SHORT ANSWERS What are the major teachings of the holy Qur an?

Transcription

1 1 SHORT ANSWERS What are the major teachings of the holy Qur an? There are six major teachings of the holy Qur an. These six major teachings are Allah and his laws, the Qur anic universe, the Muslim community, the final Day of Judgment, the path to paradise, and the previous prophets. The first major teaching of Islam is Allah and his laws. This means that Allah is the central concept of Qur an. Allah is the ruler of Qur an. Allah is mentioned in Qur an more than 2500 times. Thus, the basic theme about Allah is that he is all-mighty, all-powerful, and all-merciful. Allah brought this world into being. All has sent messages to his creatures in the past, through our prophets. Allah has, also, given the Muslim community the laws. These laws are called Shar iah in Islam. These laws have reached their perfection and completion in Islam. Allah is the one who will bring an end to this world at a time known only to him. So, all living beings, including human beings and Jinns, will be strictly judged on their deeds performed in this world and life on earth. The overall emphasis of Qur an is that there should not be any association of simple mortal beings alongside Allah. The second major teaching of Islam is the Qur anic universe. There are three realms of the Qur anic universe that are heaven, earth, and hell. Human beings and spirits inhabit the world, or earth. In addition, the angels serve as the link between God and human beings. Somewhere in between angels and humans are invisible and intelligent beings called Jinn. Jinn are created of fire, instead of earth of which humans are created from. At the opposite end of the spectrum from Allah is Satan, which is the principle of evil in this universe. Humans share a unique relationship with their God. Allah has created human beings in the best of molds to be his representatives of earth. The third major teaching of Islam is the Muslim community knows as Umma. Umma s mission is to be the servants of Allah, and to spread his rule to both the individual and community obligations. Allah in the Qur an says that Muslims have constituted a new community of believers. The Qur an emphasizes the social dimension of service to Allah. The Umma also has a moral mission to create the moral social order. The Qur an, while recognizing the differences of status,

2 2 wealth, and tribal origins, teaches Umma the ultimate supra-tribal (transnational) unity and equality before God. The Umma must pursue a path of social justice. Social justice is institutionalized by the Qur anic decrees. The fourth major teaching of Islam is the final Day of Judgment. This message is a simple one, which is that all living being will die at an appointed time and then at a time known only to Allah, and thus, they will be judged strictly based on their deeds performed in this world. Thus, all human beings are free to fashion their lives the way they want. Allah has the full control of this world, but humanity is responsible for its own actions upon which they will be designated for heaven or hell on the Day of Judgment. The fifth major teaching of Islam is the path to paradise. All humanity must believe in truth and the content of the scripture, which is Qur an. This means the eternal truth is that there is one God that is Allah; his last prophet is Muhammad; and one must also believe in the final Day of Judgment. The evidence of this is putting the word, or the laws of Allah, to action. The laws of Allah are a gift to humanity. The Qur an reveals laws as they were revealed to the previous communities. The Qur an also serves as the correcting function, and says, humans have misinterpreted and tampered with the earlier revelations, and so infusing the world of God with human perversions. The final major teaching of Islam is the existence of previous prophets. The God mentioned in Qur an is the same God who communicated with the earlier prophets. There are 28 figures other than prophet Muhammad mentioned in the Qur an. However, only a limited number of them were given sacred scriptures. Thus, the specific prophets in this regard are Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus. First, explain the perpetual state of war in pre-islamic Arab society. Second, how did the prophet address and solve the issue of violence in his society. Finally, what is the role of violence in Islamic Jihad? In the pre-islamic Arab society, the war was an activity and a condition. The state of war was one s tribe against all others. Thus, it drove the Arabs into desperation. The tribal loyalty was based on blood-ties and kinship. However, Prophet Muhammad solved this

3 3 issue of violence in his society by preaching the messages of the Qur an. Arabs were hesitant to follow him in the beginning. This was because they feared losing support of their tribes. Prophet asked them to be loyal to Allah. Arabs were asked to show their commitment to Islam by having the willingness to fight to maintain the new religion. Thus, Qur an in the issue of Jihad does not wage war. Qur an says that peace, by resisting aggression, rather than converting to Islam is the aim of fighting. Qur an also says that violence was used to protect Islam and the Muslim community against the aggressors. It was the only way to protect Islam, and so a self-defense for the new religion and the Umma. However, fundamentalists have twisted the message of Qur an into war against all. Allah in the Qur an tells the followers to strive against the unbelievers by following Islam, and this called Jihad. Commands of Jihad are to spread the message of Qur an to others. Also, Allah says to fight only those who fight you, and to kill only those who have gone against Him, and so the disobedient ones. Moreover, there are certain rules and limitations to Jihad. Jihad is not to fight against weak as women, children, elderly, or handicaps. Islam is not a violent religion. Thus, Jihad to maintain Islam first orders to find peaceful ways of solving the problems. In contrast, the extremists like Osama bin Laden, in the name of Allah, misinterpret Quran and kill Americans and allies, even if it includes killing civilians by the means of military. Jihad in Qur an does not justify violent and terrorist acts by all means. 2:29pm Lol. It says prophet SAW issue of violence was solved by preaching etc... yeah I know... but I am asking about the state of war which tribes were at war etc...? they say the prophet SAW when they ask how did the prophet solve the addess and solve? and when it says the tribal loyalty was based on blood ties etc how does that relate to this? Like I know back then there were people who would convert and their families like our prophet Mu SWS his uncle i think was a christian...so are they saying that those that were blood related supported the muslims Yes he solved it by preaching the words of Islam...and also solved the violence that way. He went to individual tribes that obviously needed help n said the message of Islam can protect u. And the tribes where scared that they wide lose support of others (tribes). So he solved one that way. Others he solved by battle once attacked upon. However he did not strike first... he only fought those who fought him and/or who were disobedient to Allah n his message

