The Word of Islam 9780292747432

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T H E W O R D OF

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ISLAM

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Cover and title page calligraphy by Mohamed Zakariya: the Islamic profession of faith, "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God."

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THE WORD OF

ISLAM

Edited by John Alden Williams

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS PRESS AUSTIN

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Copyright © 1994 by the University of Texas Press All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America Seventh paperback printing, 2011 Requests for permission to reproduce material from this work should be sent to: Permissions University of Texas Press P.O. Box 7819 Austin, TX 78713-7819 www.utexas.edu/utpress/about/bpermission.html ® The paper used in this book meets the minimum requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R1997) (Permanence of Paper). Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The word of Islam / edited by John Alden Williams. — 1st ed. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 978-0-292-79076-6 (pbk.) 1. Islam I. Williams, John Alden. BP161.2.W67 1994 297—dc2o

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93-4676

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For Emily, Hilary, and Felicity

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THE OPENER

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Praise be to God, The Lord of the Worlds, The Merciful One, the Compassionate One, The Master of the Day of Doom. You alone we worship, to You alone we call for help. Guide us in the straight path, The path of those You have blessed, Not of those with whom You are angry, Nor of those who go astray. The Fdtiha, the opening sura of the Qur'an, the Sura of Praise, is recited every time Muslims begin their prayer and when any new thing is to be undertaken. It properly begins The Word of Islam.

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CONTENTS

Introduction

i

Guide to Pronunciation of Arabic Terms

5

1. The Word of God: The Qur'an

7

God Speaks to Humankind

8

He Speaks through the Prophets

14

God Reveals Himself

23

He Commands

26

He Rewards and Punishes

31

2. The News of God's Messenger: The Hadtth

36

The Beginnings of the Revelation

37

The Founding of the Community

46

Muhammad as Legislator and Founder

56

Muhammad as Model and Guide

59

The Science of Hadtth

63

3. The Law of God: Shari'a and Fiqh

66

The Acts of Servanthood

6j

Family Law

87

Government of the Community

92

Ritual Slaughter and Animal Sacrifice

96

Things Disliked and Things Forbidden

177, 187, 194 'Uthman, 41, 141, 151, 1721., 177, 190,

103, 104, 107 Shl'a, 36, 90, 93, 141, i5of., 163, 170,

191

173, 178, 187-210 Sin, 26, 28, 31, 33, 34, 57, n o , 147,

Wahhabls, 67, 131, 164, 217, 219

148, Sufism, 163, Sultan, Sunna,

150, 153, 182, 186, 194, 197 Sufis, 109-139, 154, 157, 159, 167, 196, 207, 211, 217 96, 154L, 157, 163 59, 62, 63ft., 69, 70, 87, 98, 105,

145, Sunnls, 162, 202,

164ft., !74> I75> 176 36, 67, 93, 145, 151, 154, 157, 170, 173, 188, 191, 195, 197, 216, 217, 218

Wills, 92

Wine, 28, 127, 128, 134, 135, 177, 180, 218 Zakat (poor-tax), 27, 42, 55, 57, 79-83, 95, 177, 180, 183, 200, 202, 209

Zayd b. 'All Zayn al-'Abidin, 188, 190 ZaydlShl'Is, 151, 187-192, 193, 197 Zoroastrian, 89, 97, 133, 146, 183, 191

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