The Islamic Personality Vol 1 (Ash-Shakhsiyya Al Islamiya), the first part of the 3 volume masterpiece written by Shaykh Taqiuddin An-Nabhānī has been published in English. It is available to purchase online from Revival Publications
The first Volume puts down firm foundations for belief and the fundamentals of Islamic thought. It deals with the crucial issue of the basis & formation of the Islamic personality (shakhsiya), The correct understanding of the widely debated yet vague subject of Al Qada wal Qadr, The Qur'an, its revelation and its compilation, The Sunnah, Hadith, its sciences and the classification of ahadith, Fiqh and its principles (Usul Al-Fiqh), Tafseer In the past and present and the correct method of performing tafseer.
All the things you will learn with this book cannot be explained in a short description. You will gain 422 pages of deep knowledge & understanding about what constitutes the Islamic Personality & how to develop and nurture it. Here’s just a quick summary of what you will find inside:
Chapter I - Personality
This Chapter addresses the critical question for which this book was actually written - What is the Islamic personality? what constitutes an Islamic personality? what is 'Aqliyya & Nafsiyya ? How to develop and nurture an Islamic Personality ? All these and other questions are discussed in this chapter.
Chapter II - The Islamic 'Aqidah
This chapter discusses the meaning of the Islamic 'Aqidah and its various aspects. The author delves in to the widely debated yet vague subject of Al-Qada wal Qadr and puts down the correct thoughts regarding the subject. Subjects such as 'why the prophet cant be a Mujtahid' have been discussed in detail in this chapter.
Chapter III - The Noble Qu'ran
This chapter discusses about the compilation of the Qu'ran and its miraculouness. Various doubts created by the orientalists about the Quran, its compilation and its script are addressed by the author in detail in this chapter.
Chapter IV - The Sunnah
This chapter discusses about what is the Sunnah and what constitutes the Sunnah. It addresses the important issue which many people today tend to take lightly and some even dismiss completely and that is the importance of the Sunnah as a legal Source for the Shari'ah Hukm. The subject of 'why khabr ahad is not a decisive proof for belief' is discussed in this chapter in detail.
Chapter V - The Difference between 'Aqidah and Shar'iah Rule
Many people tend to mix between the 'Aqidah and the Shari'ah rule and as a result of this may question the belief of a person upon the violation of a Shari'ah rule and in other cases ironically take another persons act lightly when he takes part in ruling by other than what Allah (swt) has sent. This chapter discusses this and other related issues.
Chapter VI - Ijtihad and Taqlid
This chapter discusses the important subject of Ijtihad which is the mechanism of extracting laws from the text of the Qu'ran and the Sunnah. It also discusses about Taqlid and how Taqlid (imitation) in some cases is not allowed such as in the 'Aqidah and at some places becomes a Fard. This chapter also discusses aboout the various categories of Mujtahids and Muqallids. The discussion about migrating from one Mujtahid to another and its conditions are discussed in this chapter.
Chapter VII - Learning the Shari'ah Rule
This chapter discusses about Istiftaa (giving a fatwa) and what are the conditions of giving a Fatwa. The question whether one needs to be a mujtahid to give a fatwa and others are discussed in this chapter.
Chapter VIII - The strength of the evidence (Quwwa ad Dalil)
This is an important chapter which puts light on how various evidences are weighed specially in the reality when there are two evidences from the Quran and the Sunnah that are seemingly contradictory with each other. The mechanism of outweighing one among the two evidences is called Tarjeeh. This issue has been discussed in the book in lot of clarity and detail.
Chapter IX - Consultation (Shura) or the adoption of an opinion in Islam
Many people consider democracy as equivalent to Shura and carry the understanding that the Prophet (saw) and his companions after him consulted i.e took shura in all matters and therefore the model of Democratic governance where the Members of parliament give consultation to the rulers is in line with the Sunnah. This understanding which is incorrect historically and contradicts reality and the Shar'iah Hukm is discussed in detail in this chapter. The author also discusses where is shura compulsory for the Khalifah and where it is only recommended and in which cases Shura is unacceptable.
