Science of Sources
Lesson 29
|
Watch / Listen: Video | Browse: PowerPoint | Download / Print: Word |
·
The
General Objectives of Shari`ah are to realize the interests of people:
necessities, needs, and welfare.
·
Necessities:
they are the essentials of human life in order to preserve: faith, life,
intellect, property, and honor.
·
Needs:
they are what people need to avoid drudgery, and be able to tolerate the
hardships of commitments, responsibilities, and the burdens of life.
·
Welfare:
It refers to those aspects that
lead to the improvement of the living conditions, appearances of people, and
their social relations.
·
In
legislation, these goals follow an order of precedence , i.e. necessity, needs,
and lastly welfare.
·
When
examining the issue of necessities, several rules should be taken into account:
a) Harm should be eliminated in a legal manner.
b) Harm should not be eliminated by another harm.
c) Individual harm should be tolerated to ward off a public harm.
d) Lesser harm can be tolerated to avoid a more severe one.
e) Repelling harm has precedence over bringing benefits.
f) Necessity knows no laws.
g)
Necessity is weighed with its own standard.
·
Rulings
for lifting restrictions in pursuing needs:
a) Hardships justify simplification as exemplified by the allowances ordained by Allah, the Almighty, in cases of: travel, illness, compulsion, forgetfulness, ignorance, prevalence of trials, tribulations, and insufficiency.
b) Legislation should lift restriction.
c)
Needs are treated like necessities in permitting (some) prohibited things.[5]
·
The
deeds of competent persons are either: Allah's Right, people's right, a right of
both.
·
Allah's
Right is embodied in: acts of worship, Zakah (the poor's due) and other
financial obligations, punishments for adultery, larceny and robbery, depriving
the killer from inheritance and expiations.
·
The
competent person's right is related to his financial rights over others.
·
What
combines the two rights (that of Allah and that of people) are the punishment
for slandering a woman with adultery and retaliation for killing.
·
There
is no room for Ijtihad (independent reasoning based on religious sources) for
what has been ruled by a clear-cut text.
·
The
Mujtahid (qualified scholar) must be well-informed in the Arabic language,
knowledgeable of the sciences of the Qur’an, efficient in the sciences of the
Sunnah, and expert in deducing analogical rulings.
·
The
gradation of legislation during the Prophet's life-time required the partial or
total repeal of some rulings, but after his death (peace be upon him) no
repealing of a ruling in Qur’an or Sunnah is accepted.
·
A
ruling text can not be repealed except with another equal or stronger text. The
strongest of all is the Qur’an and the Sunnah, Mutawatir, then the Sunnah
which is not Mutawatir, and finally analogy.
The aims of Islamic Legislation:
Preserving
Faith:
Allah
says:
]وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ
حَتَّى لاَ
تَكُونَ
فِتْنَةٌ
وَيَكُونَ
الدِّينُ
لِلّهِ
فَإِنِ
انتَهَواْ
فَلاَ
عُدْوَانَ
إِلاَّ
عَلَى
الظَّالِمِين[
(البقرة:
193)
This
means: “And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and
worshipping of others along with Allah) and (all and every kind of) worship
is for Allah (Alone). But if they cease, let there be no transgression
except against Azh-Zhalimun (the polytheists, and wrong-doers).” (2, Al-Baqarah:
193)
Allah
says:
]وَالْفِتْنَةُ
أَشَدُّ مِنَ
الْقَتْلِ[
(البقرة:
191)
This
means: “And Al-Fitnah (temptation, to disbelieve after one has believed)
is worse than killing.” (2, Al-Baqarah: 191)
Allah
says:
]وَالْفِتْنَةُ
أَكْبَرُ
مِنَ
الْقَتْل[
(البقرة: 217)
This
means: “And Al-Fitnah is worse than killing.” (2, Al-Baqarah: 217)
Allah
says:
]وَاتَّقُواْ
فِتْنَةً لاَّ
تُصِيبَنَّ
الَّذِينَ
ظَلَمُواْ
مِنكُمْ
خَآصَّةً[
(الأنفال:
25)
This
means: “And fear the Fitnah (affliction and trial, etc.) which affects not
in particular (only) those of you who do wrong (but it may afflict all the
good and the bad people).” (8, Al-Anfal: 25)
Allah
says:
]إِلاَّ
تَفْعَلُوهُ
تَكُن
فِتْنَةٌ
فِي الأَرْضِ
وَفَسَادٌ
كَبِيرٌ[
(الأنفال:
73)
This
means: “If you (Muslims of the whole world collectively) do not do so
(i.e. become allies, as one united block with one Khalifah - chief Muslim
ruler for the whole Muslim world to make victorious Allah's Religion of
Islamic Monotheism), there will be Fitnah (wars, battles, polytheism, etc.)
