance to the modern situation
o Identification of the ruling on the known thing
o Identification of the reason behind the known ruling
o The reason behind the known ruling to the unknown thing
Taqlid – Acceptance of a religious • Refers to the adherence to one of the four classical Sunni schools of fiqh or jurisprudence
ruling in matters of worship & personal • Done in 2 cases:
affairs from someone regarded as a o When the muqallid is a common person who does not have the ability to acquire knowledge of the
higher religious authority without syariah ruling by himself
asking for technical proof § Taqlid is obligatory for him, taqlid of one person whom he considers to be a person of
knowledge & piety
§ If there are 2, then he chooses either
o When the mujtahid encounters a new situation which needs an immediate solution but not possible
without research
§ Permissible to taqlid, that the matter is not from the fundamentals of aqidah
§ Matters of aqidah require certainty
§ Taqlid amounts to knowledge which is not certain
§ If the person is unable to arrive to the truth, then nothing remains for him except taqlid

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Chapter 2

The Judgements of the Sound Intellect
• Absolutely must be, or the absolutely necessary
o The mind does not accept the non-existence of it
o Its non-existence would be absurd
• Absolutely cannot be, or the absolutely impossible
o The mind does not accept the existence of it under any circumstances
o Its existence is absolutely absurd & logically incongruent
o Practically impossible, such as rivers flowing up a mountain
• May be, or the possible
o The mind can accept the existence or non-existence of it
o All created things fall into this category

Required Knowledge for the Accountable Person
• Knows what must be true, cannot be true & may be true of Allah & Messengers
• Sane, reached Islamic puberty & heard the Creedal Statement of Islam
• Accountable for all his sayings, doings & beliefs
• Perform all obligations prescribed by Allah & avoid all that Allah has prohibited
• Accountable for his or her own acts. However, one of the obligations is to prevent the disobedience of others

Attributes That Allah Must Be Attributed With
Attributes Explanation
Existence – al-Wujud • “Attribute of Self” as it refers to what exists, without additional meaning.
Negating Imperfections
Non-beginning– al-Qidam • “He is al-Awwal”
• He existed before everything else, & that He was not preceded by non-existence
• “Allah existed & there was nothing else”
Non-ending– al-Baqa • His existence does not have an ending
• “Allah Himself lasts”
Non-resemblance to events that have a beginning – • Allah created everything, brought everything into existence, therefore He does not resemble
al-Mukhalafatuli-l-awadith anything
• Allah does not resemble anything that is imagined
• “Ponder about everything, but do not ponder about the Self of Allah.”
• “Absolutely nothing resembles Him, & He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.”
Self-existence, no need of having location or • “O People, you are the desolate in absolute need of Allah, & Allah is the One that does not need
specification – al-Qiyamu Binafsihi anything or anyone, & He is the One that deserves all praise.”
Absolute Oneness, no second like Him – al-Wadaniyya • Impossible that Allah have an equal in His self, actions or attributes
• “Say! (O Muammad) He is Allah, He is One.”
Sifat al-Maanī – Attributes of Meanings
Power – al-Qudra • “Verily Allah is able to create anything.”
• The attribute of Power is an eternal attribute by which Allah brings what has the possibility of
existence into existence, or annihilates it, according to His Will. His Will is an eternal attribute by
which He specifies things with what is possible. All created things fall under His Will & Power
Will – al-Irada • “Verily Your Lord does whatever He wills.”
Knowledge – al-Ilm • All that absolutely must be, cannot be, or maybe
• “Verily Allah knows everything.”
Life – al-ayat • This attribute does not relate to anything
• “And rely on the One that is attributed with eternal”
Hearing – al-Sam • Both attributes pertain to all that exists
Sight – al-Basar • “Absolutely nothing resembles Him, & He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.”
Speech – Kalam • His speech is without letter or sound
• “And Allah spoke to Moses.”
Sifat Ma’nawiyya, attributes pertaining to meanings
Being Qadir or being attributed with Power
Being Murid or being attributed with Will
Being Alim or being attributed with Knowledge
Being Hayy or being attributed with Life
Being Sami ‘or being attributed with Hearing
Being Basir or being attributed with Seeing
Being Mutakallim or being attributed with Speech

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Attributes That Are Impossible for Allah
• Non-existence
• Being an ‘event’
• Having an end
• Similar to ‘events’
• Not self-existence
• Not One
• Unable to create event
• Give existence of what had not willed for
• Ignorance
• Death
• Deafness
• Blindness
• Lack of Speech

