Theme 1 : religious figures and Religious Figures and Sacred Texts

Question 1

Shari’a?

Answer 1

translates literally as the straight path and is often referred as islamic law

Question 2

Hadith?

Answer 2

sayings of the Prophet Muhammad

Question 3

Sunnah?

Answer 3

the actions of the Prophet Muhammad, which serve as an example for Muslims.

Question 4

What is shariah?

Answer 4

originally meant as the straight path
which could be taken literally as taking the nearest route to an oasis of fresh water or metaphorically to mean making the morally right decisions in life

Question 5

In the history of Islam?

Answer 5

there were a variety of rules that formed and were used by different rulers across the ages.

Question 6

For some Muslims?

Answer 6

it’s important as a guide to family matters.
for others, it is the political system of laws to run a society

Question 7

What is important to note?

Answer 7

that there is no single Shari’a system that all Muslims agree upon.
However, there is broad agreement that the rules and laws in Islam should be based upon several sources.

Question 8

What is the sunnah?

Answer 8

the way Muhammad did things, such as how he ate his food, wore his clothes and how he spoke politely and kindly to others.

Question 9

Some examples of the Sunnah?

Answer 9

how he ate his food, wore his clothes and how he spoke politely and kindly to others
how to pray, how to perform hajj and how to set up an organised community

Question 10

How is Muhammad seen?

Answer 10

not as a divine figure as it would be considered shirk but not any ordinary man
last and final messenger from allah
he who had Allah’s blessings, the perfect example of a muslim
living embodiment of the Quran itself

Question 11

What is Muhammad to Muslims?

Answer 11

a template for other muslims to copy

Question 12

Why do Muslims not only use the Quran?

Answer 12

although it is the direct word of god which takes precedence in all major aspects of islam, it does not contain all of the miniscule details that a Muslim would perform in their day-to-day life.

Question 13

Quotes from the Quran about the messenger?

Answer 13

“he who obeys the messenger, obeys Allah”

Question 14

The Quran?

Answer 14

however, it does not contain all of the miniscule details that a Muslim would perform in their day-to-day life.

Question 15

Haleem?

Answer 15

describes its importance as ‘fundamental and paramount’
supreme status stems from the belief that the Quran is the word of god

Question 16

What do some scholars question the origin of the Quran?

Answer 16

the way of reciting it and alternative versions that existed in the early days of islam under khalif uthman

Question 17

What did Guilaume suggest?

Answer 17

Muslims may need to face the problems of understanding the Quran’s origins just as the Christians did with the Bible.

Question 18

However?

Answer 18

the vast majority of Muslims accept the Quran unconditionally and look to it as the ultimate source of knowledge.

Question 19

Why do people turn to the hadith?

Answer 19

While the Quran itself is God’s word and instruction to the Prophet, it does not tell as much about the Prophet; as such, Muslims turn to the hadith

Question 20

Unlike the Quran?

Answer 20

the hadith is not a holy book and is not the word of allah

Question 21

Sahabah?

Answer 21

During his lifetime, the people closest to Muhammad were known

Question 22

After his death?

Answer 22

the sahabah often related stories and sayings from the prophet, and over time, these were passed on through word of mouth to others.

Question 23

Caliph Usman?

Answer 23

It is thought that some sayings may have been written down under the third Caliph. Caliph Usman , however, written down copies from this period do not survive today.

Question 24

When was arguments flared regarding the sayings of the prophet?

Answer 24

roughly 200 years after

Question 25

Why were there thousands of hadith were talked about?

Answer 25

there was a fear that some were forged or inaccurate so several scholars attempted to compile what they saw as the authentic or real hadith

Question 26

Imam Bukhari?

Answer 26

one of the most famous collectors of the hadith
he was born in Uzbekistan to a scholar as a father, and he did his hajj pilgrimage at age 16.
He visited Mecca, Medina, Baghdad, Jerusalem, Damascus, and Egypt in his search of Hadith . This tour took him 16 years, after which he compiled his collection

Question 27

Muslim Ibn al Hajjaj?

