Literalism: an essay on why Muslims in Alaska wouldn't last very long

by HijabMan :: posted 12 September 08

Update: I deleted this article a while ago. I don’t think I should have and I apologize for deleting it. Please note that the first 24 comments refer to the older version of this post.

God, in the Qur’an and other revelations, has made clear some universal principles that I feel like we as the the Creation should strive to realize fully. This idea is the reason I constantly question myself and struggle with how God wants me to put those principles into practice. I can’t say that I’ve been the best at this, and often times I feel like I’ve failed. When I feel like I have failed, I look towards people who I admire.

Muhammad Yunus, badass-extraordinaire and founder of Grameen Bank, illustrates this taking of a Qur’anic principle and making it work. The Qur’an tells us to give charity to the poor. Muhammad Yunus took that a step further, and pioneered microcredit in Bangladesh. It was the difference between giving someone a fish, and teaching them how to fish. And you know what? The borrowers of those loans pay interest. Now, imagine if Muhammad Yunus listened to those Muslim folks who heard his idea, and said, “What?! You are going to charge interest? _haraam! That is forbidden.”

The default belief, among Muslims and many Muslim scholars, is that modern day interest is equivalent to what the Qur’an refers to in arabic as riba, which is classified as forbidden. According to a paper presented at the 22nd conference of American Muslim Social Scientists,

This is a very poor methodology. It trivializes an issue so complex that Umar listed as one of the three matters on which he wished the Prophet (peace upon him) had provided more guidance. My approach shall be to take for granted the prohibition of ribâ as being glaringly evident from the Qur’anic texts (3:130;2:275-279) and seek to establish what the word means. We shall then compare this concept against the concepts of interest, usury, and overcharging, and argue that the latter two are, depending on the context, better translations of the term ribâ than interest.

Now, I’m not an expert on issues of money, but if we look at verses in the Qur’an that speak of riba, it seems to me God is speaking of usury and overcharging. The principle, in my amateur, American Muslim reading of the Qur’an is pretty darn clear. What about to you? Here, let’s look at one example of the word riba in the Qur’an… 3 translations of the same verse (3:130):

M. ASAD: O YOU who have attained to faith! Do not gorge yourselves on usury, doubling and re-doubling it – but remain conscious of God, so that you might attain to a happy state; YUSUFALI: O ye who believe! Devour not usury, doubled and multiplied; but fear God; that ye may (really) prosper. PICKTHAL: O ye who believe! Devour not usury, doubling and quadrupling (the sum lent). Observe your duty to God, that ye may be successful.

Seems to me that God probably wouldn’t be a fan of this ridiculous sub-prime mortgage mess. Not too familiar with the mess of which I speak? Listen to this episode of This American Life for free, here. Or read a short article (and/or listen) about it over at Get Rich Slowly.

But, interest that helps us (see Muhammad Yunus line above), I don’t think God would be too pissed off about. I feel like this grappling with what would please God is an important part of reading the Qur’an and other revelations. And to me, God isn’t saying “Don’t charge interest!” It’s more like, “Don’t be unjust, and don’t screw people out of money dude!”

In practical terms, this principle-over-specific-injunction indicates that I should be able to, God willing, give my daughters the same share of inheritance as my sons, despite the Qur’anic verse instructing me to give my daughters half the share of sons. Why would I do that? Well, for one, I see a general principle of gender equality, and two, I see that the world around me is different than the world in which the Qur’an was revealed.

Off the top of my head, I can think of a dozen single Muslim mothers among my friends. Instead of embracing these women and their children, the community does the opposite— rejects them and makes them feel unwelcome. Needless to mention the increasing cost of education, health-care, and our inability to depend on social security in the future. You can bet your booty I’ll be giving my daughter her fair share.

One of those most clear examples of how reading the Qur’an literally just doesn’t work is the month of Ramadan. God, in the Qur’an prescribes fasting for us during Ramadan, telling us quite clearly when to start and stop eating.

