Islamic Shariah and Fiqh Concepts Quiz

Chapter 3: Shariah (Islamic Laws)

• Shariah linguistically means a straight path, and religiously, a path of teaching (manhaj)
• Shariah is a set of revealed rulings from the Qur'an and Sunnah, about faith (aqidah) and actions of the believers (mukallaf deeds).
• The rulings can be definitive (qath'ie) or speculative (zhanni)
• Allah prescribed a law and a method for each individual (surah al-Maidah verse 48)
• Allah instructed to follow an ordained way concerning the matter (of religion) and not to follow whims of those who do not know (surah al-Jathiah verse 18)

Features of Shariah

• Rabbaniah (Divine origin): Shariah is a set of laws and moral system determined by Allah, free from weaknesses like injustice. It is protected and has been refined by Allah.
• Syumuliah (Comprehensive): Islam's knowledge covers all aspects of human life, from smallest issues to the biggest. It is complete and has answers to everything.
• 'Alamiah (Universal): Islamic Sharia transcends boundaries of color, race, and geography.
• Waqi'iyyah (Realistic & Practical): Islam is practically applicable
• Thabat wa murunah (Permanence & Flexibility): The principles of sources remain the same, but the branches of knowledge (furu'iyyat) are variable. The Islamic disciplinary needs adaptation for worldly matters.

Maqasid Shariah (The Aims/Purposes of Shariah)

• Maqasid Shariah refers to the objectives of Shariah with meanings based on facts and statements.
• Scholars of usul fiqh explained it as the meaning and purpose in prescribing laws for mankind's welfare.
• Consideration of benefits and rejection of disadvantages, based on Qur'an and Sunnah values.

Maslahah Daruriyah

• Preservation of necessities of life is the main goal.
• Five primary aims/purposes as identified by Imam al-Shatibi:
  1. Religious faith
  2. Life/Self
  3. Mind/Intellect
  4. Progeny/Dignity
  5. Property

Maslahah Hajiyah

• Meets needs towards a better life.
• Provides conveniences in case of difficulties in life
• Example: owning a vehicle for transportation

Maslahah Tahsiniyah

• Pertains to laws for betterment in life.
• Improving human conduct, morals and quality of life
• Example: having good transportation, and clothing of high quality

The Fiqh Knowledge

• Fiqh literally means understanding and specifically, understanding in religion (from the Prophet SAW)
• Technically, Fiqh refers to deriving practical legal rules from Islamic sources (Shariah)
• A person knowledgeable in religious matters is called a Faqih
• The law of Fiqh is categorized into five: Fard, Mandub, Mubah, Makruh, Haram

The Law of Fiqh - Wajib/Fard

• Wajib 'ayni: Individual obligation (prayer, fasting, pilgrimage)
• Wajib kifai: Communal obligation (burying a corpse). If one does so, the rest are exempted.
• Mutlaq: No set time/conditions for performance (e.g., kaffarah if not fasting)
• Muqayyad: With set time/conditions (e.g., Subuh prayer, beginning & end)
• Muhaddad: Act with a determined amount/extent (e.g., 5 daily prayers, 2.5% Zakat)
• Ghair Muhaddad: Act without a fixed amount (e.g., charity, expenditure)
• Muayyan: Specific act with no specific choice (e.g., prayer)
• Mukhayyar: Act with some choices (e.g., punishment for oath breaking: feed needy, free slave)

The Law of Fiqh - Mandub (Sunnah)

• Sunnah Mu'akkadah: Highly recommended (e.g., congregational prayer, Azan, Iqamah, Qunut)
• Sunnah Ghayr Mu'akkadah: Recommended but not consistently performed by Prophet (e.g., charity, prayer before Asr or Isha)
• Sunnah Zawa'id: Recommended but not obligatory (e.g., Prophetic daily routines).

The Law of Fiqh - Makruh

• Makruh Tahriman: Close to haram (e.g., marrying someone with HIV)
• Makruh Tanzihan: Disliked by itself (e.g., eating durian while praying in congregation)

The Law of Fiqh - Haram

• Haram li zatihi: Forbidden by nature/inherent quality (e.g., eating pork, sexual intercourse before marriage)
• Haram li gharihi: Forbidden due to external factors (e.g., eating stolen chicken)

Islamic Fiqh Knowledge

• Fiqh Ibadah: Devotion and worship to Allah (e.g., purification, prayer, fasting, zakat, hajj & Umrah, corpse management)
• Fiqh Muamalah: Religious rules related to property transactions, and protecting property from compulsion, fraud, or tyranny.
• Fiqh Munakahah: Marriage law.
• Fiqh Jinayah: Criminal law.

Purification (Taharah)

• Taharah means cleanliness/purification from ritual impurities.
• It is an act of purification from ritual impurity or filth before acts of worship like prayers.
• It signifies faith and piousness.
• Different types of impurities: Mughallazah (major), Mutawasitah (medium), Mukhaffafah (minor)

Partial Ablution (Wudu')

• Wudu' involves cleansing certain parts of the body (face, hands, and feet).
• An act of cleanliness and piety before performing prayers.
• It is required before any type of Islamic prayers.
• Wudu' is done with water. It can be cancelled/invalidated by various actions like urination, defacation, and touching non-Mahram.

Full Ablution (Bath)

• Full Ablution involves washing the entire body with water.
• Required in specific situations (sexual intercourse, death, and conversion to Islam).
• Also required after menstruation or childbirth issues.

Dry Ablution (Tayamum)

• Tayamum is an alternative to water for ablution when water is unavailable.
• It involves rubbing the face and hands on clean soil.
• It is permissible in situations where accessing water is impossible.

Prayer (Solat)

• Prayer is an act of worship done with specific words and actions, starting with takbir and ending with salam.
• The advantage of prayer and how prayer can hold sins committed amongst people.
• Five daily prayers are obligatory for Muslims.

The Concept of Zakat

• It is a purification of wealth.
• It's a compulsory act in Islam.
• The amount is calculated as a portion of wealth.

Hajj & Umrah

• Etymology: Visiting/Pilgrimage
• Hajj: Pilgrimage to Makkah (performing specific rites)
• Umrah: Minor pilgrimage to Makkah.

The Corpse Management

• Handling of the deceased in Islam.
• Obligation on family to organise the funeral and manage the corpse.
• Specific procedures for bathing, shrouding, praying and burial of the deceased.

Fiqh Muamalah

• The marriage contract between two people who are not Mahram.
• It is required that there is a contract or intercourse in real life.
• Other things that are related to Fiqh Muamalah (Concept Property, Types of Property, and Concepts of Property Rights).

Fiqh Munakahah

• This entails the Islamic laws of marriage, including procedures for marriage, divorce and other related issues.
• Includes discussions on dowry, talaq (divorce) aspects, polygamy, the concept of iddah, and ruju`.

Fiqh Jinayah

• It entails Islamic views about criminal acts and punishment.
• Includes discussions on the types of crimes, types of punishments, legal methods and laws of enforcement.

Test your understanding of Shariah and Fiqh in Islam through this engaging quiz. Explore key concepts such as the linguistic meaning of Shariah, the role of lust in spirituality, and the rituals of Hajj. Deepen your knowledge of Islamic principles and their applications.