Yusuf Al-Qaradawi

Fiqih maqashid syariah

Approaching the Sunnah

The Sunnah still provides the stable moral framework – the grammar – that enables Muslims, by formal rules and inward sense, to know right from wrong. However, separation from the mainstream of life puts the Sunnah in danger of becoming rigid – an archaism. Addressing that danger, this book explains how the Sunnah can function as the grammar of a living, adaptive language, capable of guiding (and not shying from) the mainstream. The first chapter sets out the qualities that characterize authentic application of the Sunnah: universality, coherence (so that different spheres of human responsibility are not split), compassionate realism, moderation, and humility. The second explains standards and procedures for determining the Sunnah in the fields of jurisprudence and moral instruction. The third chapter illustrates through detailed examples common errors in understanding the Sunnah – reading hadiths singly without sufficient context, confusing legal and moral injunctions, means and ends, figurative and literal meanings…–and it proposes remedies for these errors.

The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam (Al-Halal Wal Haram Fil Islam)

The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam is a long-awaited translation of Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi's well-known Arabic work, Al-Halal Al-Haram Fil-Islam. Over the years since ite first publication in 1960, this volume has enjoyed a huge readership in the Arabic speaking world and is now in its 20th edition. It came to dispel the ambiguities surrounding the honorable Shari'ah, and to fulfill the essential needs of the Muslims in this age. It clarifies the Halal (Lawful) and why it is Halal, and the Haram (Prohibited) and why it is Haram, referring to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace be on him). It answers all the questions which may face the Muslims today, and refutes the ambiguities and lies about Islam. In a very simple way, Al-Halal Al-Haram Fil-Islam delves into the authentic references in Islamic jurisprudence and fiqh. It therefrom extracts judgments of interest to contemporary Muslims in the areas of worship, business dealings, marriage and divorce, food and drink, dress and ornaments, patterns of behavior, individual and group relations, family and social ethics, habits and social customs. Referring to authentic texts, it clarifies that "Permission is the rule in everything, unless it is otherwise specified in matters that adversely affect individuals or groups." It also clarifies that "Allah is the only authority who has the right to legislate for the lawful and the prohibited."