The Proofs of Allah Attributes
• His attribute of Oneness
o If He was not One, then nothing of the world could exist because He would be weak
• His attribute of Power, Will, Knowledge & Life
o Without these attributes, nothing in the universe would have come into existence
• His attribute of Hearing, Sight & Speech
o Clearly stated in the Qur’an & Hadith
o If He was not attributed with them, then He would have been attributed with their opposites, which is a weakness & this is impossible
• What may be true of Allah
o Doing anything possible, or not doing it, is possible for Allah, otherwise the possible would either be absolutely necessary or impossible
o For Allah to be obliged to do something or not to do it would be a flaw
o “He is not asked about what He does to creation in terms of guiding & misguiding, or honoring & humiliating, but the creation is asked”

The Messenger & Prophet
• Intelligent, free, male humans, that had a revelation of a teaching of religion
• Some have Heavenly books revealed to them
• Chosen by Allah & protected from birth from characteristics or behavior that do not befit their rank
• The difference between a Messenger & a Prophet is that the latter follows the laws of the Messenger prior to him & does not bring new laws

Attributes of Messengers
• Must have
o Truthfulness
o Trustworthiness
o Delivered their messages entirely
• Impossible to have
o Telling lies
o Committing treachery by doing what their message forbids or dislikes
o Not deliver a message they have been ordered to deliver to creation
• Could have
o It is possible for the Messengers to have any human condition which does not imply flaw in their rank, such as getting married or falling ill

The Proof of Attributes of Messengers
• Prophetic Miracle, or mu’jizah, is an extra ordinary events that is joined with a claim of Prophet hood
o It cannot be imitated by an opponent or challenger
• There are also other types of extraordinary events, they are:
o A preparatory wonder or irhāș
o A Walī’s wonder, or karāmah
o Assistance, or ma’ūnah
o A lure, or istidrāj

The Creedal Statement of Islam
• There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah
o The word ilah in Arabic comes from the word Uluhiyyah or “godhood,” which means, being the One who needs nothing else & all else needs Him
o “There is no god but Allah” includes the three categories that all accountable people are obligated to know as being true of Allah, which is what
must be true, what cannot be true & what is possibly true of Him

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Tawheed
Tawheed Explanation
Tawheed ar-Rububiyah • Everything are events predestined by Allah as part of the tests of life
Allah caused all things to exist when there was nothing, He • The incidents follow patterns set only by Allah
sustains & maintains creation without any need & He is the o "O Believers! Surely there is in your wives & children an enemy for you, so
sole Lord of His creations beware of them"
• There are severe tests of one's faith in God
o "Surely We will test you with fear, hunger, loss of wealth & life & the fruits of
your work, so give glad tidings to those who are patient”
• Some patterns are recognizable, such as cause & effect relationships & sometimes they
are not
• God explained that the wisdom behind these apparent irregularities is often beyond
man's immediate comprehension due to limited knowledge
o "Perhaps you may dislike something which is really good for you or like
something bad for you, but Allah knows (what is best for you), & you do not."
Tawheed al-Asma Was-Sifat 5 Main Aspects:
Refer Allah as how He & Prophet have described Him • Refer Allah as how He & Prophet have described Him without explaining away His names
without explaining away His names & attributes, refer Allah & attributes by giving meanings other than their obvious meanings
without giving Him any new names or attributes, refer Allah o “Allah is angry with them, curses them & has prepared for them an evil end”
without giving Him the attributes of His creation & not give o Anger is one of God's attributes, it is incorrect to say that His anger must mean
man the attributes of Allah unless preceded by the prefix His punishment since anger is a sign of weakness & not befitting of Allah
'Abd o "There is nothing like him"
• Refer Allah without giving Him any new names or attributes
o Allah may not be given the name the Angry one, in spite of the fact that He has
said that He gets angry, because neither Allah nor His messenger has used this
name
• Refer Allah without giving Him the attributes of His creation
o In the Bible & Torah, Allah spent the first six days creating the universe then
slept on the seventh. It is man who tires after heavy work & needs sleep to
recuperate, “There is nothing like Him & He is hearer & seer of all."
• Not give men the attributes of Allah
o In the New Testament Paul takes the figure of King of Salem, from the Torah
(Genesis 14:18-20) & gives both him & Jesus the divine attribute of having no
beginning or end
• Allah's names are in the definite form cannot be given to His creation unless preceded by
the prefix 'Abd meaning "slave of" or "servant of'
Tawheed al-Ibadah • The gravest sin is Shirk, the worship of others instead of Allah or along with Allah
All forms of worship must be directed to Allah because He o "You alone do we worship & from You alone do we seek help"
alone deserves worship & can grant benefit to man as a o "When My servants ask you (O Muhammad) about Me (tell them), 'Verily I am
result of His worship, there is no intercessor between man & close (to them), I listen to the prayer of every one who calls on Me. So let them
God respond to Me & believe in Me in order that they may he guided aright.”
• Tawheed al-Ibadah conversely necessitates the denial of all forms of intercession or
association of partners with Allah
• Worship also includes emotions like love, trust, & fear, all of which have degrees which
should only be directed to God
• Allah has addressed these emotions & warned against excesses in them
o "There are among men those who take (for worship) others besides Allah as
equals to Him. They love them as they should only love Allah. But those who
believe have a much greater love of Allah"
o "Will you not fight people who broke their oaths, plotted to expel the
messenger & were the first to (attack) you? Do you fear them? Allah has more
right to be feared if you are truly believers."
• The term Ibadah means total obedience & Allah is considered the ultimate Lawgiver
• Implementation of secular legal systems not based Shariah is an act of disbelief in the
divine law & belief in the correctness of such systems, such a belief constitutes a form of
Shirk - "Those who do not rule by what Allah has revealed are disbelievers"
• 'Adee ibn Haatim, who was a convert from Christianity, heard the Prophet recite the
Quranic verse, "They have taken their rabbis & monks as lords besides Allah," so he said:
'Surely we did not worship them,' The Prophet turned to him & said 'Did they not make
forbidden (Haram) what Allah had made allowable (Halal), & you all made it Haram, & did
they not make Halal what Allah made Haram & you all made it Halal?' He replied, 'We
certainly did.' The Prophet then said, 'That was how you worshipped them."