4 4 how did they gain the support of the tribesé Explain the perpetual state of war? So its saying that ppl of the tribes were related in diff ways. Background info Chat Conversation End Sent from Oakville Discuss the commonalities and differences between the Sunni and Shi a; explain how and in what ways Sufism differ from both these branches of Islam. The commonalities and differences between the Sunni and Shi a can be discussed in five ways that are theology, leadership, imamates, family laws, and their worldview. We will discuss theology first of all. Shi a have adopted a position very similar to that of mutazilites. Sunni and Shi a both believe in the unity of Allah and the mission and message of prophet Muhammad. They both believe in the prophetic-revelation event of prophet Muhammad. However, Shi a and Sunni have different theologies regarding the Shahadah, which is the testimony of Muslim faith. Shi a have added a phrase to the Shahadah. Sunni believe that Shahadah is there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger. Shi a have added the phrase, and Ali is the friend of Allah. The second way of discussing Shi a and Sunni is their leadership. Sunni do not have a centralized authority. They believe that religious authority is rooted in the community Ijma, which is the consensus. Shi a, on the hand, say that authority resides in prophet, the twelve imams, and the Ulama, who is the Imams deputy. This brings us to the discussion of imamates. Sunni and Shi a both respect the immediate family of Muhammad, PBUH. Sunnis more closely relate to hazrat Fatima, hazrat Ali, and prophet s two grandsons, Hazrat Hassan and Husain. Shi a relate to the family including all twelve imams. Shi a, in contrast to Sunni, believe that the imams were not made of dust like us, and rather they are made of columns of divine light before the creation of this world. They believe that imams, like prophet, have the powers to perform miracles. They also believe that the imams are infallible, which means that Allah protects them against all sins and errors. Shi a believe that Shirk is when one denies the acceptance of imams. However, Sunni s believe shirk is when one believes and worships other deities than God, Allah. Next, Sunni and Shi a differ the most in their family laws. Shi a believe in the practice

5 5 of temporary marriages, called Mutah. The children born within the Mutah are legitimate. However, Sunni reject this practice all together. Also, the inheritance rights are different among Sunni and Shi a. Women in Shi a enjoy greater advantages than Sunni. Also, the men have less privileges and freedom over divorce to their wives. In addition, the worldview of Sunni and Shi a is different. Sunni have a dichotomous view, which is that the domain of Islam is opposed to the domain of unbelievers. However, Shi a believe in three-sided scheme. That three sided scheme is that (a) Shi a are true believers, (b) Muslims who believe in prophetic-revelation event, but reject the twelve imams, and (c) all other humankind. Sufism is an area of Islam that is different than Shi a and Sunni. Sufism believes in the spiritual side of Islam, of which not many are aware. Sufism tries to converse with God directly and pursue spirits rather than the letter of law. Sufism puts an emphasis on belief and internal submission to God. Thus, they promote harmony between internal and external aspects of faith. They believe that through their spiritual practices, they will purify their souls. Thus, the path towards God is individual journey to self-purification. guess they spiritually try to connect with God and they try to be connected more spiritually rather than following laws that God has sent thru the Quran e.x Shariah Discuss the prophet s strategy in Medina and explain the constitution of Medina. Make sure that you elaborate on the outcome of the constitution for Muslim community. After the second pledge, prophet Muhammad ordered his followers in Mecca to migrate to Medina, where they would be under the protection of Ansar. However, prophet did not migrate himself yet. He waited in Mecca for Allah s orders or message to move to Medina. Prophet Muhammad eventually migrated to Medina. Once he was in Medina, he immediately demonstrated his consummate political skills. First of all, he needed a site for his operation of the headquarters. Prophet s mosque was a place for congregational prayers, courtroom, and military headquarters. Once the site for his operation was established, Prophet Muhammad set out to clear his political position. Subsequently, Ibn Ishaq placed the Constitution of Medina. The Constitution of Medina was a document, which established the political order for Medina. Its features were very simple. They included that all Muslim were to act as single and united community, regardless of any tribes. Also, the constitution included that all Jews who allied with Muslims were to be treated as part of the Umma, the community. Finally, that feature that

