COMSATS University Islamabad

Second Sessional Examination

Spring 2021
Subject: Islamic Studies Course Code: HUM110
Time 1 Hour Max Marks: 30
Allowed:

Student Name: Muhammad Fahad Saeed Khan Registration Number: Fa17-EPE-091

Campus: Abbottabad Moderator Name: Ma’am Asmat Shaheen

Declaration:I hereby declare that the paper submitted is the sole result of my own honest endeavors and that I abide by academic integrity. If
found guilty of violating the above, I shall be liable to procedures and consequences thereof, as prescribed by the rules and regulations of
COMSATS University Islamabad.

Section A – Short Questions

Question 1 [5 marks, CLO3-A1]

Elaborate the importance of Shab-e-Abi Talib before migration to Madinah.

The Quraish held a meeting and decided to outcast the Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib by placing

them under a total social boycott. The other clans from the Quraish would not marry their daughters,

transact business with them, keep company with them, nor would they accept any peace overtures

from these two clans until they handed over the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

Banu Hashim and Banu al-Muttalib were forced to leave Mecca and live in She’eb Abi Talib in a

miserable condition. It had a great importance in the history of Islam because it was a source of great

troubles for the Muslims. They were forced to do this migration where they suffered hunger.

They stayed there for about three years until a group of open-minded people headed by Hisham ibn

‘Amr contacted some men of the Quraish to cancel the boycott. The boycott was ended in 619, the

Year of Sorrow.

Question 2 [5 marks, CLO2-A4]

Why knowing the context of an ayah is important for the interpretation of the Quran?

Defend with example.

The Quran is the Word of God, the description of the historical setting, people’s actions and

involvement in any event is not necessarily the Word of God. Many people read the Quran without
understanding the context. English translations of the Quran either give no context, or a limited

context. As a person’s understanding of Islam develops, so there is a necessary correlation with

trying to develop a deeper understanding of the words of the Quran. This is greatly assisted, with the

translations of the tafsirs  (explanations) available today.

It is important to study passages in the Quran and to know the context of an Ayah. Context has to do

with four principles: literal meaning (what the words say), the historical setting – the event(s) in

which the words were used, who were the words addressed to and how those words were understood

at that time, the grammatical structure – of the passage and synthesis – comparing it with other

passages in the Quran for a fuller meaning. All of these things refer to context. Taking Ayah out of

context leads to all kind of errors and misunderstandings.

For example: Quran says: “And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the

Kafirun.” Quran says: “And whosoever does not judge by that which Allah has revealed, such are the

Zalimun.” Quran says: “And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed (then) such

(people) are the Fasiqun.”

Question 3 [5 marks, CLO3-A1]

Why Hazrat Abu Bakr’s (R.A) caliphate was important? How he demonstrated the viability

of the Muslim state?

Khalifa is the leader of a Caliphate, but is also used as a title among various Islamic religious groups

and others. With the passing, away of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), the Muslim community was

faced with the problem of succession.

Hazrat Abu Bakr al-Siddique (R.A) became the first Khalifa, who had accompanied Prophet

Mohammad (PBUH) to Madinah ten years before and had been proved very generous in the need of

hours for Islam. He was born in 573 A.D. Hazrat Abu Bakr (R.A) belonged to a noble family of Bunu

Tamim of Qureyshi tribe in Makkah. He was the closest companion of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

Hazrat Abu Bakr’s (R.A) caliphate was short but important. An exemplary leader, he lived simply,

assiduously fulfilled his religious obligations, and was accessible and sympathetic to his people. But
he also stood firm when, in the wake of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)’s death, some tribes

renounced Islam; in what was a major accomplishment, Hazrat Abu Bakr (R.A) swiftly disciplined

them. He also defeated the rebellion of several Arab tribes (the Ridda Wars, or the Wars of

Apostasy).

The Ridda or Apostasy Wars were a series of conflicts with various Arab tribes that had become

Muslim in the last years of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) life. Later, he consolidated the support of

the tribes within the Arabian Peninsula and subsequently funneled their energies against the powerful

empires of the East: the Sassanians in Persia and the Byzantines in Syria, Palestine, and Egypt.

