Glossary of Islamic Financial Terms - List No.2

The principles and precepts of Islamic Shari'ah governing commercial and financial transactions are both extraordinary complex and also elegantly simple. The existence and doctrinal enunciations of different schools of Islamic jurisprudence render it challenging to summarize those principles and precepts in a succinct fashion. To familiarize the reader of these materials with the terminology used in Islamic Finance transactions, however, we are providing brief and generalized summaries of the key concepts (primarily embodied in certain Arabic words) that describe the structures and philosophy underlying modern Islamic Finance. We also set forth a few abbreviations for organizations that are currently prominent in the field of Islamic Finance.

AAOIFI means the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions.

Adl (pl. is adlan) means a trusted person selected by the parties to the transaction to serve as a type of trustee-arbitrator.

Arboon (also Arbun or Arboun or Bai al Arboon) means a sale involving a down payment in respect of the purchase price and complete performance of the contract at a future date. The down payment will be applied in respect of the purchase price, if the purchaser shall subsequently consummate the sale, or forfeited, if the purchaser shall not subsequently consummate the sale (including as a result of an election by the purchaser).

Bai Dayn means debt financing.

Dayn means debt. Certain schools of Islamic thought prohibit the sale of debt (bai' al-dayn) except where the purchase price does not reflect a discount from the face value of the debt.

Fatwa (pl. is fatawa) is an opinion or pronouncement on Islamic law issued by an Islamic scholar or Shari'ah Supervisory Board.

Fiqh means understanding or human comprehension of the divine law (Shari'ah). Different schools of Fiqh developed over time within Islam, and these schools often have varying views on whether a particular action is permitted under Shari'ah.

Gharar means uncertainty and ambiguity and, separately, can also include elements of deceit. Under Shari'ah, parties may not enter into an agreement that is subject to excessive uncertainty and ambiguity.

Halal means lawful under Shari'ah.

Hawala is a transfer agreement whereby an obligation is transferred from one person to another; bill of exchange, remittance.

Haram means unlawful under Shari'ah.

Hissas means equity shares or ownership interests.

IDB means the Islamic Development Bank.

IFSB means the Islamic Financial Services Board.

Ijara (also Ijarah) means lease or leasing of assets or services. In Islamic finance transactions, a financial institution or a special purpose entity receiving financing may purchase an asset and lease it to the customer at an agreed rental and for an agreed term.

Ijara wa iqtina means a lease of an asset couple with a right in the lessee to purchase the asset at the end of the lease term. This arrangement is often quite similar, structurally, to a conventional "hire/purchase" scheme, in which the lessee/customer has the right to buy an asset at the end of the asset's lease term.

Ijtihad means, literally, "effort" or legal reasoning or the making of a legal decision by independent interpretation of the usul al-fiqh, particularly the revealed sources.

Islamic finance refers to investment and financing that are structured to comply with the requirements of the Shari'ah.

Istisna'a (also Istisna) is variously referred to as a commissioned manufacture and sale, a commissioned future sale and purchase/sale transaction in which a buyer/customer places an order for the construction or manufacture of an object to be delivered at a future date (which can range from something as simple as an item of jewelry to something as large as a liquefied natural gasification project) at a pre-agreed price.

Masnou means that which is manufactured or constructed pursuant to an istisna'a arrangement or contract.

Maysir (also maisir) means gambling.

Mudaraba is a type of joint venture in which one venturer (the investor, or rabb ul-maal) provides capital to another (the working or service venturer, or mudarib) in order to undertake a business activity. Profits are shared at a pre-determined ratio, but losses of capital are borne by the investor.

Mudarib (also Mudareb) means the joint venturer providing services in a mudaraba and who manages the mudaraba.

Murabaha means "a profitable sale", a cost-plus sale. In modern financial practice involving bank mediation, it has come to mean a mode of financing whereby the financier purchases a specific asset/commodity chosen by the financier's customer and re-sells it to that customer at a predetermined price. The selling price is higher than the purchase price, and the difference between the financier's acquisition price and resale price is the financier's profit (i.e., the reward for the financier's risk). The customer's payment obligation can become due and payable at the time of the financier's transfer of the asset/commodity or can be deferred and paid over time.

Musharaka (also Musharakah or Musharaqah) is a joint venture (frequently a partnership) in which each of the joint venturers contribute capital to a particular business undertaking. The joint venturers share profits as they may agree, but the losses must always be shared in accordance with the contributed capital of the respective joint venturers.

Musharaka Mutanaqisa means a musharaka in which sharing of one joint venturer diminishes over time with performance by the other joint venturer and is frequently referred to as a "diminishing partnership".

Mussallam means the purchaser of the commodity or item to be delivered on a deferred basis pursuant to a salam contract.

Mussallam fiihi means the commodity or item that is the subject of a salam contract.

Musallam ilayhi means the seller of the commodity or item to be delivered on a deferred basis pursuant to a salam contract.

Mustasne' means the purchaser under an istisna'a arrangement.

Qur'an (also Quran or Koran) is the holy book of Islam as revealed to the Prophet Mohammad (sawf).

Qard hassan means a benevolent loan in which the lender is afforded no monetary return, and in current parlance frequently refers to an interest-free loan.

Rabb ul-maal means the venturer providing funds in and to the mudaraba and will not have the right to manage the mudaraba.

Rahn means a mortgage (with respect to real property) and pledge (with respect to personal property).

