Download Sacred Text Islam Qur`an

Islam – Qur’an
QUR’AN AND HADITH
There are two main sacred texts in Islam: the
Qur'an and the Hadith. These two texts form
the basis for all Islamic theology, practice
and Sharia (Islamic law).
The Qur'an is the most sacred text, as it is
believed to be the literal word of God as
revealed to Muhammad.
The Qur'an, whose name means "recitation"
in Arabic, is the sacred text of Islam and the
highest authority in both religious and legal
matters.
STRUCTURE OF QUR’AN
Muslims believe the Qur'an to be a flawless
record of the Angel Gabriel's revelations to
Muhammad from 610 until his death in 632 AD. It
is also believed to be a perfect copy of a
heavenly Qur'an that has existed eternally.
The Qur'an's name is derived from Gabriel's
initial command to Muhammad to "Recite!"
Recitation is a fundamental concept associated
with the Qur'an. The first followers of the Prophet
memorized his recitation in order to recite it to
others, following an established Arabic method for
preserving poetry. Recitation is a practice which
can fulfil a Muslim’s worship of Allah.
The revelation was put in writing shortly after
Muhammad's death to preserve the content from
corruption, but it is still regarded as most authentic
when recited aloud.
The Qur'an is divided into 114 surahs (chapters)
of widely varying length, which, with the
exception of the opening surah (fatihah), are
generally arranged from longest to shortest.
Each surah has a heading, which usually
incorporates the following elements:
A title (e.g. "The Bee," "The Cow") taken from a
prominent word in the Surah, but one that does
not usually represent its overall contents.
The basmalah, a formula prayer (e.g. "In the
name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate")
An indication as to where it was received: eg.
at Mecca or Medina
The number of verses in the Surah
In 29 of the Surahs, fawatih, or "detached
letters" of unclear significance. They may be
abbreviations, initials of owners of early
manuscripts, or have some esoteric meaning.
Go to the following link to download a free
copy of the Qur’an to see these features for
yourself. Free Qur’an Link
Most of the Qur'an is written in the first person
plural, with God as the speaker. When
Muhammad himself speaks, his words are
introduced by "Say," to clarify he is being
commanded by Allah to speak.
The Hadith is a secondary text that records
sayings of Muhammad and his followers.
Hadith (Arabic for "narrative" or "report") is
Islamic tradition: it is a record of the words
and deeds of the Prophet, his family, and his
companions.
Although not regarded as the spoken Word of
God like the Qur'an, Hadith is an important
source of doctrine, law, and practice. It is
revered in Islam as a major source of religious
law and moral guidance and has been studied
in Muslim religious colleges since the Middle
Ages by both male and female scholars.
SHARIA LAW
The Qur’an is the source of Islamic law
- will of Allah
penalty of eternal punishment.
Totality of Islamic law - Shariah
meaning ‘the path’ - broad term which
includes faith and the Muslim way of
life. Shariah includes all laws, religious
and secular, personal and communal,
and covers offences which range from
the seriously immoral to matters of
etiquette and personal hygiene.
SHARIA LAW
SHARIA LAW
5 CATEGORIES OF SHARIA LAW
1. Obligatory (wajib or fard). These like salat, fasting during Ramadan,
and zakat must be done.
 ◦subdivided in two: individual obligation (fard ‘ayn) and community obligation (fard
kifaya) such as funeral salat.
2. Recommended (sunna, mandub, mustahabb). highly desirable
 e.g. Friday prayer is not obligatory for women but some women attend Friday
prayer.
3. Permissible (mubah). These actions are neutral - no reward or
punishment
 The majority of actions come into this category as well as political and governmental
matters.
5 CATEGORIES OF SHARIA LAW
4. Reprehensible (makkruh meaning hated). These areundesirable
actions, but they are not completely forbidden.
 Divorce fits in the category
5. Forbidden (haram). Absolutely forbidden actions which are punished
by God.
 E.g. eating of pork or the drinking of alcohol, committing murder or fornication.
PUNISHMENTS
3 different classifications.
