The Fundamentals of Understanding Islam

Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and sincere

exhortations and debate with them in manners that are most appropriate. (16:125)

The Fundamentals

Of

Understanding Islam

Prepared by the team of Understanding-Islam in

the UK (UIUK)

Introduction

The correct approach of understanding Islam entails an

understanding of beliefs and practices of Islam, based fundamentally on the

Qur’an and the Sunnah.

It encompasses an understanding and interpretation of the

Qur’an, primarily from within the Qur’an, emanating from its theme, context,

sequence and language. It involves an understanding of the Qur’an which also

acknowledges interpretation of the verses in the light of the time of revelation

and the phase of the Prophetic mission of religious propagation, both of which

are determined from within the Qur’an. Sources that are external to the Qur’an

are secondary to its interpretation.

This approach began as a movement for the renaissance of

original thinking about the concepts and interpretations of religion and the

study of its basic sources. Imam Hameed ud din Farahi (1862- 1930) was the

founder of this thinking and he initiated the study of the Qur’an on these

lines. He pioneered the discovery of coherence in the Qur’an and demonstrated

that by taking coherence into consideration a single interpretation of the

Qur’an was possible.

Amin Ahsan Islahi (1904-1997), his most distinguished pupil

wrote a commentary of the Qur’an along the thinking of Imam Farahi called

Tadabur-i-Qur’an. This commentary fully reflects the principles of his

illustrious guide. It has ushered in a new era in the field of scriptural

interpretation.

One of Amin Ahsan Islahi’s students, Javed Ahmad Ghamidi has

now established a research institute in Lahore, Pakistan called Al-Mawrid

Institute of Islamic Sciences; (founded 1983) dedicated to the continuity of

this tradition of original research and thinking. The objectives of the

institute are to conduct and facilitate academic work on Islamic sciences and to

educate people on its basis.

This booklet aims to introduce an approach to understanding

Islam that is revived and promoted by the scholars of the above institute. The

main content of the booklet consists of the following:

• Religion

• The Qur’an

• The Sunnah

• Hadith

• Some of the important outcomes

Religion

The essence of religion is to worship God (Allah); it entails

humility and obedience. The rites, rituals, norms and confines of this worship

constitute religion. The righteous religion Islam is God’s guidance in this

world. This guidance has been bestowed upon mankind by way of His messengers and

prophets. Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) is the final prophet of this

sequence.

Purpose of Religion

According to religion, the purpose of our lives is to please

God; which leads us to Paradise. To attain this we need to develop purification.

This encompasses positive enhancement and moulding of the good in our soul, and

purification and purging of the bad. The purpose of religion is to help us

attain purification; both in our individual and collective lives. In the Qur’an,

God states, successful is he, who has cleansed himself (87:14).

The Concept of Guidance

The Qur’an maintains that human beings have not been created

blind and ignorant; have we not shown him the two ways [that he could understand

the good and the evil]? (90:10). Religion does not provide guidance on all

aspects of life but it maintains that human beings have generally been endowed

with sufficient ability to solve their everyday problems (inborn guidance).

Religion acts as a reminder (Revealed guidance) for men. A reminder about things

and concepts which deep inside, he is already aware of, yet, due to the

influence of the external world, his society and surroundings, he tends to

forget. In light of the above it is incorrect to suggest that Islam provides

complete guidance in all aspects of life. Islam is a direction finder and

influences our way of thinking and steers us to the right Path.

Source of Religion

The Prophet or messenger of God is the solitary source of the

religion; hence for Muslims Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) is the only source for their

religion. From the Holy Prophet (pbuh) the entire religion was disseminated to

the Muslims by way of the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

Islam, like other religions, consists of two components;

beliefs and practices. The beliefs have been stated in the Qur’an while the

practices are embodied in both the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

The Qur’an

Muslims believe the Qur’an is that Book of God that was sent

to mankind through Prophet Mohammad (pbuh); providing guidance about religious

beliefs and practices. The Prophet (Pbuh) taught the Qur’an to his Companions.

This Book has been transferred from the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh),

uninterrupted, through successive generations of Muslims with consensus (Ijma)

and verbal perpetuation (tawaatur) to date.

Authority of the Qur’an

The Qur’an is the fountainhead of religious authority. It is

the balance (mizan) in whose scales everything must be weighed in order to

ascertain the extent of truth found within that entity, and it is the criterion

(Furqan) which like a sieve sifts out good from evil.

