Justice and liberation

Question 1

o ‘Amr bil Maroof wa Nahi ‘anil Munkar’ is the central theme of the Ummah, which means ‘Enjoying the good and forbidding the evil are believers, but most of them are defiantly disobedient” (Surah Aal Imran 3:104).

Answer 1

Meaning- you are the best community in the world only because you enjoin good and forbid evil. Al Qurtubi said “You are the best of peoples only if you enjoin good and forbid evil”.

Question 2

o “And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful”. (Surah Aal Imran 3:104).

Answer 2

Meaning- there should always be a group calling people towards good and forbidding them from evil. Without a group, that nation would not work because there would be no one to stop us from committing sin if we worked individually. This is an obligation upon the Ummah which is a collective responsibility. Your success in this world and in the Hereafter depends upon the fulfilment of this obligation. If you fail your duty, you’re “not among the successful”.

Question 3

o The Prophet said “The likeness of the man who observes the limits prescribed by Allah and that of the man who transgresses them is like the people who get on board a ship after casting lots. Some of them are on its lower deck and some of them in its upper (deck). Those who are in its lower (deck), when they require water, go to the occupants of the upper deck, and say to them: ‘If we make a hole in the bottom of the ship, we shall not harm you’. If they (the occupants of the upper deck) leave them to carry out their design they all will be drowned. But if they do not let them go ahead (with their plan), all of them will remain safe”. (Hadith).

Answer 3

Meaning- We learn from this Hadith that the consequences of committing acts which are forbidden in Islam are not confined only to those persons who commit them, but the whole society has to suffer for them. It is, therefore, essential that the people who are in the habit of committing sinful acts and violate Divine injunctions, should be checked to save the whole society from destruction. If this is not done, the entire society will have to face the Divine punishment.

Question 4

o Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (May Allah bepleased with him) reported: `O you who believe! Take care of your ownselves. If you follow the (right) guidance [and enjoin what is right (Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and forbid what is wrong (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden)] no hurt can come to you from those who are in error.’ (5:105)

Answer 4

Meaning- If a person is on the Straight Path then it is not necessary for him to preach virtue and forbid vice because in that case he neither has the fear of being harmed by the disobedience and sins of others nor is he answerable to Allah for their misdeeds. Thus, what it implies is that Muslim Ummah is not responsible for the enforcement of Islamic Shari`ah in the world and all it is concerned with is its own improvement only. However, if a good Muslim tries to stop someone from committing sin but fail, then that Muslim will not be held responsible for what the sinners do, nor would they suffer on this account.

Question 5

What is the concept of jihad?

Answer 5

 Jihad is a religious duty of Muslims which means to ‘strive’ or ‘struggle’.
 The expression ‘al-jiah fi sabil Allah’ is said frequently and means ‘striving in the way of Allah’.
 Some Sunni scholars have called Jihad the sixth Pillar of Islam due to its importance in Islam. The Twelve Shia Imams believe Jihad is one of the ‘Ancillaries of the Faith’ (the ten practices that Shia Muslims must perform).

Question 6

What is the purpose of jihad?

Answer 6

 Muslims see Jihad as a way to peace. The aim of this Jihad is to make a society where Muslims can worship Allah in peace, without other beliefs or politics being forced upon them.
 According to the Qur’an and the saying of the Prophet, Muslims are forbidden form starting a war. If the enemy offers peace, then Muslims too must put down their weapon.
 The Prophet was asked about people fighting because they are brave, or in honour of a certain loyalty, or to show off- however which one fights for the cause of Allah? “The person who struggles so that Allah’s word is supreme is the one serving Allah’s cause” (Hadith).

Question 7

What are the two types of jihad?

Answer 7

• Greater jihad

- Lesser jihad

Question 8

What is greater jihad?

Answer 8

Greater Jihad- The struggle each Muslim has to lead a life that is pleasing to Allah. E.g. controlling our eyes to prevent looking at sinful things.

Question 9

What is lesser jihad?

Answer 9

Lesser Jihad- Fighting for the cause of Islam and has very strict guidelines. E.g. going to other countries to stop persecution of other Muslims.

Question 10

What are the four categories within jihad?

Answer 10

There are four categories within Jihad:

1. Jihad al Nafs (Jihad against one’s own self) - how a person lives their life. This is a Lesser Jihad.
2. Jihad al-Lisan (Jihad of the tongue) - how a person controls what they say. This is a Lesser Jihad.
3. Jihad al-Yad (Jihad of the hand) - how a person controls what they do. This is a Lesser Jihad.
4. Jihad as-Sayf (Jihad of the sword) - fighting against the oppression of Islam. This is a Greater Jihad.