“..and eat and drink until you can discern the white streak of dawn against the blackness of night, and then resume fasting until nightfall..”

So then what about those people who live in Alaska? Or Northern Europe? Those who receive 24 hours of light or dark? Surely God isn’t commanding those people to starve to death?

The Qur’anic verses simply do not apply to that situation. What does apply, in my view, to all times and all places are Qur’anic principles— what I view as Universal Principles.

There are historical instances of this as well. The 2nd Caliph, Omar, did not carry out the Qur’anic punishment of chopping off someone’s hand for stealing during a time of famine. He used his knowledge of the current socio-economic situation and made a judgement call.

The Qur’an was not revealed in a vacuum. It was revealed in a very specific place and a very specific time. In light of that, I personally feel very comfortable taking the principles that are quite clear, and applying those to my current situation.

In the comments, some of you have voiced your problems and praises of what I’ve written above. I’d like to respond to a few.

My lovely friend Purvis is hesitant,

“I like what you are saying here in general, but unfortunately it leaves the door open to change anything one wants to under the pretense of being outdated. This lends itself to self-serving abuse. One could say. I don’t need to make wudu b/c we have indoor plumbing now and don’t live in the sands of the desert (and it messes up my makeup, but that’s a side issue), for instance.”

Well, Purvy, you bring up a great point. Generally, there is always room for abuse, right? I’d just rather have it open ended and gray, and save those poor Alaskan Muslims. There is also an element of personal responsibility here. It is imperative to be honest with yourself, God, and those around you. You have to have a clear conscience, and not be looking to justify your desires or actions.

And here’s a comment from Yaser, which I truly agree with:

“While I am a proponent of tradition, I also believe that people sometimes take it a little too far — autopilot’s great, but do look out the window once in a while. The other problem I find is that a lot of scholars are over-represented while the more obscure ones are forgotten. Some will tell you that those scholars were forgotten for a reason, but I’m convinced the issue’s a lot more complex. The headscarf, for example, is not so clear cut as people make it out to be (the verse in question being incredibly vague and open to interpretation). Same goes for the daraba verse, which once again can be interpreted in a wide variety of ways. And as for inheritance, if I ever had children, I’d divvy my wealth equally, of course.

I wouldn’t ascribe such understanding on my part to changing social contexts though. Just a more rigorous application of traditional Islamic thought (a la Dr. Fadl, whom I adore).”

Though I agree with Yaser’s assertion that a more rigorous application of traditional Islamic thought would lead to a more enlightened view of God’s intentions, I do not have the sources that people like Abou El Fadl have. All I have for certain is the Qur’an and the principles in it. How many people really have access to Abou El Fadl’s work? How many have ‘time’ for rigorous application of traditional Islamic thought? What about us working folk? And the millions of Muslims all over the world. Do we just take our local Imam’s ideas on faith?

Yaser responds,

“To an extent, yes — the working folk need to rely upon the scholars on faith. We trust that they have applied themselves to the utmost in guiding us. I do not believe that the Qur’an can be explored in a vaccum, we need the background, the commentaries, and the context to best understand what a particular verse means.

At the foremost, we are limited by using a translation because we’re locked into a particular meaning; the fluidity of classical Arabic along with its nuances and shades are all lost. Our ignorance is compounded by everything that we do not know. The commentaries of the companions, the commentaries of the scholars who came later, and the commentaries of the Sufis as well add to the depth and richness and beauty of the Qur’an. But the most beautiful thing about it all is that only God knows the final meaning.

But leaving interpretation in the hands of unqualified folks is a recipe for disaster, it’s akin to letting Bill O’Reilly interpret the Qur’an as he pleases.

But as you said, a lot of us simply do not have the time to go through all of that. So to reiterate my starting point, we need to trust the scholars (even though that has become more and more difficult today).”

And this is where Yaser and I disagree. Trust the scholars? Or Trust God?