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Shirk
Shirk Explanation
Rububiyah The belief that others share Allah's Lordship over creation as His equal or near equal & the belief that there is no God
• Shirk by Association
o God is recognized, however His dominion is shared by other lesser gods, spirits, mortals, heavenly bodies or
earthly objects
o Referred to by theologians & philosophers as either monotheistic or polytheistic
• Shirk by Negation
o Philosophies & ideologies which deny the existence of God, Atheism & Pantheism
al-Asma Was-Sifat • Shirk by Humanization
o Allah is given the form & qualities of creations
o The human form is commonly used by idolaters to represent God in creation
o The image is painted, moulded or carved in the shape of human beings
• Shirk by Deification (Sacred)
o Creations are given/claim the names or attributes of Allah
§ Ancient Arabs worship idols whose names were derived from the names of Allah
al-Ibadah • Ash-Shirk al-Akbar (Major Shirk)
o Act of worship is directed towards other than Allah
o Taaghoot means anything which is worshipped along with or instead of Allah
o "Surely we have sent to every nation a messenger saying, worship Allah & avoid Taaghoot (false gods)"
o For example, love is a form of worship which should only be directed to Allah
o The love of God is expressed by total obedience to Him. "Say: If you love Allah, follow me & Allah will love
you."
o "Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah," If man allows the love of anything or anyone to come
between himself & Allah, then he has worshipped that thing
o The Prophet (saws) said, "The worshipper of the Dirham will always be miserable" & Allah said "Have you not
seen the one who takes his desires as his god?"
o Contradicts the very purpose of creation as expressed in Allah's statement "I have not created Jinn or mankind
except for my worship."
• Ash-Shirk al-Asghar (Minor Shirk)
o Ar-Riyaa
§ Practise of performing worship in order to be seen & praised by people
§ Destroys all the benefits in righteous deeds & brings punishments to those who commits it
§ It is really significant to the believers whose goal is to make all of the acts of their lives religious acts
dedicated to God
§ It only involves the simple act of changing one's intention
§ Mahmood ibn Lubayd reported, "Allah's messenger said: "The thing I fear for you the most is Ash-
Shirk al-Asghar." The companions asked "Oh! messenger of Allah, what is minor Shirk?" He replied
"Ar-Riyaa (showing off), for verily Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection when people are
receiving their rewards, 'Go to those for whom you were showing off in the material world & see if
you can find any reward from them.’
§ “Mahmood ibn Lubayd also said, "The Prophet came out & announced, 'O people, beware of secret
Shirk!' The people asked, 'O messenger of Allah, what is secret Shirk?' He replied, 'When a man gets
up to pray & strives to beautify his prayer because people are looking at him; that is secret Shirk.'"

