Chapter 3 - Analogical Reasoning - Qiyas
Chapter 3 - Analogical Reasoning - Qiyas
Chapter 3 - Analogical Reasoning - Qiyas
USUL FIQH
ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE - THE COLLECTION OF ARTICLES FOR ISLAMIC
J U R I S P R U D E N C E I I , L L M - A D M I N I S T R AT I O N O F I S L A M I C L AW, I N T E R N AT I O N A L
I S L A M I C U N I V E R S I T I O F M A L AY S I A . S E S I O N 2 0 0 7 / 2 0 0 8 . T H E A R T I C L E S A R E
G I V E N B Y O U R L A C T U R E R A N D C L A S S P R E S E N T E R G R O U P.
BLOG ARCHIVE S U N D A Y, F E B R U A R Y 1 0 , 2 0 0 8
Definition of Qiyas
Literally;
Qiyas means measuring or ascertaining the length, weight or quality of
something.Scales are called miqyas. Example; the cloth was measured by
the yardstick.
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“We have sent to you the book with the Truth so that you may judge
among people by means of what Allah has shown you”.
Based on the above verse, a judgment may be based on the guidance that
Allah has clearly given or on that which bears close similarity to it.
Thus, exercising qiyas is considered as following the guidance of the
Quran.
The Quran specifies the rationale of its law either explicitly or by reference
to its objectives.
4.A woman came to the Prophet SAW and said that her father had died
without performing the hajj. Will it benefit him if she perform the hajj on
the father’s behalf? The Prophet told her: “Supposing your father had a
debt to pay and you pay it on his behalf, would this benefit him?”
To this her reply was affirmative and the Prophet said, “The debt owed to
Allah merits even greater consideration”.
5. The Companions of the Prophet SAW also utilized qiyas in deducing the
rulings of Fiqh For example; Abu Bakr drew an analogy between the
father and the grandfather in respect to their entitlement in inheritance.
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1. The Quran forbids selling or buying of goods after the last call for Friday
prayers until the end of the prayer as stated in Surah al-Jumuah 62:9.
2. The Prophet SAW said in a Hadith that, “The killer shall not inherit
(from the victim)”. By analogy, this ruling is extended to bequests
(wasiyyah), which would implicate that the killer cannot benefit from the
will of his victim.
The original case (asl), on which a ruling is given in the text and analogy
seeks to extend it to a new case.
The new case (far’), on which a ruling is needed.
The effective cause (‘illah), which is an attribute (wasf) of the original case
and it is found to be in common between the original and the new case.
The rule (hukm), governing the original case which is to be extended to
the new case.
Illustration
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Application of Qiyas
Muslim jurists unanimously agreed that the sources of qiyas are Quran
and Sunnah.
Majority of jurists : qiyas may also be founded on a rule that is established
by ijma’. E.g. ijma’ validates guardianship over the property of minors, a
rule which has been extended by analogy to authorize the guardianship of
minors in marriage.
However, there is disagreement as to whether ijma’ constitutes a valid asl
for qiyas on the basis that the rule of consensus do not require that there
should be a basis (sanad) for ijma’.
Majority : One qiyas may not constitute the asl of another qiyas.
But, Ibn Rushd (Malikis) and some Hanafis opined otherwise.
It must be a practical Shari’ah ruling – qiyas does not operate in the area
of belief.
The hukm must be operative, which means that it has not been abrogated.
The hukm must be rational in the sense that human intellect is capable of
understanding the cause of its enactments.
The hukm must not be limited to exceptional situation.
The law of the text must not represent a departure from the general rule of
qiyas in the first place.
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Prohibition of wine.
Differences of opinion arise only in cases where the ‘illah is not identified
in the source. Then the only way to identify it is through ijtihad.
In doing so, the jurist takes into account the attributes of the original case,
and only the attribute which is considered to be proper (munasib) is
identified as the ‘illah.
E.g. in the hadith concerning the kaffarah of having conjugal relation in
the daytime of Ramadan, it is not precisely known whether the ‘illah is the
breaking of fast or sexual intercourse.