1. penalties imposed by Allah in the afterlife;
2. penalties imposed by Allah in the Qur’an or Sunna such as cutting
the hand of a thief or stoning those guilty of fornication;
3. discretionary penalties which are decided by a judge or ruler.
The third classification form the majority of penalties.
WOMEN IN THE QURAN –
And wed not idolatresses until they believe; and assuredly a believing
slave girl is better than an idolatress, although she pleases you. And
wed not your women to idolaters until they believe
2:221
Mixed religion marriages are also forbidden in Deuteronomy (7: 3-4)
NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER
WOMEN IN THE QURAN
Your women are a tillage for you, then go in unto your tillage as you
will…
2: 223
Is this Sura promoting male control of women?
…Or simply suggesting that women are fertile?
WOMEN IN THE QURAN
For those who swear off from their wives is the waiting of four months
2: 226
Meant to act as a check on the impulsiveness of men – have to wait
four months before getting a divorce
WOMEN IN THE QURAN
Men are overseers over women, by reason of that wherewith Allah has
made one of them excel over another… So the righteous women are
obedient and watchers in their husbands’ absence by the aid and
protection of Allah… And those wives whose refractoriness you fear,
admonish them and avoid them bed and beat them; but if they obey
you, do not seek a way against them…
4: 34
PROBLEMS WITH INTERPRETATION
For much of the last 14 centuries, some 90 percent of the world's Muslims
for whom Arabic is not a primary language had to depend on Islam's
clergy-all of them men, as women are not allowed to enter the clergy-to
define the meaning and message of the Quran for them.
Arabic is a language whose words can have multiple, sometimes
contradictory, meanings, so how one chooses to render a particular word
from Arabic to English has a lot to do with one's biases or prejudice.
Example from Sura 4:34, which has long been interpreted as allowing
husbands to beat their wives: "As for those women who might rebel
against you, admonish them, abandon them in their beds, and strike them
(adribuhunna)." The problem, as a number of female Quranic scholars
have noted, is that adribuhunna can also mean "turn away from them." It
can even mean "have sexual intercourse with them."
WOMEN IN THE QURAN
Women are also subjected to the power of men in the Bible:
 “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband
is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church” (Ephesians 5: 22 – 24)
WOMEN IN THE QURAN
And to women is due like what is due from women honourably. And
for men there is a degree above them.
2: 228
Or, in other words, women have similar rights to men, but men have a
status above women
A similar, explicit statement of the rights of women isn’t found in the
Bible
WEARING OF THE VEIL
Traditionalists generally agree that women should cover their heads
and face and their reasons are based on Sura 33.59 and Sura 24.31
 O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to
draw their cloaks close around them (when they go abroad). That will be better, so
that they may be recognized and not annoyed. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (Sura
33.59).
 And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of
their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their
bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or
husbands’ fathers, or their sons or their husbands’ sons , or their brothers, or their
brothers’ sons or sisters’ sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who
lack vigour, or children who know naught of women’s nakedness. And let them not
stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And turn unto
Allah together, O believers, in order that ye may succeed. (Sura 24:31)
BURQUAS
WEARING OF THE VEIL
Moderates take a less strict interpretation of the Qur’anic texts and
believe that Sura 33.59 does not explicitly prescribe that women
should cover their faces and that Sura 24.31 only refers to the
covering of the breasts because in pre-Islamic times women used to
leave their breasts uncovered.
ACTIVITY
So why might Islam be considered by many to be oppressive against
Women?
 Clothing
 Legal rights of women (can’t drive cars in Saudi Arabia)
 Honour Killings
 BUT these conditions are often culturally or socially influenced. Quoting the Quran
does not provide definitive proof.
REMEMBER
If you use the Quran to infer that Islam treats women poorly, you could
also use the Bible to infer that:




Women in Judaism/Christianity are treated poorly
Incest is permissible in certain circumstances
Slavery is permissible in Judaism/Christianity
Stoning to death is acceptable in Judaism/Christianity
FURTHER INFORMATION
http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/sacredtexts/index.html