Siham al-Islam

Siham al-Islam (The Shares of Islam) is an Islamic treatise written by the Algerian scholar and reformer Abd al-Latif Sultani (d. 1404 AH / 1984 CE), expounding the fundamental duties, pillars, and moral obligations of the Islamic faith al-Mujam al-Jami fi Taraj…+1.

Concept and Title

The title and thematic framework of the book are derived from a hadith narrated on the authority of the Companion Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman and recorded by al-Bazzar in his Musnad, in which the Prophet ﷺ stated: الإسلام ثمانية أسهم: الإسلام سهم، والصلاة سهم، والزكاة سهم، وحج البيت سهم، والصيام سهم، والأمر بالمعروف سهم، والنهي عن المنكر سهم، والجهاد في سبيل الله سهم، وقد خاب من لا سهم له ("Islam consists of eight shares: Islam [the declaration of faith] is a share, prayer is a share, zakat is a share, pilgrimage to the House is a share, fasting is a share, enjoining what is right is a share, forbidding what is wrong is a share, and jihad in the path of Allah is a share; ruined is he who has no share") Siham al-Islam+1.

Sultani draws an extended analogy between Islam and a joint-stock company (sharikat al-musahamah), explaining that just as shareholders in a commercial enterprise earn dividends and prestige according to the size and quality of their shares, so too does a Muslim attain spiritual reward, honor, and salvation in proportion to the fulfillment of these religious duties Siham al-Islam+1.

Background and Purpose

Sultani dedicated the work to Muslim youth striving to rebuild the edifice of Islam Siham al-Islam. In the introduction, he explains that he authored the book to preserve the integrity and clarity of Islamic creed against distortion, to steer the community away from modern deviations, and to advocate for societal reform guided by Islamic law rather than imported man-made legal codes Siham al-Islam+1.

Structure and Contents

The book opens with a discussion on Islam as the innate disposition (fitrah) endowed by God in human beings, examining the relevant Quranic verses and prophetic traditions regarding human readiness to embrace monotheism (tawhid) Siham al-Islam. It then defines the legal and spiritual scope of the "shares" (siham), which encompass all obligatory acts and prohibitions prescribed by Islamic law Siham al-Islam.

The text is organized around the eight shares delineated in the prophetic narration:

1. The First Share (Islam / The Testimonies): The declaration that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger, serving as the foundational prerequisite of monotheism and the rejection of polytheism (shirk) Siham al-Islam.
2. The Second Share (Prayer): The central pillar of faith, established during the Night Journey and Ascension (al-Isra wa-l-Mi'raj), functioning as the boundary between faith and disbelief Siham al-Islam.
3. The Third Share (Zakat): The mandatory alms designed to purify wealth, curb economic oppression, alleviate poverty, and foster social fraternity Siham al-Islam.
4. The Fourth Share (Fasting): The obligatory fast of Ramadan, legislated in the second year of the Hijrah, serving as a spiritual test and a means of soul purification Siham al-Islam.
5. The Fifth Share (Hajj): The pilgrimage to the Sacred House in Mecca, rooted in the legacy of Abraham and Ismail Siham al-Islam.
6. The Sixth Share: Enjoining what is right (al-amr bi-l-ma'ruf) Siham al-Islam.
7. The Seventh Share: Forbidding what is wrong (al-nahy 'an al-munkar) Siham al-Islam.
8. The Eighth Share (Jihad): Striving in the cause of Allah to protect the Islamic message from hostility and aggression Siham al-Islam.

Publication History

The first edition was published in Safar 1400 AH (January 1980 CE) in Algiers by the Société Nationale d'Édition et de Diffusion (al-Sharikah al-Wataniyyah li-l-Nashr wa-l-Tawzi'), printed at the Ahmad Zabana press Siham al-Islam. A second edition followed shortly after in Rajab 1400 AH (June 1980 CE) Siham al-Islam.