It is God who has sent down the Book in truth that is the

Mizan…….. (42:17)

Blessed is He Who sent down the Furqan to His servant that

it may be an admonition to the people of the world. (25:1)

The Qur’an is the Final Testament of the Almighty revealed to

mankind. It is the Only Divine Book which is today found in its original

language and form, preserved word for word. As such it has been invested with

the status of the guardian over all previous Divine Books.

And to you (O Prophet pbuh), we have revealed a Book with

the truth confirming what the previous scriptures (say about it) and it stands

as Guardian over them……… (5:48)

Interpreting the Qur’an

Every Muslim and every reader of classical Arabic and all

those who have access to an authentic translation of the Qur’an, can easily

decipher from the Qur’an the articles of belief in Islam and the basic religious

obligations bestowed upon a Muslim so that one can please one’s Creator and

attain salvation in the hereafter. As such, the Qur’an is a very straightforward

book of guidance for all people.

However, to have a more scholarly understanding of the Qur’an

and its message and to comprehend the accurate and in-depth meaning of its

verses and their links together, in particular to be able to verify the

authenticity of different understandings from the verses of the Qur’an, it is

essential to have an in depth insight and means to appreciate and understand the

Qur’an.

In this booklet, the essential means to appreciate and

understand the Qur’an are called primary sources of interpretation of the

Qur’an. These means and insights elucidate the Qur’an; others that are not

essential but are helpful in the understanding and interpretation of the Qur’an

are called secondary sources. The Primary and the secondary sources for

interpreting the Qur’an are briefly introduced below.

Primary Sources for interpreting the Qur’an:

• Language of the Qur’an: The language in which the Qur’an

  was revealed was the Arabic of the highest quality spoken by the Quraysh of

  Makkah. As such, it is impetrative that due consideration is given to an

  in-depth understanding of this particular language.

• Context of the Qur’an: The Qur’an is a coherent Book in

  which its verses and Surahs are arranged in a specific order. While

  interpreting the Qur’an it is important to keep in view the context of its

  verses. No verse should be interpreted without regard to its context.

• Parallels of the Qur’an: One of the main sources for

  understanding the Qur’an is the Qur’an itself. Many verses or words in the

  Qur’an are explained or further clarified in other verses of the Qur’an.

• Theme of the Qur’an: The theme of the Qur’an is the

  “Indhar” of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) 1. Indhar is a term of the Qur’an and

  means admonition or warning. It is important to interpret verses of the Qur’an

  in the light of this theme (Indhar) and its different phases. In doing so,

  attention to the time of revelation and the addressees of verses (whether

  directives are general or are specific to certain group of people in the era

  of the Prophet (pbuh) are essential.

Secondary sources for interpreting the Qur’an:

• Ahadith: Ahadith are potential sources to access the

  Prophet’s (pbuh) and his companions’ understanding, explanation and

  application of the verses of the Qur’an. A hadith that provides explanation

  for a verse or verses of the Qur’an helps in interpreting the Qur’an, provided

  that the chain of narrators of the hadith is not weak and that the context of

  Hadith itself is in line with the text of the Qur’an and its overall message.

  Hadith however cannot abrogate or add to a Qur’anic directive.

• The previous scriptures: Previous divine scriptures are

  helpful in understanding the Qur’an. Though they are not present in their

  original form, however they are still an invaluable source of wisdom and

  divine directives. They also contain historical record about the previous

  prophets of Bani Israel (Children of Israel).

• The major commentaries: Numerous translations and Tafasir

  (commentaries) have been written about the Qur’an by various Muslim scholars,

  these also provide a valuable source of scholarly insight and information

  about its interpretation.

• History of Arabia: History of Arabia highlights the social,

  moral, intellectual and economic mood of the people at the time of the Prophet

  Muhammad (pbuh). The likes and dislikes of the people, rites, rituals and

  social norms of that time.

The Sunnah

Sunnah literally means well trodden path in Arabic. Sunnah

are those Abrahamic practices and rituals that were adopted and revived by the

Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), in some cases after modifications and additions, and

instituted among his followers as integral part of God’s religion.

Sunnan (plural of Sunnah) are practical activities and these

have been transferred and established by the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), as part of

the practices of God’s religion, through practical demonstration to his

Companions. From the companions, these practices have been transmitted

uninterrupted through successive generations of Muslims with consensus (Ijma)

and practical perpetuation (tawaatur) to date. The Sunnah and the Qur’an are

equally authentic. They are both delivered to us through the same source i.e.