6 6 Muhammad was to be accepted as the arbitrator of all disputes. The consequences of the constitution were unexpected for Mecca. Mecca was a place in which to be a Muslim was neither fashionable nor advantageous. However, in Medina, Islam was in vogue and prophet Muhammad was the ascendant. Consequently, the biggest challenge for Muhammad was an entirely new class of troublemakers, the so-called hypocrites, who outwardly adhered to Islam, but were secretly trying to undermine prophet at every opportunity. The Hijra ( ج(ة ر(ة ) ه ر is the migration of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers to the city of Medina in 62 Okai ansar are people of madina,muslims who already resided in madina before Hijra= So prophet strategy in madina is Constitution of madina which include the factors that were part of it Then other achievement were Mosque,battle of Barr uhad,found out the hypocrites,were able to lead and freely invite people to islam,defeated quresh and conquest of Makkah Went for hajj from there And last speech Are more of the achievements And dont put to much effort on who OBN ishaq was Not the actually thing to know Explain two approaches to re-reading Islam s position on women. Bring at least one example of each approach. The first approach to re-reading Islam s position on women is going back in history and studying the role of women in Islam. It is about Islam s equality. Women played an active role n society. When Salama asked, Why there is no women mentioned in Qur an? Allah answered that it is because both sexes are equal as believers and members of the Muslim community. Qur an says that whoever does good deed, whether man or women, and is a believer, will enter paradise. Qur an also says that it s a man s and a woman s equal responsibility to raise a family and share responsibilities. The two sexes have equal rights, mutual responsibilities, and equitable relations before Allah and the law. Also, Quran does not say that women have to obey their husbands in all aspects. However, women are actually given fewer rights than men in Islam. For example, women could be seen as an object that could be inherited. Therefore, most reforms made were for the

7 7 benefit of women. For example, most nations today consider polygamy as illegal, and even in Islam monogamy is preferred. The second approach to re-reading Islam s position on women is ijtehad = s the making of a decision in Islamic law (sharia) by personal effort (jihad), independently of any school (madhhab) and re-read the Qur an and Shar iah in light of the modern reality of life, which means that men are preferred over women. Quran says that Allah privileges only the most pious above all. However, Men have an advantage over women in divorce laws in Islam. Qur an says that a man can divorce his wife without assistance or formal process, whereas, women need to consult with authority first to get divorce. Also, men are preferred over women for a greater share of property inheritance. Thus this contradicts equality rights in Qur an. However, men have the responsibility to pay out wealth to support women. Today, in Islamic nations, a testimony of a man is considered equal to two testimonies of women. However, Qur an does not specify gender. Thus, women wanted to have a say in going to war and collecting treasure, and also wanted a say in sex acts. the reason why no females were mentioned is because, the quran is for both males and females for all the muslims if that is the case why are men only mentioned... so what Allah did was write the Quran in a way, that shows the major contributions and major roles of the prophets playing in a Islamic way of life.. So the males in the Quran actually revealed how Islamic life should be lived Because they had the major roles in Islam hmm okay...i guess but like major people like khatija and aisha they were realy intelligent and they are mentioned in the hadiths Yup. Yes that is true but in the Islamic history it was male who actually brought out islam it's true that Khadija was one of the first muslims

8 8 but it was because the prophet married her and then she became one so liek what ur syaing is dont look at the fact that men are mentioned look at it in a way that who made the major contributions to islamic history- it was men and also they had to be at warss too.. YES! okay okay make sense 6:17pm Muslim played an equal role, but in different ways According to A. Sachedina in his article Why democracy and why now? how can Muslims foster a positive understanding of democratic ideals within an Islamic framework? In Why Democracy and Why Now, A. Sachedina argues that Muslims can foster a positive understanding of democratic ideals within an Islamic framework. He argues that Muslims can benefit from living in a civil, democratic society. They can make demands from their political or religious leaders. The preacher may not have people s interest at heart, but nevertheless, can sound convincing. Sachedina argues that democratic ideas must be thought within the authentic ethical culture of Islam and its teachings about accountability of humans in this world and the next. With democracy, Muslims can eliminate religious and political authoritarianism and build democratic institutions. However, today too many seminaries and Ulama, which are the clergy, have adopted illiberal and anti-democratic attitudes, and they also try to attack the concepts of tolerance and rationality. For example, in Iran and Egypt, people are oppressed and labour in poor conditions. They are desperate for some hope. Sachedina argues that in order to gain culture tolerance and search of hope, we must reach intelligent Muslim audience outside the west. Also, authoritarianism and extremism are not the aims of Islam. Thus, it is a sacred duty of all Muslims to try and solve these issues. What are some important concerns issues about the modern life? What are Islam s answers to these issues?

