Rūḥ Al-Sharī'ah: A Preliminary Enquiry Into The Origin And Usage Of A Notoriously Common Term
Keywords:
Rūḥ, Maqāṣid, Spirit, Soul, Sharī'ahAbstract
The term rūḥ al-sharīcah, (to be translated as the spirit, soul, or essence of the sharīcah,) and related terms seem to be commonplace in modern and post-modern-age Arabic medium Islamic literature – without the existence of a proper definition. It is the objective of this paper to present an elective overview of its usage in classical and contemporary Islamic sciences literature, to find the roots of the term and to give an explanation for its seemingly inflationary appearance, as well as to investigate the problematic of using ambiguous terminology and offer possible reasons. Methodologically, the authors have conducted a comprehensive literature review in classical and modern sources with the assistance of databases (al-maktabah al-shāmilah) to accomplish this task. The authors have been able to identify some documentation of the usage of related terms (rūḥ al-mas’alah) in classical literature, while the term rūḥ al-sharīcah is first documented in the Tafsīr al-Manār, an influential work of the early 20th century, and has continuously grown after this time. In addition, the term is used in a plethora of different meanings without a proper attempt at definition. In conclusion, the paper emphasizes the necessity of differentiating between proper and improper usage of terms against the background of Islamic legal culture.
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