Answer 27

became a student of Bukhari and produced his own collection of hadith, drawing inspiration from the work of his master.

Question 28

Others made further collections such as?

Answer 28

the one by Abu Dawood, who spent 20 years travelling the Middle East, collecting vast numbers of hadith and then reducing them to the ones he thought were the most reliable.

Question 29

How many major collections do sunni muslims regard as the most reliable?

Answer 29

6

Question 30

Shi’a?

Answer 30

have different collections of hadith although the content is largely similar
The shi’a collections do not include hadith that were passed in by the opponents of Kaliph Ali.

Question 31

Quranism?

Answer 31

Unlike the Quran, there is no single version of the hadith that all muslims agree on, which has led some muslims to follow quranism

Question 32

Quranists?

Answer 32

do not accept any hadith at all, and they claim that only the Quran as the word of God should be used as the word of guidance.

Question 33

Sunni Muslim scholar Khalded Abou el Fadel?

Answer 33

refutes the ideas of Quranists by stressing that the hadith are essential for understanding the contexts of the Quran’s revelation.

Question 34

What did he say?

Answer 34

‘Doing so will solve little because it will leave the text of the Quran standing alone, without its history.’

Question 35

What is different about the hadith in comparison to the Quran?

Answer 35

hadith can be quite wide-ranging
posssible for muslims to follow the hadith but make quite different selections that they refer to with different intrpretations as a result

Question 36

Different categories of the hadith?

Answer 36

there are different ways to organise different hadith collections
some may be divided into chapters based on themes or topics, it is actually divided by reliability

Question 37

Sahih hadith?

Answer 37

ones that are verified by scholars as being said by Muhamed and accurately repeated by word of mouth from person to person to the point of which they were written down.

Question 38

Hasan Hadith?

Answer 38

good hadith, are generally reliable but may have a minor question here or there

Question 39

Daif hadith?

Answer 39

weak which scholars tend to have doubts about, there are other hadith that are thought to be fabricated

Question 40

Hadith Qudsi?

Answer 40

Muhammad’s words inspired by Allah directly but not the words of God that form the Quran

Question 41

Wahi definition?

Answer 41

revelation and inspiration

Question 42

Quran?

Answer 42

direct revealed word of allah but allah can also give messengers good thought or inspiration about what to say

Question 43

Examples of some traditions of sayings from other prophets?

Answer 43

small collection of hadiths of the prophet isa

Question 44

What are other tradiitons of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad?

Answer 44

people closest to him led valuable stories about their interactions with the prophet
neither of these form part of what formulats the shriah

Question 45

How is the reliability of Muhammad’s sayings important?

Answer 45

determined by examination of the contents of the text and the reliability of those who heard and passed the message

Question 46

What is the first point of call for evaluating hadith?

Answer 46

place them against the teachings of the Quran as the hadith scholars regarded the Quran without question
if they contradicted the Quran, this would be denying the word of god therefore the hadith would not be allowed

Question 47

As the collections formed?

Answer 47

those that had been established as reliable would them be a benchmark against those who newly found hadith would be compared.

Question 48

Hadith would also be rejected if?

Answer 48

they appeared to support a particular tribe or family, ,as this would show bias
hadith, which refer to later events or were more extreme than the Quran in any matter, were also rejected.

Question 49

During the Islamic Golden age?

Answer 49

Hadith collectors were applying rational thought
when Muslims were translating texts from the ancient world. However, this was not truly logical; the sayings of the Prophet appeared over 23 years in response to a variety of different types of circumstances, and in vast collections of hadith, many do not appear to agree with others.

Question 50

Isnad?

Answer 50

chain of narrators, where people will pass on the content of the hadith

Question 51

Why was establishing the chain of narrators vital?

Answer 51

verifying the reliability of the hadith

Question 52

Past the checks?

Answer 52

each hadith should have been heard by the companion of the Prophet.
After this, there should be an unbroken list of names of who told who the saying
Additionally, each person in this chain should be regarded as honest.

Question 53

What is possible?

Answer 53

for the same sayings of the prophet to be narrated in several different hadiths as Muhammad was surrounded by many different companions who told stories to their own followers, passing them down to their own people.
this leads to multiple unbroken chains, which further solidifies the validity of a hadith.