9 9 The major concern about the modern life for Islamic individuals is human rights discourse and the fact that human right is western initiative. Colonialists argue that Islam is incompatible with human rights and that it is intrinsically against the human right. However, reformists argue that Islam and human rights can be reconciled. Also, there is no total rejection of human rights In Islamic countries. To counter argue the colonialists, reformists argue that there is nothing intrinsic against the human rights in Islamic values. Thus, we should address the historical context of human rights in Nonwestern countries. The human rights discourse entered Islamic countries through colonialist discourse. Human right, however, became consistent with Muslim religious beliefs. Thus, it is traditionalists and functionalists who are strongly opposed to human rights and not the moderate Muslims; there is a gap between the written Shar iah, it implementation, and its impact on each society. Thus, reformists argue that Quran still seeks clarification and understanding. Another issue about modern life for Islamic individuals is pluralism. Pluralism is nothing new to Muslims. What is new is pluralism s increasingly dominant theology. The challenge of pluralism poses most urgent set of theological, ethical, and political problem to the contemporary Muslim society. The postmodern challenge of pluralism offers a two way cut. First, Muslims are faced with problem of diversity in their own Muslim community, and how they would approach differences among Muslims and how authority is to be constructed. Second is that contemporary Umma is faced with numerous other faith communities and ideological systems. Another issue about modern life to Islam is the west, and its challenge against Muslims and their beliefs. However, most Islamic societies today are not actually representing the laws of Islam. If they do then Islam is a very peaceful and inspiring religion. Understanding the true meanings and laws of Islam, and the Qur an would solve all issues. Discuss the reasons why Arabia s way of life before Islam is called Jahiliyya by explaining a) its main characteristics and b) its significance in Islamic thought. The reasons why Arabia s ways of life is called Jahiliyya can be explained in terms of political, social, and economic way of life of the pre-islamic Arabia. First, the political lifestyle of Arabia before Islam was non-governmental. There was no legitimate government. People lived in tribes that were male dominated. The tribes had their leader to decide rules for them. Pre-Islamic Arabia was in a state of

10 10 war to control various oil resources. The warfare was long established and so had impacted the social life. There was wide femicide, as women were redeemed as assets. However, all this does not mean that the wars were barbaric or lawless because there were rules governing them. Second, the social lifestyle of preislamic Arabia was backward. The people were mainly herders. Their loyalty was determined in their tribes of blood-ties and kinship. They performed femicide because there was great inequality between men and women. There was a lack of tawhid, and so the people were polytheistic. They believed that spirit of gods dwelled in wells, trees, stones, etc. They believed in fatalism, which means that they did not believe in an afterlife or punishments. Thus, there was no sense of cosmic moral responsibility, or individual and communal morality. Due to these reasons, the righteousness depended on a person s power. The gap between rich and poor was large and still growing. Thus, it was a time of all possible injustices and inequalities. Finally, the economic way of life of Jahiliyya depended largely of herding and agriculture. They traded through sea. They also made idols of gods and sold them for a living, and this was a huge business at the time. Mecca was a business and trading station as it was close to sea, while, Medina was a land of agriculture. The significance of Jahiliyya in Islam is that prophet Muhammad replaced most of these above stated characteristic of Arabia. He put an end to femicide. He brought equality between men and women. He also brought one God, Allah, rejecting the 360 polytheism gods. He introduced tawhid. Thus, group solidarity was replaced with one God. Basically, prophet brought social justice and consciousness of humanity to Arabia with Islam. Discuss the prophet s life by outlining the three stages of his life: before prophecy, after he became the Prophet (before Hijra) and after Hijra. Make sure to provide examples of the prophet s life both as the man and as the prophet. Before prophecy, Muhammad (PBUH) was a common man. He was an orphan, who was brought up by his uncle Abu Talib. Muhammad was a very sincere and honest man. He often retired in cave of Hira to meditate. He joined the Mecca trade business, and was known as Al-amin for his honesty. At the age of 25, he married hazrat Khadija, who was 40 at the time. Muhammad was an employee of Khadija. Khadija had an immense influence on Muhammad s life. She provided Muhammad with moral, financial, and political support

11 11 throughout her life. She was also the first to convert to Islam after Muhammad. She bore him 4 daughters and two son, but sons died as infants. Muhammad was against the Jahiliyya life style of his society. He was against hypocrisy, fatalism, femicide, and the injustices towards orphans and widows. He knew his society was in a theological crisis, which was polytheism versus Muhammad s monotheism. He knew his society was in socio-economic crisis, which was social justice versus hierarchy. Finally, he knew that his society was in moral crisis, which was accountability versus fatalism. One day, Muhammad (PBUH) retired to meditate in cave Hira at the age of 40. This is when he received his first prophecy, and angel Gabriel appeared before him. He was asked to recite (iqra) that God created all mankind out of a blood clot and gave mankind all the knowledge it has. Prophet Muhammad was in awe, and eventually, he told of this experience to his wife Khadija. This was when Prophet Muhammad became a prophet. He first lead a quite persuasion, among family and friends. They first people to convert to Islam were hazrat Khadija, Ali ibn Abu Talib, Abu Bakr, and hazrat Zayd. First of all, they followed simple rituals of Islam as prayers, and then progressed to complete Islamic rituals. After 3 years, Prophet Muhammad started an open call to people towards Islam. Many followed, including many elite and even slaves. This grew tension among the elites of Mecca. The first enemy of Prophet Muhammad was his uncle, Abu Lahab, and his wife. He was a tribal leader and also a trustee of Ka bah. He tried to bribe people. He also carried out persecutions. He then also boycott Muhammad s tribe of any kind of business, including trade and marriages. Finally, they tried to assassin Muhammad. Consequently, Muhammad realized that in order to survive and for the better future of Islam, he had to flee to Medina. This is called Hijra. However he did not go with his tribe to Medina, as he first waited for a message from God. He eventually also joined his followers in Medina. In Medina all Muslim were under protection of Ansar. In Medina, the Muslim community, the Umma, was formed. This is a very important moment in the history of Islam as it formed the sense of identity of all Muslim. In Medina, Muhammad unified two enemy groups. This was the beginning of Islam s peaceful approach to the world. Muhammad also acted as the arbitrator of all disputes. Eventually, a constitution of Medina was formed. This constitution