and oppression on earth, and a great mischief and corruption (appearance of
polytheism).” (8, Al-Anfal: 73)
Preserving
the lives of the people:
Allah
says:
]وَلاَ
تَقْتُلُواْ
النَّفْسَ
الَّتِي
حَرَّمَ
اللّهُ إِلاَّ
بِالْحَقّ[
(الأنعام:
151)
This
means: “And kill not anyone whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just
cause (according to Islamic law).” (6, Al-An`am: 151)
Allah says:
]وَلَكُمْ
فِي
الْقِصَاصِ
حَيَاةٌ يَاْ
أُولِيْ
الأَلْبَابِ
لَعَلَّكُمْ
تَتَّقُونَ[
(البقرة:
179)
This
means: “And there is (a saving of) life for you in Al-Qisas (the Law of
Equality in punishment), O men of understanding, that you may become Al-Muttaqun
(the pious).” (2, Al-Baqarah: 179)
Preserving
the mind:
Allah
says:
]يَا
أَيُّهَا
الَّذِينَ
آمَنُواْ
إِنَّمَا
الْخَمْرُ
وَالْمَيْسِرُ
وَالأَنصَابُ
وَالأَزْلاَمُ
رِجْسٌ مِّنْ
عَمَلِ
الشَّيْطَانِ
فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ
لَعَلَّكُمْ
تُفْلِحُون.َ
إِنَّمَا
يُرِيد
الشَّيْطَانُ
أَن يُوقِعَ
بَيْنَكُمُ
الْعَدَاوَةَ
وَالْبَغْضَاء
فِي
الْخَمْرِ
وَالْمَيْسِر
وَيَصُدَّكُمْ
عَن ذِكْرِ
اللّهِ
وَعَنِ
الصَّلاَةِ
فَهَلْ
أَنتُم
مُّنتَهُونَ[ (المائدة:
90 – 91)
This
means: “O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks),
gambling, AlAnsab, and AlAzlam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are
an abomination of Shaytan's (Satan) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that
(abomination) in order that you may be successful. Shaytan (Satan) wants
only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic
drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from
As-Salat (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?”
(5, Al-Ma’idah: 90 - 91)
Preserving
property:
Allah
says:
]وَلاَ
تَأْكُلُواْ
أَمْوَالَكُم
بَيْنَكُم
بِالْبَاطِلِ
وَتُدْلُواْ
بِهَا إِلَى
الْحُكَّامِ
لِتَأْكُلُواْ
فَرِيقًا
مِّنْ
أَمْوَالِ
النَّاسِ
بِالإِثْمِ
وَأَنتُمْ
تَعْلَمُون[
(البقرة:
188)
This
means: “And eat up not one another's property unjustly (in any illegal way
e.g. stealing, robbing, deceiving, etc.), nor give bribery to the rulers
(judges before presenting your cases) that you may knowingly eat up a part
of the property of others sinfully.” (2, Al-Baqarah: 188)
Allah
says:
]وَلاَ
تُؤْتُواْ
السُّفَهَاء
أَمْوَالَكُمُ
الَّتِي
جَعَلَ
اللّهُ
لَكُمْ
قِيَاماً[
(النساء:
5)
This
means: “And give not unto the foolish your property which Allah has made a
means of support for you.” (4, An-Nisa’: 5)
Allah
says:
]يَا
أَيُّهَا
الَّذِينَ
آمَنُواْ لاَ
تَأْكُلُواْ
أَمْوَالَكُمْ
بَيْنَكُمْ
بِالْبَاطِلِ
إِلاَّ أَن
تَكُونَ
تِجَارَةً
عَن تَرَاضٍ
مِّنكُمْ
وَلاَ
تَقْتُلُواْ
أَنفُسَكُمْ
إِنَّ اللّهَ
كَانَ بِكُمْ
رَحِيمًا[ (النساء:
29)
This
means: “O you who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves
unjustly except it be a trade amongst you, by mutual consent. And do not