Question 11

Does lesser jihad affect the lives of muslims?

Answer 11

 The teachings on Jihad means that life must always be a struggle for a Muslim.
 If one is struggling to make themselves a good Muslim, it means that they will be trying to practice all 5 of the Pillars and trying to fulfil all the regulations in the Shari’ah.

Question 12

Does greater jihad affect the lives of muslims?

Answer 12

 Muhammad (PBUH) led his followers into the Battle of Badr in 624 CE in order to defend the safety of the Muslims in al-Madinah. This was the first example of Jihad on the battlefield.
 Islam regards self-defence as a just cause for war, but Muslims are forbidden from being the first to attack.
 “Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors”. (Surah 2:190)

Question 13

What are the rules for Lesser Jihad?

Answer 13

For:

1. In defence against an attacker.
2. To protect the oppressed.
3. To preserve the Islamic way of life.
4. Declared by a recognition and respected religious leader.

Question 14

What are the rules against Lesser Jihad?

Answer 14

Against:

1. To gain land.
2. Indiscriminate use of violence such as killing civilians.
3. To start the fight.
4. Mustn’t be declared for political reasons.

Question 15

What are the misconceptions of jihad?

Answer 15

Misconceptions
 Although Jihad doesn’t mean war, many Muslims believe that fighting against evil and the preservation of Islam may justify going into battle.
 This is described as Harb al-Muqadis, which is technically a Holy War.

Question 16

Explain mercy and the conduct of the Prophet

Answer 16

o “And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds”. (Qur’an 21:107)
o Allah sent His Prophet as a mercy to all the world, both believers and disbelievers. As for the believers, Allah guided them through Muhammad (PBUH) and caused them, through their belief in Him, to enter Al-Jannah. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) made the punishment for the disbelievers quicker due to his high characteristics.
o The day of Al-‘Aqabah was the Prophet’s (PBUH) worst day where he was rejected by the people and treated poorly. Whilst heading away from there, the Angel Jibraa’eel came from the clouds and told Muhammad (PBUH) that Allah has heard what those people said to you and how they rejected you. Allah then sent the Angel of the mountains for the Prophet to do what he pleases to those people. The angel asked if he should bring together the two mountains of Makkah to crush them, however, the Prophet said to him “Rather I hope that Allah will bring forth from their loins people who will worship Allah alone, not associating anything with Him”.
o The Prophet hasn’t killed anyone, with the exception of Ubay Ibn Khalaf on the day of Uhud- who was the most hostile of people towards the Prophet and Islam. The Prophet said “The most severely punished of people on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who was killed by a Prophet or who killed a Prophet, or a leader of misguidance or an image maker”.

Question 17

Explain Diya (restitution)

Answer 17

o	Diya (also known as diyah or diyeh) is the financial compensation paid to the victim or heirs of the victim in the cases of murder, bodily harm or property damage. It’s an alternative punishment to qisas (equal retaliation).
o	The Qur’an specifies the principle of Qisas and compensation (diyah) in cases where one Muslim kills another Muslim. 
o	Islamic law treats homicide and unintentional homicide as a civil dispute between believers, rather than corrective punishment by the state to maintain order. The offender must either face equal qisas. “And We ordained for them therein a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds is legal retribution”. (Qur’an 5:45)
o	So you can pay diya to the victim or heirs of the victim, or be forgiven by the victim or victim heirs. 
o	The value of diya, vary with the victim’s religion, gender and legal status (free or slave). For a free Muslims male, the diya value of his life was traditionally set as the value of 100 Camels. The diya value in case the victim was a woman, non-Muslim or slave varied in the Sharia of different schools of Islamic law. The diya must be paid by the murderer or the estate of the murderer. In some cases, such as when the murderer is young, the diyah is owed by the family of the murderer (Aqila).

Question 18

Explain Maslaha

Answer 18

o	Maslaha(h) is Arabic for ‘public interest’ and a concept in traditional Islamic law. It’s invoked to prohibit or allow something on the basis of whether it serves the common good or public welfare. 
o	Maslaha is linked ‘istislah’ which is the purpose of the Sharia and means ‘to seek the best public interest’. 
o	14th century lawyer Al-Shatibi, famously used Maslaha and the Islamic law. He argued with questions relating to Allah (ibadat), humans should look to the Qur’an or the Sunnah for answers, but regarding the relationship between humans (mu’amalat) we should look for the best public solution. Since societies change, al-Shatibi though that the mu’amalat part of the Islamic law also needed to change.

Question 19

Explain Fard Kifaya

Answer 19

Fard are religious duties commanded by Allah. Muslims who obey such commands or duties are said to receive reward (hasanat, ajr or thawab) each time for each good deed.