Isn’t it God’s job to guide? Our job is to read, think, and contemplate. I have no problem listening to various peoples opinions on what the Qur’an means. We’ve been talking a lot about marriage on this blog recently, and you mentioned Khaled Abou El Fadl, so I thought this would be particularly apt. Here, Abou El Fadl tells a woman that she must take personal responsibility for her choosing a partner.

“With all due respect to your parents, they are not the ones who will have to sleep with this man every night. They are not the ones who will discharge the obligations of the Divine covenant, and they are not the ones who will have to answer for your marital decision in the Final Day. You cannot stand before God in the Hereafter and say, “My parents told me so.” You may consider the advice of your parents for all its worth, but it is your decision, your responsibility, your obligation, and your covenant” -Khaled Abou El Fadl, Conference Of The Books, Page 171

Just as this girl cannot base her decisions in life on her parents, we cannot say on the Day of Judgment, “I believed this and I did that because Shaykh X said so.” Here is where personal responsibility comes into play. Our lives are individual covenants with God, and none will be our intercessor on that Coming Day.

So like I said, I’m approaching this from my current reality. I am a young Muslim in America who may not speak Arabic and surely doesn’t have access to Abou El Fadl’s library of thousands.

So my dear readers, what about you? How do you approach the idea of normative and contextual verses? Are Qur’anic prescriptions dynamic? Static? How do you make sense of them? Who do you rely on?

————

Note: This is not meant to be a comprehensive guide to how I approach the Qur’an. Just a quick peak into my outlook, and what I struggle with as a believer in one God, as one who tries to do good, and as one who knows that I will be judged on the Last Day.

How I Take Pictures With The Qur’an

Approaching The Qur’an With Maslow

Ameer at 28 October 07 :: #

Who died and made you head scholar? Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll take advice on the Qur’an from the `Ulamaa’, not from a guy who makes t-shirts.
yaser at 28 October 07 :: #

Yaar, judging from the comment above, you just opened a big can of worms. Will write more later, inshallah, when I am less sleepy.
HijabMan at 29 October 07 :: #

Ameer :) With all due respect

I was sharing personal thoughts. Though I'm sure you can find ulema who have similar opinions. Just depends on which ulema...
Nashat at 29 October 07 :: #

Ameer, I am curious. How long do you think Muslims in Alaska should fast?
Purvis The Muslim at 29 October 07 :: #

I like what you are saying here in general, but unfortunately it leaves the door open to change anything one wants to under the pretense of being outdated. This lends itself to self-serving abuse. One could say.. I don’t need to make wudu b/c we have indoor plumbing now and don’t live in the sands of the desert (and it messes up my makeup, but that’s a side issue), for instance. I don’t have the answer to this, but it’s something that came to mind.
HijabMan at 29 October 07 :: #

Purvy, my love!

I’ve missed you. You bring up an excellent point. But you know, either way it goes there is room for abuse, right? I’d just rather have it open ended and gray, and save those poor Alaskan Muslims (not to mention the europeans.. russians, etc)
mariam at 30 October 07 :: #

i both agree and disagree with you. the fasting rule is the law, but there are exceptions to every law. so fasting till dawn still applies to everyone else.it isnt outdated, its just that its impossible for it to be applied to people who live in alaska or wherever. and its the same with the punishment for stealing, there was a famine so it was a temporary exception. but you cant say that the inheritance laws are outdated because nothing in the quran is outdated unless a certain ayah came down for a certain time period such as the ayah where it orders the muslims not to approach salat while they are intoxicated, but later on it prohibits it all together. its like people who claim that hijab is not wajeb. they say modesty is not universal and its relative to the times. the Quran came down for all times, and human nature doesn’t change and neither do Allah’s ahkam/set laws. so if you know your sons will not spend on your daughter after your death then you should give your daughter before you die. but there is no wasiya/will in islam for the inheritance. and inheritance is a very very detailed subject. its not as simple as “woman gets half” there is so much more to it than that. in some cases the woman actually gets more than the man. but in islam a son/brother/husband/father is responsible for his female kin, and if he does not support financially them then he will be responsible on the day of judgment. which is what was meant by the aya that says the men are above woman by a degree/responsible for woman..in spending.
HijabMan at 30 October 07 :: #

Mariam, Thank you for your comment :) Truly appreciated. I hope this reply finds you at peace.

