Islamic Wisdom: Basic Fundamental (Prohibited and Permissible) Islamic Law’s Terms of Everything Need to Know
Islamic “law” is basically the Sharia. Islamic law is a complex of orders and rulings which are obtained by Islamic scholars from different sources such as the Quran, Sunnah, and traditions So with strong spirituality as a monotheistic religion itself, it is also a system that covers all aspects of life.
I will start today's story with this beautiful Nasheed and greeting message from my heart to all my honorable readers. I hope everyone is enjoying your Ramadan / Easter / Passover is bestowed with blessings and many moments of happiness, health, and prosperity.
May Allah SWT accept your fast and every du ’a, prayer, and good deed you have done during this Ramadan, Ameen. And may you leave this Ramadan with all your sins forgiven and your goals being fulfilled, Ameen. Always be happy.
Today I have felt to write a simple and basic fundamental concept of Islamic laws for everything that covers all aspects of life for those who are curious about what Muslims believe. Eventually, I decided to write something myself on it.
I hope my story will enlighten you, read it carefully please.
Islam is the correct way of life in that it touches rather than teaches every aspect of life. When we want to know about any issue/problem we have to refer to the Quran and the Hadis and we can get the correct, logical, wise answer to that particular issue/problem.
We verily sent Our messengers with clear proofs and revealed with them the scripture and the balance [i.e. the authority to establish justice], that mankind may observe justice and the right measure (Holy Quran Ch:57, Verse: 25)
Islam provides guidance for all walks of life i.e individual and social, material and moral, economic and political, legal and cultural, national and international. The Quran enjoins man to enter the fold of Islam without any reservation and to follow Allah’s guidance in all fields of life.
When we read the Quran or the prophetic traditions, we find instructions regarding all aspects of life be it political, social, economic, material, ethical, national, or international. These instructions provide us with all the details needed to perform a certain act.
The prophetic traditions go as far as showing us all the steps we need to follow, even the etiquette of using the bathroom, supplications to be said upon entering it and leaving it, how to clean ourselves properly, and so on.
Islam serves as the best solution to all sorts of problems no matter how perplexing they may be and is the absolute answer to those who seek a perfect religion and a complete way of life. It guides us to a well-balanced life, one that makes us happy and contented in this world and in the life hereafter….it is the way to attaining supreme success in the everlasting world to come….in short Islam is the complete way for all is Allah’s mercy to the whole of mankind.
The command is for none but Allah; He has commanded that you obey none but Him; that is the right path (Holy Quran Ch:12, Verse: 40)
THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF ISLAM.
In the sharia law Story, I explained that Shariah is derived directly from the Quran and the Sunnah, the teachings and practices of the holy prophet, Mohammad PBUH and that together these two cover all aspects of human life.
As I before said, there are two sources of Shariah: The Quran, which many Muslims consider to be the literal word of God; and the “Sunnah,” the divinely guided tradition of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. Shariah is based on
1. Quran
2. Actions and Sayings of Prophet Muhammad
3. The practice of the First Three generations of Muslims
4. Consultation and Consensus
Some Muslims use the term Shariah to apply to both the injunctions in the Quran and Sunnah and the interpretation of the Quran and Sunnah. Islamic law consists of Shariah and fiqh. The interpretation of Shariah is called “fiqh,” or Islamic jurisprudence. Because fiqh is man-made, it can be changed; Shariah, for many Muslims, is divine and cannot be changed.
While often thought of as a legal system, Shariah covers personal and collective spheres of daily life and has three components; belief, character, and actions. Only a small portion of the “action” component relates to law. In fact, only about 80 of the Quran’s 6,236 verses are about specific legal injunctions.
The “belief” component of Shariah commands Muslims to believe in God, the angels, prophets, revelation, and other metaphysical and physical aspects of the faith.
In terms of “character,” Shariah commands Muslims to strive for traits like humility and kindness and to avoid traits such as lying and pride.
“Actions” include those relating to God, such as prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage, as well as actions relating to other humans, such as marriage, crime, and business.
Some actions relating to other humans can be regulated by the state, while actions relating to God (as well as belief and character) are between an individual and God. Nevertheless, some Muslim-majority countries have criminalized violations of the belief, character, and action components of Shariah.
For more about sharia law;
Islamic jurisprudence may be defined as a process by means of which jurists derive sets guidelines, rules and regulations (the Shari’ah) from the principles of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Over the centuries, these have been formulated and elaborated upon by successive generations of learned jurists, through interpretation, analogy, consensus and disciplined research.