Question 20

what are the two sorts of duties that the Fiqh distinguishes?

Answer 20

 Fard Ayn (individual duty) is an act that’s obligatory for Muslims, we will be rewarded for performing it or punished for failing to perform it. An example is the five daily prayers, for which Muslims are individually responsible and the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime (hajj).
 Fard Kifaya (collective duty) is an act that’s obligatory for the Muslim community. If it’s sufficiently carried out by some members of the Muslim community, then other Muslims don’t have to perform it; but if nobody takes it upon themselves to perform the act on behalf of the community, then all Muslims have failed (and will be punished). An example is the prayer performed at a burial: it’s obligatory that someone attend the funeral to perform it, but as long as someone does it, others aren’t obliged to attend.

Question 21

What is Ali Shari’at (Contemporary approaches to social liberation in Islam:)

Answer 21

	li Shariati (1933 –1977) was an Iranian revolutioner and sociologist who focused on the sociology of religion. He is held as one of the most influential Iranian intellectuals of the 20th century and has been called the "ideologue of the Iranian Revolution", although his ideas ended up not forming the basis of the Islamic Republic.
	Shariati saw Marxism (a communistic political theory) as a failed experiment which would be unable to liberate Iranian society. He advocated for an overhauled version of revolutionary Islam to be the ideological successor to Marxism. For Shariati, a retooled version of Islam was needed. His interpretation of Islam would be a post-Marxist revolutionary philosophy that was more authentic, and also had a greater chance of mobilizing class consciousness among working-class Muslims.

Question 22

What is Abdal Hakim Murad(Contemporary approaches to social liberation in Islam:)

Answer 22

 Timothy John Winter (born in 1960), also known as Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad, is a British Sunni Muslim scholar. Winter is a traditionalist and considers the views of extremists as religiously illegitimate and inauthentic. Arguing that extremists don’t understand Islamic law and theology, and he denounces their Fatwas.
 He rejects suicide bombing and considers the killing of the innocent as always forbidden, noting that some sources consider it worse than murder.
 He blames Muslim terrorists on two things. The first being the Western foreign policy and secondly Saudi Arabia’s Wahhabi ideology. He believes these give extremists a theological pretext for their violence.

Question 23

Discuss the role of justice, liberation and mercy in foundational Islamic teachings

Answer 23

 The Quran considers justice to be a supreme virtue. “God commands justice and fair dealing…” (Quran 16:90). Therefore, one may conclude that justice is an obligation of Islam and injustice is forbidden. The centrality of justice to the Quranic value system is displayed by the following verse: “We sent Our Messengers with clear signs and sent down with them the Book and the Measure in order to establish justice among the people…” (Quran 57:25). The phrase ‘Our Messengers’ shows that justice has been the goal of all revelation and scriptures sent to humanity. The verse also shows that justice must be measured and implemented by the standards and guidelines set by revelation. Islam’s approach to justice is comprehensive and all-embracing.
 The Quran also refers to particular instances and contexts of justice. One such instance is the requirement of just treatment of orphans. God says: “And approach not the property of the orphan except in the fairest way, until he [or she] attains the age of full strength, and give measurement and weight with justice…” (Quran 6:152, also see 89:17, 93:9, and 107:2)
 Fair dealings in measurements and weights, as mentioned in the above verse, is also mentioned in other passages where justice in the business transactions in general, is emphasized. There is an entire chapter of the Quran, Surah al-Mutaffifeen (‘The Detractors in Giving Weights,’ 83) where fraudulent dealers are threatened with divine wrath.
 References to justice also occur in the context to polygamy. The Quran demands equitable treatment of all wives. The verse of polygamy begins by reference to orphaned girls who may be exposed to depravation and injustice. When they reach marriageable age, they should be married off, even if it be into a polygamous relationship, especially when there is inequality in the number of men and women, as was the case after the Battle of Uhud when this verse was revealed. But, as the Quran states: “If you fear that you can not be just, then marry only one…” (Quran 4:3)

Question 24

Discuss the ways in which individual rights and public interest are balanced in Islamic law and ethics

Answer 24

 Muslims argue that individual rights and public interests are balanced in Islamic law and ethics. The Qur’anic standards of justice transcend considerations of race, religion, colour and creed, as Muslims are commanded to be just to their friends and foes alike, and to be just at all levels, as the Qur’an says: “O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor…” (4:135).
 “O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah, witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness”. (5:8)
 In regards to Non-Muslims: “Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly”. (60:8)
 The Qur’an views itself as a scripture devoted mainly to laying down the principles of faith and justice. The Qur’an demands that justice be met for all, and that it’s an inherent right of us under Islamic law.