Prophet Mohammad (pbuh). They have reached us through the same mechanism of

history (i.e. verbal and practical perpetuation and consensus of the Muslim

Ummah). The Qur’an has reached us by verbal (documentary) transmission whilst

the Sunnah by practical transmission. It is within these two that the entire

basic corpus of Islam is preserved.

Essential features of the Sunnah include:

• Consists of practices initiated by the Prophet (pbuh) and

  not by the Qur’an.

• Initiated by the Prophet (pbuh) as integral part of

  religion.

• Does not include religious beliefs and concepts.

• Does not include Prophetic teachings, intended at

  interpreting and explaining human nature.

• Cannot be established merely through individual reports,

  inclusion of an act as the Sunnah requires consensus of the Muslim Ummah.

• Does not include supererogatory acts.

• Does not include detailed religious practices that have not

  been established as Sunnah by the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh).

Significance of the Sunnah

The Sunnah provides concrete shape to Muslim faith and a

practical semblance to very important tenets of Islam. It plays a crucial role

towards the formation of Muslim Ummah and imparts a distinguished and unique

character to all Muslims.

The Sunnan instituted by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

The Sunnah consists of three main categories of Mandatory

rituals, Etiquettes pertaining to personal hygiene and Symbolic customs.

These are listed as follows:

• To eat and drink by the name of God and with the right hand

• Saying Al hamdu lillah (All praise be for God) when one

  sneezes and Replying to it by saying YarhamuKa Allah (May God bless you)

• Calling Adhan in the right ear of a newborn baby and Iqamah

  in his left ear

• Bathing the dead before burial

• Shrouding the dead body in cloth (takfin) to bury it

• Offering funeral prayer

• Burial (tadfin) of the dead body

• Celebrating Eid al Fitr, on the first day of the tenth

  month of the lunar calendar

• Paying alms on Eid ul Fitr

• Celebrating Eid al Adha on the tenth day of the twelfth

  month of lunar calendar

• Takbirs (saying Allah u Akbar which means God is the

  greatest) after prayers during the days of Tashriq (Eid days And the three

  days after)

• Offering the Eid Prayers

• Trimming the moustaches

• Greeting each other with Assalam u Alaykum (Peace be with

  you) and replying to it by Wa’alaykum Assalam (and Peace be with you)

• Removing the undesired hair around the genitals

• Removing hair from the armpits

• Circumcision of all male children

• Keeping finger and toe nails trimmed

• Keeping the teeth, nose and mouth clean

• Washing after defecation, and urination

• Bathing after having sexual intimacy or orgasm

• Avoiding sexual intimacy during menses and after birth

• Bathing (of women) after menses and childbirth marking the

  end of the period

• Organisation of five daily obligatory prayers

• Friday congregation

• Ablution for prayers

• “Tayammum” (Using mud/dust to make ablution in the absence

  of water or when use of water can be detrimental to health)

• Saying Adhan (call for prayers)

• Saying Iqamah before the prayers

• Constructing, establishing and maintaining a system for the

  management of mosques

• Observing the sanctity of the Ka’bah

• Fasting during the month of Ramadan

• Ai’tikaf (seclusion and isolating oneself for a specific

  amount of time for worshiping God, in particular in the last Ten days of

  Ramadhan)

• Paying Zakah (Islamic Tax)

• Performing Hajj and Umrah (pilgrimage to Ka’abah)

• Sacrificing animals on Eid ul Adha

• Observing the sanctity of four months; the seventh lunar

  month of Rajab for Umrah and the eleventh, twelfth and The first lunar month

  for performance of Hajj. During these months all forms of armed conflicts and

  any attempt To obstruct the routes of pilgrims are strictly prohibited.

• Tadhkiyah that is slaughtering animals with pronouncing the

  name of God, in the prescribed manner that is by cutting the main blood

  vessels to let all the blood flow out.

• Tawaf (Circumambulation of the Ka’bah) as part of Hajj or

  Umrah

• Offering Hadi (Sacrificial animals brought to the Ka’bah)

• The procedure of Nikah (solemnisation of Marriage) and

  Talaaq (divorce)

Hadith

Hadith literally means a saying or something new. In Islamic

terminology, it is defined as the individual-to-individual narratives ascribed

to the Prophet (pbuh) regarding his sayings, actions, expressed or tacit

approvals, his life history and personal description.

These include:

• Life history of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), including his

  meetings with people, important events in his time e.g. Holy wars as narrated

  by his followers.

• Record of the Prophet Mohammad’s (pbuh) everyday life,

  rituals and routines, these are those things that he liked but did not

  authorise their initiation as essential part of religion. These records reveal

  the Prophet’s (pbuh) excellent example (Uswa Al Hasana) in carrying out the

  directives of Islam.