This process is called by ulama of usul as al-sidr wa’l-taqsim (elimination
of the improper and assignment of the proper ‘illah to the hukm).
Types Of Qiyas
First type:
By looking at the strength of the similarity of the two ‘illahs in the asl and
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in the far’:
(i) definitive (qat’i)
Second type:
Based on the manner in which the hukm is established in the new case:
(i)Analogy of the superior (Qiyas al- awla)
(ii) Analogy of equals (Qiyas al-musawi)
(iii) Analogy of the nferior (Qiyas al- adna)
First Type
DEFINITIVE (QAT’I)
PROBABLE (ZANNI)
Second Type
1.QIYAS AL-AWLA
- Where the ‘illah is more evident in the new case than the original case.
- Example : Surah al-Isra’ 17:23
2. QIYAS AL-MUSAWI
- ‘Illah in this type of qiyas is equally effective in both the new and the
original case.
-Example
(i) Surah al-Nisa’ 4:2
(ii) In case of a container which is licked by a dog it must be washed 7
times.
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3. QIYAS AL-ADNA
- When ‘illah is less clearly effective in the new case than the original case.
- Example : Riba prohibits the exchange of wheat and other specified
commodities unless they are equal and delivery is immediate. By analogy
the rule of riba is applied to apples since both are edible (Shafi’is) and
measurable (Hanafis). Though the apples unlike wheat are not a staple
food (‘illah)
Additional Type
Mainly the Zahiri school (Ibn Hazm) and some Mu’tazilah, Ibn Hazm
argued:
Al-Najm 53:28
“Conjecture avails nothing against the truth”
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Al-Hujurat 49:1
“Do not press forward before God and his Messenger, and fear God…”
Scope of Qiyas
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i) the Arabs gave names to some entities found in their time. With the
passage of time, those entities were also extinguished. The people then
were agreed on giving the same name to similar entities. This shows that
they exercise analogy in giving names to similar entities.
However, Al-Qarafi argued that the Arabs gave names to the things as they
thought of them by their reason and not as they observe them with their
eyes.
iii) by the principle of rotation, the juice squeezed of grapes with the
quality of intoxicating is called khamr. The intoxication is a cause of its
prohibition. Intoxication exists in nabidh (date-wine) too, it will also be
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The opponent reply: the cause (‘illah) in this context is used in the sense of
sign, and not in the sense of motive, for there is no affinity between the
name and the thing or person to which the name has been given.
iv) on the basis of the verse, “so Take a lesson: O you who have eyes”. This
verse gives a general permission to exercise qiyas in all sorts of questions,
whether legal or lexical.
i)the exercise of qiyas in lexical questions is not valid. The Arabs call
khamr Khall (vinegar) when it become sour, but do not apply this name to
everything which is sour. Al-Qarafi adds that the Arabs specified some
words for particular subjects and prohibited to apply that names to other
things.
ii)if qiyas were allowed in lexical questions, the figurative use of words,
particularly loan words, would be invalid, for similarity maintains a
connection between two meanings.
The exponents: the questions for which no law originally exists in the
Shari'ah are as rational as others.
The opponents contend that the things for which no law originally exists
in the Shari'ah, continue their non-existence by themselves.
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v) Essentials of rituals
Al-Jubbai and al-Karkhi – Qiyas does not apply to the essentials of rituals.
For eg: not permissible to offer prayer by making a sign by a man who is
unable to offer it in a sitting or lying position, on the analogy of a man who
is allowed to offer prayer in sitting position because of his inability to offer
it in standing position.
The exponents contend that in the Shari'ah if the essentials of ritual exist
by reason of some public good and that public good is also found in
another act, it is necessary that act should also be considered as a divine
ordinance and a ritual (ibadah) on the analogy of that kind of public good
which has been established by the text.
Al-Shafii, Ahmad, Ibn al Qassar and most of the scholars - qiyas can be
exercised in these cases.
