Literature and History – Episode 118: The Qur’an, Part 2: Ordinances

Host: Doug Metzger
Date: October 15, 2025

Overview

This episode is a thorough and illuminating exploration of the legalistic content—the "ordinances"—of the Qur’an. Doug Metzger provides listeners with a comprehensive look at the approximately 350 “Ayat al-Ahkam” (legal verses) concerning everything from prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage, to family law, inheritance, commercial transactions, and criminal justice. Metzger contextualizes these Qur’anic laws both within the historical evolution of Islamic law and alongside the practices of pre-Islamic Arabia, and draws thoughtful comparisons with Biblical law. Listeners are offered a detailed, candid, and nuanced portrait of how the Qur’an defines and delimits the sacred and civic obligations of Muslims, and how its verses have been interpreted over centuries.

Key Themes and Discussion Points

1. The Place of the Legal Verses in the Qur’an and in Islamic Law

• Legal Verses by the Numbers
  The Qur’an contains around 6,200 verses, of which only about 350 are legal ordinances—a small proportion with vast historical impact ([02:00]).

• The Development of Islamic Law
  Metzger provides a concise survey of the history of Islamic law from the time of Muhammad, emphasizing two central terms:

  • Sharia: The "sacred wellspring" of law, derived from Qur'an and Hadith ([06:00]).
  • Fiqh: The human, reasoned interpretation and application of Sharia, developing over centuries into multiple schools (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali for Sunnis; Jafari and Zaidi for Shia; Ibadi) ([09:00]).

  "Islamic law is not just one thing. From the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 onward, fiqh has been an ongoing project." – Metzger ([13:00])

• Pre-Islamic Customs and Continuity
  Many existing Arabian customs (urf) were incorporated or left unchanged if harmonious with Islamic values. Others were replaced or modified by explicit Qur’anic rulings ([05:00]).

2. Qur’anic Verses on Core Ritual Obligations ("Pillars" of Islam)

Fasting and the Pilgrimage (Hajj)

• Fasting (Sawm):
  The Qur’an mandates fasting during Ramadan but provides exceptions and compensations for illness or hardship.

  "God wants ease for you, not hardship." ([22:00]—quoting the Qur'an)

• Pilgrimage (Hajj):
  Obligatory for those able to undertake it. During Hajj, specific codes of conduct, ritual abstentions, and acts of atonement in case of impediment are stipulated ([41:00]).

  "Pilgrimage to the House is a duty owed to God by people who are able to undertake it." – Qur’an, summarized by Metzger ([45:00])

Prayer (Salah)

• Daily Prayers:
  The Qur’an prescribes regular prayers dispersed through the day, along with instructions on bodily cleanliness, prostration, sobriety, and appropriate clothing ([55:00]).

  "Daily prayers...are obligatory for the believers at prescribed times." ([56:00])

• Friday Congregation (Jumu'ah):
  Guidance on communal prayer and the behavior expected during and after the Friday sermon ([1:04:00]).

  "When the call is made for prayer on congregation day, hasten to the remembrance of God and leave your commerce aside." ([1:05:00])

Charity (Zakāh)

• Importance and Spirit of Giving:
  The Qur’an insistently urges almsgiving, decrying both greed and ostentation and emphasizing sincerity ([1:09:00]).

  "Whatever they meanly withhold will be hung around their necks on the day of Resurrection." ([1:10:00]) "A kind word with forgiveness is better than charity followed by insult." ([1:14:00])

  Notable extended quote:

  "Those that give their wealth for the cause of God can be compared to a grain of corn which brings forth seven ears each bearing a hundred grains..." – Qur’an, Surat al-Baqarah, as read by Metzger ([1:16:00])

  "Goodness does not consist in turning your face towards east or West. The truly good are those who believe in God...who give away some of their wealth, however much they cherish it..." – Metzger, reading the Qur’an ([1:22:00])

3. Family Law and Social Regulations

Marriage and Polygamy

• Marriage as Divine Institution:
  Marriage is for tranquility; polygyny (multiple wives) is permitted but with strong admonitions toward equitable treatment ([1:30:00]).

