Islamic Worldview

Question 1

The notion of a worldview is:

Answer 1

contextual, dynamic and constructive

Question 2

It is ____________ because the distinctive spiritual and material aspects of the society may shape our worldview

Answer 2

contextual

Question 3

It is __________ and may evolve over time as a result of the interactions over time as a result of the interactions between changing realities of life that we experience

Answer 3

dynamic

Question 4

As knowledge expands, worldview is ___________ and ___________ over time as it undergoes a continuous process of change around some particular elements

Answer 4

constructed and reconstructed

Question 5

Beliefs on the nature, basis and validation of knowledge

Answer 5

Epistemology

Question 6

Beliefs regarding the ultimate nature of reality

Answer 6

Metaphysics

Question 7

Beliefs regarding the origin of the universe and origin of life and man

Answer 7

Cosmology

Question 8

Beliefs about purpose

Answer 8

Teleology

Question 9

Beliefs about God

Answer 9

Theology

Question 10

Beliefs about man

Answer 10

Anthropology

Question 11

Beliefs on the values that drive behaviours

Answer 11

Axiology

Question 12

One omniscient and omnipresent creator

Answer 12

Tawid - Unity and oneness of the Creator

Question 13

Prophet Muhammad as the last messenger of the creator bringing to mankind the most perfect set of rules of conduct (risalah)

Answer 13

Nubuwwa - Prophethood

Question 14

Belief in the Day of Judgement

Answer 14

Ultimate return to the creator

Question 15

What are the sources of shari’ah?

Answer 15

Primary: Qur’an and Hadith
Secondary: Ijma’, Qiyas, Istihsan, Maslahah and Uruf
Other: Ijtihad

Question 16

What are the objectives of shari’ah?

Answer 16

• seeking social justice and having compassion for fellow human beings
• seeking Allah’s blessings
• seeking success in this world and hereafter

Question 17

What are the scales of shari’ah to achieve its objectives?

Answer 17

• obligatory actions, such as the daily five prayers
• recommended actions, such as supererogatory fasting beyond the month of Ramadan
• indifferent actions, such as preference for a particular permissible food (halal) over another
• Reprehensible actions, such as smoking, which is discouraged as it is harmful and of no benefit
• forbidden actions (haram), such as committing any of the major sins like adultery, murder, etc.

Question 18

sayings, approvals and actions of the Prophet Muhammad during his lifetime

Answer 18

Qur’an and Hadith or Sunnah

Question 19

a consensus of Muslim scholars sharing the same opinion and applied only in the absence of an explicit answer to the issue in question

Answer 19

Ijma’

Question 20

analogical deductions from the other sources of shari’ah for contemporary issues that are not directly mentioned in those sources but have similar characteristics with another or earlier situation or incident in the past which is clearly based on those sources

Answer 20

Qiyas

Question 21

a juristic preference where a scholar or knowledge seeker (mujtahid) prefers one alternative to another

Answer 21

Istihsan

Question 22

literally means to bring about utility and fend off damage or injury for public interest

Answer 22

Maslahah

Question 23

based on customs

Answer 23

Urf

Question 24

• is derived from root “qa ra a” which means reading or recitation
• book containing the words of Allah reealed to the prophet in Arabic and transmitted to us by continuous testimony or tawatur

Answer 24

Al-Quran

Question 25

- "What was transmitted from the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) of his words, acts and (tacit) approvals." - considered as source of Islamic laws

Answer 25

Sunnah

Question 26

- defined as the sayings of the Prophet through which he intended the laying down of the law or the explanation of the ahkam - the nature of acts is dependent upon the underlying intentions - it is noted that not every saying of the Prophet (peace be on him) is a source of law; saying which is related to the Ahkam Shariah

Answer 26

Sunnah Al-Qawliyyah

Question 27

- defined as the acts of the Prophet having a legal content, like his prayer, fasts, hajj - ordinary physical acts performed by every human being, like eating, drinking, walking and sitting - acts that are specific to the Prophet and the rest of the ummah is not to follow him in such acts

Answer 27

Sunnah Fiiyyah

Question 28

- acts that are intended to be explanations of unelaborated rules in the texts. all such explanations have the status of law - acts that establish new laws obviously have the force of law - the prophet says: "Pray as you see me praying." the way he performed salah, fasting, rituals of hajj, transaction concluded by him

Answer 28

Sunnah Fiiyyah

Question 29

- it is defined as the commission of certain acts, by word or deed, by some companions and the maintenance of silence by the Prophet without expressing disapproval - his silence in such a case is called taqrir or tacit approval and is considered a sunnah that becomes a source for the permissibility of an act or a statement

Answer 29

Sunnah Taqririyyah

Question 30

the consensus of mujtahidun (independent jurists) from the Ummah of Muhammad (peace be on him), after his death, in a determined period upon a rule of Islamic law (hukm Shar'i)

Answer 30

Ijma'

Question 31

What are the conditions of Ijma'?

Answer 31

- the consensus must take place among mujtahids, who have attained the status of ijtihad - unanimity is a prerequisite of ijma'. the agreement must be unanimous, that is among all the mujtahids. all the jurists participating in ijma' must be from the ummah of Muhammad - the agreement must have taken place after the death of the Prophet - the agreement of the mujtahidun must be demonstrated by their expressed opinion on a particular issue - ijma' must be upon a rule of law, the hukm shari'

Question 32

What are the two types of Ijma'?

Answer 32

1. Ijma' Qauli | 2. Ijma' Sukuti

Question 33

unanimous consent expressed in declaration of opinoin

Answer 33

Ijma Qauli

Question 34

when the majority of the Mujtahidun signified their tacit assent to the opinions of the minority by "silence" or non-intereference

Answer 34

Ijma' Sukuti

Question 35

is defined as the extension of a Shari'ah value from the original case, or asl, to a new case, because the latter has the same effective cause ('illah) as the former

Answer 35

Analogy (Qiyas)

Question 36

What are the pillars of Qiyas?

Answer 36

- ASL - Hukm - Illah - Far'

Question 37

- original case, set of facts, on which a ruling has been given - ex: wine drinking

Answer 37

Asl

Question 38

- ruling on the original case | - ex: prohibition

Answer 38

Hukm

Question 39

- underlying cause of ruling in the original case | - ex: the intoxicating effect

Answer 39

Illah

Question 40

- new case on which ruling is to be given | - ex: consumption of new drink

Answer 40

Far'

Question 41

exercising personal opinion in order to avoid rigidity and unfairness that might result from the literal enforcement of the existing law

Answer 41

Istihsan

Question 42

juristic preference which involves the setting aside an established analogy in favor of an alternative ruling which serves the ideals of justice and public interest in a better way

Answer 42

Istihsan

Question 43

- an important branch of ijtihad and has played a prominent role in the adaptation of Islamic law to the changing needs of society - it has provided Islamic law with the necessary means with which to encourage flexibility and growth - prove to be detrimental in certain solutions - may offer a mean of avoiding hardship and a solution which is harmonious with the higher objectives of the Shar'iah

Answer 43

Importance of Istihsan