Question 54

From a modern perspective it could be questioned?

Answer 54

how reliable a chain of narrators would be over such a long span of time
hadith collectors took their work extremely seriously

Question 55

What does the Hadith about umm Warraqh mean ?

Answer 55

highlights the debate over the authenticity of hadith regarding women leading prayers
she was appointed to lead prayers in her community which raises question about the scope of her congregation - whether it included men, women or just her household
contradicted hadith that only men should lead prayers
supporters of the hadith argue that it reflects a non tribal context, making it potentially more reliable
some classify it as a ‘hassan hadith’ ( good) due to its chain of narrators, despite major concerns
however, scepticism arises regarding the narrator, Abdul Rahman, who is deemed unknown and possibly unreliable, complicating the hadith’s authenticity

Question 56

Hadith of Umm Warraqh?

Answer 56

The hadith about the Prophet visiting Umm Warraqh and appointing her to lead prayer is controversial, as it raises questions about whether modern faith and practice should strictly adhere to historical precedents from 1400 years ago. While historical critical methods may offer different interpretations, many Muslims prioritize the Prophet’s example and invest significant effort in verifying the authenticity of hadith to guide their practices. Despite the extensive collections of hadith, not all contemporary issues are addressed, prompting scholars to develop two additional methods—Ijma (consensus) and Qiyas (analogical reasoning)—to help determine appropriate actions in various situations.

Question 57

Ijma?

Answer 57

Ijma refers to the consensus among scholars or the broader community on a teaching. The hadith “My ummah will never agree upon an error” underlines its significance. Both the Quran and the hadith stem from revelations received by Prophet Muhammad between 610 and 633 CE, presenting challenges for Muslims facing contemporary issues not directly addressed by these sources, such as ethical dilemmas related to technology.

Question 58

After the Prophet’s death?

Answer 58

his companions reached a consensus on his successor, choosing Abu Bakr, which exemplifies Ijma. Although the concept resembles modern voting, it differs from democracy, as decisions must align with the Quran and Sunnah, which are the primary sources for Shariah law and cannot be overridden by secondary sources like Ijma or Qiyas.

Question 59

When do muslims consider ijma valid?

Answer 59

Some Muslims consider Ijma valid only for the early generations who had direct connections to the Prophet, while others extend it to broader social issues. For instance, while the Quran prohibits certain marriages, Ijma has expanded these prohibitions. Today, Islamic scholars (Ulemah) often convene to issue rulings, known as Fatwas, based on Ijma.

Question 60

Fatwa?

Answer 60

the opinion of an islamic scholar on a matter, binding on themselves and those who pledge allegiance

Question 61

It is disputed?

Answer 61

whether ijma can apply in the modern world, and if so, the agreement of all scholars is needed of all muslims in the entire world

Question 62

Some Muslims regard the agreement of modern scholars on modern day issues such as abortion and euthanasia?

Answer 62

as worthy of the status of ijma, while others may feel that they are simply persons of opinions with no status, other than with the person who made them

Question 63

Shia muslims?

Answer 63

give special status to the imams who follow in the tradition of the family of the prophet and are regarded as having the status to explain the meaning of the quran without error

Question 64

Qiyas?

Answer 64

comparison to a similar situation in order to arrive at a teaching

Question 65

Hadith in the collection of Imam Tirmidhi ?

Answer 65

gives muslims guidance on how to find the answer to questions
the prophet spoke to his companion to prepare him for his work as governor

Question 66

What did the prophet need to know?

Answer 66

if his companion would be capable of deciding matters sensibly when he was not around to provide help and so he asked how he would judge matters

Question 67

Hadith of the Prophet?

Answer 67

What if you do not find an answer in either the Quran or the Sunnah?” Mu’adh said, “Then I will decide according to my opinion.”’

Question 68

Qiyas is not just?

Answer 68

an opinion based on thought but taken from an original teaching and applied to a new situation

Question 69

For example?

