Course Work

Islamic Studies in English

Dr. �Alā’ al-Dīn �AdawīFirst Draft

February 2014

Islamic Studies

What is Transliteration ?

A system used for writing Arabic words by using English letters.

What is the difference between translation and transliteration?

Translation 

To give the meaning of a word in other language or languages for example:

wordكلمة :bookكتاب : peopleناس :

Transliteration

To give the same sound or pronunciation of the letters, by using letters of other languages

When do we need Transliteration ?

Why do we use transliteration with technical terms?

Because the other language doesn't give the exact meaning of the term, for example:

Ḥādithحادث : :Ḥadīthحديث

Asīlأسيل : Aṣīlأصيل :

Qutaybahقتيبة : Katībahكتيبة :

Qalam قلم :kalām كالم :

Qawmقوم : Ṣawmصوم :

 (Its meaning )

When Muslims are asked: what is Islam?1- It is a religion

2- It is my religion3- It is Allah's message to all Mankind

4- It is our (God's , Lord's , Creator's) message to all Mankind5- It is the true religion of Allah

6- It is Allah's last message to ( Mankind , Man , the Universe ) When we address others, we need to compare Islam with other

religions from two ( aspects , ways , sides )

1-The sources of the religion 2- The meaning of its name

What is the difference between the name of Hinduism ( or that of any of other religions ) and the name Islam?

 Islam is a name given by Allah , while names of other religions are given by

Man, they are Man-made names.

Because the name of Islam comes from Allah , then it is considered as

Islam in the ( literal , linguistic , Arabic language ) means:

Peace means:  

1- To be in peace with God, by following His laws.2- To be in peace with the whole universe, by following, as creatures, our God's laws.3-To be in peace with other human beings. 4-To be in peace with ourselves.5- To be in peace with others.

Islam is Peace

The technical meaning of Islam is:

 

The total submission to the will of God, in this sense we can say that the whole universe, and all

creatures are Muslims.

The Practical meaning of Islam is:

• Religion and State (Life)

When we ask someone to become a Muslim , we invite him to:

1 -submit to the Will of Allah

2 -obey our God3 -be in peace with our God by following His laws

4 -To be in peace with other human being

5 -To be in peace with him/herself.

-*this is one of the signs of the universality and divinity of the message of Islam ( the meaning of

Islam ).

Sources of Islam

THE QUR’AN

 The first source:

The names of it:

 1-Al-Kitāb :the Book, Text, Scripture, Written, Message .

2-Al- Tanzīl: the Revelation3 -Al- Furqān: the Criterion, Measure

4 -Al- Dhikr :Remembrance, Reminder, or Honor 5 -Al-Ruḥ: Mercy, soul, spirit

guidance 6- Al-Hudā:7-Al-Nūr: Light, guidance

8 -al-Ḥaqq- the truth

The Name of al- Qurʼān is:

Technical meaning of al-Qur’ān:

Allah's words , the miraculous ,which was revealed upon the prophet Muhammad ( p.b.u.h) , and

conveyed in a successive way , the worshipped by reciting it , written in codices , which starts with

al-Fātiḥah and ends with al-Nās

The Three Stages of the Revelations of the Holy Qurʼān:

1- The whole Qur āʼ n was sent to the safeguarded board as one whole unit.2- Then, to the lower heaven, once and in its entirety 3- Finally, It was revealed to the Prophet Mu ammad ( p.b.u.h ) ḥseparately, in parts during 23 years.

The Qurʼān challenges all people and jinn to bring similar Qur’ān,

the steps of challenge are:

Allāh’s Book is memorized in two ways

1 -Hearts (chests) (by reading and memorizing it)

2 -lines ( by writing it )

:

The Gradual Revelation of al- Qurʼān is:

Why do we ask about the gradual revelation of the Qurʼān

 

1 -To know and feel the wisdom behind that.

2 -To answer some questions about the Qur ānʼ

3 -To prove that it is preserved and protected by Allāh.