Riba means, literally, "increase" and is used to connote an unjustified increase in capital; the term is often used to refer to interest, usury or unjust enrichment). A key tenet of Shari'ah requires that participants in a commercial transaction undertake a risk in the endeavor. A borrower's obligation to pay interest in a conventional loan transaction is viewed as assuring a "riskless" return on the financier's investment, and thus is not permitted under the Shari'ah.

Salam is a sale agreement in which the seller undertakes to supply the buyer with specific goods at a future date in exchange for, and as a liability against, full payment in advance at the current time.

Sane' means the seller who agrees to supply the item to be manufactured or constructed pursuant to the istisna'a arrangement or contract. The sane' may or may not be the entity or person that actually manufactures or constructs that item.

Shari'ah (also Shari'a or Sharia) means the perfect, immutable, divine Islamic "law" as revealed in the Qur'an and the Sunna.

Shari'ah Supervisory Board (also Shari'ah Board or Shari'ah Committee) is a body of Islamic scholars that reviews Islamic financing transaction documents and approve them as being compliant with the Shari'ah.

Sharika means a partnership (or similar joint venture) or a contract between two or more parties pertaining to capital and work (management) for the purpose of making a profit.

Sharika al-masrafiyya means, in current usage, musharaka.

Sharikat ul-amwaal means a property partnership or property joint venture.

Sukuk (pl. of sakk or saak) are capital market instruments which may be "Islamic bonds", "Islamic asset securitizations" or "Islamic whole business securitizations". The sukuk holder is granted a fractional undivided ownership in the assets or business being financed. AAOIFI recognizes 14 categories of sukuk.

Sunna means the practices and traditions of the Prophet Mohammad; the binding authority of his dicta and decisions.

Takaful means "guaranteeing each other" and the sharing of risk on a cooperative basis and mutual assistance (ta'awun). It is an Islamic insurance system that is based on mutual co-operation and assistance among groups. Such Islamic insurance has been devised to avoid fundamental prohibitions under Islamic Shari'ah such as riba, gharar and maysir.

Tandeed means conversion of musharaka assets into money.

Taqlid means "imitation" in the following of precedent and is particularly relevant to the period of Islamic history (approximately 950 ? 1900 (possibly 1970) C.E.) during which it is said that there was a "closing of the gate of ijtihad".

Usul al-fiqh means the "roots of the law", which are (a) the Qur'an, (b) the Sunna, (c) the ijma, or "consensus" of the community of Islamic scholars, and (d) the qiyas, or analogical deductions and reasoning of the Islamic scholars with respect to the foregoing. The Qur'an and the Sunna are often referred to as the "revealed" sources.

Wakala is an agency agreement or arrangement.

Wakil (also Wakeel) is the agent in a Wakala relationship.

(Dechert LLP)

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Glossary of Islamic Financial Terms - List No.1/5

Bai Bithaman Ajil

A contract of sale and purchase for the financing of an asset on a deferred payment and installment basis with a pre agreed payment period. The sales price includes a profit margin.

Bai Inah

A financing facility involving two separate contracts. In the first contract a financier sells an asset to a customer on deferred payment terms. Immediately after, the financier repurchases the same asset from the customer on cash terms at a price lower than that of the deferred payment sale.

It can also be applied vise versa where a financier buys an asset from a customer on cash terms. Immediately after, the financier sells back the same asset to the customer on deferred payment terms at a price higher than that of the cash sale.

Bai Dayn

Refers to the buying and selling in the secondary market of debt certificates, securities, trade documents and papers that conform with the Syariah. The trade documents are issued by debtors to creditors as evidence of indebtedness. Only documents evidencing real debts arising from bona fide merchant transactions can be traded.

Bai Istijrar

A contract between a supplier and a client whereby the supplier supplies a particular item on an ongoing basis on an agreed mode of payment until they terminate the contract. It is also applied between a wholesaler and a retailer for the supply of a number of agreed items.

Bai Muzayadah

A sale of an asset in public through the process of bidding among potential buyers and the asset is sold to highest bidder.

Bai Wafa’

A contract with the condition that when the seller pays back the price of the property sold, the buyer returns the property to the seller. It is a Bai in form but a pledge in substance.

Bai Salam

A purchase contract for the delivery of an item on a certain future date with the full payment of the purchase price in cash at the point of contract.

Bai Istisna’

A purchase order contract where a buyer orders a seller or contractor to manufacture an item according to specification in the purchase contract to be delivered on a certain future date. The settlement of the purchase price is according to the agreement between the two parties.

Dhaman or Kafalah

A contract of guarantee where a person underwrites any claims or obligations that should be fulfilled by a debtor, supplier or contractor in the event that the debtor, supplier or contractor fails to fulfill his obligation.

Gharar

An unknown fact or condition. In a commercial transaction, the fact or condition of either of the contracting parties or the item in the contract or the price of the item is not known giving rise to an uncertain status or result of the contract, i.e. whether it is valid or void. An excessive gharar makes a contract null and void.

Ghish, ghurur

Cheating, fraud, deception. Both are prohibited by the Shariah.

Haq Maliy

A right on a financial asset. Examples of rights are haq dayn (right to the claim of a debt) and haq tamalluk (right of ownership).

Hibah

Gift, something given to a person without exchange.

Hiwalah

A contract of transferring a debt obligation from the debtor to a third person.

