Assignments

Assignments (4 Marks Each) The 3-Minute Thesis: Record a video or write a script explaining your entire final research project in exactly 180 seconds. Mock Defense Q&A: Anticipate 5 “brutal” questions an evaluation panel might ask about your research. Write out your calm, evidence-based responses. Slide Deck Design: Create 5 slides for your defense. One must be a visual “Argument Map.” Teaching Lesson Plan: Design a 30-minute lesson teaching one concept from your research to a group of 15-year-olds. The “Scholarly Voice” Reflection: Write 500 words on how your communication style has changed from the beginning of this course to now.  

Assignments (4 Marks Each) Expert Interview Plan: Choose a modern issue (e.g., AI ethics). Write a list of 10 technical questions you would ask a non-religious expert in that field to complete your Taṣawwur. Finance vs. Ethics: Analyze a “Shariah-compliant” financial product. Write 600 words evaluating if it meets the form of the law or the spirit of justice. The Bioethics Brief: Write a 2-page brief for a hospital ethics committee regarding end-of-life care, using the legal maxim “Harm must be eliminated.” Environmental Policy Proposal: Create a “Green Masjid” or “Green Community” proposal based on the scholarly concept of Mīzān (Balance). Social Issue Literature Map: Pick a contemporary social issue (e.g., mental health). Find 3 classical and 3 modern sources that address it and map how the discourse has evolved.

Assignments (4 Marks Each) The “Gap” Finder: Read two short articles on the same topic. Identify one question or angle that neither article addressed. This is your “Research Gap.” Argument Map Poster: Create a visual map of a 500-word argument. Show the central claim, at least three supporting premises, and one counter-argument. Literature Synthesis Table: Create a table with 3 columns: “Author/Source,” “Core Argument,” and “How it relates to my thesis.” Fill it in with 4 sources. Research Proposal Draft: Submit a 1-page research proposal including: Title, Research Question, Significance, and a brief Methodology (how you will find your answers). Methodology Justification: Write 400 words explaining why you chose a Qualitative vs. Quantitative approach for your specific research question.

Assignments (4 Marks Each) Thesis Statement Workshop: Choose a topic from Topic 3 (e.g., Medical Ethics). Draft three different thesis statements: one too broad, one too narrow, and one “Just Right.” Reference Reconstruction: You are given a list of scrambled information about a book (Author, Title, Page, Publisher). Arrange it into a perfect Chicago or APA style citation for a classical text. The PEEL Paragraph: Write a single 250-word paragraph on “The Importance of Adab in Research” using the PEEL structure. Tone Correction: Take a “rant” or an emotional social media post about a religious issue. Rewrite it into a 300-word scholarly analysis, removing all emotional language and replacing it with evidence-based claims. Primary vs. Secondary Audit: List 5 sources you plan to use for your research. Categorize them as Primary or Secondary and explain why they belong in that category.

Assignments (4 Marks Each) Intentions Essay: Write 800 words on: “The Role of Intent in Distinguishing Custom from Worship.” Use the example of “fasting” for health vs. fasting for Allah. Certainty vs. Doubt Log: For 3 days, track moments where you felt doubt (about prayer, cleaning, or honesty). Apply the maxim “Certainty is not overruled by doubt” and record the result. The Ethics of Harm: Apply the maxim “Harm must be eliminated” to a modern environmental issue like plastic pollution or climate change. Propose a legal framework based on this maxim. Necessity Case Study: Analyze a medical emergency scenario. At what point does “Necessity” make a prohibited treatment permissible? Define the boundaries based on scholarly texts. Custom in Marriage: Research how the maxim “Custom is a basis for judgment” affects dowry (Mahr) or marriage contracts in three different cultures.

