How do the earlier textual sources for Islamic history reflect the development of Muslim belief and practice in its formative stage?

The Islamic faith indeed enumerates beliefs and practices of Muslims in its formative stage through Islamic primary sources like the Qur’an and Hadith. According to Espositio (2000), Islam in its religious sense means submission to the will of God and obedience to His law . Williams (1994) interprets that it is unlikely for a Muslim to question the teaching of Qur’an . Islam is defined through its meaning that governs action with Qur’an serving as a foundation of scholarship that puts meaning to Muslims lives. In addition, the Hadith is comparable in importance to contextualize the Qur’an in terms of its elaborations. Therefore, the approach to the development of Islamic belief and practice is dependable on earlier textual sources. Primary Islamic textual sources such as the Qur’an and Hadith are reference points of commonalty or contrast in reflecting the development of Muslims belief and practice in its formative stage.

The foundation of Islam is based on the five pillars; each is as important as the rest as stated in the Hadith of Gabriel shaped Muslim beliefs and practices during Islamic imperative years . Essentially, one has to testify the shahada (testimony) that there is no God worthy of worship but Allah and that Muhammad is the divine envoy which is clearly spelled out in the Qur’an . Shahada is fundamental to become a Muslim who has full conviction that Islam is the true ordained religion. This belief in one God is a psychological factor in preparing earlier Muslim for strict training to mold his actions in accordance with his Iman (faith). This reflects the development of Muslim belief in its formative time as a Muslim identity and absolute faith. Corollary to this faith is the obligation to be constant in prayer (Solat), care in obligatory charity (Zakat), fasting and pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) translate the aspiration of Muslims to achieve an ideal condition of equality in simplicity mentality which simultaneously perceived as a unifying force. In addition, the Qur’an extended these beliefs into the six articles of Faith in God, Prophets, His Angels, Books, Day of Judgement and Destiny which are spelled in the Qur’an and Hadith as form of development from a polytheistic to a monotheistic society.

The establishment of ‘Solat’ occurred after Muhammad ascension to heaven during the night journey and the Mi’raj . For Muslim, prayer is an obligatory set of worship in which they humbly submit themselves to God, to praise him, glorify him, to repent to him, to seek his mercy, forgiveness and guidance from him. However, details of the most basic religious obligation such as prayer in Qur’an are generally guidelines without elaboration. As such, Hadith is often referred pertaining to its elaboration . In the Hadith, it was mentioned that the opening Surah of the Qur’an, al-Fatihah, was made compulsory to recite (Sahih Muslim) . The physical obligation of standing, reciting the verses of the Qur’an, bowing, prostrating and sitting are taught by the prophet himself as mentioned in the Hadith . The direction of prayer (Qibla) which changed its position from Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem to the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca showed the development of prayer’s direction and prayers itself in its reformative years as spiritual nourishment .

Muslims are required to fast in the month of Ramadan . It is a test of moral character and an opportunity to meditate and reflect in Muslim’s developing years. While most people understand it to be merely refraining from eating, drinking and smoking at dawn through sunset for a month, it is much more than a physical endurance test . It is performed with sincere intention to please God, the most fulfilling and enriching act of spiritual dedication. It is also leads to a special endeavor to refrain from all evil and sinful acts. Fasting may create physical and economic hardship but the spiritual growth and moral up fulfillment reflect the development of Muslim belief in that blessing (Barakh) which Muslims strongly believes in.

Zakat is viewed as an act of worship and a spiritual investment. By giving a small amount of the yearly income to charity, Islam teaches gratitude to the bounties received from Allah. It purifies not only the property of the contributor but also the heart of the giver from selfishness and greed. It sanctifies the heart of the recipient as well and frees him or her from envy and jealously, fostering instead goodwill and warm wishes for the contributors. Although, payment of Zakat is an injunction frequently repeated in the Qur’an yet it was the prophet who gave the rules and regulations for its payment, collection and distribution principle . Renard (1998) asserts that Qur’an guides the righteous reflects the symbiotic relationship or development of Muslim belief and practices in its formative years .