First, I’m not necessarily speaking on the law. I am speaking on my reading of the Qur’an in my current time and in my current place. Also speaking in a place where most people don’t study Islamic law. I’m speaking from a lay person’s point of view.

“but you cant say that the inheritance laws are outdated because nothing in the quran is outdated unless a certain ayah came down for a certain time period”

Would it be different if I said, we are living in an exception? Our economic, social, etc system is completely different. Omar didn’t have another verse, he said, I ain’t doing it. It doesn’t apply to this time, this place, and this situation. Outdated? Exception?

I’m one of those folks who believe that the headscarf is not obligatory. Modesty is different in different places and times. Just as our concepts of beauty change over time as well. Or is it that everyone is attracted to the big bosomed, light-skinned, dark eyed companions of heaven in islamic tradition? Arabs of 600 AD, maybe.

What I have a hard time grasping is how you can be so sure of God’s intention of the ayah that says men are a degree above women?

There are plenty of commentaries on this verse, many say, admittedly, what you are implying. Others (and there are others) say that this degree above women is a statement of fact, not a biological determination- but one of function. If we are in a situation where women are the main money makers in the household, then they have a degree above men.

It could be read in different ways. What I’m saying is we need to look for the principle behind the marital relationship.

the principle is being good, generous and a garment for your partners. According to the Qur’an marriage is supposed to be a sakan wa sakinah (tranquility).

And we should strive to exemplify that. Regardless of who earns— that is how I would view it.
Rehaam at 30 October 07 :: #

Not that I’m an authority at all, but I completely agree with every word. That’s how I try to live my life and I gotta say, it’s hard but it makes the most sense. This is by far the best post I’ve ever read on this subject and I think you’re very brave to put it out there. Couldn’t have ever possibly said it better myself, Hijabman.
Rashda at 30 October 07 :: #

Hi Hijabman,

I liked your column: all religious laws and precedents should be considered in context and common sense.

Makes sense to me. BTW, I am Imraana’s cuz. She said I’d better let you know!

Keep thinking and writing.
Purvis The Muslim at 31 October 07 :: #

You just wanted an excuse to call someone Purvy, didn’t you? Well… that’s better than what hijabiapprentice (http://hijabiapprentice.blogspot.com) calls me, which is Purv. It’s one thing to be Purvy, but a total Purv? That describes the type of people who watch strip aerobics!
yaser at 31 October 07 :: #

While I am a proponent of tradition, I also believe that people sometimes take it a little too far — autopilot’s great, but do look out the window once in a while. The other problem I find is that a lot of scholars are over-represented while the more obscure ones are forgotten. Some will tell you that those scholars were forgotten for a reason, but I’m convinced the issue’s a lot more complex. The hijab, for example, is not so clear cut as people make it out to be (the verse in question being incredibly vague and open to interpretation). Same goes for the daraba verse, which once again can be interpreted in a wide variety of ways. And as for inheritance, if I ever had children, I’d divvy my wealth equally, of course.

I wouldn’t ascribe such understanding on my part to changing social contexts though. Just a more rigorous application of traditional Islamic thought (a la Dr. Fadl, whom I adore).

Much love,

Yaser
BeeSpree at 31 October 07 :: #

Salaams,

So, does your application in todays situation consequently remove the Islamic right of your sons (and your daughters sons, brothers etc) to financially provide for their women folk?

Wassalaam
BeeSpree at 31 October 07 :: #

Responsibility, rather :D
HijabMan at 31 October 07 :: #

Rehaam & Rashda: Cool ;)

Yaser: I get what you are saying.. and you know I’m an avid reader of Abou El Fadl, Tariq Ramadan, etc etc. However, I do not have the sources that they do. All I have for certain is the Qur’an. How many people really have access to Abou El Fadl’s work? How many have ‘time’ for rigorous application of traditional Islamic thought? What about us working folk? :) Do we just take Abou El Fadl’s work on Faith?