Chapter X - Science and Culture
This chapter discusses about the important subject of the relation between Science and Thaqafa (culture) and how every nation has its own culture but science is universal to all people. The author explains the correct method of attaining the Islamic culture and how should Muslims view other Non-Muslim cultures.
Chapter XI - The Islamic Disciplines
In this last part of the book the author delves into the details of various Islamic sciences. Under this chapter the author discusses about Tafsir, its correct methodology and how the scholars in the past performed Tafsir and their different methodologies and other details.
Chapter XII - Sources of Tafsir
Continuing from the previous chapter the author in this chapter discusses abut the various sources of Tafsir amongst the Mufassirin and what is acceptable and what is unacceptable in Tafsir. He also expounds into why the Ummah needs mufassirin today. Running over several pages he discusses this in detail and gives a clear and detailed explanation of how Tafsir should be performed.
Chapter XIII - The Science of Hadith
This chapter covers several aspects in relation to the science of hadith such as the classification of ahadith and the categories of khabar Al-Ahad. The author also explains what is the accepted (maqbul) hadith and the rejected (mardud) one. He also expounds upon the what is hadith Qudsi and what is a mursal hadith. The science of accepting the narration or not is also discussed in this chapter in detail.
Chapter XIV - The Prophet Biography (Sirah) and History
This chapter puts light on the various books of Sirah and their methodology in collecting the narrations and their authenticity. The author marks out the better among the Sirahs available today and also the books of history.
Chapter XV - The Principles of Islamic Jurispudence (Usul Al Fiqh)
Fiqh is the knowledge of Shari'ah rules which have been extracted from the Qur'an and the Sunnah. For the da'wa carrier who is carrying these Islamic rulings to the Ummah to implement on it he must understand the fundamentals of Fiqh, the mechanism of the extraction of rulings and the differences among various schools of Fiqh and how Fiqh developed and flourished and then declined and what were the various reasons behind that. This and several other issues have been discussed in detail in this last chapter of the volume 1 of this book.
The first Volume puts down firm foundations for belief and the fundamentals of Islamic thought. It deals with the crucial issue of the basis & formation of the Islamic personality (shakhsiya), The correct understanding of the widely debated yet vague subject of Al Qada wal Qadr, The Qur'an, its revelation and its compilation, The Sunnah, Hadith, its sciences and the classification of ahadith, Fiqh and its principles (Usul Al-Fiqh), Tafseer In the past and present and the correct method of performing tafseer.
All the things you will learn with this book cannot be explained in a short description. You will gain 422 pages of deep knowledge & understanding about what constitutes the Islamic Personality & how to develop and nurture it. Here’s just a quick summary of what you will find inside:
Chapter I - Personality
This Chapter addresses the critical question for which this book was actually written - What is the Islamic personality? what constitutes an Islamic personality? what is 'Aqliyya & Nafsiyya ? How to develop and nurture an Islamic Personality ? All these and other questions are discussed in this chapter.
Chapter II - The Islamic 'Aqidah
This chapter discusses the meaning of the Islamic 'Aqidah and its various aspects. The author delves in to the widely debated yet vague subject of Al-Qada wal Qadr and puts down the correct thoughts regarding the subject. Subjects such as 'why the prophet cant be a Mujtahid' have been discussed in detail in this chapter.
Chapter III - The Noble Qu'ran
This chapter discusses about the compilation of the Qu'ran and its miraculouness. Various doubts created by the orientalists about the Quran, its compilation and its script are addressed by the author in detail in this chapter.
Chapter IV - The Sunnah
This chapter discusses about what is the Sunnah and what constitutes the Sunnah. It addresses the important issue which many people today tend to take lightly and some even dismiss completely and that is the importance of the Sunnah as a legal Source for the Shari'ah Hukm. The subject of 'why khabr ahad is not a decisive proof for belief' is discussed in this chapter in detail.
