hanan@mcs213k.cs.umr.edu (Hanan Lutfiyya) (04/23/91)
In Message-ID: <1991Apr19.122327.2824@wpi.WPI.EDU> (iftikhar uz zaman) writes > The point of this post though, is to suggest that we try to >break down some of these monolothic characterizations of people as >"backwards" and "forwards." The "mulla" is a much maligned individual, >however, fortunately or unfortunately, he has read the sources a >lot more extensively than a lot of us have. Thus, until we do the >reading ourselves, one cannot simply "throw the baby out with the >bathwater" and think we can dispense with all types of mullas >(from Malik, Shafi'i, Ahmad etc. to Ibn Hajar, 'Ayni, etc...to >the modern ones like Albani). What we can do is put large question >marks where we have questions and learn from them what we can... >then, later, perhaps try to investigate the questionable points... >Eventually, the investigation of the questions may lead us to throw >out everything these "mullas" have told us. But it seems like >cultural suicide (taking Islam as a "culture" here) to completely >disavow the work of centuries which has gone into the texts of Islam >which these people (many of them sincere along with being knowledgeable) >have invested.... > We do this kind of selective listening to any "expert" in >everyday life--why can we not give our religious scholars the same >treatment? Is there perhaps a visceral reaction here? A "hatred"? >These are just questions: not accusations. I'm not disagreeing with you. What I resent is the following: Sometimes, when a person tries to investigate the questionable points, they are given labels. The original posting that started this thread seemed to imply that a person who does question, is being influenced by Satan. I consider this unfair especially if one believes that Allah has given us free will. There are many differences between the way religious scholars perceive things. It is because they question. I believe that the "average person" also has this right. The right to question, investigate and learn and not be labeled. Of course, the learning process will involve learning from many of these religious scholars. Hanan Lutfiyya University of Missouri-Rolla
darwish@eng.umd.edu (Mamdouh Maher) (04/25/91)
Assalamu `alaykum. Sister Hanan Lutfiyya writes: > > I'm not disagreeing with you. What I resent is the following: >Sometimes, when a person tries to investigate the questionable points, >they are given labels. The original posting that started this thread >seemed to imply that a person who does question, is being influenced >by Satan. I consider this unfair especially if one believes that >Allah has given us free will. There are many differences between >the way religious scholars perceive things. It is because they >question. I believe that the "average person" also has this right. >The right to question, investigate and learn and not be labeled. Of >course, the learning process will involve learning from many >of these religious scholars. The original posting was refering to questioning what is correct, ie: trying to find excuses for not following it. I think the poster was not implying that one should not question, rather that one should not wait till one understands fully the exact reason for a ruling before following it. I pray three rak`a for Maghreb, but I have no idea why it is not two or four. I am certainly not going to wait till I fully understand the digestive system before I eat. As for the right to question, the Muslim has the OBLIGATION to question, to wonder, to try and understand some of the wisdom of the Creator. The Qur'an constantly tells us to contemplate IT. God tells us that it is guidance to the right path, but also that it is guidance to those who contemplate, ("Afala tatafakkarun" Will you not contemplate, think), to those who think ("Ulu alalbab" those who have thought). One way Islam sets itself apart from most other religions is in that it appeals to the intellect as well as to the spirit. Islam not only 'feels' right, but it also makes sense. We are told to accept God's blessings on us, that is why we should enjoy the good bounties of this world, but that is also why we should understand this divine way of life. This can only be achieved through learning it, thinking about it, questioning it. Islamic history is full of debate of questions that often seem forbidden under Islamic law. It is only after the weakness of the Muslims, caused by the weakness of their hearts, that corrupt systems that restrict freedom of expression have arisen. Islam restricts corruption, pornography and trickery (false claims), I am not aware of any upright form of expression that is forbidden. And tgat which God has allowed may not be forbidden in Islam. >Hanan Lutfiyya >University if Missouri-Rolla I hope this helps answer your question. Distorting Islam is perhapse the only way to fight it; certainly the only way that has worked historically. I am as frustrated as you are by some of the misunderstandings. If my article seems long, I apologise, but I feel it is my duty to clear up some of the confusion. Assalamu `alaykum Mamdouh Maher
fade@midway.uchicago.edu (mohammad h fadel) (04/26/91)