Ibra’

Giving up of a right. In a commercial transaction a creditor gives up part or all of his right to a debtor usually for early settlement of the debt.

Ijarah

A sale or purchase of usufruct. A sale or purchase of the use of another person’s property. The ownership of the property remains with the lessor while the lessee only owns the right of the use of the property.

Ijarah Thumma Bai

Refers to an Ijarah (leasing/renting) contract to be followed by a Bai (purchase) contract. Under the first contract, the hirer leases the property from the owner at an agreed rental over a specified period. Upon expiry of the leasing period, the hirer enters into a second contract to purchase the property from the owner at an agreed price.

Ittifaq Dhimni

An agreement between parties concerned on the sale price and repurchase price of an asset prior to the execution of the sale and repurchase contracts for the purpose of bidding process in Bai’ Muzayadah (bidding or auction).

Ju’alah

A unilateral contract promising a reward for the accomplishment of a specified task.

Khilabah

A form of fraud, either in words or deed by a party to a trading contract with the intention of inducing the other party to make a contract. This is prohibited by the Shariah.

Khiyanah

A breach of trust, betrayal or treachery. It is prohibited by the Shariah.

Maisir

Gambling. Any activity the involves betting money or an item on the outcome of an unpredictable event. The bet is forfeited if the outcome is not as predicted by the bettor and the person against whom the bet is made takes the bet. This activity is prohibited by the Shariah.

Mal

A thing which is naturally desired by man, and can be stored for times of necessity; it has use and it is permissible by the Shariah to enjoy its benefit.

Mudharabah

(trustee financing)

An agreement between a provider of fund who provides 100% capital for the financing and an entrepreneur who manages the business applying his expertise; profit is to be shared between them according to an agreed ratio, while loss is to be borne solely by the provider of capital.

Muqasah

Debt settlement by a contra transaction; setting off.

Bai Murababah

(cost plus)

A sale based on cost price where the cost price, the profit margin and other costs to the seller are stated at the time of the contract. The settlement of the price is normally made on deferred lump sum payment terms.

Musharakah

(joint venture)

An agreement between two or more parties whereby all parties contribute capital either in the form of cash or in kind to form a company to carry on commercial activities. The profit is shared based on equity participation or as agreed between the parties; loss is shared according to equity participation.

Qabadh

Qabadh means taking possession. Generally qabadh follows urf, viz. the common practices of the local community where it varies from one kind of good to another recognizing the way the possession of a good takes place.

Qardh Hasan

It is a benevolent loan, i.e. a loan contract between two parties with no extra payment over and above the loan. Any extra payment imposed by the lender or promised by the borrower is prohibited. However the borrower is permitted to pay extra on payment at his absolute discretion as a token of appreciation.

Rahnu

Making a property a security for a debt or a right of claim, the payment in full of which is permitted from the sale of the property in the event of default by the debtor.

It is also used as a name for a kind of borrowing with collateral.

Riba

In lending, it is the extra payment imposed by the lender or promised by the borrower over and above the loan. In trading it is mostly the difference in weight in the exchange of gold of different measures of purity, e.g. 10g. of 750 gold with the 8g. of 835 gold; or the difference in time between payment and delivery in foreign currency exchange, e.g. payment of RM10,000 at 10.00 a.m. and delivery of USD3,800 at 3.00 p.m on the same date.

Sarf

A contract of exchange between two currencies.

Shariah

Shariah means fiqh or Islamic Law comprising the whole body of rulings pertaining to human conduct derived from the rulings’ respective particular evidences. The respective particular evidences are the sources of the Shariah, the primary sources being the Quran, the Sunnah, ijma’ and qiyas, the secondary sources being the method of reasoning applied by Muslim jurist in their ijtihad (personal reasoning)

Shariah requirement

It is a general phrase or expression which generally means abstinence from prohibition and fulfillment of essential elements and necessary conditions in performing a human act.

Suftajah

Bill of Exchange

Sukuk

Plural of sok. It is being used as singular. It is a document or certificate evidencing an undivided pro rata ownership of an underlying asset; a capital market financial instrument tradable in the secondary market.

Ta’widh

A compensation agreed upon by the contracting parties as a payment that can be claimed by the creditor when the debtor defaults in the payment of his debt.

Tadlis al-‘aib

An act of a seller intentionally hiding the defects of goods; it is prohibited by the Shariah.

Takaful

It is a protection plan based on Shariah principles. It is Islamic insurance. A person becomes a participant by undertaking a contract of tabarru’ and paying a participative contribution (tabarru’) to a common takaful fund whereby he allows his contributions to be used to help other participants whenever they suffer defined losses. The commercial contracts of Mudharabah and Wakalah are incorporated into tabarru’ contracts to increase the size of the takaful fund.

Tanajush

A conspiracy between a seller and a buyer wherein a buyer purchases an item from the seller at a price higher than that of the market thereby enticing other buyers to buy the items at a price higher than the market price. The seller thus makes a big profit. This act is prohibited by the Shariah.

Ujrah

A payment for manfaah, usufruct on the use of another’s property. Another term related to ujrah is ajr (plural ujur), which is a payment for a service. It is also applied to salary, wage, pay, fee(s), charge, enrolment, honorarium, remuneration, reward, etc.

