TCE Pre-class Activity: Ethics of Disagreement

The Code Evolved ~ Evolution of Fiqh
Student Center

Before proceeding with this activity, please visit the student center for "The Code Evolved."


Complete one of the following two activities before the first day of class.

1. Follow the personality:
   
   We aim to understand what role personality plays in the likeability of Fiqh rulings. For this activity, choose an Imaam or a scholar that you respect highly and hold in high esteem. Discuss his status in Fiqh and knowledge with two other persons: one person who shares similar thoughts about him with you and one person who holds a different opinion than yourself regarding him. After the activity, answer the following questions:
   1. List three reasons why people agree with you about him (Why do they love him?)
   2. List three reasons why people disagree with you about him (Why do they dislike him?)
   3. After having done the activity, to what extent do you feel sentiments affect objectivity?
   4. What do you feel is the relationship between sentiments and objectivity?
      .
2. Putting it in place:
   
   It is a fact that the followers of different schools of Da'wah (not Fiqh) methodology hold different views on certain specific Fiqh issues. Similarly, there is sometimes disagreement on the principles of Fiqh (Usool al-Fiqh) itself. Majority of these disagreements can be contributed to FIqh al-Awlawiyyat (Fiqh of Priorities). In this activity, we will, insha'Allah, analyze the role of different Da'wah groups in the evolution of Fiqh.
   
   Choose a contemporary Fiqh issue such as rulings on use of music in Islaamic Nasheed, free mixing, implementation of democracy in the Islaamic system or any other famous issue that you can think of. Discuss this issue with people of different schools of Da'wah looking to extract the following from your discussion:
   1. Diverse sources of knowledge and their effects on the followers
   2. Education in different aspects of knowledge and how it makes a difference
   3. The pressure of life and its influence on the production of Fatwa (Legal Islamic Verdict)
   4. The environment of the debate taking place in the discussion of such issues.

Please share your thoughts and analysis with the rest of the students here.

Jazakum Allahu Khairan,
Was salaam 'alaikum wa rahmatu Allahi wa barakaatuh

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