They justify this on the basis of the text, consensus and reason.
Abu Hanifah invalidates the exercise of qiyas in these questions.
They argued that:
i) The hadd punishment and expiations are stated matters whose ground
or inner meaning which caused their prescription cannot be understood.
iii) The Lawgiver has prescribed the amputation of hand for committing
theft, but he has not prescribed it for making correspondence with the
infidels in the enemy territory, although the latter is more serious.
iii)
a) It is true that the lawgiver has prohibited the exercise in certain cases of
hadd punishment and expiation, but this does not imply that he had
absolutely prohibited the exercise of qiyas.
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Exponents (al-Syafii, one view from Maliki) - the lawgiver some times
acting upon the principle of induction , departs from the general rule
based on some evidence by reason of public interest. When such a
preferable public interest is found in certain case, one must deviate from
the general rule and prefer the greater public interest to the one which is
lesser.
Qiyas does not operate in all these questions. If a woman menstruates for
10 days and her bleeding ends within this period, it is not permissible to
compare this woman with another and say so-and-so should also
menstruate for 10 days on the analogy of the former.
Qiyas does not operate to determine the maximum and minimum period
of menstruation, childbed and gestation, for it varies from person to
person, time to time. Their actual cause are unknown nor are they
intelligible.
Exponent - all the rules of the Shari'ah belong to one genus. When qiyas is
exercised to establish some of the rules of Shari'ah, it can be exercised to
established the rest too.
Opponent - the rules of Shari'ah by its definition is a genus for all the
rules. However, the rules of Shari'ah in general are of different types and
distinguished from each other by their distinctive features.
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Since qiyas is a matter that falls under Hukum Syarak, our humble
submission and ijtihad is, constitutionally qiyas can be referred to and can
become one source to deduce hukum or ruling in Malaysia.
In fact, by way of inference, the principle of qiyas has already been widely
accepted and applicable in enacting or deducing some laws, offences,
hukum and fatwa in Malaysia, for example, as follows:
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Hukm - prohibition/haram
Brush made from swine’s fur – Fatwa by National Fatwa Council
Asl – swine’s flesh is prohibited
Far’ – brush made from swine’s fur
‘Illah – contain parts of swine (i.e. fur)
Hukm - prohibition/haram
Feasibility of Qiyas
The application of qiyas is still relevant in modern days;
i. With the new development in a modern world, one cannot stop new
issues from arising.
If two incidents are similar, and one of them is covered by a clear legal
rule but not the other.
The application of the principles of qiyas could be one of the best solution
in this situation.
ii. New case happen all over the world especially with the rapid growth
globalization.
The express textual obligation in the Quran and Sunnah are limited in
numbers while the incidents and problems of life are unlimited and
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unending.
Hence it would be illogical to assert that all the problems and exigencies of
life will be covered by the textual injunctions.
iii. Al-Quran provides a complete ruling and a basic general rule for all
events which can accommodate human being and provide solution for all.
It is our duty to derive the hukm or solution for a new case through the
application of qiyas.
Reform Proposals
1. The main four pillars of qiyas that had been developed by the classical
jurists must always be retained, that are, the asl, far’, ‘illah and hukm.
This is because this matter had been deliberated by eminent jurists during
those times and the knowledge they had are not comparable.
2. Legal Mechanism
Our proposal
3. Administrative Measure
The Islamic institutions like JAKIM, Mufti and other religious authorities
should widely apply qiyas in a new arising case to find a solution.
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Conclusion
In applying qiyas, four basic elements must be fulfilled, that are, the asl
(original case), far’ (new case), ‘illah (cause effective) and hukm (new
ruling). These “classic” elements must always be preserved and uphold
and should not be the subject for reform.
The application of qiyas is still relevant and feasible in this modern and
globalisation era. This is due to the increased number of new Shari'ah
related issues around the world. Thus, in deducing these new hukm, there
is still a need to rely on qiyas besides the other three primary sources of
Islamic law.
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