So like I said, i’m approaching this from a my current reality- a Young Muslim in America who may not speak Arabic and surely doesn’t have access to Abou El Fadl’s library of thousands :)
HijabMan at 31 October 07 :: #

BeeSpree: My application of what I find in the Qur’an doesn’t remove anything from anyone besides myself. My sons will believe whatever they’d like— of course, I will try my best to etch into their skulls being contributing members of society, and basic principles of goodness, etc.

What I’m trying to say is that the verse you are speaking about isn’t necessarily clear. It isn’t a “men must provide” it could be read as a functional statement… depending on the 'scholar' you ask. The important thing for me here is that both are contributing in whatever way they can (whether that be financially, physically, emotionally, etc) generously. i.e. they are both givers.
HijabMan at 31 October 07 :: #

BeeSpree:

See: http://zenhabits.net/2007/08/the-value-of-a-parent-staying-home-with-kids-and-tips-on-how-to-do-it/

Also See:

http://zenhabits.net/2007/04/financial-zen-how-to-get-financial-peace-of-mind/

“Talk about money with your partner. Money can be a huge stressor on a relationship. It’s important that you talk about money on a regular basis in a non-emotional way, as hard as that may sound. It’s crucial, in fact, to the survival of your relationship. You both have to be on the same page, or you will eventually argue and have major crises about your finances. You need to talk about your financial dreams and goals, your spending patterns, your budget, your income, your savings, debt, financial security, bills and the like. If you don’t already do this, it may take awhile in the beginning, and be difficult. But try to do it as a team, and not accuse each other of anything, don’t blame, and try to be positive and constructive. Over time, it will get easier. At the minimum, devote 10-20 minutes each week to reviewing your finances together, reviewing your goals, and making sure that you’re together and seeing eye-to-eye. It will make a major difference in your relationship and in your stress level.
yaser at 31 October 07 :: #

To an extent, yes — the working folk need to rely upon the scholars on faith. We trust that they have applied themselves to the utmost in guiding us. I do not believe that the Qur’an can be explored in a vaccum, we need the background, the commentaries, and the context to best understand what a particular verse means.

At the foremost, we are limited by using a translation because we’re locked into a particular meaning; the fluidity of classical Arabic along with its nuances and shades are all lost. Our ignorance is compounded by everything that we do not know. The commentaries of the companions, the commentaries of the scholars who came later, and the commentaries of the Sufis as well add to the depth and richness and beauty of the Qur’an. But the most beautiful thing about it all is that only God knows the final meaning.

But leaving interpretation in the hands of unqualified folks is a recipe for disaster, it’s akin to letting Bill O’Reilly interpret the Qur’an as he pleases.

But as you said, a lot of us simply do not have the time to go through all of that. So to reiterate my starting point, we need to trust the scholars (even though that has become more and more difficult today).
HijabMan at 31 October 07 :: #

Yaser :) my buddy

Trust the scholars? Or Trust God?

Isn’t it God’s job to guide? our job to read, think, and contemplate? I have no problem listening/reading various other peoples opinions on what the Qur’an means. But ultimately I cannot say, well “I believed this because Shaykh so and so said so.” Here is where personal responsibility comes into play.

And I’m willing to let God take care of Bill O’Reilly in whatever way God wants.
Will at 31 October 07 :: #

I’m really glad to read this discussion and that so many of the posts have been so engaging and thought-provoking.

I really think Hijabman is on the right path in meditating on the Qur’an and looking for the most good.

I am reminded that during his farewell sermon, the Prophet (pbuh) stated that the people present and who were his companions would have an understanding of the Qur’an, but that some people in later ages would understand its meanings better.

I’m not saying to deconstruct and drop ayat at will, but rather to really engage the text and try with your best will and intention to truly derive the most good.