12 12 unified all Muslims, regardless of tribes, and also included Jews who were not considered a threat to the maintenance of Islam. Shura was also formed, which is the participatory decision making. Thus, Islam is a very peaceful religion. Prophet Muhammad also led the battle of Budr and Uhad. Prophet fought against Mecca to gain sovereignty. However, this eventually resulted in a negotiation, but Muslim gained control over Mecca. Muhammad s last speech gave rise to the Umma, the Muslim community. Thus, he is considered the last prophet of Allah. Explain the Orientalist view of the Qur an. Discuss how the major teachings of the Qur an discredit the Orientalist view. Make sure you cover all the major teachings of the holy book discussed in the lecture and the readings. Orientalist view of the Qur an criticizes Quran, largely because of Qur an structure. It claims that Qur an has no arbitrary structure and organization. It says that Qur an has no chronological order. It then says that Qur an has no explicit thematic order. Finally, Orientalist argues that there is frequent repetition of themes in Qur an. All these features of Qur an make it seem frustrating to its nonbelievers. However, Muslims argue that the order of the verses and chapters is itself divinely inspired. The order of Qur an makes it possible for the believer to start it and recite it from anywhere in the text. The first major teaching of Islam is Allah and his laws. This means that Allah is the central concept of Qur an. Allah is the ruler of Qur an. Allah is mentioned in Qur an more than 2500 times. Thus, the basic theme about Allah is that he is all-mighty, all-powerful, and all-merciful. Allah brought this world into being. All has sent messages to his creatures in the past, through our prophets. Allah has, also, given the Muslim community the laws. These laws are called Shar riah in Islam. These laws have reached their perfection and completion in Islam. Allah is the one who will bring an end to this world at a time known only to him. So, all living beings, including human beings and Jinns, will be strictly judged on their deeds performed in this world and life on earth. The overall emphasis of Qur an is that there should not be any association of simple mortal beings alongside Allah. The second major teaching of Islam is the Qur anic universe. There are three realms of the Qur anic universe that are heaven, earth,

13 13 and hell. Human beings and spirits inhabit the world, or earth. In addition, the angels serve as the link between God and human beings. Somewhere in between angels and humans are invisible and intelligent beings called Jinn. Jinn are created of fire, instead of earth of which humans are created from. At the opposite end of the spectrum from Allah is Satan, which is the principle of evil in this universe. Humans share a unique relationship with their God. Allah has created human beings in the best of molds to be his representatives of earth. The third major teaching of Islam is the Muslim community knows as Umma. Umma s mission is to be the servants of Allah, and to spread his rule to both the individual and community obligations. Allah in the Qur an says that Muslims have constituted a new community of believers. The Qur an emphasizes the social dimension of service to Allah. The Umma also has a moral mission to create the moral social order. The Qur an, while recognizing the differences of status, wealth, and tribal origins, teaches Umma the ultimate supra-tribal (transnational) unity and equality before God. The Umma must pursue a path of social justice. Social justice is institutionalized by the Qur anic decrees. The fourth major teaching of Islam is the final Day of Judgment. This message is a simple one, which is that all living being will die at an appointed time and then at a time known only to Allah, and thus, they will be judged strictly based on their deeds performed in this world. Thus, all human beings are free to fashion their lives the way they want. All has the full control of this world, but humanity is responsible for its own actions upon which they will be designated for heaven or hell on the Day of Judgment. The fifth major teaching of Islam is the path to paradise. All humanity must believe in truth and the content of the scripture, which is Qur an. This means the eternal truth is that there is one God that is Allah; his last prophet is Muhammad; and one must also believe in the final Day of Judgment. The evidence of this is putting the word, or the laws of Allah, to action. The laws of Allah are a gift to humanity. The Qur an reveals laws as they were revealed to the previous communities. The Qur an also serves as the correcting function, and says, humans have misinterpreted and tampered