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Chapter 3

Shariah
Shariah Law • Moral code & religious law of Islam which includes criminal, civil, personal, economic & all aspects of law as
revealed in Quran & Hadiths
Literal meaning • A water hole where animals gather to drink
• Straight path according to Quranic usage (al-Jatiyyah)
• Straight path which guides man to the true path of Islam
Arabic meaning • The right path to be followed
• Means ‘Law’
Fazlur Rahman • The ordaining of the way indicating the law’s divine source & purposeful direction
• For Muslims, god is the legislator & jurisprudence
Syed Qutub • “They are equipped with nothing but fancies & ignorance when they undertake the task which is no concern of
theirs & does not properly belong to them. They claim to one of the properties of divinity is a great sin, & a great
evil”
Consists of: • Ibadah - ritual, worship
• Muamalah - transactions & contracts
• Adab - morals & manners
• I’tiqadat - beliefs
• ‘Uqubat - punishments
Sources • Quran & Sunnah - 200 verses related to legal rulings
o 70 – Family & Inheritance
o 70 – Obligations & Contracts
o 30 – Criminal
o 20 - Procedure
• Ijma’, Qiyas, Ijtihad

Features of Islamic Law
Features Explanation
Originates from divine source • Free from weaknesses like injustice & oppression
• Shariah legal rulings & its system of morality
Universal system of permanent • Cut across the boundaries of race, colour & geography
validity • Never becomes irrelevant & suitable at all times
• Aims at safeguarding the human interest (Maslahah)
Comprehensive • Broad & all-embracing, no aspect of human life is overlooked
Realistic & Practical • Visionary, idealistic & practical system
Permanent & Change • Elements of permanent & change

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Maqasid
Category Explanation
Durruriyyat • Essential in sustaining of religion, Akhirah & Dunia
• Protection & Preservation of • Disruption of it results in termination of life (Dunia) & losing salvation & blessings (Akhirah)
Necessities • Preservation & Protection of
o Religion
§ Preserved by creating conditions to facilitate worship
§ Protected by jihad
o Life
§ Preserved by creating conditions for existence of life & sustenance & maintenance of
health
§ Protected by penalties from destruction of life
o Intellect
§ Preserved by creating conditions for development of mind
§ Protected by penalties from corruption of mind
o Progeny
§ Preserved by strengthening the family system
§ Protected by penalties from corruption of family, marriage
o Property
§ Preserved by striving for growth of communal & individual wealth
§ Protected by penalties from theft or misappropriation
Hajiyyat • Expand the purpose of Maqasid & remove strictness of application that leads to hardships & disruption of
• Caring for Needs objectives
• Example - To have vehicles for transport
Tahsiniyyat • Relate to improving the quality of human life, human conduct & morals & beautifying the conditions under
• Provision for Betterment which life is lived
• Laws pertaining to
o Ibadat – Cleanliness & covering of Aurat during Prayer
o Adab – Table manners
o Muamalat – prohibition of selling unclean articles
o Jinayat – prohibition of killing a free man in place of slave

The Significance of Three-Tier Division of Maqasid
• Guides to understand the cardinal principle that governs the inner-relationship between Durruriyyat, Hajiyyat & Tahsiniyyat when it comes to the application
of Shariah rules at individual & national level
• To dispense with a lesser interest in order to safeguard the move vital interest for example, under normal circumstances a person must keep his private parts
covered, but if medical treatment to safeguard his life requires its expose to a physician, then the vital needs takes precedence
• Instructs Muslims about the rules of choice between two evils of unequal consequences
o adoption of the lesser of two evils to avoid the more damaging one
o private injury has to be tolerated if required by safeguarding the largest interest the society as whole
o the inflicted harm must be remedied
o necessity overrides prohibition
• Guides Mujtahid to formulate his opinion on issues by taking in to full account the higher objectives of the Shariah & their ranking order of priority

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Fiqh
• In-depth understanding
• Making rulings & judgements from evidence found in Quran & Sunnah from consensus of Islamic scholars
• Anyone knowledgeable in matters of religion is called Faqih
• Characteristics
o Based on actual problem
o Not rigid with law-making procedure
o Can be based on personal opinion
o Can be modified due to disappearance of reason of the existence of the ruling & change in social condition
o No specific Mahzab

Differences between Shariah & Fiqh
Shariah Fiqh
Governs all human actions Focus on legal & illegal human acts
Does not change & complete Certain rulings change depending on circumstances
Covers aspects of Aqidah, Akhlak & Fiqh An aspect of Shariah
Based on Quran and Sunnah Deduced from Quran & Sunnah to make new rulings

Divisions of Ahkam al-Khamsah
• Yes
o Fard/Wajib (Obligatory)
o Mandub
o Mubah/Harus
• No
o Makruh (Abominable)
o Haram (Prohibited)


