Muhammad Asad’s Approach to Shari’ah: An Exposition

Journal Title: Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization (JITC) - Year 2015, Vol 5, Issue 0

Abstract

Sharī‘ah, the sacred and revealed guidelines from the Creator, that covers of all the tenets, beliefs and laws of Islam. However, in the contemporary times what essentially constitute the “Sharī‘ah” and accordingly its implementation is complex. Some argue that it includes the laws coming forth from clear-cut injunctions of Qur’an and Sunnah while others add Ijmā and Qiyās as the sources of Sharī‘ah. Besides, limiting the establishment of Sharī‘ah merely to the implementation of some corporal punishments (literally adūd, Qiā and Ta‘zīrāt) created an Islamophobic environment and people think these laws as inhuman. On contrary Sharī‘ah is considered akin to human nature and indispensable for the peace and harmony in the world; the absence and negligence of which in practical level causes imbalance and disorder in the world. Muhammad Asad (1900-1992), a great Muslim thinker with Jewish roots tried to eradicate the misconception about the Sharī‘ah from Muslim and non-Muslim reader. He proposed that Shariah, if applied, would be helpful in minimizing the tension caused due to the presence of various schools of jurisprudence. The present study is an attempt to explore Asad’s approach and understanding of Sharī‘ah and analyze his propositions that are still valid in the contemporary period.

Authors and Affiliations

Showkat Ahmad Dar

Keywords

Related Articles

Human rights and beyond: Some conceptual differences between Islamic and Western perspectives of human rights

The world is pluralistic in many ways. It consists of peoples of diverse racial, ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. Several distinct civilizations have emerged from these diverse peoples. The major civilizatio...

The concept of Tawhid in Islam: In the light of perspectives of prominent Muslim scholars

The concept of tawhid excludes man’s commitment to anyone other than Allah (SWT). Also a rejection of all sources of value other than will of Allah (SWT), all authority but His, and a refusal to accept any idea, command,...

Islam and Modernity: A Selective Influence of the Capitalistic Set-up

Modernity is a term referred to the complex trends of thought which led mankind to the present age with far reaching consequences. The socio-cultural milieu, we are living in, is, nonetheless, a product of modernity. Tho...

Islamic Tradition and its Defining Characteristics

Tradition conveys the meanings of connectedness to past and transmission of knowledge, practice, laws, and many other elements of both an oral and written nature. “Islamic Tradition” is no different from the general defi...

Wasatiyyah (Islamic Moderation): A Conceptual Analysis from Islamic Knowledge Management Perspective

In an environment created by globalization and information affluence, the issue of moderation represents the primary concern of parents, educators, scholars, and leaders. The concept is somehow complicated and is regarde...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP489757
  • DOI 10.32350/jitc.52.02
  • Views 135
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Showkat Ahmad Dar (2015). Muhammad Asad’s Approach to Shari’ah: An Exposition. Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization (JITC), 5(0), 15-23. https://europub.co.uk./articles/-A-489757