Hajj is a seen as signs of devotion of Allah (Sha’airu’allah) . Pilgrimage to the Holy House (Ka’ba) is imperative duty if any can find a way to do so. A pilgrimage to Mecca is a once in a lifetime event of great importance and significance in the heart of every Muslims to visit Mecca and the ka’ba . Here Muslims demonstrate Islamic solidarity, brotherhood, and equality that reflect the development from a divided tribal society. Men and women, black or white, Arab or non-Arab, rich or poor, literate or illiterate, powerful or weak, ruler or ruled, together perform the same religious rites of circumambulate the Ka’ba. This was first performed by Abraham then Muhammad when he led his followers from Medina to Mecca in 630 AD . He cleansed the Ka’ba, removed all the idols, and re-ordained the building as the house of God . It was from this point that Hajj became one of the Five Pillars of Islam . Taken together, these five obligations create a continual renew of life focused upon the principal beliefs of Islam in its reformative stage.

As explained in Surah at-Takkathur, which says ayn al-yaqin which means “eye of uncertainty” that influence contemplation and spiritual practices . Esposito (2000) showed that the importance of the Qur’an that it transcends human activities and life due to its universalism . The Qur’an gave rise directly or indirectly to the major disciplines of Islamic learning such as the sciences of the Arabic language , from lexicography to grammar to rhetoric, was developed in order to reach an accurate understanding of the Quranic text (tafsir) that reflect the development Muslim practice and beliefs at its finest.

The Hadith as the second source of authority in Islam complements the Qur’an. In many cases, Qur’an generally deals with the broad principles or essentials of religion, going into details in very rare cases. The ultimate understanding of the Qur’an hinges upon the context of Muhammad’s life, either by showing in his practice (Sunnah) on how an injunction shall be carried out, or by giving explanations in words (Hadith). Three things which were mentioned in the Hadith are in zakat, hajj and prayers. As such in Islamic reformative stage, Muslims look into the Hadith or Sunnah for an explanation of Islamic practices.

The compilation of Hadith went hand in hand with the elaboration of Islamic law. Initially, Islamic law were not systematically elaborated, although there can be little doubt that both the Qur’an and Hadith were regularly invoked and used to derive laws that governed the lives of Muslims. Islamic law contains the code of conduct and behaviour in thought and action which Muslims are required to follow for their entire life. Most of the laws defined by Syariah find their basis in the Hadith, not the Qur'an. The Islamic law or Syariah law helps Muslims in its reformative years to develop a legalistic tendency, where everything tends to be reduced to black and white, right and wrong, permissible and impermissible. This in turn resulted in the emergence of various schools of jurisprudence (Madhabs) .

The Hadith not only mentioned about Islamic practices but Muslims use the Hadith as a pattern to guide their lives and a model for their behaviour. Since the Qur’an describes Muhammad’s noble personality in these words: “…and you stand as an exalted standard of character .” It is essential that Muslims wanted to emulate Muhammad through his ways of life whom he had endowed a community with a true religion through his preaching. Furthermore, he found a state, administered as the leader of this state which maintained internal peace and order, heading armies for external defenses, judging and deciding the litigations of his subjects, punishing criminals, treated believers and non-believers and he practically legislating in all walks of life are the essence source from the Hadith thus showing Islamic development .

In conclusion, the Qur’an and Hadith are two complementary primary sources of Islamic guidance. The Qur’an is the fountain source of Islam which bears essential principles, values, norms as well as few legal matters. On the other hand, the Hadith provides a harmonizing source of the Qur’an in having an interpretive context from the story while simultaneously giving authority to the narrative. With regards to the five pillars of Islam, six articles of faith, Syariah law and Muhammad’s practice, the Qur’an and Hadith are indeed dependable on each other to reflect the development of Muslim belief and practice in its formative years.

Bibliography

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2.Fakhry, Majid. An interpretation of the Qur’an: English translation of the meanings: a bilingual edition. New York: New York University Press, 2004. BP109 Fak 2004.
3.Feener, Michael R. Lecture on “Qur’an and Hadith’ (2010, January 29) Notes retrieved January 31, 2010, from https://ivle.nus.edu.sg/default.aspx
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