[TPB] Al-Qur’an, Al-Hadist, dan Ijtihad sebagai Sumber Hukum Islam Oleh Dr. H. Arif Fahrudin, M.Ag

Summary

Sources of Islamic Law

The lecturer presents four principal sources of Islamic law:

1. The Qur’an — the primary source.
2. The Sunnah or Hadith — the Prophet Muhammad’s teachings and example.
3. Ijma — scholarly consensus.
4. Qiyas — reasoning by analogy, a form of ijtihad.

The lecturer illustrates their order with the well-known report about Mu‘adh ibn Jabal, whom the Prophet sent to Yemen. Asked how he would decide legal matters, Mu‘adh said he would consult the Qur’an first, then the Prophet’s Sunnah, and then exercise ijtihad if he found no answer in either. The lecturer describes ijma and qiyas as ways ijtihad is applied.

These sources guide Muslim life broadly: from personal and family matters to community, national, and international affairs, and across both worldly and spiritual concerns.

The Qur’an’s Revelation and Preservation

The lecture describes three phases in the Qur’an’s transmission:

• Inzali: The Qur’an’s global descent from the Preserved Tablet (Lauh al-Mahfuz) to Bayt al-‘Izzah in the lowest heaven.
• Tanzili: Its gradual revelation to the Prophet through the Angel Gabriel over 23 years—13 years in Mecca and 10 in Medina. The revelations responded to the needs and circumstances of the Prophet’s mission.
• Mushaf compilation: During the Prophet’s lifetime, the Qur’an was preserved through memorization and writing. Companions recorded revelations on available materials. The lecture recounts concerns that the deaths of memorizers could put transmission at risk and associates the later codification into the Uthmanic Mushaf with the period of Caliph Uthman.

The lecture emphasizes that the Qur’an was preserved both in people’s memories and in written form.

Hadith Collection and Preservation

The Prophet initially discouraged writing hadith, the lecturer explains, to prevent people from confusing it with the Qur’an. Once the two could be clearly distinguished, hadith could be recorded. The lecture says that hadith were reported and written down during the Prophet’s lifetime, and that Caliph Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz later ordered a more systematic collection. He directed officials, including Abu Bakr ibn Hazm, to gather the reports before they were lost as scholars died.

The lecture points to later hadith collections, including the Kutub al-Sittah, Sahih al-Bukhari, and Sahih Muslim. It also quotes Imam al-Shafi‘i’s rationale for recording knowledge: memory can fail, so books and writing help preserve it.

A Hierarchy for Interpreting Islamic Law

When addressing a question or problem, the lecture gives this sequence for understanding the law:

1. Look for guidance in the Qur’an, including relevant passages considered together.
2. Use the Hadith or Sunnah to explain or supplement the Qur’an.
3. Consider ijma, or scholarly consensus.
4. Apply qiyas, or analogy, where appropriate.

The sources are presented as hierarchical: begin with the Qur’an and move to the following sources when further guidance is needed.

The Sunnah: Principled Flexibility and Ease

The lecturer argues that Islam does not require every beneficial practice to have been performed exactly as the Prophet performed it. A new practice may be acceptable if it is good and does not conflict with Islamic teachings or their aims. By contrast, practices that are harmful or contrary to Islamic principles should be rejected.

Examples discussed include:

• Bilal’s prayer after ablution: Bilal regularly prayed after performing ablution, and the Prophet praised the practice. The example shows that a good act need not have been explicitly prescribed by the Prophet to be acceptable.
• Keeping congregational prayer manageable: The Prophet discouraged making congregational prayers excessively long, since this could burden worshippers or drive them away.
• Choosing ease when possible: The lecture cites the instruction to make matters easy, not difficult, and to give good news rather than repel people. When two choices are both permissible, the Prophet is described as preferring the easier one.

The broader lesson is that worship should be balanced and proportionate. Muslims should not impose unnecessary hardship on themselves or others.

Five Legal Maxims for Practice

The lecturer presents five maxims as practical guides for Muslims:

• Al-umuru bi-maqasidiha — Actions are judged by their intentions and purposes.
• Al-yaqinu la yuzalu bi-shakk — Certainty is not removed by doubt.
• Al-mashaqqatu tajlibu al-taysir — Hardship brings about facilitation or allowance for ease.
• Al-dararu yuzal — Harm must be removed.
• Al-‘adatu muhakkamah — Sound local custom can be taken into account in applying the law.

Islam in Changing and Local Contexts

The lecturer says Islamic principles can be practiced in differing political and social settings. He uses systems of government as an example: a caliphate and a monarchy are different arrangements, but difference alone does not make a system contrary to Islam.

He also describes Indonesian Islam as shaped by engagement between Islamic teachings and local society and traditions, crediting the Wali Songo’s preaching with helping transmit Islam in the archipelago.

The lecture’s closing message is that Islam can respond to changing circumstances without losing its principles. It should offer solutions rather than add burdens, enlighten rather than blind, and bring people together rather than divide them. The lecture closes by connecting Islam with peace and the Muslim greeting of peace.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Speaker: Dr. H. Arif Fahrudin, M.Ag. The lecturer identifies himself in the subtitles as Arif Fakrudin.
• Religious sources and reports cited: The Qur’an; reports attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, including the Mu‘adh ibn Jabal account and reports involving Bilal, Abu Hurairah, Abu Mas‘ud, and Anas.
• Scholars and works named: Shaykh Manna‘ al-Qattan, Mabahith fi ‘Ulum al-Qur’an; Muhammad ‘Ali al-Sabuni, At-Tibyan fi ‘Ulum al-Qur’an; Imam al-Shafi‘i.
• Hadith collections mentioned: Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and the Kutub al-Sittah.