14 14 with the earlier revelations, and so infusing the world of God with human perversions. The final major teaching of Islam is the existence of previous prophets. The God mentioned in Qur an is the same God who communicated with the earlier prophets. There are 28 figures other than prophet Muhammad mentioned in the Qur an. However, only a limited number of them were given sacred scriptures. Thus, the specific prophets in this regard are Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus. Explain the five pillars of Islamic faith. Make sure in explaining the five pillars you address their symbolic and ethical significance for Muslims. There are five pillars of Islam. These five pillars of Islam are Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Fasting, and Hajj. First pillar of Islam is Shahadah. Shahadah is a testimony of belief in one God, Allah; in his prophet Muhammad; and belief in the truth of Islam s sacred scripture, Qur an. Professing Shahadah strengthens one s faith in Islam, and brings him closer to God. It is an acceptance of our limited power and knowledge, which is considered an agreement with God. Second and the most important pillar of Islam is Salat. Salat is the offering of prayer, or namaz, five times during the day. Namaz helps one feel closer to God. It is acknowledging that God knows all truths and he is the most powerful. Thus, this shapes a person s behaviors. Third pillar of Islam is Zakat. Zakat is alms tax, which must be paid to poor and needy people of society. It is 2.5% of one s wealth and all assets. It is a test to show that there is no self-interest. It purifies one of all greed and so purifies the inner self. It is a force of social justice where one is obligated to help widows, orphans, and other needy people of society. Fourth pillar of Islam is Fasting. Fasting is during the month of Ramadan. It is to abstain from eating, drinking, sex, and all other negative forces in one s life. It teaches self-control, and is one social component. It also makes Muslims appreciate what they have in life. Finally, the fifth pillar of Islam is Hajj. It is a pilgrimage to the house of Allah in Mecca, which is Ka bah. It is answering the call of Allah, and renewing one s Islamic beliefs. Every Muslim must perform Hajj once in their lifetime, if financially possible. It is a place where there is no social inequality as everyone is dressed in same clothes, regardless of race, gender, age, or status. Thus, it is a symbol of equality and

15 15 justice in this world. The purpose of the pillar of Islam is meant to unify and is harmony of actions, intentions, and thought. It proves that just reading and understanding Qur an is not the only purpose of a Muslim. Putting them to action and performing the five pillars of Islam is fulfilling the duty. It teaches social order, and so in not a personal, reified act. Provide a) a brief explanation of what a Hadith (the tradition of the Prophet) is, b) why Hadith is significant in Islam, discuss the scientific purpose of authenticating a Hadith and c) name the two major collections of Hadith. Hadith literally means a saying in Arabic. However, its Islamic technically meaning is any of the following: it is an act of Muhammad, it is a saying of Muhammad, Muhammad showed tacit approval of an act or practice, or that it is attributes of Muhammad, either physical or moral. Its significance in Islam is that it is matn, or the saying or actions of prophet. These were memorized, recorded, and imitated in daily lives of Muslims inspired by Prophet Muhammad s behaviours. However, Hadith as Y said that H said that L said that N saw prophet do this, are possible of adulteration. Thus it is a complex process of authenticating a Hadith. For example, Al Bukhari collected 6000 Hadith, but he was able to authenticate only 2602 of them. A Hadith can be authenticated through Isnad. Isnad is the opening citation of the person who transmitted the Hadith. Through this, Muslims have developed a sophisticated science of Hadith. The science of man means that it is a collection of available information about people mentioned in Isnad. Scholars authenticating Hadith find relevant information as memory, reputation of truthfulness, piety, and intelligence of the transmitter. They also look for other relevant information as the transmitters contacts, travels, habits, and the period in which they lived in. Thus, the authenticators look for trustworthy and truthful transmitters of Hadith in order to authenticate the Hadith. The purpose of authenticating Hadith is to know the foundations of Islam that were represented by Muhammad s actual life events, actions, and sayings. Two of the major collections of Hadith are Musnad and AlSahihan. Musnad is a collection of Ahmed ibn Hanbal. He memorized millions of Hadith. He spent a long period in prison, and

16 16 was an orthoprax Muslim. He also later founded a law school of Hanbali. Al-Sahihan is two collection of Hadith by Bukhari and Muslim. Al-Sahihan means two sound collections. Each of the two authors had a collection called Sahih, meaning sound or authentic. Thus, these are the most valued Hadith collection of all. Discuss Sayyid Qutb s doctrine of Jahiliyya and explain how his reading of Jahiliyya is utilized by Islamic fundamentalism. Jahiliyya is an age of ignorance. Sayyid Qutb says that Jahiliyya was a state of pre-islamic Arabia. He says that the present is Jahiliyya, and the future will be Jahiliyya. He says that Muslim returned to the state of Jahiliyya once Prophet Muhammad was gone. Allah, in Quran, says that Jahiliyya is the rule of humans by humans because it makes one servants to another, and thus rebels against the service of God and so rejects his divinity. It is transferring the authority of God to the authority of humans. Humans are in place of God, and so this deifies God. One of the main characteristics of deity is hakimmiya, which means sovereignty. Jahiliyya is hakimmiya of humans, whereas Islam is hakimmiya of God. Sayyid Qutb says that Muslims do not ignore corruption and oppression but they fight to end it. However, this is not happening today, and so the world is in Jahiliyya again. For example, there is corruption is Pakistan, and people are oppressed and labour in poor conditions in Iran and Egypt. Therefore, considering these points, fundamentalists argue to the extreme that the entire world is in the state of Jahiliyya. International societies have too much tolerance. Jahiliyya is the state in which people forget that there is a higher God. They forget that there is a final Day of Judgment. They do not fear punishment. Thus, humans sit in authority of God. In order to be a Muslim, one must submit oneself to Allah and his laws. Fundamentalists argue that people in Jahiliyya want to maintain their way of life, and so are resistant to change. Thus, there still exists corruption, exploitation, oppression, and all non-islamic forces in Muslim societies of today. Jahiliyya is the state of ignorance. Sayyid Qutb describes pre-islamic society as in the state of Jahiliyya. He says that present societies are in Jahiliyya, and so will tomorrow. In short, he says that after Muhammad s death, the Muslim returned back to the state f Jahiliyya. For example, soon after Muhammad s death, Muslim got divided into Sunni and Shi a. Allah says that Jahiliyya is the rule of human by human in which some human become slave to other human, and so this is rebel against the service of god and against