kill yourselves (nor kill one another). Surely, Allah is Most Merciful to
you.” (4, An-Nisa’: 29)
Allah
says:
]وَآتُواْ
الْيَتَامَى
أَمْوَالَهُمْ
وَلاَ
تَتَبَدَّلُواْ
الْخَبِيثَ
بِالطَّيِّبِ
وَلاَ
تَأْكُلُواْ
أَمْوَالَهُمْ
إِلَى
أَمْوَالِكُمْ
إِنَّهُ
كَانَ
حُوبًا
كَبِيرًا[
(النساء: 2)
This means: “And give unto orphans their property and do not exchange (your) bad things for (their) good ones; and devour not their substance (by adding it) to your substance. Surely, this is a great sin.” (4, An-Nisa’: 2)
Abu
Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that while the Messenger of
Allah (peace be upon him) was delivering a sermon on the Day of Sacrifice at
Mina during the Farewell Pilgrimage, he said:
“Verily your blood
and property are as sacred and inviolable as the sanctity of this day of
yours, in this month of yours, and in this city of yours. Behold! Have I
conveyed this message to you?” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Preserving
the honor of the people:
Allah
says:
]إِنَّ
الَّذِينَ
يُحِبُّونَ
أَن تَشِيعَ
الْفَاحِشَةُ
فِي
الَّذِينَ
آمَنُوا
لَهُمْ
عَذَابٌ
أَلِيم فِي
الدُّنْيَا
وَالآخِرَةِ
وَاللَّهُ
يَعْلَمُ
وَأَنتُمْ
لا
تَعْلَمُونَ[
(النور:
19)
This
means: “Verily, those who like that (the crime of) illegal sexual
intercourse should be propagated among those who believe, they will have a
painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you
know not.” (24, An-Nur: 19)
Allah
says:
]إِنَّ
الَّذِينَ
يَرْمُونَ
الْمُحْصَنَاتِ
الْغَافِلاتِ
الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ
لُعِنُوا
فِي
الدُّنْيَا
وَالآخِرَةِ
وَلَهُمْ
عَذَابٌ
عَظِيمٌ[
(النور:
23)
This
means: “Verily, those who accuse chaste women, who never even think of
anything touching their chastity and are good believers, are cursed in this
life and in the Hereafter, and for them will be a great torment.” (24,
An-Nur: 23)
Removing
restriction:
Allah
says:
]مَا
يُرِيدُ
اللّهُ
لِيَجْعَلَ
عَلَيْكُم
مِّنْ حَرَجٍ
وَلَـكِن
يُرِيدُ
لِيُطَهَّرَكُم[
(المائدة:
6)
This
means: “Allah does not want to place you in any restriction, but He wants
to purify you, and to complete His Favor on you.” (5, Al-Ma’idah: 6)
Allah
says:
]هُوَ
اجْتَبَاكُمْ
وَمَا جَعَلَ
عَلَيْكُمْ
فِي الدِّينِ
مِنْ حَرَجٍ[
(الحج:
78)
This
means: “He has chosen you (to convey His Message of Islamic Monotheism to
mankind by inviting them to His religion, Islam), and has not laid upon you
in religion any restriction.” (22, Al-Hajj: 78)
Allah
says:
]َيُرِيدُ
اللّهُ
بِكُمُ
الْيُسْرَ
وَلاَ
يُرِيدُ
بِكُمُ
الْعُسْر[
(البقرة:
185)
This means: “Allah intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you.” (2, Al-Baqarah: 185)
The
Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“No harm (should be
done to others) nor wrong (in retaliation).”
(Reported by Ahmad and Ibn
Majah)