Answer 69

A woman came to Muhammad after his father had died and he had not had the opportunity to perform the hajj pilgrimage. She asked Muhammad if it would benefit him if she would perform Hajj in his place. The Prophet then replied that it would benefit him if she would pay off his debts in money as a means of comparison.

Question 70

Hajj is similar to?

Answer 70

debt of devotion to God, so the women performing the hajj are equivalent to paying off that debt. In this way, Qiyas involves both comparison and reasoning to apply teachings to new situations.
In can be used to form your own opinions, but Shi’a Muslims prefer to use the reason consensus of those in the family line of Muhammad.

Question 71

Fiqh?

Answer 71

the interpretation or deeper understanding of islamic law
while shariah is islamic law, fiqh is the way that this law is interpreted

Question 72

Because God is transcendent and Shariah law comes from God?

Answer 72

Fiqh exists as a means by which human beings can come as close to understanding those laws as possible.
There are many books published about Islamic fiqh, as there are different interpretations using the Quran, Sunnah, and the opinions of scholars.

Question 73

Although there are some differences between interpretations?

Answer 73

there are also many similarities

Question 74

4 main schools of thought in sunni islam named after the 4 men who developed them?

Answer 74

Hanifi
Shafi’i
Maliki
Hanbali madhabs

Question 75

different schools for Shia islam?

Answer 75

Jafari
Zaidiyyah
Ishmaili

Question 76

Al Shafi?

Answer 76

True knowledge is not that which is memorised; it is that which benefits

Question 77

Life of Al Shafi?

Answer 77

Al-Shafi (767–820 CE), born in Gaza to a Yemeni mother and related to the Abbasid rulers, faced poverty in his early life. A brilliant student, he memorized the Quran by age 7. As an adult, he traveled to Baghdad to engage with scholars of the Hanafi school and delivered lectures in the Great Mosque of Mecca.

Question 78

What did he establish?

Answer 78

He established a hierarchy of sources for Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), prioritizing the Quran as the ultimate authority, followed by the Sunnah (the Prophet’s example), and then the ijma (consensus of Muhammad’s companions).
Al-Shafi rejected local customs that deviated from the practices of Muhammad .

Question 79

What did he define

Answer 79

defined Qiyas (analogical reasoning) as the last source of authority to be used

Question 80

What is the Quran based on?

Answer 80

revelation and not on reasoning
muslims will accept it whether they think it makes sense or not

Question 81

Some islamic scholars also accept a form of reasoning?|

Answer 81

to work things out

Question 82

This does not always mean?

Answer 82

it works alongside the meaning of revelation

Question 83

Some scholars in the golden age of Islam?

Answer 83

alued the use of reason, believing that everything can be worked out logically
However, this fell out of favour, which is reason it became frowned up in sunni islam

Question 84

Inquisition into the Islamic world?

Answer 84

Minha, attempting to impose the belief that the Quran was authored by humans rather than divinely revealed. Scholars like Ahmed Ibn Hanbal sought the freedom to adhere to traditional Islam, but even today, followers of the Hanbali school, particularly in Saudi Arabia, face restrictions on religious freedom.

Question 85

Abu Hanifah ?

Answer 85

Abu Hanifah, based in Iraq, advocated for the inclusion of local customs in Shariah, differing from Al-Shafi, who prioritized uniformity in legal interpretations. Malik ibn Anas, Al-Shafi’s teacher, valued the traditions of the people of Medina, believing they were closely linked to the Prophet’s example.

Question 86

Shia law schools?

Answer 86

require scholars to be descendants of the Prophet, educating Imams who interpret the Quran using reasoning. As Islam spread, diverse schools of thought emerged: the Hanafi school is prevalent in Central Asia and parts of South Asia, while the Shafi school is found in Malaysia, Indonesia, and East Africa. The Maliki school dominates North Africa, and the Hanbali school is prominent in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Question 87

Why do not all Muslims accept these established schools?

Answer 87

Not all Muslims accept these established schools; Salafi Muslims argue for individual interpretations based on original sources. However, Sunni scholar Abdul Hakim Murad counters that only trained scholars possess the knowledge necessary to interpret Shariah today.