In short, he demonstrated the viability of the Muslim state. Some other major contributions of his

were to assemble the scattering Muslims to common Islamic faith and the compilation of the Holy

Quran in hard copy for the first time.

Section B – Long Questions

Question 4 [15 marks, CLO3-A1]

Discuss the ruling period of “rightly guided caliphs” keeping in mind the below mentioned

points only.

 Contribution in maintaining and expanding the State

 Significance of their rule as an example of leadership and model for today’s government

Rashidun, (Arabic: “Rightly Guided,” or “Perfect”), the first four caliphs of the Islamic community,

known in Muslim history as the orthodox or patriarchal caliphs: Hazrat Abu Bakr (reigned 632–634),

Hazrat Umar (reigned 634–644), Hazrat Usman (reigned 644–656), and Hazrat Ali (reigned 656–

661). The elections of all the four were based on consultation and the will of their predecessors.

The 29-year rule of the rightly guided caliphs was Islam’s first experience without the leadership of

the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). His example, however, in both private and public life, came to be

regarded as the norm (Sunnah) for his successors, and a large and influential body of anṣar

(companions of the Prophet) kept close watch on the caliphs to ensure their strict adherence to divine

revelation (the Quran) and the Sunnah. The Rashidun thus assumed all of Muhammad’s (PBUH)

duties except the prophetic: as imams, they led the congregation in prayer at the mosque; as khaṭibs,
they delivered the Friday sermons; and as umaraʾ al-muʾminin (“commanders of the faithful”), they

commanded the army.

The caliphate of the Rashidun, in which virtually all actions had religious import, began with the

wars of the riddah (“apostasy”; 632–633), tribal uprisings in Arabia, and ended with the first Muslim

civil war (fitnah; 656–661). It effected the expansion of the Islamic state beyond Arabia into Iraq,

Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Iran, and Armenia and, with it, the development of an elite class of Arab

soldiers. The Rashidun were also responsible for the adoption of an Islamic calendar, dating from

Muhammad’s (PBUH) emigration (Hijrah) from Mecca to Medina (622), and the establishment of an

authoritative reading of the Quran, which strengthened the Muslim community and encouraged

religious scholarship. It was also a controversy over Hazrat Ali’s succession that split Islam into two

sects, the Sunni (who consider themselves traditionalists) and the Shiʿah (shiʿat ʿAli, “party of ʿAlī”),

which have survived to modern times.

The religious and very traditionalist strictures on the Rashidun were somewhat relaxed as

Muhammad’s (PBUH) contemporaries, especially the anṣar, began to die off and the conquered

territories became too vast to rule along theocratic lines; thus, the Umayyads, who followed the

Rashidun as caliphs, were able to secularize the operations of the state.

The Significance of The Caliphate:

The mission of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), like that of the earlier messengers of God, was to call

people to the worship of and submission to the One True God. In practice, submission to God means

to obey His injunctions as given in the Holy Quran and as exemplified by Sunnah (the practice of the

Prophet). As successor to the Prophet (PBUH), the Caliph was the head of the Muslim community

and his primary responsibility was to continue in the path of the Prophet (PBUH). Since religion was

perfected and the door of Divine revelation was closed at the death of the Prophet (PBUH), the

Caliph was to make all laws in accordance with the Quran and the Sunnah. He was a ruler over

Muslims but not their sovereign since sovereignty belongs to God alone. He was to be obeyed as long

as he obeyed God. He was responsible for creating and maintaining conditions under which it would

be easy for Muslims to live according to Islamic principles, and to see that justice was done to all.
Abu Bakr, at the time he accepted the Caliphate, stated his position thus:

"The weak among you shall be strong with me until their rights have been vindicated; and the strong

among you shall be weak with me until, if the Lord wills, I have taken what is due from them ...

Obey me as long as I obey God and His Messenger (PBUH). When I disobey Him and His Prophet

(PBUH), then obey me not."