Uqud Ishtirak

Contracts of participation or partnership

Uqud Mu’awadat

Contracts of exchange

Uqud Tabarru’at

Contracts of gift or donation

Urbun

A deposit or earnest money paid as an installment to confirm contract. If the contract continues to its conclusion the seller realizes it as part of the selling price. If the contract fails the seller forfeits it as penalty for the breach of the contract.

Wadi’ah

Safe custody. Originally safe custody is Wadiah Yad Amanah, i.e. trustee custody where according to the Shariah the trustee custodian has the duty to safeguard the property held in trust. Wadiah Yad Amanah changes to Wadiah Yad Dhamanah (guaranteed custody) when the trustee custodian violates the conditions to safeguard the property. He then has to guarantee the property.

Wakalah

A contract of appointment of an agent where a person appoints another as his agent to act on his behalf.

Zakat

A religious obligation of alms-giving on a Muslim to pay 2.5% of certain kinds of his wealth annually to one of the eight categories of needy Muslims.

(IBFIM)

http://www.ahmad-sanusi-husain.com/2012/01/glossary-of-islamic-financial-terms.html

Qiyas in Islamic Law – A Brief Introduction

Qiyâs is a method that uses analogy – comparison – to derive Islamic legal rulings for new developments. Qiyâs can be defined as taking an established ruling from Islamic Law and applying it to a new case, in virtue of the fact that the new case shares the same essential reason for which the original ruling was applied. Qiyâs, therefore, is a method that Muslim jurists use to derive a ruling for new situations that are not addressed by the Qur’ân and Sunnah, like many new developments of our age and like the customs of people not encountered in Arabia during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). By way of qiyâs, these issues can be referred back to those that are explicitly mentioned in the sacred texts. When we know the reason why something in Islamic Law is obligatory, preferred, permitted, disliked, or forbidden, then if something else shares the same reason, it can be given the same legal ruling.

Categories of Qiyâs:
There are two major categories of qiyâs with respect to its strength as evidence: overt and obscure.
A. Obvious Comparison (qiyâs jaliyy): This is where the new situation being investigated is clearly no different in its essentials from a matter that Islamic Law has a clear and established ruling for. This is especially the case where the sacred texts clearly spell out the reason for the original ruling or where there is unanimous agreement among Muslims as to what that reason is. In such cases, there is no need for the jurist to try to deduce a quality in the new situation that he can use to make a comparison with some precedent in Islamic Law. Everything is clear and up-front.

Consider the following examples:
1. What is the ruling when the guardian of the orphan’s estate burns all the orphan’s property? Though there is no direct textual evidence that discusses burning the orphan’s property, the ruling is patently clear. It takes the same ruling as when the guardian squanders the orphan’s wealth on himself. Allah says: “Lo! Those who devour the wealth of orphans wrongfully, they do but swallow fire into their bellies, and they will be exposed to burning flame.” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 10] It is prohibited for the guardian of the orphan’s estate to wrongfully spend the orphan’s wealth on himself. The reason for this ruling is obvious – it brings loss to the orphan’s property. This is precisely what would happen if the guardian burns the orphan’s property. The orphan will suffer the loss. There is no material difference between the two cases. Since the two cases share the reason for the ruling, they share the same ruling. It is unquestionably prohibited for the guardian to burn or otherwise vandalize the orphan’s property.
2. What is the ruling on giving one’s parents a good smack? We will not find any text in our scriptures that directly addresses this question. However, we are in no doubt that it is absolutely prohibited and sinful to do so. We find in the Qur’ân that it is sinful to even mutter “ugh” or “uff” to our parents in exasperation when they ask us to do something for them. Allah says: “And your Lord has commanded that you shall not worship any but Him, and that you show kindness to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them so much as “ugh” nor chide them, but speak to them a generous word.” [Sûrah al-Isrâ’: 23] We are prohibited to say “ugh” to our parents, because it is abusive behavior. At the very least, it hurts their feelings. We can have no doubt that shoving them or smacking them is even more abusive and hurtful. Since the reason for prohibition is even more evident here, we can be certain that smacking our parents is unlawful and very sinful. From these examples, there should be no question that qiyâs should be accepted as a legal means for establishing Islamic legislation whenever the comparison is overt and clear. Some scholars do not consider these examples to even fall under the heading of qiyâs, due to how clear and obvious they are, but consider such rulings to constitute part of what the texts themselves communicate.
B. Obscure Comparison (qiyâs khafiyy): This is where the new situation being investigated is not so overtly similar in its essentials to the established matter in Islamic Law that it is being compared to. This is especially the case where the sacred texts do not spell out the reason for the original ruling or where there is disagreement among Muslims as to what that reason is. Scholars cite as an example that the criminal liability for murder with a bludgeon is the same as that for murder with a knife, since in both cases there is “an intentional and hostile act of killing”. The difference here to the examples above is that the shared reason for the ruling is one that has been deduced by the jurists from the ruling prohibiting murder. The formula “an intentional and hostile act of killing” is a legal construct developed by legal theorists to define when a killing is legally an act of murder. It is not something that is explicitly stated in the texts, but rather something that is deduced from them. In such cases, there is a greater burden upon the jurist, who is required to extrapolate and explain the cause of the established ruling and then explain how that cause is also present in the new matter under investigation. All scholars agree on calling this kind of reasoning by the name qiyâs.