Schools of Fiqh
School Details
Imam Abu Hanifah • The oldest was founded in Iraq in early Abbasid times by Nukman b. Thabit
• Known by his kunyah Abu Hanifah, one of the most gifted & liberal of the Islamic legist
• Pioneered & perfected Qiyas as a sophisticated method of reaching legal judgments
• Refused to accept appointment as Qadi
• Today the Hanafi Mazhab is dominated in central & western Asia
• 80-150 H (767M)
Imam Malik • The second surviving school is founded in Medina & the Hijaz by Malik b. Anas
• A great collector of Hadith but more a supporter of the ‘living tradition’ of Medina
• Medina, was the earliest centre of Islamic law & government, which was thereby steeped in prestige & authoritative
precedent.
• 93-179 H (795 M)
• Writes Muwaata` (Kitab al-Hadith) mans the beaten path
• The Maliki Mazhab is prominent today in North Africa & Upper Egypt
Imam Syafie • The third great Mazhab
• Founded by Muhammad b Idris
• Developed the main principles of Islamic jurisprudence (usul al-Fiqh)
• 150-204 H (819 m)
• Write Kitab ar-Risalah (usul al-Fiqh)
• The Shafie Mazhab is today predominant in the Malaysia, Indonesian archipelago, lower Egypt, Syria
Imam Hanbali • The fourth classical Sunni school founded by Ahmad b. Hanbal
• Considered fully fundamental
• 164-241 H (855)
• Writes Musnad

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Western Perspective
• Law
o A system of rules enforced by a set of institutions for civil, political, obedience, economic obedience in a society
o Its connotation is often in the term “Rule of Law"

• Morality
o A code of conduct in matters of right & wrong
o Morals may be created by & defined by one's society, philosophy, religion, or individual conscience
o Some moral principles may be universally applicable
o Morals are same as the "Ethics"

Islamic Perspective
• The Relationship Between Law & Morality
o The whole corpus of Islamic law is deeply rooted in ethics
o Inner purify of soul is as important as the external manifestation of belief in action (belief & do right)
o Islamic law is an indivisible as its derived from revelation & possesses the same & uniform divine sanction
o Obey the rule of law as an incumbent duty upon Muslims without formally distinguishing between justifiable & non-judiciable actions
o Dualism between law & morality that plaques the western jurisprudence has no place in Islamic Legal Philosophy

• Differences Between Law & Morality
o Law & morality represent the twin elements of one & the same action (Amal) that is demanded & required by faith as both form the indivisible
aspects of Shariah, revealed by God
o In terms of function there are delicate points of distinction:
§ The prime concern immorality is to enhance Muslims’ inner tendency to uphold virtue & shun evil. On the other hand, law enacts
measures to ensure the practical manifestation of moral senses & to discourage moral deviation
§ Morality focuses on the internal dimension of Islam while law takes care of external requirement of the Shariah

Differences Between Islamic Law & Other Laws
Islamic Law Other Legal System
Divine Revelation Human Made
Al-Quran & Sunnah Human Thinking
The concept of Hereafter Worldly
Allah is the law giver Human Being is the law giver
• The central notion of justice in the Shariah is based on mutual respect of one human being by another
• Respect for people was the motivating thought behind the Kalimat as-Shahadah
• Respect for people in the Shariah is rooted in the Divine injunctions of the Quran & the precepts of the prophet

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Penalties in Islam
• Punishment is to protect people & the community from evil because crimes cause harm to the order or well-being of community
• Community is responsible for the lives of its members, as well as their properties & honour
• Community requires penalties to maintain a secure social order
• Penal steps have been prescribed for crimes to prevent people from committing them
• People are different levels of faith & morality
• The promise of reward & the threat of punishment in the hereafter is sufficient to inspire them to do good but for others, the realization that crimes will be
punished in this life by the government is necessary to restrain them from evil
• For those who do evil despite the threat of legal penalties, their public punishment serves as a deterrent to those who witness it
• “In the law of equity there is (saving of) life for you, O men of understanding that you may ward off (evil)” (al-Baqarah, 179)
• Islamic law places an emphasis on physical punishment for major crimes, because prison is more of a school for crime than a means of reforming criminals
• The Islamic solution is more likely to change the criminal’s behaviour positively & it saves the community the huge expense of a massive prison system

Classifications
Preservation Crimes Penalty
Faith Murtad Killed
Life Murder Killed
Mind Drinking Alcohol Lashed (40)
Progeny Zina Stoning/Lashed (100)
Property Stealing Cut off Hand


