Sources of Wisdom and Authority (The Qur’an) 4 – Importance and uses

Why is the Qur’an important? Discuss with each other and try to come up with at least three reasons.

Why is the Qur’an important? The Qur’an is more important to Muslims than Muhammad. Muhammad was simply the instrument through which Allah revealed His divine message (message > messenger.) It is the basis of worship and is used in personal and communal worship. It is the basis for legal and social customs; what is allowed/forbidden/rules/guidance. Essentially, it is the basis of Islam itself and the way of life for Muslims.

Contradictions? Muslims do not believe the Qur’an contradicts itself, as this would mean that Allah contradicted himself – as He is infallible, this cannot be the case. ‘None of our revelations do we abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but we substitute something better or similar; knowest thou not that Allah hath power over all things?’ (Surah 2: 106) (Abrogate means annul/cancel out)

Contradictions – an example ‘They ask thee concerning wine and gambling, say “in them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit”’ (Surah 2: 219) This verse teaches that drinking and gambling have good and bad points, but they’re more bad than good – but they’re not explicitly forbidden.

Contradictions – an example ‘O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling… are an abomination – of Satan’s handiwork: avoid them, that ye may prosper’ (Surah 5: 93) This ayah makes it absolutely explicit that drinking and gambling are sinful and to be avoided, thereby putting an end to any disagreements. This ayah was not intended to cancel the one from Surah 2, but may have been revealed following further questions/concerns/situations.

Task Using page 7 of Watton, note down the reasons that Muslim scholars give for believing that the Qur’an is the word of Allah (not number 1 – we’ll discuss this). You do not need to write down all of the details in the longer reasons, just the basic reason will do (unless you want to!)

The authority of the Qur’an Word of Allah. Unlike the previous books, Allah has protected it from change and corruption (through the use of Arabic and hafiz). The eloquence of the speech, accuracy of prophecies and detailed explanations of recent scientific discoveries (such as the movement of stars and planets), make the Qur’an miraculous and proves it is the word of Allah himself.

The authority of the Qur’an Due to these reasons, the Qur’an has complete authority; if it says to do something, Muslims must do it (and should be happy to!) If a Muslim rejects anything written in the Qur’an, they are no longer a Muslim. However, although it has complete authority over them, some verses may need further explanation and guidance to help Muslims understand them fully. Where can these explanations be found?

The authority of the Qur’an These explanations and guidance can be found in the Hadith/Sunnah. “Belief in the Qur’an should be of the nature that it is purely and absolutely God’s own words, that it is perfectly true, that every word of it is preserved, that everything mentioned therein is right…” (Abul Ala Mawdudi)

Task Using page 6 of Watton, note down examples of Muslim attitudes to the Qur’an/how it is treated etc. The format is up to you (mind-map/bullet-points etc). These are all implications of believing that the Qur’an is the word of Allah.

How is the Qur’an used in worship? Muslims regularly recite the Qur’an in Arabic as a distinct act of worship in and of itself. Many Muslims do not understand (all of) the Qur’an, but they recite it to show their gratitude to Allah for the gift of it. Some Surahs are specifically recited in times of need or when someone has died. Muslims recite portions of the Qur’an during their five daily prayers – for this reason, even small children are taught to read the Qur’an.

How is the Qur’an used in worship? Muslims may also listen to live or recorded recitations of the Qur’an (music is haram!) Some Muslims may dedicate their time to become a hafiz (knowing the Qur’an off by heart) or a qari (expert in recitation). Muslims and non-Muslims alike are often moved by powerful recitations of the Qur’an. “For every letter recited is ten rewards” (Hadith)

How is the Qur’an used in worship? The Qur’an is recited frequently during Ramadan. It is also used in khutba (sermons) by Imams. Muslims do not worship the Qur’an itself, they worship only Allah. The Qur’an is special to Muslims because it is the word of Allah.

Task Using page 8-9 of Watton, summarise the contents of the Qur’an. The format is up to you (mind-map/bullet-points etc).

Why is the Qur’an used as a source of law? ‘This is my path, which is straight – so follow it, and do not follow any other paths, lest they divert you. These are the commandments to you, that you may be saved’ (Surah 6: 153 – Surah Al-An’am) What is this teaching Muslims? Why did this lead to Muslims establishing the Shari’ah (Islamic law system)?

How is the Qur’an used as a source of law? The verses of the Qur’an can be categorised into three groupings: Theology (God) Ethical Principles (Morals) Rules of Human Conduct (Relationships) - The third category contains about 500 verses and is directly concerned with Islamic legal matters

How is the Qur’an used as a source of law? The rules of human conduct include punishments for crimes committed against Allah and for crimes committed against fellow men The Qur’an is used in conjunction with the Hadith and Sunnah to establish punishments and for examples on the application of punishments

How is the Qur’an used as a source of law? Muslims jurists agree that the Qur’an in its entirety is not a legal code in the modern sense of the phrase, but its purpose is to lay down a way of life for Muslims. Only about 10% of the Qur’an applies specifically to law and conduct, mostly revelations from the Medinan period, why?

How is the Qur’an used as a source of law? The Qur’an is the primary element of Shari’ah law. The Shari’ah also uses the Hadith and Sunnah – these examples/details may not be found explicitly in the Qur’an and these give more clarity. By basing the Shari’ah on the Qur’an, it means the law system is helping Muslims to live the way Allah wants them to. The Shari’ah can explain how to put the theory of the Qur’an into practice.

The Qur’an is the only guidance a Muslim needs Discuss this statement together in pairs/small groups. Try to think of arguments for and against and note them down (table/mind-maps etc). We’ll discuss as a class shortly.

The Qur’an is the only guidance a Muslim needs FOR AGAINST Status = word of Allah Final revelation – to last until judgement day Uniqueness and beauty Some Muslims challenge/reject the use of the Hadith and Sunnah and rely upon the Qur’an instead Teaching young children to read/understand it Do/don’t rules for how to treat the Qur’an show importance Difficult to understand Difficult to apply to modern scenarios and issues Traditional among many Muslims to also use the Hadith/Sunnah Imam needed to teach/interpret Qur’an Is the Qur’an outdated for 21st Century living? Is it truly ‘unaltered’? Hadith and Sunnah show the what the Qur’an teaches in practise - easier

Problems with the Qur’an? Different sections of the Muslims community sometimes have different ideas about what different verses mean Some contemporary issues are not covered (IVF etc) Some Muslims struggle to understand the meaning Even if they understand the meaning, sometimes they struggle to understand how that applies/how to implement it into their lives The Qur’an should not be interpreted, are commentaries/explanations acceptable? Written 1500 years ago for a specific society, does it transfer across the world in the 21st Century?

Homework Find some examples of sections of the Shari’ah/Qur’an verses specifically used as a source of law. We’ll be discussing them/collecting them together as a class next lesson.

Progress Check Plenary What have you learnt this lesson? Facts – e.g Ideas/viewpoints Similarities/differences - diversity Key words/concepts Examples of how religion affects the world around us – e.g. culture What contribution to your learning did you make? Contributed to class discussion Worked in a pair/group Organised my time well Found out information for myself Answered thoroughly and thoughtfully Completed extension task Monitored my progress Peer/ self assessed work How did you learn it? Research work Discussion Questioning Pairs/ group work - collaborative Independent learning Using technology e.g video/ internet What do you need to do in order to make further progress? Do further research Background reading Develop my writing technique Contribute more in class Proof read my work Give examples to back up my ideas Make connections between different beliefs and faiths