Areas of Scholarly Agreement Regarding the Validity of Qiyâs as a Form of Reasoning:Muslims are all agreed that qiyâs is a valid approach to reasoning in the following areas of inquiry:
1. Worldly matters: for instance, comparing one medicine to another or pricing one product on the basis of the price of similar products in the market.
2. Any qiyâs that was carried out by the Prophet (peace be upon him): since its consideration become certain on account of its taking place in a context of certainty. The scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah are also in agreement that qiyâs cannot be applied to certain matters. It cannot be used to answer essential questions of belief or to investigate matters relating to Allah’s nature and attributes if it leads to comparing Allah to His creation. Qiyâs can only be validly applied in these matters to extent of demonstrating that Allah is superior and transcendent to created things. Otherwise, the use of qiyâs will lead to the mistake of considering both Creator and His creation equally under the aegis of more general concepts. It will also lead to considering Allah as being similar to created things. Allah says: “To Allah applies the highest similitude: for He is the Exalted in Power, full of Wisdom.” [Sûrah al-Nahl: 60] Allah says: “There is none like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” [Sûrah al-Shûrâ: 11] As Muslims, we must believe that Allah is free from every deficiency that exists in created beings. By contrast, every aspect of perfection applies more to the Creator than it can to anything in creation. These matters are agreed upon.

Areas of Scholarly Disagreement Regarding the Validity of Qiyâs:Scholars disagree regarding the applicability of the second type of qiyâs (qiyâs khafiyy) in matters of Islamic Law. The discussion that follows will be dealing specifically with this second type. All of the leading scholars from among the Prophet’s Companions, as well as the Islamic legal scholars from all the major schools of thought agree that qiyâs is a source of Islamic legislation. It can be used as evidence to establish Islamic legal rulings on matters that are not directly addressed by the sacred texts. Ahmad b. Hanbal said: “No one can entirely dispense with qiyâs.” Some legal theorists of the Mu`tazilî persuasion denied the validity of qiyâs. The leading proponent of this line of thinking was al-Nazzâm, who was followed by Ja`far b. Harb, Ka`far b. Mubashshir, and Muhammad b. `Abd Allah al-Iskâfî. This line of thinking was also adopted by some scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah, most notably Dâwûd al-Zâhirî. These scholars, in turn, differed among themselves regarding the reasons why they dismissed qiyâs. Some of them argued that qiyâs is contrary to reason. One argument given in this light was that: “Delving into this method is intellectually repugnant in its own right”. Another argument was: “Islamic legal rulings are based on human well-being, and no one knows human well-being except the One who gave us the sacred law. Therefore, the only way we can know the sacred law is from the revelation.” Other scholars said that qiyâs is not contrary to reason, but prohibited by the sacred law itself.

There were two schools of though that propounded this general idea.
1. The first was that of Ibn Hazm, the most prominent scholar of the Zâhirî school of law. He argued that the Qur’ân and Sunnah came with everything that is needed, so there is no need for qiyâs.
2. A second school of thought considered it a sin to even acknowledge the validity of qiyâs. The Hanafî jurist

Abû Zayd al-Dâbûsî summarizes the opinions of those who reject qiyâs as follows:
Those who reject qiyâs are four groups. First, there are those who reject all rational evidence, and reject qiyâs because it is based on reason. Then there are those who hold that the only valid source of knowledge is that which is founded in rational necessity, and they argue that qiyâs is not founded on rational necessity. Then there are those who do not regard qiyâs as a valid source of evidence for matters of Islamic Law. Finally, there are those who argue that qiyâs would only a valid source of evidence for matters of Islamic Law in cases of necessity. However, there is never a need to resort to qiyâs, because in the absence of direct textual evidence, the default legal ruling is one of permissibility.The truth is that qiyâs is a valid source of Islamic Law. The disagreements that developed regarding its validity came about after the Companions agreed unanimously that it is a valid approach, and after the Successors – the students of the Companions – applied qiyâs and endorsed it without hesitation.. This means that the disagreement came about after it had been a matter of consensus (ijmâ`).

General Rules for the Valid Application of Qiyâs: There are a number of guidelines that must be observed for qiyâs to be correctly applied. We will mention these in a very brief and summarized form: 1. Qiyâs can never be used to establish a ruling that contravenes a ruling or legal principle established by direct scriptural evidence. This is because qiyâs is not to be resorted to in a matter where we have a text that gives a ruling. 2. The person who engages in deriving a ruling through qiyâs must have the qualifications to engage in independent juristic reasoning (ijtihâd). 3. The qiyâs itself must be reasoned through properly. It must comply with all of the considerations that Islamic legal theorists have discussed in the books of jurisprudence. Otherwise, the qiyâs will not be valid. It will be of the type that the earliest scholars condemned. However, they did not ever categorically condemn qiyâs. Al-Ghazâlî writes: “Whoever rejects qiyâs in principle is certainly mistaken in his thinking, and should be deemed as sinful.”


by Sheikh Walîd b. Ibrâhîm al-`Ujajî, professor at al-Imam Islamic University

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Taubat Nasuha - kembali kepada Allah

Taubat adalah kembali kepada Allah setelah melakukan maksiat. Taubat merupakan rahmat Allah yang diberikan kepada hamba-Nya agar mereka dapat kembali kepada-Nya.

