Past Qs

• Discuss Iqbal’s concept of “the Principle of Movement in the structure of Islam”. (20 marks)
(2016)
• Elaborate the way Iqbal has reconciled Divine Power (Omnipotence) and Knowledge with human
freedom. (20 marks) (2017)

Notes

I. Introduction:
II. God’s Omnipotence, Omniscience and Human Freedom:
a. Iqbal describes human beings as finite egos and God as the Ultimate Absolute ego
drawing upon Surah Ikhlas from the Quran which says that there is none like unto Him
(God).
i. Therefore, Iqbal describes God as Omnipotent and Omniscient.
b. However, according to Iqbal, God does not know the future in its complete actuality.
i. God does not fully know what the result of any specific event or encounter will
be in its totality until it materializes and unfolds wholly in the future.
ii. The knowledge of the Divine evolves and grows in relationship to the ongoing
evolution of the universe.
iii. Nevertheless, if a specific possibility or future-knowledge is not known by God
at a definite moment of time, then, this does not signify God`s defective
omniscient.
iv. Rather, it only means, according to Iqbal, that there is yet no future-knowledge
to be known because the future events are still in becoming and not wholly
settled series of actuality.
v. Such a conception of omniscience does justice to the elements of spontaneity
and novelty (freedom) inherent in the make-up of finite egos.
c. If the future were pre-determined at a higher cosmic level by God then novelty,
creativity, human freedom and spontaneity of life would be oxymoronic (in
contradiction).
i. Humanity would have been reduced to a fully determined entity, machinelike.
ii. Is Iqbal suggesting that God voluntarily circumscribes this scope of
foreknowledge of future encounters in order to let freedom exist?
iii. This, then, would tend to make omniscience a matter of possessing a quality or
potential to know rather than having specific foreknowledge.
d. We note that Iqbal is sharply departing from the classical notion of God`s omniscience,
which portrays the Divine Being both as knower of the visible as well as the invisible.
i. And, since God surpasses the divisible time, to God there is only an “eternal
now/present”.
ii. Hence, we, the planetary beings, only know what the future holds as the future
becomes our present moment.
iii. Divine omniscience does not limit future free actions in any way because human
beings are capable of utilizing their power of freedom to make decisions.
 iv. God knows that I will do x or y tomorrow, but God will in no way choose for me
when more than one course of action are open to me.
III. Principle of Movement in the structure of Islam (ijtihad)
a. The concept differentiates between Ibadaat (worships) and Muamlaat (dealings).
b. Iqbal said that Ibadaat are fixed but muamlaat are subject to change over time as we
live in a rapidly changing world.
i. Therefore, new muamlaat require require new religious principles.
ii. Also, Islam is a flexible religion as mentioned many times in Quran and Hadith.
1. “So will you not use reason.”
c. Lexicology
i. The root word for Ijtihad is “Juhd” which means “to try or strive”
ii. Ijtihad means to make an effort to reach a conclusion.
d. Definition
i. It is the process by which the scholar independently strives to find answers,
reasons or solutions to the problem in the light of Quran and Sunnah.
ii. Third source of Islamic law.
IV. Types
a. Ijma (Consensus)
i. The type of Ijtihad which is most important for Islamic law is Ijma.
ii. It is the consensus of the people.
iii. Literal meaning: To resolve to firmly do something; especially do it together.
iv. It is the agreement of all the mujtahids in a particular age.
v. The strength of Ijma depends on whose Ijma it is.
vi. Which don’t?
1. Maliki – permission of Ijma given only to people of Madinah. Why?
a. Because they believe that people of Madinah remained closest
to Prophet (S).
2. Hanbali – they believe that Ijma could be done only by companions of
the Prophet (S). After them no Ijma is possible. Why?
a. Because they had first hand interaction with the Prophet (S).
vii. Which madhabs allow it?
1. Hanafi
a. The Ijma of companions is the strongest Ijma and is considered
binding.
i. For example, Jummah prayer has two Azans. In Prophet
(S)’s time, there used to be one Azan. Then in Hazrat
Usman’s time, it was decided that there should be two
Azans. Why?
ii. Because the Sahaba felt that one Azan was insufficient
for calling people to Jummah prayer.
b. Ijma of Mujtahideen
i. Those who have studied Quran, Sunnah and Fiqh.
c. Ijma of a particular community.
 i. E.g., a Muslim community living in an England
countryside.
ii. The more the people are part of Ijma, the stronger it is
and vice versa.
2. Shafi
a. Ijma allowed to a lesser extent than Hanafi school of thought.
b. Qiyas (Analogy)
i. Qiyas literally means measurement but is the method used to make the ijtihad.
ii. Only allowed in Hanafi madhab.
iii. It means to draw analogy from something known to something similar.
iv. Example
1. For women, can Wudu be done using nail polish?
2. On this issue, two Qiyas of Muslim scholars came forward.
3. First, in a Hadith it was said that when molding flour, some of the flour
was left was on the nails of women and wudu was not acceptable in
that state. Hence, some Ulema concluded that wudu cannot be done
with nail-polish.
4. Second, another hadith says that if after wudu you put on socks of
leather then because your feet were clean and the socks are usually
clean as well, then you can do wudu with those socks on as well. Here,
ulema concluded that if you do Wudu before nail-polish then put on
nail-polish and do wudu then it is acceptable because both the nails and
nail-polish are clean.
v. Not really allowed in Shafi, mainly in Hanafi.
c. Istehsan
i. Different from Qiyas.
ii. For example, a kind of alcohol is forbidden in Quran.
1. Some people say that the alcohol made from rice in Japan is
permissible.
2. On such things, Ulema said that whatever causes intoxication similar to
alcohol is forbidden, using istehsan.
d. Istislah
e. Istidal
V. Definition of Mujtahid
a. The work of Mujtahid or interpreter is to ascertain the authenticity of sources and then:
i. Discover new laws via interpretation.
VI. Scope of Ijtihad.
a. If the ruling of Quran is present on something then Ijtihad cannot be done on it.
i. For example, alcohol is impermissible in every case.
b. The thing which the Sunnah of Prophet (S) has clearly established, Ijtihad cannot be
done on that as well.
i. You can clarify it further but cannot change the Sunnah.
VII. Why doors closed?
 a. Because many ulema like the Maliki, Hanbali and Shafi thought that if Ijtihad continues
to be permissible then there would be a lot of changes in religion.
VIII. How to revive them?
a. Some ulema hold the opinion that there should be a world ijtihad council where the
ulema of the world can come together to practice Ijtihad. Why?
i. Because it helps solve the common problems of Ummah.
b. Some ulema, on the other hand, believe that a body of ulema doing ijtihad should be
present on a national level e.g., CII (Council of Islamic Ideology) in Pakistan. Why?
i. Because the conventions (adaat) of each country are different.
IX. Opinion
a. Ijtihad is a very good tool. Why?
i. Because new problems are being faced by Muslims in modern times.
ii. New technologies are introduced which change the world.