While the principles of the Qur’an and the Sunnah are permanent, it is the nature of Islamic jurisprudence to facilitate for human beings the application of those principles to their activities and dealings.
Early shariah had a much more flexible character, and many modern Muslim scholars believe that it should be renewed and that the classical jurists should lose special status. This would require formulating new fiqh suitable for the modern world, e.g. as proposed by advocates of the Islamisation of knowledge, and would deal with the modern context.
The Categories of Islamic Law:
Islamic law suits man and woman’s human nature. Just like the law of gravity, if you step off of a high building you will fall and hurt yourself. Man, naturally doesn’t want to fall and hurt himself so he abstains from such foolishness.
The same goes for Islamic law. It is sent by the All-Mighty and All-Wise, Allah. The All-Knowing, Loving, Merciful Lord of mankind. Islamic law has strict rules and codes of conduct that help eliminate these ills. Allah Knows better than man how to run a civilized society.
Just as conventional law encompasses and binds human actions, so does Shariah law. At this point, it is beneficial to understand how Shariah categorizes human actions. The ‘amaal (or actions) of human beings can either be Halal (permissible) or Haram (prohibited).
For more about permissible and prohibited under sharia law;
On a descending scale, these are very clearly categorized as;
- Fard (Obligatory):
An act commanded by Allah in the Holy Qur’an is known as Fard. The following explains a Fard in detail:
a. An act that is obligatory to be executed
b. It has been proven by rigorously authenticated texts
c. The denial of any Fard renders one to come out of the folds of Islam.
d. If one omits to perform any Fard without any valid shari'a reason, then such a person becomes a fasiq (transgressor) and the person is regarded as a major sinner. [Fatawa Ridawiyyah — Vol. 2, Page 194]
2. Wajib (Necessary):
An act that is almost as compulsory as a Fard. The Messenger of Allah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam never omitted it. It is graded second, below a Fard in its necessity.
a. An act that is compulsory to do.
b. It is proven by religious arguments through ijtihad.
c. One who denies a Wajib is misguided.
d. If one omits a Wajib without any valid shari’i reason, then he is a transgressor and liable for the punishment of Hell.
e. To miss a Wajib once (deliberately, without any valid reason) is a minor sin (Gunah-e-Saghira). However, persistently omitting a Wajib shall turn it into a major sin (Gunah-e-Kabira).
3. Sunnat-e-Mu’akkadah:
“Sunnat” generally means: an act done or liked by the Messenger of Allah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam in relation to worship. One shall gain reward for performing a Sunnah, but there is no sin of on omits it. However, to continually omit it is a sin, and if one shows dissatisfaction to a Sunnah, then this is kufr (disbelief).
a. Sunnat-e-Mu’akkada is an act necessary to perform.
b. An act that was always performed by the Messenger of Allah ], but occasionally omitted so as to differentiate from something that is Wajib.
c. One gains the displeasure of Allah Most High and His Beloved Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam if a Sunnat-e-Mu’akkadah is omitted even if it is occasionally. Thus, making it a habit to omit a Sunnat-e-Mu’akkadah is an act of earning even more displeasure of Allah and His Beloved and inevitably, one becomes liable for punishment.
d. The status of a Sunnat-e-Mu’akkadah is near a Wajib.
e. Sunnat-e-Mu’akkadah is sometimes known as Sunnat-e-Huda.
4. Sunnat-e-Ghayr Mu’akkadah:
a. If it is performed one shall reap reward.
b. The Messenger of Allah had performed such an act, but also omitted it without any reason.
c. To omit a Sunnat-e-Ghayr Mu’akkadah is disliked in the Islamic Law (Shari’ah). However, one is not punished for this.
d. Sunnat-e-Ghayr Mu’akkadah is also known as Sunnat-e-Zawa’id.
5. Mustahab — Desirable Acts:
a. An act that is appreciated by the Sacred Islamic Law (Shari’ah)
b. There is no harm if one omits it
c. One gains reward for doing it, but one is not punished for omitting it.
6. Mubah:
a. An act that is neither commanded nor prohibited by the Shari’ah.
b. There is no reward for doing it, and no punishment or omitting it.
