CSS Islamiat Sources of Islamic Law Syllabus

What are the two main parts of a hadith and what does each mean?

1) Isnad/Sanad - the chain of narrators, 2) Matn - the actual text/content of the report.

How is a hadith classified by the number of its narrators (chains)?

Mutawatir (reported by so many at each level that collusion on a lie is impossible) and Ahad (reported by a limited number, including mashhur, aziz, and gharib).

How is a hadith classified by its degree of authenticity/reliability?

Sahih (sound/authentic), Hasan (good), Da'if (weak), and Mawdu (fabricated/forged).

What are the five conditions for a hadith to be classified as Sahih?

1) Continuous chain (ittisal al-sanad), 2) Upright narrators (adl), 3) Precise/accurate narrators (dabt), 4) Free of irregularity (shudhudh), and 5) Free of hidden defect (illah).

Name the six canonical Sunni hadith collections (Kutub al-Sittah).

Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abu Dawud, Jami at-Tirmidhi, Sunan an-Nasa'i, and Sunan Ibn Majah.

Which two hadith collections are considered the most authentic (Sahihayn)?

Sahih al-Bukhari (by Imam Muhammad al-Bukhari) and Sahih Muslim (by Imam Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj).

What were the main stages of the compilation of Hadith?

1) Memorization and limited writing in the Prophet's lifetime, 2) Preservation by Companions and Successors, 3) Official collection ordered by Caliph Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (via Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri), 4) Systematic compilation into the canonical books in the 2nd-3rd century AH.

What is 'Ilm al-Rijal' (science of narrators) and why is it important?

It is the science that studies the biographies, reliability, and trustworthiness of hadith narrators; it is essential to grade chains (isnad) and distinguish authentic from weak/fabricated reports.

What is the difference between Marfu, Mawquf, and Maqtu hadith?

Marfu - attributed to the Prophet; Mawquf - attributed to a Companion; Maqtu - attributed to a Successor (Tabi'i).

What is a Mursal hadith?

A hadith in which a Successor (Tabi'i) reports directly from the Prophet, omitting the Companion in the chain; it is generally considered a category of weak (da'if) hadith due to the missing link.

What is the linguistic and technical definition of 'Ijma'?

Linguistically, agreement or consensus; technically, the unanimous agreement of the qualified Muslim jurists (mujtahidun) of a particular era on a legal ruling (shar'i) after the Prophet's death.

What is the textual basis for the authority of Ijma?

Quran 4:115 (warning against opposing the believers' path) and the hadith 'My ummah will not agree upon an error' / 'The hand of Allah is over the group'.

Why must Ijma be of jurists after the death of the Prophet (PBUH)?

Because during the Prophet's life, revelation (wahy) was the source of law and his ruling settled all matters; consensus of others gains binding authority only after revelation ceased.

What are the essential conditions (rukn/shurut) for a valid Ijma?

1) Agreement of qualified mujtahids, 2) of a particular era, 3) all of them (unanimity, per majority view), 4) on a shar'i ruling, 5) after the Prophet's death, expressed by word or action.

What is the procedure by which Ijma is reached?

A legal issue arises; the qualified mujtahids of the age independently exercise ijtihad; if all of them reach the same ruling and openly or tacitly agree, that unanimous agreement constitutes a binding Ijma.

What are the two main kinds of Ijma based on how consensus is expressed?

1) Ijma Sarih (explicit) - each mujtahid openly states agreement, and 2) Ijma Sukuti (tacit/silent) - some give an opinion and the rest remain silent without objection.

Which type of Ijma is the strongest and which is disputed?

Ijma Sarih (explicit consensus) is the strongest and definitively binding; Ijma Sukuti (tacit) is disputed, with some jurists not regarding it as a true, binding consensus.

What is the most authoritative example of Ijma in Islamic history?

The consensus of the Companions (Ijma al-Sahabah), e.g. their agreement on compiling the Quran into one Mushaf and the election of Abu Bakr as the first Caliph.

Can a ruling established by Ijma be later reversed by a new Ijma?

No (majority view) - once a binding Ijma is established it becomes a definitive (qat'i) source and cannot be abrogated or contradicted by a subsequent ijtihad or consensus.

What is the rank of Ijma among the sources of Islamic law and why?

It is the third source, ranking after the Quran and Sunnah, because its authority is itself derived from texts of the Quran and Sunnah; but a definitive Ijma yields certain (qat'i) knowledge.

What is the linguistic and technical meaning of 'Ijtihad'?

Linguistically, exerting maximum effort; technically, the utmost intellectual effort by a qualified jurist (mujtahid) to derive a shar'i ruling from the detailed sources of Islamic law.

What is the textual basis for Ijtihad?

The hadith of Mu'adh ibn Jabal, whom the Prophet sent to Yemen and approved his judging 'by my ijtihad' when no Quran or Sunnah text was found; and the hadith promising reward for the mujtahid even if he errs.

According to the hadith, how is a mujtahid rewarded for ijtihad?

If he is correct he receives two rewards; if he errs (sincerely) he still receives one reward, as stated in the hadith on the judge who exercises ijtihad.

What are the main qualifications (shurut) of a Mujtahid?

Knowledge of the Quran and Sunnah (esp. ayat/ahadith al-ahkam), mastery of Arabic, knowledge of the points of Ijma, understanding of usul al-fiqh and qiyas, awareness of the maqasid al-shariah, and being a just, pious Muslim.

What is the procedure of Ijtihad?

The mujtahid first looks to the Quran; if no clear text, to the Sunnah; then to Ijma; if still no ruling, he applies Qiyas or other secondary principles (e.g. istihsan, maslaha) to derive the ruling, considering the maqasid al-shariah.

Over what kinds of matters is Ijtihad permitted, and over what is it not?

Ijtihad applies only to matters not settled by a definitive (qat'i) text or established Ijma; it is not permitted in clearly established fundamentals like the obligation of prayer or the prohibition of zina.

What is the definition of 'Qiyas' (analogical reasoning)?

Extending a ruling (hukm) from an original case (asl) mentioned in the text to a new case (far') not mentioned, because both share the same effective cause (illah).

What are the four pillars (arkan) of Qiyas?

1) Asl (the original case with a textual ruling), 2) Far' (the new case), 3) Hukm al-asl (the ruling of the original case), 4) Illah (the effective/common cause).

Give the classic textbook example of Qiyas involving wine.

Wine (khamr) is prohibited by the Quran because it intoxicates (the illah); by Qiyas, any other intoxicant (e.g. modern drugs/whisky) is likewise prohibited because it shares the same effective cause of intoxication.

What is the 'illah' in Qiyas, and how does it differ from 'hikmah'?

Illah is the manifest, stable, effective cause on which a ruling is based (e.g. intoxication); hikmah is the underlying wisdom/benefit (e.g. preserving the intellect). Qiyas is built on the illah, not directly on the hikmah.

What is the rank of Qiyas among the sources, and what is its authority status?

Qiyas is the fourth source of Islamic law; unlike the first three it yields probable (zanni) rather than certain knowledge, and it cannot operate where a clear text or Ijma already governs the matter.