Who is Muslim?

Muslim Law

TANMOY MUKHERJEE INSTITUTE OF JURIDICAL SCIENCE

Dr. Tanmoy Mukherjee

 [ Advocate]

Who is Muslim?

Tanmoy Mukherjee

    [Advocate]

 

The term Muslim refers to a person who follows the religion of Islam.

According to different Islamic jurists touches or how scholars from different schools of thought have defined what it means to belong to the Islamic faith.

Basic definitions (All Schools Agree)-

A Muslim is someone who -

i) Testifies that

-There is no God but Allah (LA ILAHA ILLA ALLAH).

-Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. (Muhammadur Rasul Allah).

ii) Believes in the core tenets of Islam, including-

-Belief in Allah, the angels, the revealed books, the prophets, the day of judgement, and divine decree.

This is rooted in Quran and the Hadith: who ever says, there is no God but Allah and dies upon that, will enter paradise (Sahih - Al - Bukhari).

Views of the major Islamic jurists-

Hanafi School-

-A person becomes a Muslim by professing the Shahada (testimony of faith).

-If someone denies a fundamental part of Islam (like the finality of Prophethood), they maybe consider outside Islam.

-The Hanafi tends to be cautious about declaring someone a non-Muslim, emphasizing clear evidence.

Maliki School-

-Similar to Hanafi - affirmation of the Shahada is essential.

-Malikis stress external access actions - a person who prays and fasts like Muslims is treated as Muslim unless proven otherwise.

-Public denial of essentials - (like denying prayer or mocking Islam) could lead to being declared a non-Muslim.

Shafii School-

-Very similar approach - anyone who believes and proclaims the Shahada.

-Apostasy (Riddah) is taken seriously - deliberate denial of a known and established principal of Islam could remove someone from the fold.

Hanbali School-

-Also sees the Shahada as the clear dividing line.

-The Hanbalis are more cautious and conservative. They may consider belief, speech, and action as integrated- so a serious neglect of religious obligations (like refusing to pray) might be considered evidence of disbeliefs.

Jafari School-

A Muslim is one who:

-declares the Shahada.

-believes in the Quran and Prophet Muhammad.

-accept the Imamat (the succession of divinely appointed leaders after the Prophet).