Sources of Islamic Shariah

(The Holy Quran)

Islamic Studies
HUM-110
 Sources of Islamic Shariah
• Primary Sources
1. Quran
2. Hadith
• Secondary Sources
3. Consensus (‫)اجماع‬
4. Analogical Reason (‫)قیاس‬
5. Juristic Discretion (‫)استحسان‬
6. Public Interest (‫)مصالح مرسلہ‬
7. Local Custom(‫)عرف‬
8. Present Situation (‫)استصحاب‬
9. Previous Shariahs (‫) شرائع من قبلنا‬
10. Companion’s Opinion (‫) مذہب صحابی‬
11. Opinion of Scholars
12. Constitution

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 Introduction to Quran
• Definition of Quran:
Quran is the word of Almighty Allah, revealed to
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) along with the
meaning, transmitted to us by continuation and is
pure from any change

1. Words of Allah (no translation is Quran)

2. Words and meaning: revealed to Prophet (PBUH)
3. Continuation (‫)تواتر‬
4. Free from any change

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 Structure of Quran
• Arrangement of Chapters (Surahs)
1. Tawal (‫)طوال‬
– Longest: put in the beginning
– Al-Baqarah, Aal-e-Imran, Al-Nisa, Al-Maaidah etc.
2. Maen (‫)مئین‬
– Having verses 100 or more
– Yusuf, Al-Nahl, Al-Israa etc.
3. Mathani (‫)مثانی‬
Side Notes:
– Having verses less than 100
• A’rab and dots
– Fatir, Yaseen, Saad etc. • Ayat number
4. Mufassil (‫)مفصل‬ • Ruku’
– Put at the end of Holy Quran • Paras
– Al-Qalam, Al-Fil, Al-Ikhlas etc. • Manzil
• Surah order

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 Structure of Quran
• Types of verses:
1. Definitive (‫ )قطعی‬w.r.t meaning
2. Likely (‫ )ظنی‬w.r.t meaning

Example:
1. Definitive meaning:
َّ ‫ار َكعُوا ََم ََع‬
)43َ:‫الرا ِك ِعینََ (البقرہ‬ ْ ‫الز َكاَة َ َو‬ َّ ‫َوأَقِی ُموا ال‬
َّ ‫ص ََلَة َ َوآتُوا‬
And be steadfast in prayer; practice regular charity; and
bow down your heads with those who bow down (in
worship).

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 Structure of Quran
2. Likely (‫ )ظنی‬w.r.t meaning:
)3َ:‫ت َعلَ ْی ُك َُم ْال َم ْیت َ َةُ َوالدَّ َُم (المائدہ‬
َْ ‫ُح ِ ِّر َم‬
Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood

ََ ‫ص ْی َدُ ْالبَ ْح َِر َو‬

)96َ:‫طعَا ُم َهُ (المائدہ‬ َ
‫م‬
َ ْ ُ
‫ك‬ َ ‫ل‬ َّ
َ
‫ل‬ ‫ح‬
ِ ُ ‫أ‬
Lawful to you is the pursuit of water-game and its
use for food

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 Main Theme of Quran
Shah Waliullah divided the Holy Quran into five types of knowledge:

1. ilm al-Ahkam (‫)علم االحکام‬

– To do something
– To prevent from something

Methodology:
I. Order to do OR prevent from something
II. Benefits of obeying OR Loss of disobeying
III. Favours for followers OR Punishments for disobedient

Examples:
ََّ َ‫ار َكعُوا َم َع‬
)43َ:‫الرا ِك ِعینََ (البقرہ‬ ْ ‫الز َكاةََ َو‬ َّ ‫َوأَقِی ُموا ال‬
َّ ‫ص ََلَةَ َوآتُوا‬
And be steadfast in prayer; practice regular charity; and bow down your heads
with those who bow down (in worship).