7. Haram (Unlawful):
a. Totally forbidden in Islam.
b. Proven by rigorously authenticated texts.
c. Anyone who denies something proven from the Qur’an and Hadith to be Haram, becomes a kafir.
d. If this act is committed deliberately and intentionally, even once, then such a person is a transgressor (fasiq), and has committed a major sin (Gunah-e-Kabira). Thus, such a person shall be punished.
e. To refrain from such acts is rewarded.
f. Haram is considered the opposite of Fard.
8. Makruh-e-Tehrimi:
“Makruh” generally means something that is not desirable i.e. something that is disliked by the Islamic Law.
a. Makruh-e-Tehrimi is something that is essential to refrain from.
b. To do an act that is Makruh-e-Tehrimi is a sin and against the commands of the Shari’ah.
c. Anyone who does it is a Fasiq, and will be punished.
d. There is reward to refrain from such acts.
e. If such acts are done once, then they are not classed as a major sin. However, to persevere on such acts does turn it into a major sin (Gunah-e-Kabira).
f. It is considered the opposite of a Wajib.
9. Isa’at:
a. An act that is necessary to avoid.
b. It is considered the opposite of Sunnat-e-Mu’akkadah.
10. Makruh-e-Tanzihi:
a. An act that is disliked by the Shari’ah.
b. If this act is done, then there is no sin or punishment. However, it is bad to make it a habit of doing such an act.
c. One gains reward for not doing it.
d. It is considered the opposite of Sunnat-e-Ghayr Mu’akkadah.
11. Khilaf-e-Awla:
It is best to avoid such acts, but if done then there is no sin or punishment. It is considered the opposite of Mustahab.
Extracted From: Anwaar al-Hadith, Pages 439 to 441
by Hadrat Allama Mufti Jalal al-Din Qadiri al-Amjadi
English Translation: Mawlana Kalim al-Qadiri [Bolton — U.K.]
Final Thoughts:
Islam is the religion of truth and success. Islam is a complete code of life and gives us guidance in every aspect of our day-to-day lives. The goal of Islam is for humans to become true servants of Allah. Therefore, his source of guidance and the foundations for his actions must be rooted in the revelation from Allah.
Islamic Sharia law is a code of basic principles which determine the relationship between man and Allah on one hand and among the individuals themselves. It prescribes the limits to do or not do certain things.
Everyone has to know and understand the basic principles, including that things and actions can be Halal, haram, makrooh, mustahhab, or mubah etc.
It’s not that complicated, it really isn’t. In short, you need to learn the basic of halal and haram from proper sources such as the Quran, sahih hadith and ask from scholars who are expert on this subject.
Some people here said you only need to refer to Quran ‘only’. That’s not true. Because from the narration of hadith and the story of our Prophet Muhammad saw will we know and learn in detail about halal and haram in Islam in a practical sense in his life.
“Islam brings hope and comfort to millions of people in my country, and to more than a billion people worldwide. Ramadan is also an occasion to remember that Islam gave birth to a rich civilization of learning that has benefited mankind.” — George W. Bush
“The Islamic teachings have left great traditions for equitable and gentle dealings and behavior, and inspire people with nobility and tolerance. These are human teachings of the highest order and at the same time practicable. These teachings brought into existence a society in which hard-heartedness and collective oppression and injustice were the least as compared with all other societies preceding it…. Islam is replete with gentleness, courtesy, and fraternity.” H.G. Wells
I hope that helps you. I don’t have any formal religious training, but for the last few years have been interested in learning more about Islam and its history. Also, you can ask shaikh or scholars in your Islamic center about any specific thing which do you want to know about Islam.
May Allah bless you with happiness, success, guidance, health, and knowledge Ameen
Verily good deeds do away with evil deeds.
And that is a reminder for those who remember.
Be patient with yourself. And Keep learning!!
I will be calmer, I will spread love as long as I can, I will live a spiritual life, I will do what I please no matter what and I will prove my theories.
Always start your day by renewing your intention that everything you do for yourself and your community, whether it be your acts of worship or daily chores. It all has to be merely for the sake of Allah (SWT) and also, I ask Allah (SWT) to make my work dedicated only to him and forgiveness from Allah (SWT), if I have got anything wrong. It is He who is the Hearing, the knowing.
Finally, I pray to Allah to benefit those who read this article and others, grant me truthfulness in what I say and do, preserve my thoughts and my pen from deviation and guide me in all my affairs.
And all praise and thanks are due to Allah, without Whose help and guidance nothing can be accomplished.
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