3.4.1 SCIENCES OF THE QUR’AN, uluum al Qur’an

Qur’anic sciences deal with general matters relating to the revelation, arrangement, collection, writing, recitation, interpretation, miracles of the Qur’an, ‘Ilm tafsir al Qur'an, the most important Qur’anic science, elucidates Allah’s intention in the Qur’an to the best of human capacity. The literal meaning corresponds to the actual meaning in clear verses, ayat muhakamat. The actual meaning of allegorical verses, ayat mutashabihaat, cannot be elucidated from the literal meaning necessitating interpretation. Tafsir was undertaken by the prophet and companions. It is a dynamic and growing discipline because the Qur’an is a continuing challenge and every generation understands it in its own way. The 2 primary sources of tafsir are the Qur’an itself and the sunnat. Additional sources are Ijtihad and inference, istinbaat, Interpretation by precedent; tafsir bi al ma’athuur is interpretation by the Qur’an, the sunnat, the companions and the followers. Tafsiir based on ijtihad, rationality & opinion, tafsir bi al ra’ay, is praiseworthy if based on general principles of the Qur’an and blameworthy if based purely on human reasoning. Interpretation based on empirical science, tafsir ‘ilmi, is empirical and scientific asserting that there is no contradiction between science and the Qur’an. It discovers the link between the Qur’an and discoveries of empirical science. The concept of ta’awil is positive when it is used to mean tafsir and negative when it refers to attempts at interpreting the holy text to support pre-conceived views or personal or parochial interests. Indexation of the Qur’an makes it easier to look up verses dealing with subjects of interest.

3.4.2 SCIENCES OF HADITH, ‘uluum al hadith

‘ilm al hadith is the science of the principles by which the status of the chain of transmitters, sanad, and the text, matn, are ascertained. Criteria more stringent than laws of evidence in courts are used to grade a hadith and accept it as valid. The most important hadith collections are al Muwatta; Musnad Ahmad, Sunan al Daarimi, Sahiih al Bukhari, Sahiih Muslim, Sunan Ibn Majah, Sunan Abu Daud, al Jamiu al Sahiih li al Tirmidhi, and  Sunan al Nisae .

3.4.3 BIOGRAPHY OF THE PROPHET, ‘ULUUM AL SIIRAT

‘Ilm al sirat studies the life of the Prophet, personality, attributes, public and private behavior, work methodology, leadership and management, and all his interactions with his companions and others in the society. Because of its religious importance ‘ilm al sirat is studied separately from history. It is also separated from ‘uluum al hadith because it employs a less rigorous methodology in collecting, analyzing, and accepting information.  The sources of ‘ilm al sirat are: the Holy Qur’an, books of hadith, Arab poetry of that time, and special books of sirat that were written.

3.4.4 SCIENCES OF FUNDAMENTALS OF RELIGION, 'uluum usul al ddiin

‘Ilm usul al ddiin (also ‘ilm al tauhid, ‘ilm al kalaam, & ‘ilm al aqidat) deals with obligatory matters of the creed. The Islamic creed is characterized by simplicity, realism, tolerance, and a humane approach. It would not have required a separate discipline were it nor for intellectual confusion that followed Muslim contact with Greek philosophy and logic. The main issues of ‘ulum usul al diin are: tauhid, shirk, and bid’at,

3.4.5 SCIENCES OF THE LAW & ITS FUNDAMENTALS, uluum al fiqh wa usulihi

Fiqh is the knowledge of legal rules. Fiqh covers ibadat; civil transactions, personal, criminal, judicial, constitutional, international, and economic rulings. Usul al fiqh is principles used by the mujtahid to reach a legal ruling using specific evidence. The main sources of usul al fiqh are the Qur’an and sunnat. It provides a methodological guideline for the mujtahid so that he can pursue his analysis in a systematic and tried way. It also lends credibility to the conclusions of the mujtahid because people will know that he followed an established methodology and was not following his personal whims or fancies. Thus usul al fiqh helps people trust the conclusions of the mujtahid.