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 Main Theme of Quran
2. ilm al-Manazarah (‫)علم المناظرہ‬
– Related to the challenges and dialogues of Holy Quran to deviated religions:
(i) Jews, (ii) Christians, (iii) Polytheists, (iv) Hypocrites, (v) Atheists

Methodology:
I. Mentioned their faiths
II. Explained its faults
III. Challenged to prove their faiths
IV. Created hatred against these wrong faiths

Example:
ُ ‫صلَبُوَہُ َو َٰلَ ِكن‬
)157َ:َ‫شبِِّهََ لَ ُه َْم (النساء‬ َ ‫اّلل َو َما قَتَلُوَہُ َو َما‬
ََِّ ‫ل‬
ََ ‫سو‬ ََ ‫َوقَ ْو ِل ِه َْم ِإنَّا قَت َْلنَا ْال َم ِسی‬
ُ ‫ح ِعی َسى ابْنََ َم ْریَ ََم َر‬
That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of
Allah";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear
to them

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 Main Theme of Quran
3. ilm Tazkeer bi-Aala illah (‫)علم تزکیر بآالءہللا‬
– Related to the advices of Almighty Allah by mentioning His favors
(‫)نعمت‬

Methodology:
I. Mentioned favours of Allah on Man
II. Advised man through these favours

– Creation of heavens and earth, provision of food, shelter, animals

(clothing, cultivation, transportation) etc.
Example:
َ ِ ‫ُه ََو الَّذِي َخلَقََ لَ ُكم َّما ِفي ْاْل َ ْر‬
)29َ:‫ض َج ِمی ًعا (البقرہ‬
It is He Who hath created for you all things that are on earth

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 Main Theme of Quran
4. ilm Tazkeer bi-Ayyam illah (‫)علم تزکیر بایام ہللا‬
– Related to the expression of position of previous nations and create fear of
disobedience of Allah

Methodology:
I. Mentioned previous nation
II. Which Prophet was sent to them
III. What was their reaction to the Prophet
IV. What was their result

– Nations of: Nuh (AS), Lut (AS), Hud (AS), Saleh (AS), Saba, Children of Israel etc.

Example: Ashab-e-Fil (people of elephants)

َِ ‫ب ْال ِفی‬
)1َ:‫ل (الفیل‬ ْ َ ‫ُّك ِبأ‬
َِ ‫ص َحا‬ ََ ‫أَلَ َْم ت َََر َكی‬
ََ ‫ْف فَ َع‬
ََ ‫ل َرب‬
Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with the People of the Elephant?

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 Main Theme of Quran
5. ilm Tazkeer bil Maut (‫)علم تزکیر بالموت‬
– Related to the expression of events of death and after death
– Death, Doomsday, Judgment day, Paradise, Hell etc.

Methodology:
I. Mentioned death and after death events
II. Favours of Paradise or Punishments of Hell
III. Create desire of good deeds or Hatred against bad deeds

Example:
)13،14َ:‫یم (االنفطار‬ ََ ‫ َو ِإ َّنَ ْالفُ َّج‬O ‫یم‬
َ ‫ار لَ ِفي َج ِح‬ ََ ‫ن ْاْلَب َْر‬
َ ‫ار لَ ِفي نَ ِع‬ ََّ ‫ِإ‬

As for the Righteous, they will be in bliss; And the Wicked - they will be
in the Fire,

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 Preservation of Quran
• Historical account
– The time of:
• Prophet (PBUH)
• Rightly Guided Caliphs (R.A)

• Modern account
– Utilization of modern methods to preserve Holy
Quran

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 Preservation of Quran
• The time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
– Tried to revise but stopped by Almighty Allah
– Wrote verses right after revelation
– Asked to read back the written verse
– Set the position of chapters and verses
– Recited Quran every year in Ramdhan
– Recited twice in last year
– Corrected the written scripts of companions
– Not possible to compile during his life
– Hadhrat Ali (R.A) and Abdullah Bin Masud (R.A) prepared
their copies

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 Preservation of Quran
• The time of Hadhrat Abū Bakr (R.A)
– Completely preserved during the time of Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH)
– Finalization in the form of a book
– Made committee

Side Notes:
• False account and true account
• Objections on false account

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 Preservation of Quran
• The time of Hadhrat Uthman(R.A) – Fixation of
accent
– Different accents of different tribes
– An event at the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan
– Hadhrat Huzaifa’s advice to Hadhrat Uthman (R.A)
– A committee under Hadhrat Zaid (R.A)
– 4-7 copies made and recited in mosque of Medina
– Damascus, Istanbul, Tashkent, British Museum
– A difference of only writing style

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 Preservation of Quran
• Modern Account
– Muslims read, write, memorize it
– Verses, letters, symbols are counted
– Tafasirs, Books and branches of knowledge
– Every home has many copies
– Audio, video, copies
– Internet
– If ever Quran vanished in written or electronic form?
– Millions of Huffaz, can rewrite it
– Hadith: Quran would be lifted near the day of
Judgement?