  "You may marry whichever women seem good to you, 2, 3, or 4. If you fear that you cannot be equitable to them, then marry only one." – Qur’an, summarized by Metzger ([1:32:00])

• Marriage Contracts and Dowry:
  Marriage requires a dowry; dowries are not to be taken back in divorce ([1:34:00]).

  "Live with them in kindness. And if you come to loathe them, perhaps you may loathe something in which God places abundant good." ([1:36:00])

• Contentious Verses
  Verse permitting husbands to discipline wives discussed with sensitivity:

  "As for those wives whom you fear discord and animosity, admonish them, then leave them in their beds, then strike them." – Qur’an, read and discussed by Metzger ([1:38:00]) Metzger notes the complexity, range of translations, and extensive feminist critique and reappraisal ([1:42:00]).

Divorce

• Divorce is allowed, with regulated procedure including waiting periods, reconciliation efforts, and protections for divorced women, especially regarding maintenance and property ([1:47:00]).

Adultery

• Prescribes 100 lashes for both parties, and strict evidentiary standards (four eyewitnesses), with symmetrical punishments for men and women and harsh penalties for false accusations ([1:52:00]).

  "The adulteress and the adulterer, flog each of them a hundred lashes..." ([1:52:00])

Inheritance

• Qur’an institutes inheritance shares for women (a radical innovation at the time), but daughters receive half the share of sons ([2:02:00]).

  "Men shall have a share in what their parents...leave, and women shall have a share...This is ordained by God." ([2:04:00]) Metzger breaks down complex inheritance tables for clarity ([2:05:00]).

Children

• Condemnation of pre-Islamic female infanticide; all children seen as God’s blessing ([2:01:00]).

4. Commercial Law and Contracts

• Honest and documented business is prescribed; written contracts and witnesses for debts and transactions ([2:16:00]).

  "Put it down in writing. Have a scribe write it down justly between you." ([2:17:00])

• On Usury (Riba):
  Usury is condemned; charity is elevated above profit from interest ([2:20:00]).

  "God has allowed trade and forbidden usury." ([2:22:00])

• Oaths and Pledges
  Fulfillment of oaths is sacred; penalties/atonement for breaking binding oaths ([2:26:00]).

5. Criminal Law (Hudud and Qisas)

• Striking features: corporal punishments (lashes for adultery, hand amputation for theft), and "retribution in kind" (qisas) for murder ([2:29:00]).

• Emphasis on equality in retaliation, with possibility of pardon and monetary compensation ([2:33:00]).

  "A free man for a free man, the slave for the slave, the female for the female. But if the culprit is pardoned...the culprit shall pay what is due." ([2:35:00])

• Severe penalties for "waging war against God and his messenger," but these are located in pre-Islamic tradition and interpreted restrictively ([2:38:00]).

6. Contentious and Modern Issues

Homosexuality

• The Qur’an contains no explicit law but references the Biblical story of Lot; context is ambiguous ([2:46:00]).

Veiling (Hijab)

• The Qur’an recommends modest dress, and head coverings for women, but is open-ended; the term "hijab" is used once, for a "screen" or "curtain" ([2:49:00]).

  "Although long seen as the most distinctive emblem of Islam, the veil is surprisingly not enjoined upon Muslim women anywhere in the Quran." – Metzger quoting Reza Aslan ([2:51:00])

7. War, Peace, and Jihad

• The Qur’an exhibits a range of verses—some urging defense, some advocating peace, others advocating warfare if attacked—the context often being survival of the early Muslim community in Medina ([2:56:00]).

  "Fight in the cause of God those who fight you but do not commit aggression. God loves not the aggressors..." ([2:58:00]) "If they incline towards peace, you, Prophet, must also incline towards it..." ([3:01:00])

• Sword Verse: Cited with historical context (tribal treachery at Mecca) ([3:04:00]).

• Jihad:
  Shown to mean “struggle” in multiple senses: military, spiritual, ethical ([3:09:00]).