We may not all agree in the details in all things, but if in our differences we still achieve good (albeit different good), isn’t that a good thing in itself?

In the end, we can only try our best and leave the rest to God.

Hijabman, as always, a pleasure and a reason to feel uplifted.

Bless you.
HijabMan at 31 October 07 :: #

Will, where have you been?

Hahaha I owe you an email. I’m putting it in “to do.”
yaser at 31 October 07 :: #

“I believed this because Shaykh so and so said so.” I wouldn’t say that either. The scholars have to make sense, too =P
Will at 1 November 07 :: #

HM,

I’m still around. :)

Work takes up so much time.

Going to take part in an interfaith discussion group over the weekend discussing the new Hans Kung book on Islam.

Most of those taking part will be Christians, so am hoping this will be a great opportunity for a good impression of Islam.

Always glad to hear from you when you can. I know you’re mighty busy, so when you have the time, no worries
Christine at 4 November 07 :: #

Thank you for this article — I know what sort of courage it takes to speak out in support of reading the Qur’an in our cultural and contemporary context. Thank you for having the backbone to say what you did, as well as for having the tranquility and forbearance to peacefully defend your point of view. May God keep you and yours well!
OmarG at 12 September 08 :: #

>> the working folk need to rely upon the scholars on faith.

The scholars themselves should be working folk. I don’t feel there is much of a place, given the example of the earliest Muslims, for people who get paid to do religion.

What kind of religion would we have if we removed its understanding from the hands of the very people who live it out in thier own lives everyday??
salma at 12 September 08 :: #

side note, only tangentially related:

http://www.counterpunch.org/cockburn10202006.html

muhammad asad translates zakah (generally, except when it’s clear it should be translated as charity) as “purifying dues”...). i prefer that translation, as well as his explanation of it, because it’s more explicitly about purifying income from the “taint” of greed. so it focuses on the value of giving zakah for the person giving it— rather than who is receiving it.

in other words, it’s not presented as a “solution” to poverty and doesn’t establish a charity model as an avenue for social and economic change, though it is made clear that charity is needed in emergency situations— structural change is more explicitly talked about in fighting against “oppression”.

just my two cents…
salma at 12 September 08 :: #

oh and another aside— the world bank and IMF are examples to me of why interest was considered haraam… :-)
Freckles at 12 September 08 :: #

“What kind of religion would we have if we removed its understanding from the hands of the very people who live it out in thier own lives everyday??”

How about The Church in the Dark Ages, where forgiveness could essentially be bought, and Mass was performed in Latin (and few, if any, people knew Latin)? Only the priests were literate, so whatever they reported as Biblical “truth” was practically law.
Personally, I have no use for any religion that professes that only certain people can know certain things about the nature of God/mysteries of faith/etc. Either everyone can know it, or no one can. Setting up hierarchies is, in my opinion, wrong. God created us all, right?
It’s dangerous to allow anyone else to make one’s religious decisions, because that person isn’t going to be able to help you on the Day of Judgment. Unfortunately, Muslims aren’t the only one with this problem. Too many people live their lives according to what their pastor/parents/imam/rabbi/best friend says and not according to the principles that they’ve carefully considered and studied. It’s really a shame, because we only get one chance to live our lives.
salma at 12 September 08 :: #

“If you give me a fish you have fed me for a day. If you teach me to fish then you have fed me until the river is contaminated or the shoreline seized for development. But if you teach me to organize then whatever the challenge I can join together with my peers and we will fashion our own solution.”

last comment. promise.
Tee at 14 September 08 :: #

You write interesting stuff HM, wait a second, is that what H&M stands for? Hijab&Man?! No wonderrr I find clothes there : P
(No, it’s only so I don’t break the bank!)

