Renewal in Islamic thought

Dr. Adnan Mohammed Osama Book Index Introduction Part One: Renewal in its Correct Concept Chapter One: Definition of Renewal Section One: Definition of Renewal linguistically and legally Axes of renewal: 1. Reviving what has been obscured and lost from the features of the Sunnah 2. Suppressing innovations and newly invented matters 3. Applying rulings to what is found of incidents and events Section Two: Why renewal? Because the Sharia is eternal Because the texts of the Sharia are limited and events are extended Because the passage of time leads to the erasure of many features of religion Because the Sharia is comprehensive Section Three: Pillars of renewal What is in the Sharia from combining the two qualities of stability and flexibility Stability in beliefs and unseen matters Stability in fundamentals and general principles Stability in morals, acts of worship, and Hudood rulings Stability in rulings of destiny and texts that do not allow multiple meanings Flexibility in stating general rules without delving into details Flexibility in safeguarding necessities, excuses, and exceptional circumstances Flexibility through reasoning of Islamic rulings Flexibility through considering the interests of the servants in the Sharia Flexibility through considering the customs and traditions of people in the Sharia Section Four: General fields of religious renewal 1. Preserving the original correct texts of the religion 2. Conveying the correct meanings of texts and reviving proper understanding 3. Ijtihad in new matters and finding solutions for them 4. Correcting deviations 5. Protecting religion, defending it, and striving in its cause Section Five: The relationship between renewal, ijtihad, and innovation The relationship between renewal and ijtihad The relationship between renewal and innovation Section Six: Conditions and qualities of the renewer 1. The renewer should be known for pure creed and sound methodology 2. He should be knowledgeable, not just a mujtahid 3. His renewal should include practical thought and behavior in society 4. His benefit should reach the people of his time Chapter Two: About the Hadith of Renewal Section One: Authenticating the Hadith and mentioning narrations Narration of Abu Dawood Narration of Al-Hakim Section Two: Explaining the Hadith and mentioning benefits and derived lessons General meaning of the Hadith Detailed meaning of the Hadith Explanation of "Allah sends" Explanation of "at the beginning of one hundred years" Is it a condition that the death of the renewer occurs at the beginning of the hundred? Is the renewer of the century one or multiple? The benefit of counting the renewers The renewer is the religion of the nation, not the religion itself Section Three: Similar Hadiths to the Hadith of Renewal First Hadith: This knowledge will be inherited from every trustworthy generation Three ways of distorting religion: 1. Extremism 2. Prioritizing reason over transmission 3. Ignorance of Sharia Second Hadith: A group of my Ummah will remain victorious Third Hadith: Jews split into seventy-one sects Chapter Three: Models of Renewers Section One: Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz and his role in renewal Deviations that occurred in the caliphate system before Umar took over Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz’s reforms and renewal efforts Section Two: Imam Al-Shafi’i and his role in renewal Most prominent virtues and achievements of Al-Shafi’i His defense of creed His compilation of Usul al-Fiqh (Fundamentals of Jurisprudence) His support for the Sunnah His establishment of principles of Hadith sciences His reverence for the Sunnah and refutation of skeptics of its authenticity His combination of narrating and understanding the Sunnah His fairness, reliance on evidence, and lack of partisanship His general knowledge and benefit to the people of Islam Section Three: Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and his role in renewal Features of renewal at Imam Ahmad A. Features of scientific renewal - His stance in the trial of the created Qur'an - His status in the sciences of Sunnah, both understanding and narration B. Features of scientific renewal - The funeral of Ahmad ibn Hanbal Section Four: Ibn Taimiyah and his renewal role His name, birth, and upbringing His scholarly status Features of renewal at Ibn Taimiyah His jihad and defense of Islam - Jihad of the sword - Jihad against the Baatiniyyah (extreme Sufis) and innovators - His command to enjoin good and forbid evil - Ibn Taimiyah’s status in the hearts of people - His impact on his contemporaries and those after him Part Two: Renewal in Islamic Sciences Chapter One: Renewal in the Science of Creed Section One: The historical journey of the science of creed The innovation of the Khawarij The innovation of the Shi’ah The innovation of the Qadariyyah The innovation of the Murji’ah The impact of old sects and misguided groups on the beliefs of theological groups 1. Regarding the source of belief 2. Regarding the Qur'an and the attribute of speech for Allah 3. Regarding monotheism Section Two: Renewal in the science of creed throughout history and today Steps of renewal in the science of creed in the present time Chapter Two: Renewal in the Science of Usul al-Fiqh Section One: The emergence of the science