• Memorable Reflection:

  "Fighting has been prescribed for you, though it is hateful to you, but it may be that you hate a thing, though it be good for you..." ([3:11:00])

8. Relationship with “People of the Book" (Jews and Christians)

• The term Al al-Kitab (People of the Book) designates Jews, Christians, and Muslims as fellow scriptural monotheists; the Qur’an’s attitude is complex, sometimes inclusive, sometimes adversarial ([3:17:00]).

  "Our God and your God is one and the same." ([3:18:00])

• The institution of the jizya (tax on non-Muslims) is explained, with protections for the dhimmi (protected peoples) ([3:21:00]).
  • Metzger provides historical nuance about treatment of non-Muslims under Muslim rule versus under Christian rule.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the scope of Islamic law:

  "Islamic law is not just one thing. From the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 onward, fiqh has been an ongoing project." ([13:00])

• On leniency in legal prescriptions:

  "God wants ease for you, not hardship." ([22:00])

• On the spirit of charity:

  "A kind word with forgiveness is better than charity followed by insult. God is self sufficient and gracious." ([1:14:00])

• On marriage and respect:

  "Live with them in kindness. And if you come to loathe them, perhaps you may loathe something in which God places abundant good." ([1:36:00])

• On the breadth of Islamic legal tradition:

  "Sharia and fiqh are oceanic disciplines and the work of many generations. The task of distilling practicable laws from sacred scriptures is at the heart of all three Abrahamic religions." ([3:25:00])

• On the position of ordinances in the Qur’an:

  "The ordinances of the Qur’an constitute only a very small portion of what’s in the book. The Qur’an, as I emphasized in the previous episode, is ultimately an inspiration book and not a draconian list of commandments as the past two hours of this show perhaps made it sound." ([3:16:00])

• On Muhammad’s attitude to war:

  "Fighting has been prescribed for you, though it is hateful to you, but it may be that you hate a thing, though it be good for you." ([3:11:00])

Timestamps for Major Segments

| Time | Segment | |------------|------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–13:30| Introduction to Islamic law, Sharia, and Fiqh | | 13:30–22:00| The function and historical impact of legal verses | | 22:00–55:00| Ritual law: fasting, pilgrimage | | 55:00–1:09:00| Prayer and devotional obligations | | 1:09:00–1:29:00| Charity and property | | 1:29:00–1:47:00| Marriage, divorce, and family law | | 1:47:00–2:08:00| Adultery, inheritance, and children | | 2:08:00–2:26:00| Commercial law, usury, and contracts | | 2:26:00–2:46:00| Crime, punishment, retribution (hudud and qisas) | | 2:46:00–2:55:00| Homosexuality and veiling (hijab) | | 2:55:00–3:16:00| War, peace, jihad | | 3:16:00–3:25:00| People of the Book, jizya, dhimmi status |

Recurring Themes and Analysis

• Balance of Ideal and Practical:
  Metzger repeatedly emphasizes the Qur’an’s attempt to establish both practical social rules and promote inner virtues (patience, sincerity, gratitude).

• Historical Contextualization:
  The episode consistently frames Qur’anic laws as both products of, and responses to, the religious, social, and legal cultures of late antique Arabia and the broader Abrahamic tradition.

• Nuance, Not Monolith:
  Over and again, Metzger stresses that neither the Qur’an nor Islamic law is monolithic; the diversity of interpretation and adaptation is a core part of the tradition.

Conclusion

Doug Metzger’s sweeping survey of Qur’anic legal ordinances is marked by balance, empathy, and scholarly rigor. Listeners are left with both a grasp of the substance and variety of the Qur’an’s legal teachings and an appreciation for the centuries-long process by which they have been interpreted. Metzger’s candid handling of controversial verses, emphasis on the moral content of the Qur’an, and use of succinct scholarly quotations ensure this episode is indispensable for anyone seeking to understand Islamic scripture’s practical, ethical, and historical place.

Looking ahead:
The next episode, “The Qur’an, Part 3: Origins,” will explore the theological and cultural roots of the Qur’an, featuring figures from the Abrahamic lineage and pre-Islamic Arabian tradition.