The Assignment of Uts

EXPLANATION OF READING STRUCTURE :
SHARI’AH : The Path of Allah
Shari’ah literally means the road to a watering place, hence the path of Allah. It is the body of revealed
laws primarily found both in the Holly Qur’an and in the Sunnah. The aim of the Shari’ah is to make people
happier in this world and the hereafter. In line with this, a Muslim’s life is ruled in its entirely by the Shari’ah,
which spells out the precise rules and regulations governing individual relations with Allah as well as with
fellow Muslims and non-Muslims. Thus, it embraces ideally both the religious and non-religious activities of the
Muslims. Bearing in mind the unique character of Islam as a religion and complete code of life, Shari’ah is the
law according which Allah wants a Muslim to live. Shari’ah has a comprehensive public law that covers both
constitution and international affairs. Likewise, it has a private law that covers both criminal and civil matters. It
is fundamentally a doctrine of acts and obligation based entirely on revealed sources-namely the Holly Qur’an
and the Sunnah. It has a complete way of life towards which the individual and society must strive.
The sources of Shari’ah, as generally believed, fall into two main categories: the primary sources, as
already mentioned, the Holly Qur’an, and the Sunnah, about which no schools of Islam disagree upon, the
secondary sources are Ijma or consensus and Ijtihad or reasoning. The primacy of the Holly Qur’an and the
Sunnah, over all other sources, can be inferred, among other things, in one of the Prophet’s tradition. When
Muadh Ibn Jabal was appointed as the governor and judge of Yaman, the Prophet is reported to have asked
him as to how he would decide matters coming up before him. “I will judge matters according to the Book of
Allah,” said Muadh. “But if the Book of Allah contains nothing to guide you?” ”Then I will act upon the
precedents of the Prophet of Allah:.” “But if the precedents of the Prophet of Allah fail?” “Then I will exert to
form of our own judgment.”
Since the Shari’ah is believed to be Allah’s law for the entire community, indeed for all humankind. In
the final analysis, Allah is sovereign ruler of the world and its sole legislator. Since the Shari’ah is concerned
with what a Muslim ought to do or ought not to do, all acts are ethically categorized as: obligatory,
recommended, in different or permissible, reprehensive, but not forbidden, and forbidden. To break the
Shari’ah is transgression against both society and Allah; a crime and a sin; the guilty are subject to punishment
in this world and the hereafter.
The true Muslim believes should also believe in all the books and revelations of the almighty Allah.
They were guiding light which the messengers of Allah received to show their respective people the right path
of Allah, Islam. In the Holy Qur’an a special reference is made to the books of Ibrahim, Dawud, Musa, and Isa.
Their respective scriptural names are Sukhuf, Zabur, Taurat [Torah], Injil [Gospel]. However, long before the
revelation of the Qur’an to Muhammad, p.b.u.h., according to Hammudah Abdallati, some of those books and
revelations had been either lost or corrupted, others forgotten, neglected or concealed. In line with this,
Muslims believe that the only authentic and complete book of Allah in existence today is the Qur’an. The
authenticity of the Qur’an and its comparison to the Old and New Testament are explained in great detail by
Dr. M.M Al Azami, an emeritus professor of Islamic Studies at king Sa’ud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in his
book The History of The Qur’anic Text from revelaton to compilation (2005). Now the Indonesian edition of the
book is also available.
The holy Qur’an, which is divided into thirty parts (juz), consist of 144 chapters (surah) of varying
length, from a few lines to several pages. According to Ibn Kathir, one of the most well known interpretes
(mufasir) in Indonesia, there are 6.000 verses in the holy Qur’an, 77.439 words, and not less than 321.180
letters. It was revealed in the Arabic language by Almighty Allah to the Prophet Muhammad, p.b.u.h, with angel
Gabriel as intermediary.
The Prophet Muhammad was then only forty years old when Allah advised him of his mission. The
angel Gabriel visited him on Sunday night, then on Sunday night, and on Monday he revealed to him that he
had been chosen by Allah to be prophet to receive a risalah, the revealed message. This was in 610 C.E. at the
cave of Hira, a place of retreat near Mecca where Muhammad used to go to meditate. The five first verses
revealed to him were an order to be informed and to learn. The meaning of the verses, based on Hilali’s and
Khan’s Interpretation of the meanings of the Noble Qur’an (1996), are as follows in Chapter 96, verses 1-5.
Allah revelation to Muhammad succeeded one another from time to time over a period of more than
twenty years, from 610 to 632 C.E., the date of the Prophet’s death.

The Assignment of Uts

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Assignment of Uts

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Assignment of Uts

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

EXPLANATION OF READING STRUCTURE :

SHARI’AH : The Path of Allah

You might also like