Nahw Thaqafa Islamiyya Asila
- Author died
- 1433 AH
- Editions
- دار النفائس للنشر والتوزيع
Nahw Thaqafa Islamiyya Asila (Towards an Authentic Islamic Culture) is a foundational textbook on Islamic culture by the Palestinian-Jordanian Islamic scholar Umar Sulayman al-Ashqar (d. 1433 AH / 2012 CE) .
Background and Purpose
Al-Ashqar composed the book based on his experience teaching Islamic culture courses for several years in institutes affiliated with the Ministry of Education and at Kuwait University . The work was written to meet growing demands for the Islamization of education curricula and to provide university students with a comprehensive baseline of Islamic knowledge . It seeks to counteract Western cultural hegemony, intellectual confusion, and secular trends by grounding Islamic knowledge in divine revelation rather than foreign philosophical systems .
Structure and Content
The book is organized into an extensive general introduction followed by seven distinct parts (abwab) :
- Introduction: Defines culture (thaqafa) and examines the foundations of Islamic culture, which are rooted in the Quran and the Sunnah . It explores the tension between authentic Islamic culture and historical deviations, highlights the distinct characteristics of Islamic culture, addresses the conflict with non-Islamic (jahili) cultures, surveys literature in the field, and presents the core branches of Islamic knowledge: creed, ethics, and jurisprudence .
- Part One (Creed / al-Aqida): Examines the principles of Islamic belief, advocating the scriptural Quranic and Prophetic methodology while warning against philosophical dialectics (ilm al-kalam) . It details belief in God, offers proofs of the divine, refutes atheist doubts, and describes the impact of faith on individuals and society .
- Part Two (Legal Etiquette and Morals / al-Adab al-Shar'iyya wa-Makarim al-Akhlaq): Defines Islamic manners and morals and presents key virtues required of Muslims .
- Part Three (Islamic Jurisprudence / al-Fiqh al-Islami): Defines Islamic jurisprudence, distinguishes it from sharia, traces its historical development, and outlines the principles and sources of Islamic legal theory .
- Part Four (The Family in Islam / al-Usra fi al-Islam): Discusses the formation of the Muslim family, divorce rulings, responses to criticisms regarding polygyny, and the status of women in Islamic legislation, while rebutting modernist and Western claims .
- Part Five (The Penal System / Nizam al-Uqubat): Covers categories of crimes and their prescribed punishments in Islamic law, addresses common doubts concerning Islamic penal legislation, and contrasts them with Western crime rates .
- Part Six (The Economic System / al-Nizam al-Iqtisadi): Explores Islamic economic principles, types of ownership, the prohibition of usury (riba), and the fundamentals of Islamic banking .
- Part Seven (The Political System / al-Nizam al-Siyasi): Proves the existence of a political framework in Islam, outlining the characteristics and functions of the Islamic state, qualifications and selection mechanisms for the head of state, and the mutual rights and duties between rulers and subjects .
The author concludes each part of the work by listing recommended reference works for further reading in each respective discipline . The book has been published in multiple editions by Dar al-Nafa'is in Amman, Jordan .
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