Agama Islam tidak memandang manusia bagaikan malaikat tanpa kesalahan dan dosa sebagaimana Islam tidak membiarkan manusia berputus asa dari ampunan Allah, betapa pun dosa yang telah diperbuat manusia. Bahkan Nabi Muhammad telah membenarkan hal ini dalam sebuah sabdanya yang berbunyi: "Setiap anak Adam pernah berbuat kesalahan/dosa dan sebaik-baik orang yang berbuat dosa adalah mereka yang bertaubat (dari kesalahan tersebut)."

Di antara kita pernah berbuat kesalahan terhadap diri sendiri sebagaimana terhadap keluarga dan kerabat bahkan terhadap Allah. Dengan segala rahmatnya, Allah memberikan jalan kembali kepada ketaatan, ampunan dan rahmat-Nya dengan sifat-sifat-Nya yang Maha Penyayang dan Maha Penerima Taubat. Seperti diterangkan dalam surat Al Baqarah: 160 "Dan Akulah yang Maha Penerima Taubat lagi Maha Penyayang."

Taubat dari segala kesalahan tidaklah membuat seorang terhina di hadapan Tuhannya. Hal itu justru akan menambah kecintaan dan kedekatan seorang hamba dengan Tuhannya kerana sesungguhnya Allah sangat mencintai orang-orang yang bertaubat dan mensucikan diri. Sebagaimana firman-Nya dalam surat Al-Baqarah: 222, "Sesungguhnya Allah menyukai orang-orang yang taubat dan menyukai orang-orang yang mensucikan diri."

Taubat dalam Islam tidak mengenal perantara, bahkan pintunya selalu terbuka luas tanpa penghalang dan batas. Allah selalu menbentangkan tangan-Nya bagi hamba-hamba-Nya yang ingin kembali kepada-Nya. Seperti terungkap dalam hadis riwayat Imam Muslim dari Abu musa Al-Asy`ari: "SesungguhnyaAllah membentangkan tangan-Nya di siang hari untuk menerima taubat orang yang berbuat kesalahan pada malam hari sampai matahari terbit dari barat."

Merugilah orang-orang yang berputus asa dari rahmat Allah dan membiarkan dirinya terus-menerus melampaui batas. Padahal, pintu taubat selalu terbuka dan sesungguhnya Allah mengampuni dosa-dosa semuanya kerana sesungguhnya Dialah yang Maha Pengampun lagi Maha penyayang.

Tepatlah kiranya firman Allah dalam surat Ali Imran ayat: 133-135, "Bersegaralah kepada ampunan dari Tuhanmu dan kepada syurga yang luasnya seluas langit dan bumi yang disediakan untuk orang-orang yang bertakwa iaitu orang-orang yang menafkahkan hartanya baik di waktu lapang maupun sempit dan orang-orang yang menahan amarahnya dan memaafkan kesalahan orang dan Allah menyukai orang-orang yang berbuat kebajikan. Dan juga orang-orang yang apabila mengerjakan perbuatan keji atau menganiaya diri sendiri mereka ingat akan Allah, lalu memohon ampunan terhadap dosa-dosa mereka dan siapa lagi yang dapat mengampuni dosa selain daripada Allah? Dan mereka tidak meneruskan perbuatan kejinya itu, sedang mereka mengetahui."

Taubat yang tingkatannya paling tinggi di hadapan Allah adalah "Taubat Nasuha", iaitu taubat yang murni. Sebagaimana dijelaskan dalam surah At-Tahrim: 66, "Wahai orang-orang yang beriman, bertaubatlah kepada Allah dengan taubat yang semurni-murninya, mudah-mudahan Tuhan kamu akan menghapus kesalahan-kesalahanmu dan memasukkan kamu ke dalam syurga yang mengalir di bawahnya sungai-sungai, pada hari ketika Allah tidak menghinakan Nabi dan orang-orang yang beriman bersamanya, sedang cahaya mereka memancar di depan dan di sebelah kanan mereka, sambil mereka mengatakan 'Ya Tuhan kami, sempurnakanlah bagi kami cahaya kami dan ampunilah kami, sesungguhnya Engkau Maha Kuasa atas segala sesuatu'".

Taubat Nasuha adalah bertaubat dari dosa yang diperbuatnya saat ini dan menyesal atas dosa-dosa yang dilakukannya di masa lalu dan berjanji untuk tidak melakukannya lagi di masa mendatang. Apabila dosa atau kesalahan tersebut terhadap bani Adam (sesama manusia), maka caranya adalah dengan meminta maaf kepadanya. Rasulullah pernah ditanya oleh seorang sahabat, "Apakah penyesalan itu taubat?", "Ya", kata Rasulullah (H.R. Ibnu Majah). Amr bin Ala pernah mengatakan: "Taubat Nasuha adalah apabila kamu membenci perbuatan dosa sebagaimana kamu pernah mencintainya".

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Ahmad Sanusi Husain: www.ahmad-sanusi-husain.com 

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Words of wisdom: Time

Wisdom is the power to put our time and our knowledge to the proper use.

Time = Life, Therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or master your time and master your life.


Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it , but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back.


Lost wealth may be replaced by hard work, lost knowledge by study, lost health by medicine, but lost time is gone forever.

Make use of time, let not advantage slip.


This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.



Start by doing the necessary, then the possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

You have too many things to do and at the end of the day nothing is done...that's because you did not prioritize your schedule and schedule your priorities. 

If you can't possibly get it all done, that's all the more reason to start doing some of it right away.