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 Miracles of Holy Quran
How Quran is from Almighty Allah?
• Uncountable miracles

• Methodology:
1. Define a miracle
2. Man’s attitude in this respect
3. Quran’s attitude in this respect

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 Miracles of Holy Quran
1. Eloquence and Rhetoric (‫)فصاحت و بَلغت‬
– Objections:
• Taught by an ‘Ajmi (Bal’am etc.)
• We can create similar text (Pagans of Mecca)
• Some verses are misplaced
– If it is from someone other than Allah
– Challenged to create similar book
– Challenged to create 10 Surahs
– Challenged to create one Surah

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 Miracles of Holy Quran
2. History of previous nations
– Man’s attitude:
• Updates history continuously
• Completely discards previous theory
• Mistake is a common thing in history

– Qurʾān’s attitude
• Two types of history is mentioned in Qurʾān
– Proved
– Undiscovered
• An undiscovered thing is not equal to a disproved

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 Miracles of Holy Quran
3. Future Prediction
– Man’s attitude
– Qurʾān’s attitude
1. Rome was defeated by Iran
2. Non-believers wouldn’t attack again (ahzab)
3. Later life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):
)4َ:‫ى (الضحی‬ََٰ َ‫ن ْاْلُول‬ ََ َّ‫َولَ ْْل ِخ َرَة ُ َخیْرَ ل‬
ََ ‫ك ِم‬
The Hereafter is better for you than the first

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 Miracles of Holy Quran
4. It told the things hidden in people’s hearts
– Man’s attitude
• Limited senses and abilities
– Qurʾān’s attitude
• Jews and Hypocrites
ََ ‫ون فِي أَنفُ ِس ِه َْم لَ ْو‬
ََّ ‫ال یُعَ َِذِّبُنَا‬
َُ ‫اّللُ ِب َما نَقُو‬
)8َ:‫ل (المجادلہ‬ ََ ُ‫َویَقُول‬
And they say to themselves, "Why does not Allah
punish us for our words?"

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 Miracles of Holy Quran
5. A complete code of life
– Man’s Attitude
• Cannot perfect more than one field
– Qurʾān’s Attitude
• Religion, Economics, Politics, Social Conduct etc.
6. Effect on the lives of people
– Man’s attitude
• Cannot impress at all instances
– Qurʾān’s attitude
• Nature of Bedouins
• Hadhrat Jubair ‘s (R.A) incident
)7،8َ:‫ لَ َهُ ِمن دَافِعَ (الطور‬، َ‫ِّك لَ َواقِع‬ ََ َ‫ن َعذ‬
ََ ِ‫اب َرب‬ ََّ ‫ِإ‬
The punishment of your Lord is coming. There is nothing to avert it

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 Miracles of Holy Quran
7. Quran and Science
– More than 700 verses are based on sciene
– Presented undiscovered scientific facts
– Creation of life from non-living being
• Abiogenesis
– Human production (Dr. Maurice Bucaille)
– Life created in water
)30َ:‫وجعلنا من الماء کل شیء حی (االنبیاء‬
we made from water every living thing

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 Miracles of Holy Quran
8. Constant high quality text
– Man’s attitude
• Human cannot maintain constant standard
– Qurʾān’s attitude
• Challenged to produce 1 similar Surah
• Beautiful context and synonyms
• Example and lession

9. From the tongue of an Ummi

– Man’s attitude
• Human can comprehend according to his education
– Qurʾān’s attitude
• Allegations of opponents regarding bahera
• Allegations of learning from an ‘Ajmi (Bal’am)
• Qurʾān does not reflect native culture

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 Relationship with Quran
1. Locating verse
– Quranic dictionary
• ‫المعجم المفهرس اللفاظ القرآن الکریم‬
– Role of IT (Zekr, Internet etc.)
2. Consulting multiple Tafasir
– Popular Tafasir
– Locating Hadith
3. Specialized books
Examples:
– Ahkam al Quran
– ‫عبد الوحید –موضوعات قرآن‬

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 Additional Reading

Islamic Education – A. S. Bukhari

Al-Fauz Al-Kabir – Shah Waliullah

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