WorksheetsOnline Shariah Review: Review of Understanding 7
Total questions: 30
Worksheet time: 10mins
A jurist reads a Qur’anic ruling addressed to “al-sāriq” (the thief) and treats it as covering every thief who meets the legal conditions, not a particular named person. Which linguistic indicator of generality is being used?
A proper name (al-‘alam)
The definite article (al-) with a genus noun (ism jins) indicating the category
A demonstrative pronoun (hādhā / hādhihi)
A fixed number (e.g., ‘four’)
A verse uses “alladhīna” (those who) in a legislative statement, and the jurist applies it to all persons who meet its conditions across time and place. Which category of generality indicator is this?
Plural relative pronoun/ism al-mawṣūl indicating generality
Specific number indicating restriction
Proper name indicating specificity
Contextual iḍāfah that makes the noun specific
A text states: “Kullu nafsin dhā’iqatu al-mawt” (“Every soul shall taste death”). Which term is the strongest explicit indicator of total generality?
Jamī‘an
Kull
Hādhā
Arba‘ah
A jurist sees the phrase “Lā ikrāha fī’l-dīn” (“There is no compulsion in religion”) and treats it as categorical negation of compulsion. What linguistic structure is emphasized as producing universal negation?
Negation particle + indefinite noun (nakirah)
Proper name + definite article
Demonstrative pronoun + possessive
Specific number + plural noun
In uṣūl al-fiqh, which definition best matches al-‘āmm as presented?
A phrase that includes most members of a category but allows exceptions by default
A single expression that comprehensively includes everything it is qualified to include without restriction
A term that refers only to one identified individual
A statement that is always metaphorical and never legally binding
A jurist argues that an ‘āmm term is automatically definitive (qaṭ‘ī) and cannot be restricted except by explicit textual evidence. Which school-position pairing best matches this claim as discussed?
Primarily some Ḥanafīs and the Ẓāhirīs
Only Mālikīs and Shāfi‘īs
Only Ash‘arīs in theology
Only modern reformists
A jurist argues that general terms are presumptive (ẓannī) and can be restricted by various legitimate evidences, because many general expressions in Qur’an and Sunnah are in fact specified. Which view is identified as dominant?
Generality is always qaṭ‘ī for all schools
Generality is generally ẓannī for most Shāfi‘īs, Mālikīs, most Ḥanbalīs, and many Ḥanafīs
Generality is meaningless in Arabic rhetoric
Generality and specificity never interact
Which statement best captures the legal consequence of treating generality as ẓannī rather than qaṭ‘ī?
It allows specification (takhṣīṣ) when justified, while still applying the general text as the baseline
It abolishes the authority of Qur’an and Sunnah
It makes every general text void in law
It requires ignoring general texts whenever hardship exists
A student confuses takhṣīṣ and naskh. Which statement correctly distinguishes them?
Takhṣīṣ cancels the entire ruling; naskh merely narrows the scope
Takhṣīṣ restricts the scope while both texts remain operative; naskh cancels a ruling and replaces it with a later ruling
Both are identical terms for the same phenomenon
Naskh can occur simultaneously while takhṣīṣ must be sequential
A verse says “Divorced women shall wait three qurū’,” and another says “If divorced before consummation, there is no ‘iddah.” The correct harmonization is:
Treat the second verse as abrogating the first entirely
Treat the second verse as specifying an exception to the general rule
Apply both fully to the same woman at the same time
Ignore the second verse because it is specific
A jurist claims: “Wherever there is doubt, apply the general rule broadly to be cautious, even if a specific text provides an exception.” Under al-‘āmm wa’l-khāṣṣ principles summarized, what is the best correction?
Caution requires prioritizing general texts over specific texts in all cases
The specific text takes precedence over the general for the overlapping cases; ‘caution’ cannot override a valid mukhassiṣ
Specific texts are only advisory, so caution controls
Doubt automatically converts takhṣīṣ into naskh
Which principle is explicitly stated to govern conflicts between a general and a specific text when their subject matter overlaps?
Al-‘ibrah bi-khuṣūṣ al-sabab
Al-khāṣṣ yuqaddamu ‘alā’l-‘āmm (the specific takes precedence over the general)
Al-‘ādah muḥakkamah
Al-ḍarar yuzāl
A jurist examines two texts to see whether specification is possible. Which condition must be satisfied first: that both texts address the same legal domain and ruling type (unity of subject matter)?
Unity of subject matter (same ḥukm and same maḥall)
The later text must be unknown
The general text must be metaphorical
The specific text must be weaker in authenticity
Two texts appear general and specific, but one concerns prayer and the other concerns dietary rules. What is the best classification of their relationship?