By the time. 
Verily, man is in loss, 
Except those who believe and do righteous deeds, 
and recommend one another to the truth, 
and recommend one another to patience.
(Quran: Surah Al-Asr, 103)
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Mutiara kata: Kecemerlangan

Kecemerlangan adalah hasil daripada sikap yang ingin sentiasa melakukan yang terbaik.

Orang yang cemerlang melihat setiap halangan sebagai peluang untuk mengasah potensi, manakala orang yang tidak cemerlang menganggap setiap halangan sebagai alasan yang menyebabkan kemundurannya.

Jika kita mahu mencapai kecemerlangan kita mesti mencari peluang dalam setiap kerumitan, bukan mencari kerumitan dalam setiap peluang.


Jadikan sebagai aturan hidup untuk melakukan yang terbaik dalam apa jua yang dilakukan, pasti akan menghasil kecemerlangan.

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10 adab dalam menuntut ilmu - panduan dari Imam al-Ghazali

Dalam penulisan agung “Ihya’ `Ulum al-Din” karangan Hujjatul Islam, Imam al-Ghazali, beliau telah membuat satu garis panduan adab pelajar dalam menuntut ilmu. Dalam penulisannya, beliau telah mengenalpasti 10 panduan yang boleh dijadikan asas pedoman kepada para pelajar. Asas-asas ini perlu dihayati dan dicernakan dalam diri para pelajar dalam usaha mereka menuntut ilmu sama ada di peringkat rendah atau di peringkat pengajian tinggi. 

Pertama, menjauhi perkara-perkara yang boleh merosakkan akhlak yang murni, kerana ilmu amat mudah mendekati orang yang baik budi pekertinya dan jiwa yang sentiasa bersih dan tenang. Sekiranya, hati seseorang itu dicemari dengan elemen-elemen yang negatif yang boleh merosakkan kemurnian hati dan jiwa menyebabkan pelajar tersebut sukar untuk menguasai ilmu. Ini kerana secara prinsipnya, ilmu itu bersifat suci. Sebagaimana firman Allah dalam al-Quran yang bermaksud:

“Sesungguhnya orang-orang musyriq itu najis” (at-Taubah:28).

Istilah najis yang dijelaskan oleh al-Quran merupakan simbolik yang mengertikan sifat kotor tersebut mesti dijauhi dan dihindari disebabkan sifat tersebut boleh merosakkan manusia.

Kedua, para pelajar disarankan tidak terlalu terikat dengan hal-hal keduniaan yang berkecenderungan melalaikan fikiran daripada menumpukan perhatian sepenuhnya terhadap pelajaran. Unsur-unsur ini boleh menyebabkan pelajar tidak dapat menunaikan tanggungjawabnya sebagai pelajar yang hakiki dan memalingkan fikirannya dalam usaha menuntut ilmu. Hal ini sebagaimana yang dijelaskan oleh Allah dalam al-Quran yang bermaksud:

“Allah sekali-kali tidak menjadikan bagi seseorang dua organ hati dalam rongganya” (al-Ahzab:4).

Oleh yang demikian, sekiranya fikiran para pelajar dipengaruhi oleh elemen-elemen yang boleh mencemari mentalitinya menyukarkan untuk mengetahui hakikat ilmu. Menurut Imam al-Ghazali, “Seseorang itu tidak dapat menguasai ilmu secara sebahagian, melainkan ia memberi perhatian dan tumpuan yang sepenuhnya”. Beliau memberi perumpamaan terhadap pemikiran yang dipengaruhi oleh hal-hal yang tidak berkait dengan ilmu seperti air yang mengalir dari sungai kecil, sebahagiannya diserap oleh tanah dan sebahagian lagi diserap oleh udara sehingga tidak ada lagi yang sampai ke ladang.

Ketiga, para pelajar tidak boleh bersikap angkuh dan bongkak terhadap golongan intelektual dan guru. Adalah menjadi kewajipan pelajar untuk menyerahkan segala urusan berkaitan ilmu dan mematuhi serta menghormati guru seperti orang sakit yang mematuhi arahan dan nasihat doktor. Para pelajar dituntut bersifat rendah diri, baik sangka dan setia kepada guru serta sedia menawarkan perkhidmatan kepadanya. Oleh yang demikian, pelajar tidak boleh bersikap sombong dengan guru seperti tidak mengambil manfaat ilmu yang disampaikannya dengan alasan antaranya, beranggapan guru tersebut tidak mempunyai kelayakan akademik yang tinggi. Sikap seperti ini menunjukkan kebodohan dan kedangkalan pemikiran yang ada dalam diri seseorang pelajar. Sebaliknya, para pelajar seharusnya merasa terhutang budi terhadap guru yang mencurahkan ilmu yang memandunya ke arah kebenaran.

Keempat, orang yang bersifat tekun dalam menuntut ilmu pada tahap awalnya perlu mengelakkan diri mendengar perselisihan dan perbezaan pendapat di kalangan manusia sama ada yang melibatkan ilmu keduniaan atau ilmu akhirat. Secara rasionalnya, ia boleh mengelirukan pemikirannya terhadap disiplin ilmu yang baru dipelajarinya dan membantutkan usahanya untuk membuat penyelidikan yang mendalam. Namun begitu, bagi seseorang yang telah menguasai sesuatu bidang disiplin ilmu secara mahir dan mendalam tidak menjadi halangan untuk mengkaji perbezaan pendapat tentang sesuatu perkara. Ini kerana, perbezaan pendapat tentang sesuatu perkara merupakan salah satu daripada metodologi medan penyelidikan ilmu.