Chapter V - The Difference between 'Aqidah and Shar'iah Rule
Many people tend to mix between the 'Aqidah and the Shari'ah rule and as a result of this may question the belief of a person upon the violation of a Shari'ah rule and in other cases ironically take another persons act lightly when he takes part in ruling by other than what Allah (swt) has sent. This chapter discusses this and other related issues.
Chapter VI - Ijtihad and Taqlid
This chapter discusses the important subject of Ijtihad which is the mechanism of extracting laws from the text of the Qu'ran and the Sunnah. It also discusses about Taqlid and how Taqlid (imitation) in some cases is not allowed such as in the 'Aqidah and at some places becomes a Fard. This chapter also discusses aboout the various categories of Mujtahids and Muqallids. The discussion about migrating from one Mujtahid to another and its conditions are discussed in this chapter.
Chapter VII - Learning the Shari'ah Rule
This chapter discusses about Istiftaa (giving a fatwa) and what are the conditions of giving a Fatwa. The question whether one needs to be a mujtahid to give a fatwa and others are discussed in this chapter.
Chapter VIII - The strength of the evidence (Quwwa ad Dalil)
This is an important chapter which puts light on how various evidences are weighed specially in the reality when there are two evidences from the Quran and the Sunnah that are seemingly contradictory with each other. The mechanism of outweighing one among the two evidences is called Tarjeeh. This issue has been discussed in the book in lot of clarity and detail.
Chapter IX - Consultation (Shura) or the adoption of an opinion in Islam
Many people consider democracy as equivalent to Shura and carry the understanding that the Prophet (saw) and his companions after him consulted i.e took shura in all matters and therefore the model of Democratic governance where the Members of parliament give consultation to the rulers is in line with the Sunnah. This understanding which is incorrect historically and contradicts reality and the Shar'iah Hukm is discussed in detail in this chapter. The author also discusses where is shura compulsory for the Khalifah and where it is only recommended and in which cases Shura is unacceptable.
Chapter X - Science and Culture
This chapter discusses about the important subject of the relation between Science and Thaqafa (culture) and how every nation has its own culture but science is universal to all people. The author explains the correct method of attaining the Islamic culture and how should Muslims view other Non-Muslim cultures.
Chapter XI - The Islamic Disciplines
In this last part of the book the author delves into the details of various Islamic sciences. Under this chapter the author discusses about Tafsir, its correct methodology and how the scholars in the past performed Tafsir and their different methodologies and other details.
Chapter XII - Sources of Tafsir
Continuing from the previous chapter the author in this chapter discusses abut the various sources of Tafsir amongst the Mufassirin and what is acceptable and what is unacceptable in Tafsir. He also expounds into why the Ummah needs mufassirin today. Running over several pages he discusses this in detail and gives a clear and detailed explanation of how Tafsir should be performed.
Chapter XIII - The Science of Hadith
This chapter covers several aspects in relation to the science of hadith such as the classification of ahadith and the categories of khabar Al-Ahad. The author also explains what is the accepted (maqbul) hadith and the rejected (mardud) one. He also expounds upon the what is hadith Qudsi and what is a mursal hadith. The science of accepting the narration or not is also discussed in this chapter in detail.
Chapter XIV - The Prophet Biography (Sirah) and History
This chapter puts light on the various books of Sirah and their methodology in collecting the narrations and their authenticity. The author marks out the better among the Sirahs available today and also the books of history.
Chapter XV - The Principles of Islamic Jurispudence (Usul Al Fiqh)
Fiqh is the knowledge of Shari'ah rules which have been extracted from the Qur'an and the Sunnah. For the da'wa carrier who is carrying these Islamic rulings to the Ummah to implement on it he must understand the fundamentals of Fiqh, the mechanism of the extraction of rulings and the differences among various schools of Fiqh and how Fiqh developed and flourished and then declined and what were the various reasons behind that. This and several other issues have been discussed in detail in this last chapter of the volume 1 of this book.
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