Back to your post. A comment by one of your readers reminded me of one of the reasons we’ve been given God’s gift of reason.
God would not have blessed us with the need to question ourselves and life around us had he known we would not receive or discover the answers. The Qur’an was revealed to all of humanity, (just as the previous heavenly scriptures were), and it’s understanding is not limited to scholars. Anyone can understand the Qur’an and its teachings, there’s no question about that.
But take it as any other material you are not familiar with. I’m certain anyone who goes to school or has been to school knows that their first exposure to certain material would not be easy on the brain, but with continual study, examination, investigation, time and effort spent to truly understand, realize meanings and then implement, difficulty comprehending stops being an obstacle.

Light which guides humankind transcends language, time, culture, and race.
My Islamic beliefs have made it simple. You either spend a good amount of your time on earth studying religion and becoming a scholar and never stopping to guide yourself and those seeking guidance, or you choose to follow a scholar who has done what I just mentioned. Namely choosing someone who has dedicated their entire lives to the study of religion in it’s entirety, someone NOT paid by any government, someone recognized as honorable and trustworthy by the people, someone who solely works for God and people because of their love of Truth. For Truth they live and in Truth they guide. But of course at the same time we were created with reason for a reason, TO REASON!

Keep writing!
Jawad at 14 September 08 :: #

This is an enormously important question. I dedicated a healthy chunk of my life asking and answering this question when I ran MuslimWakeup!.

Let me start with something completely unrelated to the main topic here. What sort of interest rates do most people here deal with in their everyday lives of student loans and bank accounts etc? My guess is 2-6%.

Now think of a interest rate where you would start to think of usury. 20%? 25%?

What interest rate do you think Grameen charges the lady in Chittagong who bought a sewing machine? I dont know the number, but my guess is 25-50%. Grameen is not a charity. They are a profit making corporation.

I am not putting them down. Microcredit works, its just expensive. Maybe we also readjust our ideas about usury.
OmarG at 14 September 08 :: #

Tee, you make some great points. I think we look at the study of religion as seeking a single absolute truth, as if it is a scientific venture. I used to believe this too, but not to much anymore.

For example, we believe that by exhaustive study, we are better off than by only knowing one ayah of the Quran. That knowing other ayaat will divulge the truth about another ayah or the rest of the book. However, what do we do about the hadith which talks about a muslim should teach the Quran to others even if it is one ayah?

What do we do with the hadith which says that you even get rewarded for an incorrect judgment (but more if you were right)? I can make sense of it only if I consider that its not arriving at truth that God wants (though I’m sure he’d be mighty pleased), but He/She/It simply wants us to journey towards Him/Her/It. Perhaps this is the meaning of the hadith (qudsi, I think) which says that “if my servant walks an inch towards me, I will go a yard, if he walks towards me, I will run towards him” (see nawawi’s 40 for the full non-paraphrased text). So, absolute truth seems not to be our goal as Muslims, and I say that knowing there are clear orders and prohibitions in the Quran that we should not take lightly. Nevertheless, we cannot judge anyone’s seeking of God, so long as they seek God and not the World.

However, I do think that more study can perhaps lead a person to a better position religiously, with reason as you said, but we must not forget emotion. Emotion in religion is not to be avoided, despite the passions of apparently non-reasoning radicals we see on the Tube. Emotions cause the tears of the reader of the Quran.
RJay at 15 September 08 :: #

I can hear my brain going whurrrrrrr bump bump (so many ideas such a little head :-)

1-As for the Alaskan fasting the time old fatwa is that they calculate the average number of hours/day in the rest of the world and they fast for that period of time they also have the right to begin and end the fast with any country they choose
that is because people in alaska need to calculate the prayer times the same way so they fast from fajr prayer till maghreb prayer like the rest of the world the difference is the presence of light (or the lack of it for that matter) because the essence of fasting is not dependent on light it is more about cleansing the soul and compassion for people less fortunate than us

2-I love that muslims in the west argue so much about islam and the laws of islam it makes me feel so alive reading it and feeling everyone cares so much about their religion i;m just sometimes saddened that people become a bit hostile to different opinions even though “jidal” or arguments have a certain protocol and we shouldn’t be so hard on each other and if we are going to argue back we should follow the prophet’s lead with “hojja” which is translated into reason , this reason means a considerable amount of knowledge in matters of the quran and sunnah