Kelima, seseorang pelajar tidak boleh meninggalkan sesuatu disiplin ilmu yang terpuji melainkan ia telah mempertimbangkan dengan sebaik mungkin. Sekiranya faktor usia mengizinkan untuk menuntut ilmu, ia harus mengambil peluang untuk meningkatkan kepakarannya ke peringkat yang lebih tinggi. Sebaliknya jika faktor usia menjadi kekangan terhadap usaha menimba ilmu pengetahuan maka seseorang itu perlu mengetahui perkara asas dan penting dalam ilmu yang dikuasainya berdasarkan kemampuannya.

Keenam, tidak memaksa untuk menguasai semua disiplin ilmu secara sekaligus. Tindakan yang bijak ialah dengan menguasai sesuatu bidang ilmu itu mengikut tahap dan tingkatan ilmu berdasarkan kemampuan dan keupayaan yang ada pada diri seseorang. Kompetensi yang ada pada manusia adalah terbatas oleh pelbagai faktor dari aspek pengalaman, realiti semasa, kepakaran dan keupayaan mentaliti seseorang.

Ketujuh, seseorang tidak boleh mencampuradukkan sesuatu cabang ilmu sebelum menguasai dan memahami dengan mahir cabang ilmu yang sebelumnya. Ini kerana tertib dalam ilmu adalah tersusun dan berkait rapat antara satu sama lain. Oleh yang demikian, sekiranya seseorang pelajar memahami sesuatu ilmu dengan tertib dan tersusun maka ia dapat menguasai sesuatu konsep ilmu dengan baik. Pemahaman manusia tentang konsep ilmu akan lebih sempurna dan konsisten jika setiap cabang ilmu dihadam dan dicernakan mengikut tahap-tahap dan fasa yang tersusun dan terancang.

Kelapan, seseorang pelajar perlu mengetahui hakikat dan objektif sesuatu disiplin ilmu yang dipelajari. Ia bertujuan untuk menilai sesuatu kepentingan ilmu dan faedahnya kepada para pelajar supaya ilmu tersebut dapat diaplikasi dalam kehidupan dan memberi manfaat kepada masyarakat. Matlamat utama ilmu yang dipelajari itu tidak bertentangan dengan syariat dan membawa kemudharatan kepada umat manusia.

Kesembilan, para pelajar perlu bersikap ikhlas dalam menuntut ilmu. Kepentingan nilai ikhlas bertujuan untuk membersihkan jiwa seseorang yang bersifat riak dan takabur sesama manusia. Hakikatnya, manusia yang berilmu memiliki jiwa yang bersih dan sentiasa mendekatkan diri kepada Allah. Meskipun manusia dituntut menguasai ilmu-ilmu agama, namun ilmu-ilmu yang berkaitan dengan keduniaan tidak boleh diabaikan, kerana ia sebahagian daripada fardhu kifayah. Dalam era globalisasi ini, ilmu yang dikategorikan sebagai fardhu kifayah sangat penting bagi masyarakat Islam kerana ia dianggap sebagai satu kemaslahatan ( keperluan ) yang perlu dikuasai oleh umat Islam. Sekiranya manusia mengabaikan bidang disiplin ilmu ini menyebabkan umat Islam ketinggalan dalam zaman yang serba canggih. Dalam al-Quran, Allah berfirman yang bermaksud:

“ Allah akan meninggikan orang-orang yang beriman di antara kamu dan orang-orang yang diberi ilmu pengetahuan beberapa darjat. Dan Allah Maha Mengetahui apa yang kamu kerjakan” (al-Mujadalah:11)

Kesepuluh, setiap pelajar perlu mengetahui perkaitan ilmu yang dipelajari bertujuan supaya mengutamakan keperluan ilmu yang perlu didahulukan daripada ilmu yang berbentuk sampingan. Keutamaan ilmu ini penting kerana ia dapat mengukuhkan pemahaman pelajar tentang sesuatu perkara. Di samping itu, ia menjadi asas utama untuk mempelajari disiplin ilmu yang lain disebabkan ia mempunyai kesinambungan di antara satu cabang ilmu dengan disiplin ilmu yang lain.

Berdasarkan garis panduan yang telah diberikan oleh Hujjatul Islam, Imam al-Ghazali dalam kitabnya “Ihya’ `Ulum al-Din” diharapkan dapat memberi pedoman yang berfaedah kepada mereka yang bergelar pelajar. Mutiara kata-kata yang dicurahkan oleh ulama’ silam perlu diambil perhatian dan diamalkan oleh individu yang bergelar pelajar, agar ilmu yang dipelajari diberkati oleh Allah dan dapat memberi faedah besar kepada umat sejagat.

http://www.ahmad-sanusi-husain.com/2012/01/10-adab-dalam-menuntut-ilmu-panduan.html

Words of wisdom: Patience

Patience is the companion of wisdom.


Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow - that is patience.


Patience is not passive; on the contrary, it is active; it is concentrated strength.


Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.


One moment of patience may ward off great disaster.  One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life. 


Learn the art of patience. Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal. Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure. Patience creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success.


Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.


Patience is virtue.


“Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.”


"No one can be given a blessing better and greater than patience." --- Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) [Sahih Al-Bukhari]
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