17 17 the divinity of God. It places a human in place of God, thus deifying God. One of the main characteristics of God is hakimmiya, or the sovereignty. Jahiliyya is hakimmiya of humans. Islam is hakimmiya of God. Sayyid Qutb says that a Muslim society must not have oppression and corruption, or it must try to end it. However, this is not happening today and so the world is in the state of Jahiliyya. For example, Iran/Egypt = oppressions = poor condition labour= Pakistan = corruption = Jahili societies. Thus considering these fact fundamentalists argue that entire world is in the state of Jahiliyya. Jahili society rejects the presence and fear of God. They are prideful. They do not fear the final day of judgement and so no punishments. It is humans in place of God. And instead of submitting to the will of God, human submit to the will of other humans who have power, status, or wealth. Muslim should only submit to the will of Allah completely surrender. Thus, fundamentalists then say that Jahiliyya people wanted to get back to their way of life, and so are resistant to change. Therefore, there is corruption oppression and all negative forces forbidden for Muslim states. However, the western society today have a lot of tolerance, but they are Jahili too as they do not believe in tawhid and are not Muslim believers. ESSAY QUESTIONS By using the readings and the lectures, a) define Shar iah and discuss the four major schools of jurisprudence in Islam; b) explain two different approaches to Shar iah and discuss how these two different readings of Shar iah differ in their approach to Human Rights and/or women s rights (in addressing b, you can use lecture/readings on gender and Islam; on pre-modern and modern Islamic reformists and on modern challenges to Islam) Shar iah is the laws that are directly or indirectly prescribed by God. It is the totality of laws that Allah is said to have devised for humans to order and regulate their lives. The four major schools of Jurisprudence in Islam are Hanafi, Maliki, Shifa, and Hanbali. AbuHanafi, who died in 767, founded Hanafi School of jurisprudence. This is the high degree of justice flexibility compared to other three schools of jurisprudence in Islam. The person has the right to take into account personal judgment and juristic preference. The second school of jurisprudence is Maliki, founded by Malik ibn Anas. He died in 796. This was the school of jurisprudence present in Medina. Third school is Shafi, founded by Muhammad ibn Idris-al-Shafi who died in

18 This is the greatest early-systematized Islamic legal theory. Final school of jurisprudence in Islam is Hanbali, founded by Ahmed ibn Hanbal. (d.855) This is based on Hadith, and is traditionalism. This takes into account the Islamic sources that are Qur an, Sunnah, Ijma the consensus of people or the scholars, and qiyas the analogical reasoning. The two different approaches of Shar iah are Shi a and Sunni. This division was made of Muslims after Muhammad s death. This was basically an issue over the selection of the four caliphs. They fought over who would be successor of Muhammad, and thus be an imam after Muhammad. Sunni accepted Abu bakr as their imam, while Shi a had accepted Hazrat Ali as their imam after Muhammad. They both were relatives of Muhammad. Shi a said that Hazrat Ali was the chosen imam by the Prophet himself, to be the imam of the Umma and Immamat as descendent of God. This was an essential position, and so Shi a argued that God and not the people chose it as God decides best. Shi a believed that the khalifat could only be from the lineage of Muhammad, and so sons of Hazrat Ali. This was strengthened as caliphs chosen by Sunni people started making changes to the Sunnah, which were the sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad. Sunni said that a caliph is one chosen by the people s consensus. Thus, they believed it should be someone from the Ummayad dynasty, and so kins of Prophet. Even Shi a believed somewhat the same practice. Thus, Sunni said that the four chosen caliph could make little changes. Sunni also believe that the companions of Prophet commit no sins, but if they do God could forgive them. These ideological conflicts between Sunni and Shi a lead to differences among their theology, leadership, family laws, imamate, and worldview. Thus, they have different allocations of human rights and women s rights. Provide the Historical and Intellectual context within which two broad Islamic theo-pjilosophical schools (mutazilites and asharite) emerged. Explain the important tenets of these two schools and discuss major theological themes they had to address.