The history of the writing of the Qur’ān:

Scholars classify the verses and chapters according to

Al-Hijrah : the migration of the prophet Muh�ammad ( p.b.u.h) from Makkah to Almadīnah- the view of majority ( the preferred view , the chosen or selected view ) is : the time of revelation ( before and after the hijrah)Makkī and Madanī .

The Meccans’ parts of the Qurʼān talk about :

1 -The concept of the Oneness of God , the Muslim creed ,and essentials of Muslim faith

2 -Disputation with the unbelievers3 -The prohibition of murder , infanticide and

injustice

4 -Stories of the previous prophets

5 -Matters ( issues ) of worship

6 -The prohibition of some kinds of food and drink

7 -The preservation of the properties of orphans8 -Principles of Islamic ethical system.

The Madinans’ parts talk about:

1 -The mention of the People of the Book

2 -The mention of the hypocrite3 -The permission of Al-Jihād

4 -The mention of Al –Muhājirīn ( migrants ) and Al -Anṣār ( supporters )

5 -Adding more legislations and details of some rulings .

The second source:

Al-ḥadīth ( unrecited revelation )

Technical meaning of al-ḥadīth

Kinds of Sunnah, al-Ḥadīth is:1- verbal 2- actual 3- approvals 4- qualities*The writing of al-Ḥadīth started at the prophet's time , for example : 1- His letters to the kings and rulers. 2- The document (chart) of Al-Madīnah.3- What was written by the Companions by orders from the prophet. 4- Some of the prophets’ letters which talk

about rulings.

Importance, Status, Authority, Place, Position of Ḥadīth and Sunnah in Islam:

 1.It is the second source of Islam ,it is a kind of inspiration and revelation.2.It confirms the Qur’ānic rules and rulings.3.It supplements the Qur’ān by giving additional rulings .4.It explains, elaborates, and clarifies the Qur’ān by detailing rules or removing obscurity from verses .

The kinds of the Sunnah according to (the number of narrators ):

1. The successive (continuous) account( al-mutawātir). (Definite in authenticity)

2. The individual account (akhbār al aḥād). (Indefinite in authenticity)

al-Mutawātir

continuous account by a big number of narrators who can not agree on a

lie, or make a mistake.

The individual accounts are divided into

Another classification of the Sunnah: according to its source:

 

1 -marfū': the Companion ascribes the words to the Prophet himself

2 -mawqūf : the Companion’s words.

3 -maq ū'ț : the successor’s words.

Islamic studies Islamic studies

ReasoningReasoning

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Where does the lawfulness of al-ijtihad

come from??

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•1 *Because some of texts are indefinite in meaning ,( the nature of

the texts of the revelation and their flexibility ) , there is a need for

clarifying, explaining, and interpreting them in order to understand them .

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•2*there is a need for producing rulings for new matters and questions.This is because of the continuous change in

life and society.

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• 3* the prophet and his companions made Ijtihad , he approved that of the companions and encouraged his people to make Ijtihad, this is because Ijtihad is considered as a very important tool for the development of Islamic law and for Muslims’ life .

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• *Another main matter related to reasoning, it is mainly concerned with interaction

legislations ?

•*The reason behind worship legislation should not necessarily have to be known or

understood

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S/He should be a Muslim ,

Adult who has a sound Mind , ( mental faculty )

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He should have a good knowledge of : Qur'an ,

hadith , legal verses , their sciences, and

abrogation .

He should have a good knowledge of : Qur'an ,

hadith , legal verses , their sciences, and

abrogation .

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He should have a good knowledge of Maqasid Al –

shari’ah )objectives of Islamic law (

He should have a good knowledge of Maqasid Al –

shari’ah )objectives of Islamic law (

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S\He should have a good knowledge of the society where

s\he lives .

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He should have a good knowledge of : Arabic , usul al fiqh , al – Qiyas

and points of consensus and dispute .

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Main References

• Islamic Culture and Thought /by Mohammad Khazer Al-Majali.• General Introduction to Islam /by Ali al-Tantawi.• Islam in Focus / by Hammudah Abd Alati.• Towards Understanding Islam / by Sayyid Abul A'la Mawududi.• Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence / by Mohammad Hashim Kamali.• Shari'ah Law / by Mohammad Hashim Kamali.