Lesson video

Hello, my name's Ms. Ramalli and welcome to today's RE lesson which forms part of our unit "Religious law: What is the social context and relevance today?" In today's lesson, we are going to be exploring "Muslims and Shariah Law." We will be looking at the understanding and the meaning of Shariah law and also considering the social context of Shariah law and what many Muslims believe about the origins of Shariah law.

Okay, let's start today's lesson.

Today's lesson outcome is I can describe what is meant by Shariah and how many Muslims explain its origins.

To help guide us through today's lesson, there are five keywords.

Our keywords are Shariah, Hadith, halal, haram, and Hijrah.

Shariah is a set of moral and religious laws that guide Muslims. Hadith is the recorded words of the Prophet Muhammad.

Halal are the actions or things which are permitted within Islam.

Haram are any actions or things which are forbidden within Islam.

And Hijrah refers to the migration of the Prophet Muhammad and his followers.

Today's lesson on Muslims and Shariah law takes two parts.

In the first part of today's lesson we'll be exploring the meaning of Shariah, and then moving on to consider the origins of Shariah.

So first of all we're going to begin with some discussion, so I'd like you to imagine for a moment that you're walking in a desert.

You feel exhausted, hot and dehydrated.

You hope there is an oasis of water nearby.

In the distance you see a path leading to water.

What might you think about that path? So what I'd like you to do here is either with your partner or in a small group discuss that question.

Pause the video here and then press play when you're ready to reflect on your answers.

Okay, welcome back, fantastic discussions.

So what might you think about that path? Well, perhaps in your discussions you considered that that path makes you feel a sense of relief, a sense of gratitude, to be thankful that you can finally see some water when you're feeling so hot and dehydrated.

Well, how does this link to the meaning of Shariah? So let's find out.

The term Shariah comes from Arabic and has this root.

So the first part, the sh and r, well, the term's literal meaning is a well-trodden path to water.

Shariah is often translated as a path to a water source and is a guide for how Muslims can act in order to follow the religion that Allah has sent them.

Okay, let's pause and complete a check for understanding.

Select the meaning of Shariah.

A, actions or things which are permitted within Islam.

B, the recorded words of the Prophet Muhammad.

Or C, a set of moral and religious laws that guide Muslims. Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Well done if you said the correct answer is C.

The meaning of Shariah is a set of moral and religious laws that guide Muslims. The Shariah is a Muslim source of authority, so here we have a quote from the Qur'an.

It states, "Then we set you upon a pathway of faith, so follow it, and do not follow the inclinations of those who do not know." Tareeq tells us, "The Shariah has been given to us to know how to behave on Earth.

It supports life, education, equality, and dedication to Allah." What sources could make up the Shariah? Pause the video here, take some time to reflect or speak to your partner, and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, so you were asked to consider or discuss what sources could make up the Shariah.

Well, let's find out.

So Muslims have two main sources of authority, the Qur'an and the Hadith.

The Qur'an is the words of Allah, and the Hadith, the recorded words of the Prophet Muhammad.

These two sources are used to make up the Shariah.

Shariah are laws that guide Muslims. Okay, let's check you've understood what we've just heard.

Which two of these sources are used to make up the Shariah? A, the Hadith as recorded words of the Prophet Muhammad.

B, the Qur'an as the word of Allah.

Or C, a list of things which are haram or halal.

For this check for understanding, you need to select two answers.

Pause the video and press play when you're ready to see the correct answers.

Okay, well done if you selected answers A and B.

The two sources which make up the Shariah are the Hadith as recorded words of the Prophet Muhammad, and B, the Qur'an as the word of Allah.

Izzy wants to find out more about Shariah, so she speaks to Sarah, who is a Muslim.

"What does Shariah mean to you, Sarah?" Sarah replies, "Shariah is the Islamic laws and ways of life.

It guides me every day in all that I do.

It guides me on knowing what is permissible to me as a Muslim, which is known as halal, but also what is forbidden, which is known as haram." Halal and haram actions.

Halal are actions which are permitted and allowed, and haram are actions which are forbidden and not allowed.

Haram and halal are terms used to describe actions which are allowed or encouraged, which are halal, and those which are forbidden and discouraged, haram.

One example of halal and haram actions is eating different kinds of meat and meat products.

Meat that is halal, or allowed to be eaten by Muslims, must be killed in a particular way and be an animal that is halal to eat.

So that would, for example, not to eat pork.

Nell, who is a humanist, and Ahmed who is a Muslim, discuss why they check food is halal.

Ahmed says, "If I buy snacks on my way home from school, I always check they are halal.

Sometimes there are products from pigs in sweets when you don't expect it." Nell says, "As a teacher, if I buy sweets for my class as an end of term treat, I always check they are halal, otherwise my Muslim pupils cannot eat them." When might Ahmed and Nell check if food is halal? Pause the video here and with your partner discuss that question.

Press play when you're ready to reflect on your answer.

Okay, welcome back.

So did you say for Ahmed he would check that any snacks that he bought on his way home from school are halal 'cause he's checking to make sure that the sweets do not contain any products from pig.

Because remember, pork is not allowed to be eaten.

It is haram.

And Nell will check if food is halal when she is buying sweets for her class as an end of term treat.

She wants to check that the food she's buying for her students is halal, otherwise it would mean that the Muslim pupils in her class cannot eat them.

True or false, haram means actions which are permitted.

Well done if you said this statement is false.

Haram means actions which are forbidden and not allowed.