19 19 Mutazilites originated in 8th century A.D in Basra. They wanted to protect Islam against the dualistic influences from Iran. Their challenge was to defend the simple pious tradition because they were centered in Medina at the time of the Prophet. To counteract Iranian dualism, Mutazilites emphasized the need to formulate God s unity, or tawhid. Mutazilites believed that there were no similarities between God and his creation. This was a long and fierce theological battle based on Qur an being the uncreated world and being the created word of God. Asharite was founded by Al-Ashari. Al-Ashari defended his beliefs of Islam, Qur an, and Sunnah by the sword. He had life-transforming dream. For example, he saw Prophet in his dream where he was asked to defend Hadith. Thus, Al-Ashari dropped everything and studied Hadith. He was against the theology of Mutazilites. Al-Ashari was a turning point in the development of Islam because he used reasoned arguments. Mutazilites believe in unity of oneness of God. They believe that Quran, word of God, and His attributes are not eternal and created words of God. They believe in justice, which says that God must act justly, carrying out rewards and punishments for people s performances. Mutazilites say that there are no similarities between God and His creation. Mutazilites also believe in God s promises and threats, which they say that God does carry out. They command right and forbid wrong, and so believe that Muslim should not ignore injustice. One similarity of Mutazilites and Asharite is that they both believe that a sinner is neither a believer and nor a nonbeliever. Asharites, on the other hand, believe in divine determinism that all actions are created independently. They also believe that all human are responsible for their own acts. In contrast to Mutazilites, Asharites say that God s attributes and Quran are eternal, meaning the uncreated words of God. They also say that Muhammad will intercede on the Day of Judgment. They say that faith of Islam includes work. Sin impairs one s faith, while beliefs, knowledge, and work could increase or decrease it. Themes are rationalism, believer vs. sinner, methodology, Quran is not eternal, and the nature of Allah. Rationalism is because Mutazilites do not believe in determinism interpretation of Quran. They also say that all human action is free, and so human are

20 20 rewarded or punished according to those. They also believe that reasoning can discover Allah s commands and regulations. Truth is not just in the revelation, but a faithful one can determine the truth by rationality. However, Mutazilites reject Hadith as a legitimate source. Mutazilites believe that a sinner could be a Muslim. However, the sinner is neither a believer nor a non-believer. Quran is the created word of God. It is not eternal. The words of God are not eternal because Quran mention historical figures as Jesus, Moses, and Muhammad. If Allah s words were eternal, Mutazilites argue that our fates would be predestined. Mutazilites use Kalam, which is logical reasoning, to argue against the opponents as Socrates. Quran serves as the promise to the faithful, while a threat to the non-believers. Nature of Allah is such that it cannot do unjust. Mutazilites believe in unity of God and justice. All are rewarded or punished according to their deeds. Human actions are thus not predestined because if they were, God would not hold them responsible for their actions. Prophets and revelations are signs of Allah s mercy and power. Allah knows of our fate, but he does not determine it. We are given enough freedom to change our destiny. Asharites believe in the truthfulness of Hadith, tradition, and literal reading of the Quran. They accept Hadith as truth, and say that actions are not acceptable unless justified by the Sunnah. They also believe that a sinner is not an unbeliever, and so should be left for God to determine his punishments. They reject Kalam as a logical argument because they say revelations are above rationality. They say that revelations must not a questioned, and accepted as they are. They say that Quran is eternal, uncreated word of God, and so it cannot be translated or tampered with. Asharites believe that God s nature is to carry our justice because an unjust acts in the eyes of human, maybe a just act for God. Thus, only God determine what is just or unjust. Analyze the historical evolution of pre-modern reforms in Islam. In discussing these two waves, make sure you explain their theoretical framework and their main concepts. In discussing modern reformists, make sure you elaborate on how it addresses issues of human rights, gender, and democracy/critically analyze the theoretical frameworks and main concepts in pre-modern and modern reforms in Islam. By compare and contrast discuss the strengths and shortcomings of each.

21 21 The pre-modern Islam was a time offering freedom of opinion, expression, and religious observance. It offered education as a right, as long as the person was not opposed to the teachings of Shar iah laws. Pre-modern Islam believed that all people have complete equality in terms of rights and duties. All political and religious leaders were equal before the law, and so obligated to enforce Shar iah in their states. Muslim states were told to reject oppression and guarantee security, freedom, justice, and all rights listed under the Shar iah. All people had equal say in the community, or shura that is participatory decision making. People were given the right to fight an unjust government. Shar iah has given right to education to children, and responsibility to husbands to educate wives. Supreme freedom is surrender to God. Granting humans rights is a fundamental duty towards God. Thus, Islam and human right can be reconciled. Islam granted equality to all. Quran says that whoever, whether male or female, performs good deeds and is a believer, he or she will be entered to paradise. This means that both genders are equal in the eyes of God, and so judged equally based on their deeds. Also, Muslims have responsibility towards society. Each person must contribute for the good of society. Also, a state of democracy is encouraged because all rulers are asked to rule according to the Shar iah laws. People must be able to make demands of their leaders, and be able to express opinions freely without fears. However, the Shar iah laws limit freedom, but rules are obviously for the betterment of society. The modern Islam rose as the liberal, nationalist, and socialist ideologies decline in Muslim countries. The Muslim Ulama, or the clergy, follow the rules of text interpretation and logical reasoning. This, in turn, directs their behaviours and actions. Islam is enforced as a social and moral regulator that implies certain rules and structure on society. Some states today have imposed a particular version of Islam. Modern fast moving cultures, as sex, media, or alcohol have an impact on modern Islam. Muslims are assimilating and losing their values. The have become less devout than they were before. Thus, they are losing focus of their traditions. However, modern Islam has brought less discrimination. For example, after 1970s and WW1, European and Western influences brought change. States that are not democratic are seen upon as dictators. Also, women today work shoulder to shoulder with men. They are free to work. In reality, Islam does not limit women of work outside homes.