of Usul al-Fiqh Legal books in the method of the Mutakallimun (theologians) Legal books in the method of the Fiqh scholars Legal books combining both methods Section Two: The emergence of the science of Maqasid al-Shariah (Objectives of Islamic Law) Section Three: Renewal of Usul al-Fiqh in contemporary times 1. Isolating the science of Usul al-Fiqh from theological, hypothetical, and dialectical debates 2. Supporting the foundational rules with verses, Hadiths, and effects 3. Highlighting the science of Maqasid al-Shariah Chapter Three: Renewal in the Science of Fiqh Section One: The historical emergence of Fiqh The wisdom of his effort, صلى الله عليه وسلم, and his permission for companions to exercise ijtihad Ijtihad in the era of the companions Ijtihad in the era of Tabi’un (successors) and their followers Ijtihad in the era of Tabi’un and their followers (repeated) Most prominent deviations that occurred in Fiqh throughout history: 1. Imitation of one of the four madhhabs and insisting on it 2. Closing the door of ijtihad 3. Sectarian fanaticism 4. Emergence of competition, envy, and name-calling among the madhhabs 5. Books filled with weak Hadiths 6. Books containing some wild statements Section Two: Renewal of Islamic Fiqh today Attitudes of scholars regarding deviations in Fiqh Steps of renewing and reforming Fiqh: 1. Reopening the door of ijtihad 2. Easing the conditions of ijtihad and its division 3. Sincerity to the truth and avoiding seeking leniency or following people's realities 4. Reforming Fiqh education Section Four: Renewal in the Sciences of the Sunnah Section One: The historical journey of preserving the Sunnah Beginning of recording the Sunnah Protecting the Sunnah from foreign influence 1. Care for the sanad (chain of narration) 2. Care for the text (matn) Section Two: Steps of renewing the science of the Sunnah in the present time Chapter Five: Renewal in the Science of Tafsir (Qur'anic Interpretation) Section One: Types of Tafsir and their history 1. The emergence of Tafsir by narration 2. The emergence of Tafsir by opinion Arguments of those who prohibit Tafsir by opinion and ijtihad Discussion of the evidence of those forbidding Tafsir by opinion Tafsir by opinion that is praiseworthy Tafsir by opinion that is blameworthy Section Two: Renewing the science of Tafsir today Chapter Six: Renewal in the Science of Tazkiyah and Sufism Section One: The status of Tazkiyah and morals in Islam Section Two: Deviations in the science of Tazkiyah and Sufism 1. Deviations in the source of transmission 2. Deviations in adopting the doctrine of the unity of existence 3. Deviations in acts of worship Section Three: Renewing the science of Usul al-Fiqh in contemporary times Steps of renewal in the science of Tazkiyah and Sufism today Chapter Seven: Renewal in the Science of the Seerah (Prophetic Biography) and Islamic History Introduction: Defining the Seerah and Islamic history Section One: Sources of the Seerah and Islamic history a. The Qur'an b. Hadith books and their compilations c. Books of Seerah Sources of Islamic history Section Two: Most prominent aspects of deficiencies in writing Seerah and history Section Three: Foundations of renewal in Seerah and history 1. Interpreting events according to an Islamic perspective 2. Avoiding interpretation of events through historical projection 3. Not interpreting events under the influence of intellectual defeat Part Three: Renewal and its relation to some sources of evidence Chapter One: Renewal and understanding of the Salaf (pious predecessors) Section One: Evidence for the necessity of following the Salaf The rational evidence for the obligation to follow the Salaf in understanding religion Section Two: The benefit of adhering to the methodology of the Salaf Chapter Two: Renewal and the intellect Section One: The status of the intellect and its role in transmission Section Two: The historical path of deviation in prioritizing the intellect over transmission Section Three: Responding to those who prioritize the intellect over transmission Chapter Three: Renewal and Ijma’ (consensus) Renewal and Ijma’ Definition of Ijma’ Types of Ijma’ Evidence for the validity of Ijma’ Rulings resulting from Ijma’ The ruling on those who deny Ijma’ Chapter Four: Renewal and Hadith of singular narrations (Ahad Hadith) Definition of Ahad Hadith Does the Hadith of Ahad establish certain knowledge? First school: The Hadith of one narrator indicates knowledge if supported by evidence Second school: The Hadith of one narrator does not indicate knowledge at all Chapter Five: Renewal and the reasoning behind rulings Section One: Schools of jurisprudence regarding reasoning behind rulings Section Two: Examples of the companions’ reasoning behind rulings 1. The Hadith about praying in Banu Quraizah 2. The Hadith of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah 3. Umar’s decision to allocate a share of the conquered lands to those with hearts inclined (Mu’allaf al-Quloob) 4. Umar’s refusal to divide the conquered lands among the needy 5. Abu Bakr’s fighting those who withhold Zakat Section Three: Sources of evidence arising from reasoning behind rulings 1. Qiyas (analogical reasoning) Examples of Qiyas Conditions of Qiyas Validity of Qiyas 2. Maslahah Mursalah (public interest) Categories of Maslahah based on the Sharia’s