3-We have an option that is what’s so amazing about or religion the prophet (PBUH)said “es2alo ahl el 3elm en kontom la ta3lamoon” meaning if u dont know ask those who have knowledge ….this is the tricky part with all the numbers of people showing uo at mosques or on tv channels making fatwas and giving their two cents on anything and everything what I believe (personal opinion) is that we should stick to fatawa by certified ullamah from the azhar or from saudi ullamah (just my opinion)

4-To make our lives so much easier there are issues in life that you ask your heart “estaftee kalbak” but asking ur heart should be restricted to after u ask ullamah and u get more than one fatwa or idea on a certain issue

I hope i didn’t offend anyone but i struggled with this ask ur heart for so long till i asked in azhar and several prominent sheikhs that i reached this conclusion that made it clearer in my head

Hope this helps and kudos on the effort and the heart u put into this hijab man

Ur posts make my day!!!
hal786 at 15 September 08 :: #

salam brother!
this is hal786
i cannot believe u met Zafar from 786!man u r soo lucky , i think 786 r great, ive got their nasheeds on my blog…i luv the clothes etc u hav featured on this site lol ‘make chai not war’..jokes

nice site

ramadan mubarak and eid mubarak for when it cums inshallah

also: could u plz (and spread the word aswell maybe on ur blog, to frends etc) could u inshallah plz put up a comment leaving a reward on this post of mine:
http://hal786.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/leave-a-reward/
jazakallah
Sarah at 15 September 08 :: #

Great post. I’ve definitely been on both sides of the river here. I used to rely heavily on scholars, until I realized a) that the classical scholars have little idea what challenges we are facing today and therefore could not adequately address them from their own eras, and b) that most scholars today just parrot whatever the classical scholars said, often with no regard for changing circumstances.

Having studied Islam a lot more since then, and realizing that a good, legitimate scholar is one who does see Islamic law as fluid and takes cultural context into account, I only listen to the few scholars today who I feel actually do that and do it right, which means that I am applying my own logic in deciding which scholars to listen to. When I want to lay the smack down on someone in a debate, I’ll often appeal to scholars, because their words do tend to carry more weight. But at the end of the day, I still rely most heavily on my own sense of logic and right and wrong and my personal relationship with God when I make day-to-day decisions for myself. Even if a scholar I respect says something I don’t agree with, I don’t go with it, I don’t give up my own sense of judgment to someone else.

But I do give scholars (the legit ones) credit for having studied the history, and studied Islam far more holistically than just reading the Quran. I think that gives them greater depth and insight which I don’t necessarily always have, and so that’s why I care to at least hear them out. I think seeing Islam as the Quran and nothing more oversimplifies it and does an injustice to the rich complexities of our religion that reflect the rich complexities of human history and the human experience. There’s a lot in our history that we take for granted, that we can use to bring us forward, and to ignore that I think is short-sighted.
laila at 15 September 08 :: #

Right on HijabMan!

When they tell you things like “you don’t know Arabic, or Islamic historical narrative or complexities or etc.” Their just telling you to shut up and follow. What’s the use of a blind follower? Besides like you said your responsible for your life and what’s truly in your heart.
HijabMan, you don’t serve the law, the law serves YOU.
Sulayman F at 16 September 08 :: #

In fact, some Muslims do live in polar regions such as Scandinavia. Because Ramadan stands for sacrifice not suicide, the local religious leaders have suggested fasting by the clock instead of by the sun, using the sunrise and sunset times of the holy city of Mecca as opposed to local time. I’m sure Alaska can use California time or something.

Welcome! This site serves two main purposes: to entertain and educate the Believing and curious community, and to generate a bit of cash—God willing. But there’s a lot more about HijabMan.

Literalism: an essay on why Muslims in Alaska wouldn't last very long

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