• Record of answers to questions and explanations given by

  the Prophet (pbuh) to his followers.

• Record of any explanations about commandments in the Qur’an

  and the Sunnah by the Prophet (pbuh) to his followers.

Principles of Acceptance of Hadith

The scholars of the science of ahadith have devised the

following criteria which need to be met for a hadith to be considered authentic.

• Continuity in the chain of narrators.

• Narrators must be practicing Muslims and must not have

  engaged in activities that are forbidden.

• Narrators should have sound understanding, memory and

  expression.

• Reports should not contradict similar substantiated Ahadith

  regarding the same topic.

• Reports should be free of any hidden defects (which are

  called Illah in this science).

• What can be understood and derived from a Hadith should not

  contradict The Qur’an, The Sunnah and Established facts.

Some important requisites for the understanding of Ahadith

• Need to understand and interpret Ahadith in light of the

  Qur’an and the Sunnah, which are the ultimate and absolute sources of

  religious information.

• Need to interpret ahadith in their proper and relevant

  context.

• To understand Ahadith adequately, we need to study all the

  related Ahadith on the particular subject.

The Qur’an, the Sunnah and the Hadith

The Qur’an and the Sunnah hold a pivotal place as the source

of understanding of religion. The Sunnah and the Qur’an do not abrogate each

other. They cannot be overruled by Hadith. Both these sources contain the entire

religion. Hadith can thus explain these sources or provide the best example set

by the Holy Prophet (pbuh); it cannot abrogate or contradict the basic corpus of

religion residing in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Hadith literature does not add

to the content of religion; it offers an explanation of the Holy Qur’an and the

Sunnah, and dictates sense and reason.

Some of the main outcomes of adopting the correct approach to

understanding Islam

Some of the outcomes of Understanding Islam approach are

listed in two categories namely; ideological and behavioural outcomes.

Few of the ideological outcomes:

• The following ideological outcomes are presented briefly.

  The objective is not to convince the reader about these outcomes or to fully

  explain them. More elaboration on these outcomes and the way they have been

  derived can be found in the sources that are listed in the bibliography at the

  end of this booklet.

• Understanding the Qur’an as a robust, structured system

• Identifying those directives of the Qur’an that were

  exclusively for the people or groups of people at the time of revelation.

• Recognising that God does not punish any one unless one

  rejects the truth, after the truth is clearly shown to one and one is clearly

  and fully warned about it (Itmam Al-Hujjah). This means it is not correct to

  assume that any non-Muslim (of our time) will go to hell.

• Learning that those who were among the direct addressees of

  the Messengers and rejected them will be punished in this world either

  directly by God or by the Messengers and/or his immediate followers.

• Appreciating the role of both the Children of Israel

  (descendents of Prophet Isaac son of Prophet Abraham peace be upon them) and

  the Children of Ishmael (descendents of Prophet Ishmael son of Prophet Abraham

  pbut) as a collective group of people who were given the same position and

  authority as their respective messengers, in bringing the complete truth

  before people. (Itmam Al -Hujjah)

• Understanding that Muslims, who live in this era, do not

  have the same authority that the Prophet (pbuh) and the collectivity of Bani

  Ishmael had in dealing with deniers of truth. Meaning that many of the

  directives of the Qur’an about Jihad and killing of rejecters do not apply to

  them.

• Appreciating that the primary cause of the downfall of

  Muslims at present is not due to any external influence or circumstances but

  has endogenous basis. Therefore, the only way Muslims can restore prosperity

  for themselves in this world is to collectively become loyal to their

  religion. This does not mean that clear oppressions by some external forces

  are denied or ignored.

• Identifying and distinguishing between the definitions of

  non Muslims, People of the Book, hypocrites, disbelievers, idolaters or

  polytheists.

• Recognising the difference between Messenger (Rasool) and

  Prophet (Nabi) in terms of their role among their addressees.

• Appreciating the underlined “concept” of the religious

  practices while identifying and protecting their obligatory “form”.

• Recognising that all practicing Islamic sects are agreed on

  the Sunnah.

• Role of an Islamic state and duties of citizens.

• Restoring and clarifying the rules of punishment in Shariah.

• Separating the Islam-based knowledge from other types of

  knowledge (philosophy, mysticism, etc.)

• Making understanding of Islam easier and more straight

  forward (but not simplistic)

• Concept of Itmam Al-Hujjah (as described above) and its

  implications for the present day.