testimony and non-testimony: a. Considered interest b. Abandoned interest c. Unmentioned interest Scholars’ stance on accepting Maslahah Mursalah Evidence for the validity of Maslahah Mursalah a. The real situation of the Companions b. Acting upon Maslahah Mursalah makes the obligation fulfilled and thus obligatory Conditions for acting upon Maslahah Mursalah 3. Looking at the consequences of actions (Ma’la al-Mashar’i) Evidence for considering consequences Rules under the consideration of consequences: a. Blocking the means (Sadd al-Dhara’i) Evidence for blocking the means b. Invalidating tricks (Batil al-Hiyal) Evidence for invalidating tricks Scholars’ stance on tricks Examples of contemporary tricks c. Istihsan (preferential juristic reasoning) Scholars’ stance on Istihsan Choosing the lesser of two evils and inflicting the lesser harm Rules for choosing the lesser of two evils: a. The assessment of benefits and harms by Sharia, not by personal desire b. Knowing the ranks of benefits and prioritizing the more important over the less c. Giving precedence to public interest over private interest d. Preferring certain benefits over others when they are certain or likely over those that are merely assumed e. Considering the consequences when estimating benefits and harms Chapter Six: Renewal and necessity Definition of necessity Cases where necessity occurs Conditions of necessity Chapter Seven: Renewal and custom (Urf) Definition of custom Legitimacy of custom Categories of custom Relationship of custom with Sharia a. That custom is itself a legal ruling b. That custom is the basis and related to the legal ruling c. That custom is neither a legal ruling nor a basis for a legal ruling Examples of custom Relationship of custom with renewal Part Four: The distorted concept of renewal Introduction Chapter One: Most prominent schools of distorted renewal Section One: The old rational school (Mu'tazila) Main principles of the Mu'tazila Section Two: The modern reformist rational school Most prominent features of the modern rational school Intellectual roots of the modern rational school The concept of secularism and its main goals Chapter Two: The concept of religious renewal in the distorted renewal The concept of religious renewal according to proponents of distorted renewal Chapter Three: Renewal in the realm of beliefs Introduction Section One: Destroying religion entirely—creed, worship, and conduct Section Two: Sanctifying reason and prioritizing it over transmission Section Three: Denying unseen matters or interpreting them Section Four: Removing barriers between faith and disbelief 1. Calling for the unity of religions 2. Advocating interfaith and intercultural dialogue 3. Gathering people based on homeland, wealth, or freedom Section Five: Tolerance towards misguided sects and striving for unity with them Chapter Four: Renewal in the field of Usul al-Fiqh (Foundations of Jurisprudence) Introduction Section One: Setting conditions for acting upon texts a. Requiring mutawatir (mass transmitted) reports in creed matters b. Requiring mutawatir reports in constitutional laws c. Accepting scientific Sunnah without verbal (textual) evidence d. Constraining the generality of texts Section Two: Prioritizing the interest over the text Section Three: Relying on the objectives and spirit of texts without detailed rulings Section Four: Interpreting consensus (Ijma’) through popular consultation and daring to oppose it Section Five: Abandoning the conditions and rules of Qiyas Chapter Five: Renewal in the field of Sunnah Introduction to the contemporary stance of modernists towards the Sunnah Section One: Criticism of the Hadith transmitters and scholars and their accusations of fabrication and lying Section Two: Contradicting the Sunnah with independent reasoning (Qiyas) Section Three: Contradicting the Sunnah with generalities of the Qur'an Section Four: Dividing the Sunnah into legislative and non-legislative types Chapter Six: Renewal in the field of Fiqh Introduction Section One: The stance of modernists towards Fiqh and Fiqh scholars Section Two: Methodology of modernists in preference and choosing Section Three: Deviations of modernists in the field of Islamic punishments (Hudood) Section Four: Deviations of modernists in the system of governance 1. Equating Muslims with others in rights and duties 2. Denying the obligation of killing the apostate and calling for intellectual freedom 3. Invalidating the jizyah imposed on non-Muslims 4. Claiming that Jihad in Islam is only defensive 5. Permitting rebellion against the Imam even if he does not show disbelief Section Five: Deviations of modernists on women’s issues 1. Modernists’ stance on women’s hijab 2. Modernists’ stance on mixing between men and foreign women 3. Modernists’ stance on women’s guardianship Various deviations on women’s issues: a. Permitting Muslim women to marry the People of the Book b. Allowing women’s testimony equal to men’s c. Blood money (Diyah) for women d. Restricting divorce, polygamy, and limiting offspring Section Six: Deviations of modernists on Riba (interest) issues Section Seven: Deviations of modernists in permitting the making of statues and images Conclusion and main findings Indexes Index of Verses Index of Hadiths Index of Names Index of Sources and References Index of Topics