References (Dalil)
Aspects References
Murtad “Whose ever apostate from Islam should be killed” (al-Hadith)
Murder “O you who believe! The law of equity is prescribed for you in cases of murder, a free man for a free man, a slave for a slave & a woman
for a woman. But if the brother (of the slain) relents somewhat, then grant any reasonable demand, & compensate him with handsome
gratitude.” (al-Baqarah 178)
Drinking Alcohol Umar lashed the drinker 40 lashes (al-Hadith)
Zina “The woman & man guilty of Zina, flog (rattan) each of them a hundred stripes. Let no compassion move you in their case in a matter
prescribed by Allah, if you believe in Allah & the last Day; & let a party of believers witness their punishment” (24.2)
Stealing “As for the thief, both male & female, cut off his or her hand, it & exemplary punishment from Allah for their crimes” (al-Maidah, 38)

Categories of Penalties
• Haqq Allah (Hudud)
• Haqq Adami

Type Explanation
Hudud – Punishment which has been prescribed by 3 Aspects:
Allah in the revealed text of the Quran/Sunnah • Punishment is prescribed in the public interest
• Cannot be lightened/made heavier
• After being reported to the judge, the forgiveness of the victim cannot avert the punishment
• “These are the limits of Allah. Do not transgress them” (al-Baqarah, 229)
Qisas • The right of a murder victim's nearest relative/wali to take the life of the killer with approval
from the court
Diyat • Financial compensation paid to the victim/heir of victim in cases of murder/bodily
damage/property damage
Ta’zir – Discretionary Punishment • Offense are mentioned in the Quran but no punishment is specified
• The punishment is at the discretion of the authorities
• A punishment aimed first at preventing the criminal from committing further crimes & to reform

The Uniqueness of the Islamic Penal Code
• A concept which cares very little for the criminal & reform but concentrates on preventing the commission of offences
• Restrictions relating to inflicting the punishments, especially hadd punishments, in terms of difficulty of proof, recommendation of forgiveness, & the
possibility of repentance, greatly limit the number of cases in which these punishments can be applied

The Aims of Shariah is to Implement Justice
Aims References
There are a number of Quranic injunctions • “We sent a foretime our Apostles with clear sings & sent down with them the book & the
commanding Muslims to do justice balance (of right & wrong), that men may take stand forth in justice”
• “Allah command justice, the doing of good, & the charity to kith & kin”
• “Say; may lord has commanded justice”
• “Allah commanded you to render back your trusts to those to whom they are due & when you
judge between man & man, that you judge with justice”
The realisation of Universal Justice • All humans are same in obligations to submit to divine law
• No distinction between one group with another
• “When Judge between mankind, judge justly”
The prophet is asked to administer justice according to • “We sent down to thee the Book in trust, that you might judge between men, as guided by
the al-Quran Allah; so be not (used) as an advocate by those who betray their trust.”
• The commentators explain this passage with reference to the case of Taimah bin Ubairaq

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Chapter 4

The Concept of Morality in Islam
• God is the creator & source of all goodness, truth & beauty
• Man is responsible, dignified & honourable agent of his creator
• God put everything in the heavens & earth in the service of mankind
• God does not expect the impossible from or hold him accountable for anything beyond his power nor God forbids man to enjoy the good things in life
• Moderation, practicality & balance are the guarantees of high integrity & sound morality
• All things are permissible in principle except what is singled out as obligatory & what is singled out as forbidden
• Men’s responsibility is to God & his highest goal is pleasure of God

Akhlaq • From ‘Khuluq’ = character, behaviour, personal traits, manner
• Personal behaviour = deal with the relationship between man & God, man & man, man & other
elements/animals, man & his innermost self
• Al-Ghazali
o Establish state of soul from high actions proceed easily without any need for reflection &
deliberation
• Ibn Al-Athir
o Inner characteristics of oneself whether it is good or bad
Importance • The reason why Prophet Muhammad was sent down to the world
• Part of Iman
• The true value & honour of a person is measured by Akhlaq
• Determine human civilization
o “Indeed nations that are morally upright will last forever. But with the fall of their morals, it will
bring about the fall of the nations”
• To get pleasure of god in the world & Hereafter
Verses in Quran & Hadith • Al - Qalam (4)
• Al- Israk (23)
• Al – Hajj (41)
• “Verily I have been sent for he perfection of virtuous moral” (Reported by Ahmad)
• “The Akhlaq of the Prophet is al-Quran” (Narrated by Aisyah)
• “There is nothing that weighs heavier on the scales of the servant on the day of resurrection than good
morals” (Reported by Abu Daud)
• “Whoever is not prevented by his prayers from lewdness & iniquity, gains nothing from Allah except
remoteness” (Reported by Al-Tabarani)

