The Traditions of rightly Guided Caliphs and Relations of Time & Space

Abstract

The very nature of Islamic Shariah is dynamic and it fulfills the needs of contemporary society. Sometimes a Shariah commandment possesses hardness, sometimes softness, in some situations a command is abrogated with another one, and in some cases a command is enforced in different steps. The Islamic ordinances are changed due to change in time and space. The basic purpose behind these changes is to provide ease and remove difficulty as well as to address a situation effectively. This ease can be seen in the matters of worship and public affairs. Islamic law is derived primarily from Qur’an, Sunnah and the consensus of companions of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). The companions have done remarkable services in order to set excellent examples for Muslim Ummah and make Islam a comprehensive code of life. The companions are highly regarded and noblest among all the Muslims according to Qur’an and Hadith. They devoted their lives for the understanding and propagation of Islamic teachings. The objective of the study is to analyze the situations in the eras of four rightful Caliphs when they enforced a new law or modified a law considering time and space. The paper will highlight the Shariah principles to deal the needs of modern Islamic society. For this purpose, the paper examines the Qawl al-Sahabi (Islamic verdict or fatwa of the companions) in order to address the need of contemporary society effectively. Islamic history shows that the companions set different examples to deal different circumstances in line with the fundamental tenets of Islam.