In article <1991Apr24.182457.28891@wpi.WPI.EDU> darwish@eng.umd.edu (Mamdouh Maher) writes: > > > As for the right to question, the Muslim has the OBLIGATION to question, >to wonder, to try and understand some of the wisdom of the Creator. >The Qur'an constantly tells us to contemplate IT. God tells us that it is >guidance to the right path, but also that it is guidance to those who >contemplate, ("Afala tatafakkarun" Will you not contemplate, think), to those >who think ("Ulu alalbab" those who have thought). > > One way Islam sets itself apart from most other religions is in that it >appeals to the intellect as well as to the spirit. Islam not only 'feels' >right, but it also makes sense. We are told to accept God's blessings >on us, that is why we should enjoy the good bounties of this world, but >that is also why we should understand this divine way of life. This can only be >achieved through learning it, thinking about it, questioning it. > > Islamic history is full of debate of questions that often seem forbidden >under Islamic law. It is only after the weakness of the Muslims, caused >by the weakness of their hearts, that corrupt systems that restrict >freedom of expression have arisen. Islam restricts corruption, pornography >and trickery (false claims), I am not aware of any upright form of expression >that is forbidden. And tgat which God has allowed may not be forbidden in >Islam. > >Mamdouh Maher The issue here is not one of questioning or not questioning; the problem is the mode of questioning. Likewise, Allah (SWT) does praise knowledge and the knowledgeable in His book. But is this praise undifferentiated in regards to knowledge itself? Certainly not. The type of knowledge which is the object of the Qur'an's praise is knowledge of Allah, SWT. This is the only knowledge praiseworthy in and of itself. All other types of knowledge can only have an instrumental value subordinated to the goal of gaining truth about religion - which is essential for the cosmic fate of the individual. For this reason, Imam al-Ghazali, in his polemics with the Isma'ili Shi'ites, denies the necessity (wujub, i.e. from the perspective of the Shari'a) of all types of knowledge except for the knowledge of Allah and of the truthfulness of His messenger, Muhammad, Salla Allah 'alyhi wa Sallam. The reason for this is clear - ignorance of any worldly matter in the face of ignorance of what awaits one after death is a trivial matter. This does not mean that everything else is worthless; al-Ghazali's point was to show that difference of opinion on other issues, even issues of ritual obligation, pale in comparison to the duty of believing in Allal (SWT) and His messenger salla Allah 'alyhi wa sallam. Thus, difference of opinion is a minor issue and completely legitimate, so long as the difference of opinion arises from genuine attempts at understanding our obligations to Allah (SWT). If one wishes to participate in this process of understanding Allah's will, a process which Muslims have been engaged in collectively from the moment of the Mustafa Salla Allah 'alyhi wa Sallam died, one must have the tools to do so. If one does not have the time to become a faqih, or a mufassir, or even learn Arabic, one should at least become acquainted with the basic cate- gories of Islamic religious thought so that one's questions are productive. The conclusion is that one can not take a truth from any worldly science and then use it as an interpretive device to issue religious opinions (fatwa). The operative principle here is the assumption made by believers by virtue of their being believers that Allah, SWT, knows best - 'asaa an tuhibbuu shay@an wa huwa kurhun lakum wa 'asaa an takrahuu shay@an wa huwa khayrun lakumAllah ya@lamu wa antum la ta@lamun - Perhaps you are a fond of a thing and it is bad for you; perhaps you despise something which is better for you - Allah knows while you know not. (I don't know the cite, but I think it's in Baqara. I'm not sure, I also might have written it in reverse, i.e. "perhaps you despise comes" first.) The implication of this verse was well-understood by the Ash'arite theologians (of which al-Ghazali was one): that good and bad can only be known by shar', the divine command. There is no rational basis for judging independently without the help of the shari'a. To do so would be an instance of following hawa, one's personal likes and dislikes, which is of course, the exact opposite of what the Qur@an means by 'aql, reason. In the Qur@an, 'aql means to use one's mind to understand what Allah (SWT) demands of him or her, not just reason in its modern, conventional, and usually, positivistic sense of today. For that reason, unbelievers, though they may be brilliant natural and social scientists, philosophers and poets, are more blind than cattle - they are ignorant of their spiritual destiny, and is there a blindness worse than this blindness? Despite this, one must stand in admiration of all scientific, artistic, and cultural achievements, no matter what the source. One just should not let that admiration affect the manner in which religion and its obligations are to be understood. Finally, we must all thank God for His huda, guidance; He is the only source of guidance. We must also hope that Allah guides not just Muslims, but every one to Islam.