Significance of Ethics & Morality
Significance Explanation
Represent the very one fundamental • “We made for you law (in the right way of religion) so follow it and not the fancies of those who have no
component of obedience to God’s knowledge
Shariah
Faith will not be complete without • “O you have faith, fear Allah and be with the truthful people.”
morality • “Modesty & Faith are twins. One who gives up one has to lose the other too”
• “by God he cannot be a believer, by God he cannot be a believer, by God he cannot be a believer”, “Who?”,
“he from who misdeeds his neighbours is not safe”
• “A person who believes in God & the Hereafter should speak about good things or else should keep quiet
Pre-requisite for the acceptance of • It is reported that the messenger of God was once asked about the destiny of a woman who perpetually
Ibadah observed fasting & kept vigilant at night by performing prayer. But she committed misdeeds toward her
neighbours. The Prophet remarked “There is nothing good in her”
• The best thing given to man is good character, the best in faith among you is the one who has the best oral
character. The nearest to God on the day of Judgement will be the one best in character
Establish life’s order & giving it • No civilization advancement & moral & material prosperity of a nation is possible without ethics
regulation, dignity, serenity

Distinguishing Features
• Divinely inspired system as it is part of the Shariah
• Morally good intention has to be followed by permissible action, actions are determined by intention
• To help one live according to the demand of his moral life & not profit maximization
o “Wealth & sons are allurements of life of this world, but things that endure, good deeds are the best in the sight of your Lord, as rewards and the
best as the foundation of hopes
• Freedom to accumulate wealth is accompanied with a just sense of moral responsibilities as no forms of unjust exploitation & deceit are tolerated
• Balanced & equitable distributive justice is given full recognition, however, differences in income are tolerated
• Participation in worldly activities is strongly encouraged with the provision that any material advancement must lead to the fulfilment of one’s own spiritual
upliftment & that of the Muslim community

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Requisite Moral Qualities for Muslims
God Consciousness (Taqwa) • Noblest of all character traits that a Muslim should constantly strive to develop
• To protect, to be wary, to be careful & to take good care
• Signifies constant awareness of God, out of love or fear (feeling that reminds the presence of God)
• Strong sense of accountability to God on the part of a Muslim in action & intentions

• The highest of the most sublime quality of God desires to see in a Muslim
o “The noble of you in God’s sight is the one with the most Taqwa”
• The path chosen & adopted by the messengers
o “This is my path, straight. So, follow it and not any other paths”
• Salvation for Muslims
o “O People, fear you Lord and fear the day no father shall give satisfaction to his child and no child
shall give satisfaction to his father. Surely, God’s promise is true”

• Achieved through à Training (Tarbiyyah) & striving (Mujahadah)
Sincerity (Ikhlas) • To purify, refine & remove impurities
• Attitude of a person who in all his events, has the consideration of gaining the pleasure of God (Does everything
for God)
• Quran à Ikhlas is the opposite of hypocrisy (Nifaq) which means to sell oneself, convince people that he is
something that he is not
• Opposite of Riya which is to do good deeds to be seen or praised by others
Honesty & Truthfulness (Sidq) • Keeping commitments & transparency in life
• Absolute honesty & fidelity in all personal relationships & interactions, in business dealings & transactions, in
administration of justice
• 3 characteristics of Hypocrite
o When he speaks he lies
o When he makes a promise he breaches it
o When he is trusted he betrays
Purify, Modesty, Chastity (Taharah, • Anything degrading is abhorrence
Hayak, Iffah) • Required for integrity & well-being
o Islam imposes strict rules of modesty, manners & behaviour to be observed by both men & women
• Every religion has its own moral code
o When God wants to destroy a person, He takes away their modesty
o The person becomes despicable & loses trust & honesty & becomes fraudulent
o Blessings are taken away then, the person become apostate
Brotherliness (Ukhuwwah) • Establish brotherly relations with others, to desire for themselves, to dislike things for them the things they do
not like & to rejoice happiness & share sorrow
• Frees Muslim from apathy & indifference towards others
o “O mankind, verily We have created you from a man & woman & have made you nations & tribes
that you may one another surely the noblest of you, I the sight of God is the best conduct”
o “By Him in whose had my soul, a man does not believe until he loves for his brother what he loves
for himself”
Striving & Hard Work (Juhd) • To establish a state of true servant to God & to master the technical skill for managing affairs of life
• People need to work very hard & embark upon jihad, intellectually, morally & technically
o “Man shall have nothing but what he strives for”
o “naturally, no development & progress is possible without hard work & effort”
Economy Moderation (Iqtisad & • Fundamental principle of life in Islam à moderation/balance
I’tidal) o “Thus have we made you an ummah justly balances that you might be witness over nations”
• Developing man morally & materially is through the law of balance & moderation
• It leans neither towards asceticism nor materialism but to the fulfilment of both
o Eating – Voracious brings misfortune
o Dressing – Putting on clothes of fame will be clothes of disgrace by God
o Residence – Avoid luxurious living