For explanation and elaboration on any of the above points,

please refer to www.understanding-Islam.org or other items in the bibliography.

Some of the behavioural outcomes of the UI approach

• The approach is a research based approach, no views are

  blindly followed

• The approach is a Non-Sectarian one, and rejects to assume

  any sectarian title other than Muslim

• Scholars who are studying and adopting this approach are

  continuously revising their understanding of Islam.

• Being a research based approach to understanding Islam, we

  are not hesitant to use the phrase “we don’t know” where applicable.

• Utmost respect and learning attitude is held towards other

  approaches to understanding Islam and scholars who adopt these approaches

Why do we need this approach?

Every Muslim is aware that the Qur’an has a pivotal role in

our religion.

And hold fast to the rope of God together and do not become

disunited…. (3:103)

The Holy Prophet (pbuh) has explained that the Book of God is

the rope of God that stretches from Heavens to Earth.

The natural outcome of this directive is that whenever

Muslims encounter a difference of opinion, we resort to the Qur’an to find its

solution. Unfortunately the irony is that we have gross difference of opinions

concerning the interpretations of the Qur’an itself, in many instances providing

contrasting explanations about its directives. This also occurred because

Muslims based their Qur’anic interpretations on unsubstantiated Ahadith,

different philosophies and mysticism. They also resorted to blind following of

individual interpretations by religious scholars and were reluctant to question

their understandings and interpretations. Furthermore the society did not

encourage Intellectual inquisition towards the then accepted interpretations and

beliefs about religion, to question them was looked upon as being un-Islamic. In

addition to intellectual differences, the more serious issue raised by this

multiplicity of interpretations of the Qur’an is that this forms the basis of

the vast majority of sectarianism in Islam. Different religious groups have

interpreted Qur’anic verses in different chosen ways to justify their beliefs

and approaches. Each sect has adopted its own interpretation because isolating a

verse from its context can associate multiple meanings to it.

Understanding Islam approach based on the thinking pioneered

by Imam Farahi, aspires that when the Qur’an is interpreted in light of its

theme, context and sequence, with a firm grasp of its language and taking into

account the time of revelation and the phase of the prophetic mission, it

reduces possibilities of different understandings from the Qur’an because it

uses the Qur’an itself as the first scale for understanding the Qur’an.

According to Imam Farahi:

“There is no justification or place for more than one

interpretation in the Qur’an”.

Amin Ahsan Islahi in his Qur’anic commentary,

Tadabur-i-Qur’an, writes:

“I have given the complete and required importance to the

coherence of it’s (i.e. The Qur’an’s) text. Hence I have utilised the same

diction and assertions in its entirety. In fact, I was forced to use the same

diction and assertions, because after applying coherence, (The Qur’an) does

not allow you to wonder in various valleys (i.e. different conclusions). The

true fact becomes explicit right in front (of one’s eyes in such a manner)

that unless you are ignorant or blind you would not be able to deny it.”

The text of the Qur’an will not accept multiplicity of

explanations. This fulfils the obligatory and essential basis for the claim of

the Qur’an that it is a balance in whose scales; everything must be weighed in

order to ascertain the extent of truth; and criterion or distinguisher of good

and evil which like a sieve sifts out good from evil.

Understanding Islam UK (UIUK)

UIUK is a UK based non-political organisation. It is the UK

representative of the team of understanding Islam web site

www.understanding-Islam.org founded and run by Moiz Amjad, one of the students

of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi and an affiliate of Al Mawrid Institute of Islamic

Sciences.

The UIUK’s main goal is to seek, follow and clear the path of

Truth. It aims to present and promote a true understanding of Islam (based on

the approach that was described in this booklet).

UIUK is a humble effort to develop and promote a better

understanding of Islam. The mission is to disseminate the message of Islam in

truth and to the best of our abilities while passing on the knowledge as to how

we have come to understand it. The message is for every person willing to seek

the truth.

Bibliography

• www.Understanding-Islam.org (Our mother web site)

• www.studying-islam.org (One line course for studying Islam

  covering all the major aspects of religion)

• www.aminahsanislahi.org (Web site detailing life history

  and achievements of both Amin Ahsan Islahi and Imam Farahi)

• Mizan by Javed Ahmad Ghamidi (2002)

• www.al-mawrid.org (official web site of Al-Mawrid institute

  of Islamic sciences)

• www.monthly-Renaissance.com (journal about Islamic

  teachings and highlights current problems and issues facing the Muslims and

  suggests possible solutions)

• www.Ghamidi.org (tells about the life, personality,

  achievements and religious works of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi)

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