Assignments (4 Marks Each) The Vinegar Transformation: Write a 600-word analysis on the transformation of wine into vinegar. Explain the relationship between the ʿIllah (intoxication) and the Ḥukm (ruling). Abrogation Research: Find two verses in the Qur’ān that are subject to Naskh (Abrogation). Explain the historical context of why the change was necessary for the community’s growth. Contextual Debate: Take a verse often used out of context by extremists or critics. Research its Sabab al-Nuzūl and write a 750-word “contextual correction.” Tarjīḥ Worksheet: You have two Hadiths regarding a specific action (e.g., raising hands in prayer). List the criteria you would use to determine which one is “stronger” for your practice. ʿIllah vs. Ḥikmah Paper: Write 500 words distinguishing between the “Intention” (Wisdom) of the fast of Ramadan and the “Trigger” (Cause) for who must fast.

Assignments (4 Marks Each) Qiyās Worksheet: Identify a modern ethical dilemma (e.g., Cryptocurrency or Digital Copyright). Break it down using the four pillars of Qiyās: Find an Aṣl, a Farʿ, the ʿIllah, and propose a Ḥukm. Istihsan Reflection: Write a 700-word essay on why Istiḥsān is necessary to prevent the law from becoming cold and robotic. Use the example of “leasing” (Ijārah) as a departure from strict rules on sale. Maslahah in the 21st Century: Propose a “Public Interest” policy for a modern city (e.g., data privacy or environmental protection) based on the five objectives of the Sharīʿah. Urf vs. Text: Research a custom in your own culture that was modified to fit Islamic ethics. Write a 500-word piece on how the scholars balanced the local ʿUrf with the Nāṣṣ (Text). Comparative Reasoning: Compare Qiyās and Maṣlaḥah. In what scenario would a scholar choose one over the other? Create a 1-page analytical brief.

Assignments (4 Marks Each) Certainty Chart: Create a table comparing Qaṭʿī and Ẓannī evidences. Provide two examples for each category from real legal rulings (e.g., Inheritance vs. Prayer details). The Mutawātir Research: Write a 600-word report on the criteria used by Ḥadīth scholars to define a narration as Mutawātir. Why is this essential for the “Hierarchy of Evidence”? Dalālah Analysis: Find a Qur’anic verse that is Qaṭʿī in transmission but Ẓannī in meaning. Write a 500-word analysis on why scholars might differ on its interpretation. Ijma’ Case Study: Identify one legal issue where Ijmāʿ has been established (e.g., the compilation of the Qur’ān). Explain how this consensus provides legal stability. Evidence Ranking: Take five different religious statements (e.g., “The fast of Ramadan is mandatory” vs. “It is recommended to eat with the right hand”). Rank them according to the Darajāt al-Adillah and justify your ranking.

Assignments (4 Marks Each) Hierarchy Visualization: Create a detailed infographic or flow chart showing the hierarchy of evidence in Islamic Law, from the Qur’an down to Maslaḥah (Public Interest). Literalism vs. Rationalism Essay: Write a 1,000-word analysis on the dangers of following the “Text” without “Reason,” and vice versa. Use a modern example. Case Study Analysis: Select a ruling on Islamic Finance. Identify which part of the ruling is based on a specific verse (Naql) and which part uses logical economic deduction (ʿAql). The “Aql” Limit Paper: Research and write a 500-word piece on “The Limits of Human Reason” in understanding the Ghayb (The Unseen/Metaphysics). Ijtihād Simulation: You are presented with a new technology (e.g., AI Brain Chips). Write a 2-page scholarly brief on how you would use Naql and ʿAql to begin researching its permissibility.

Assignments (4 Marks Each) The “I Don’t Know” Journal: Research three historical instances where a major scholar refused to answer a question due to lack of certainty. Write a summary of why this increased their prestige. Comparative Adab: Watch a modern political debate and a traditional scholarly discussion. Contrast the body language and tone, focusing on the concept of “Ethics of Disagreement.” The Scholar’s Role Essay: Write 1,200 words on: “The Scholar’s Role in Modern Society: Balancing Academic Freedom with Ethical Accountability.” Citation Analysis: Take a short research paper. Identify every citation and write a 1-sentence explanation of why that citation is necessary for the paper’s “Barakah” (integrity). Conflict Resolution Script: Write a hypothetical dialogue between two researchers who disagree on a major point, demonstrating the “Golden Rule” of Adab al-Ikhtilāf.