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Universal Ethical Values
Justice (Al-Adalah) • Giving to the right person in the right manner what must to be given
• Opposite of oppression (al-Zulm) which is injustice
• Individual level
o Containing or suppressing inner desires or holding them together in correct proportions to produce
a just human being
• Social level
o Moral commitment of the individuals in any society to uphold a delicate balance in all aspects of
lives
o A process of allocation of values in society
o Politics is the art of governing mankind by deceiving them
• Types
o Towards God
o Towards Self
o Towards Society
• Steps to Achieve
o Personal purification – Internally & externally
o Inclusion of sense of duty to God – Thought of God influences one to uphold justice
o Kind & forgiving social attitude – key to stability in society is peace among members
Reformation (Islah) • Establish wholesome or reform opposite of fasad (corrupt, ruined, evil & wrong)
• Causes of corruption
o Following human caprice in deciding right & wrong
§ “Had he really followed their caprices, the heavens & earth & everyone within would
have been corrupted”
o Man’s abuse of the position of trust
§ “Corruption has appeared on land & I the sea because of what men’s hands have earned,
so that He may let them taste some part of what they have doen & so that perhaps they
may return”

The Role of Adab in Social Relationship
• To help establish & maintain healthy social relationship
• Required of Muslims toward each other is mutual responsibility & positive assistance
• Encourage to meet each other, strengthen social bonds, & defend individual against psychological consequences of social isolation
• Acceptance of invitation & holding feasts makes social ties stronger
• Social relations should be quite free of personal interest & engaged in wholly for the sake of God
• Social life is encouraged at a wider level such as performing congregational prayer in the mosque
• Personal cleanliness when communicating with others

Moral Crisis
• Muslims are supposed to be role models of Akhlaq
• They are made to be the best Ummah
• Some are not playing the role, they are facing moral crisis such as drug addict, illegitimate children, disciplinary issues, divorces
• Happened due to
o Lack of understanding of Islam
o Neglecting the responsibilities as Khalifah on this Earth
o Drowning in the world of amusement & environment
o “Whosoever of you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart & that is the weakest of
faith”

Prophet Muhammad as a Perfect Example
• Came to this world as an ideal model for mankind
• Came to establish morality & assure Muslim security, protection, moral, integrity & decent life
• Mission is to put test in his life & did not stay in the stationary form of theory
• Integrity & truthfulness were beyond doubt
• Successful political leader
• Kindest husband, most loving & cherish able partner
• Racial leader & National Liberator

Sickness & Medical Treatment
• Servants of God are required to bear • “Be sure We test you with something of fear & hunger, some loss in goods or lives of fruits of
illness & afflictions with positive attitude your toil, but give glad tidings to those who patiently preserve, who say when afflicted with a
& patience as they are God’s blessings in calamity: to God we belong, and to Him is our return”
disguise • Diseases are God’s Qadar for a patient, to seek treatment is reversing one Qadar with another
• Illness may prove useful for the patient as an opportunity to remember God
• Guidelines to Dealing with Diseases • Sickness is means of strengthening faith & removing sins
o “For every misfortune, illness, grief or hurt that afflicts a Muslim even the hurt
caused by the pricking of horn, God removes his sin”
• Complaining about sickness should not indicate anger to God
o “If one thanks God before complaining about his pain or disease, then it is not
considered impatience”
• Enduring sickness patiently is rewarded
• Patient is recommended to seek medical treatment
• Using prohibited things as medicine is Haram
• Seeking treatment with words from Quran is allowed

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Recommended Measures During Dead Illness
• Advise the dying person to say the Shahadah
• Lay the dying person so that the Qiblat is on his right side
• Recite Yasin from the Quran beside the dying person to ease his death bed suffering
• Close the eyes of the dead person immediately after he passed away
• Properly cover the corpse of the deceased
• Prepare the body for burial as soon as the death is confirmed
• Next of kin must settle outstanding liability of the deceases from his estate
• State & community should contribute if the person dies insolvent

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