Time to complete our first practise task on the meaning of Shariah.

Jacob and Izzy are discussing what the Shariah is.

Who has the more accurate view? Explain why you think this.

So Jacob has said, "The Shariah is a book of laws that the Prophet Muhammad was given by Allah.

It shows Muslims what they have to do.

The actions which are allowed are called haram, and the actions which are not are halal." Izzy has said, "The Shariah is a guide for how Muslims should behave and is compiled using the Qur'an and the example of the Prophet Muhammad.

Halal actions are allowed and haram actions are forbidden." So remember, for this practise task, you need to decide has Jacob or Izzy given the most accurate view? And importantly, explain why you think this.

Good luck completing the practise task.

Pause the video and then press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, welcome back, everybody.

Time to check your answers for the practise task.

So, who has the more accurate answer? Your answers may include these points.

So Izzy had said, "The Shariah is a guide for how Muslims should behave and is compiled using the Qur'an and the example of the Prophet Muhammad.

Halal actions are allowed and haram actions are forbidden." So you may have included the following points.

Izzy's view is more accurate because she shows that there is more than one source which is used to compile the Shariah.

Izzy uses the correct terms for those actions which are allowed, which she uses the term halal, and those actions which are not allowed, correctly using the term haram.

So that moves us on to the second part of our lesson on the origins of Shariah.

Izzy wants to find out about the origins of Shariah, so she speaks to Sarah, who is a Muslim.

"What are the origins of Shariah law, Sarah?" Sarah replies, "Many Muslims believe that the origins of Shariah law are linked to the first Muslim community.

Allah started revealing the Shariah when they started living together.

It is when you live in a community that problems and tensions can begin." The Prophet Muhammad grew up in Makkah, in Arabia.

When he was 40 years old, Muslims believe he started receiving messages from Allah through the angel Jibril.

The messages he received are written in the Qur'an and form part of the Shariah.

Before Islam, the tribe in charge of Makkah made money from people visiting the Ka'ba to worship idols during their pilgrimage.

They didn't like Prophet Muhammad teaching people to believe in one God, Allah, so they tried to stop him by insulting him, offering him money and power, and even threatening him and his followers.

Okay, let's complete a check for understanding.

True or false? The tribe in Makkah welcomed Prophet Muhammad and his followers.

Pause the video and press play when you're ready to see the correct answer.

Well done if you said that statement is false.

Well, why is that statement false? Well, actually, the tribe in Makkah threatened Prophet Muhammad and his followers.

They disagreed with Prophet Muhammad's message to only believe in one God.

As Muslims grew in number, the hostility towards them by the Makkan leaders became more intense.

It became unbearable for Muslims to live there.

Muslims believe Allah commanded Muhammad to migrate to Madinah.

The people of Madinah were willing to accept Muhammad as their new leader.

The migration of Prophet Muhammad and his followers to Madinah is known as the Hijrah.

Settling in Madinah marks the beginning of the first Muslim community.

Many Muslims believe that at this point Allah started revealing the Shariah.

This taught Muslims how to live and what they can and cannot do.

Why do you think it is believed that Allah waited until the Hijrah had been completed to give the Shariah? Pause the video here and either on your own take a moment to reflect on that question or discuss it with your partner.

Press play when you're ready to move on with the lesson.

So Izzy asks Sarah, "Why didn't Allah reveal the Shariah in Makkah, Sarah?" And Sarah replies, "I believe that Allah taught Muslims about beliefs whilst in Makkah.

For example, there is only one God.

Once Prophet Muhammad and his followers settled in Madinah, Allah revealed the practises and rules.

This is because now Muslims had learned about Allah and the next step would be giving them rules." So well done if you said something similar, either in your reflections or discussions.

True or false? Many Muslims believe that Allah waited until the Muslims completed the Hijrah to give the Shariah.

Well done if you said that statement is true.

Many Muslims do believe that Allah waited until the Muslims completed the Hijrah to give the Shariah.

So now we're gonna move on and complete the second practise task on the origins of Shariah.

Explain the origins of Shariah being revealed to Prophet Muhammad in one paragraph.

You must include the following words.

Prophet Muhammad, Allah, Sharia, Hijrah, and rules.

You might like to use the sentence stem to start your answer.

So, "Many Muslims believe the origins of the Shariah were revealed to.

." Remember to include those following keywords in your answer.

Good luck completing the practise task.

Pause the video and then press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, welcome back, everybody.

So you were asked to explain the origins of the Shariah being revealed to Prophet Muhammad in one paragraph, so your answer may look like this.

Many Muslims believe the origins of the Shariah were revealed to Prophet Muhammad by Allah once the first Muslim community had made the Hijrah and were in Madinah.

The Shariah shows Muslims the practises and rules that Allah requires them to follow.

Okay, well done on completing the second and final practise task.

So that brings us to the end of our learning on Muslims and Shariah law, and here is a summary of our key learning points.

The Qur'an and the Hadith are the two sources used to make up the Shariah.

Shariah is the Islamic laws and ways of life and it guides Muslims on knowing what is permissible, so what is allowed.

Halal and haram are terms used to describe actions which are permissible or encouraged, known as Halal, and those which are forbidden and discouraged, known as haram.

The migration of Prophet Muhammad and his followers from Makkah to Madinah is known as the Hijrah, and many Muslims believe that Allah first revealed the Shariah to Muslims in Madinah.

Well done on all of your hard work in today's lesson and thank you very much for joining me.

Goodbye.