The dietary text specifies the prayer text
They operate independently because there is no unity of subject matter
The prayer text abrogates the dietary text
They must be combined by talfīq
A specific text appears to address a different set of cases outside the general text’s scope. Which condition fails, making takhṣīṣ inapplicable?
Unity of subject matter
Overlapping scope (the specific must fall within the general’s coverage)
Absence of abrogation
Legitimate evidence
Which method of specification is correctly described as “Qur’an specifies Qur’an”?
A hadith limiting a Qur’anic general command
A Qur’anic verse exempting a subset of cases apparently covered by another Qur’anic verse
A judge’s personal policy preference
Custom defining what ‘hand’ means in amputation
A Qur’anic general text on theft is limited by an authentic hadith setting a minimum value (niṣāb). Which method of specification is this?
Al-Sunnah tukhaṣṣiṣu al-Qur’ān
Al-Qur’ān yukhaṣṣiṣu al-Qur’ān
Al-‘aql specifies al-Sunnah
Al-ijmā‘ cancels al-Qur’ān
A verse says “Allah is the Creator of all things,” and a jurist excludes Allah Himself from “all things” because the Creator is not created. Which method of specification is being used?
Specification by pure reason (al-‘aql) where logic necessitates exclusion
Specification by custom (‘urf)
A hadith says “Cut the hand” in theft, and jurists treat “hand” as meaning severing at the wrist (not shoulder) because that is the established usage and Prophetic practice. Which method of specification is this?
Al-ʿurf (customary specification)
Al-ʿaql (rational specification)
Al-ijmāʿ as abrogation
A demonstrative pronoun limiting the noun
Which option is the clearest example of a khāṣṣ (specific) expression by type?
Al-nās (mankind)
Alladhīna āmanū (those who believe)
Muḥammad (a proper name identifying a particular person)
Kullu shayʾ (every thing)
A rule states “Four witnesses are required” for a charge. Why is this treated as specific (khāṣṣ) rather than general (ʿāmm)?
Because numbers are inherently metaphorical
Because a defined number fixes a determinate quantity and excludes more/less
Because any numerical rule is abrogated by later custom
Because numbers indicate uncertainty
A jurist says: “Consideration is given to the generality of the wording, not the specificity of the occasion of revelation.” Which principle is this?
Al-ʿibrah bi-ʿumūm al-lafẓ lā bi-khuṣūṣ al-sabab
Al-khāṣṣ yuqaddamu ʿalā l-ʿāmm
Al-yaqīn lā yazūlu bi-l-shakk
Al-umūr bi-maqāṣidihā
A general text and a specific text both concern ʿiddah, but one applies to widows and the other to divorced women. How should a jurist treat their relationship?
They conflict and require abrogation
They are different legal categories (death vs divorce) and therefore operate independently, not as takhṣīṣ of each other
The widow text specifies the divorce text automatically
The divorce text cancels the widow text
A menstruating woman divorced after consummation asks her waiting period. Which integrated rule best fits the specified framework presented?
No waiting period
Three qurūʾ (three periods)
Four months and ten days
Until delivery only
A woman is divorced before consummation of marriage. Under the integrated reading of Qurʾan 2:228 and 33:49, what is her waiting period?
Three qurūʾ
Three months
No waiting period (ʿiddah)
Four months and ten days
A divorced woman is pregnant. Under Qurʾan 65:4 as presented, what is the duration of her ʿiddah?
Three qurūʾ
Until delivery
Four months and ten days
No waiting period
A divorced woman is post-menopausal (no longer menstruates). Under Qurʾan 65:4 as presented, what waiting period applies?
Three qurūʾ
No waiting period
Three months
Until delivery
A jurist tries to treat the pre-consummation “no ʿiddah” verse as partial abrogation because it was revealed later, even though both verses can be harmonized by exception. Under the criteria summarized, what is the best response?
Prefer naskh whenever chronology is possible
Prefer takhṣīṣ when coexistence is possible; abrogation requires true incompatibility that cannot be reconciled
Treat both as invalid due to conflict
Ignore chronology entirely and choose the strictest rule
Which pair of conditions best captures when a general and a specific text can be treated as operating independently rather than by specification?
Different subject matter and no overlapping scope
Same subject matter and overlapping scope
Same subject matter and same chronology
Different strength and same subject matter
A student writes: “Takhṣīṣ removes some cases from the general rule, but the general rule still applies to the rest.” Which evaluation is most accurate?
Correct; this is the essence of specification
Incorrect; takhṣīṣ cancels the entire general rule
Incorrect; specification can only occur by custom, not by text
Incorrect; general rules never apply once an exception exists
