Rethinking Tradition As Revelation In Islam

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Rethinking Tradition in Islam

Author : Leslie Terebessy
Publisher : Independently Published
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (921 download)

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Book Synopsis Rethinking Tradition in Islam by : Leslie Terebessy

Download or read book Rethinking Tradition in Islam written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2023-04-22 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Judgement in religion is the prerogative of Allah. To derive prohibitions from traditions is tantamount to treating the transmitters of traditions as "judges." Furthermore, treating tradition as a "judge" of revelation subordinates revelation to tradition. Those who judge by what Allah did not reveal are treated in the Book of Allah as kafirun (disbelievers), zalimun (wrongdoers) and fasiqun (rebels). The purpose of the sharia is to ensure equity. Just laws protect persons and the wellbeing of society. Unjust laws harm people and undermine the well-being of the community. The turn from revelation to tradition reoriented the umma from Allah to the prophet, from the Book of Allah to the books of traditions, and from ethics to aesthetics. The beauty of recitation is prioritized at the expense of the understanding of the meaning of revelation. The turn from revelation to tradition detached jurisprudence from its moorings in tauhid. The treatment of tradition as revelation produced troubling effects. It fused tradition with revelation. In a few cases, man-made rulings replaced revealed rulings. Tradition replaced revelation as preeminent root of the sharia. In a few instances, rulings from traditions replaced revealed rulings. Rulings in defiance of revelation from traditions were embedded in penal law. This transpired in cases of the punishments for apostasy, blasphemy, and adultery. Mandating capital punishment for these acts transgressed the limits (hudud) of Allah. The treatment of tradition as revelation "equal" to the Book of Allah spawned legislation based on tradition, parallel to legislation based on revelation. Thus, rulings of traditional jurisprudence based on the premise that tradition provides a foundation for legislation require being reviewed. In different words, traditional exegesis and jurisprudence require reconstruction, to bring them in line with revelation. This requires treating revelation as the exclusive foundation of legislation in the sharia. Refraining from the utilization of reason restricts the power of a person to act rationally. This takes him or her from the ranks of the mukallafuna, responsible persons in possession of their faculties. The failure to use reason renders traditional exegesis and jurisprudence unreliable. This requires attention. The treatment of the hadiths as revelation "equal" to the Book of Allah suggests two roots of the law. But Allah prohibited "adding" to revelation. The prophet also prohibited the recording of traditions. A few persons recorded the prophetic traditions regardless. These reports would be treated as a root of the law. Prohibiting the use of reason to understand the Book of Allah made access to revelation harder. The characterisation of the use of reason in the understanding of revelation as kufr discouraged the ulema from using reason. As a result, the religious sciences, particularly exegesis and jurisprudence, atrophied. This underlines the need to reconstruct religious thought.

Rethinking Tradition in Modern Islamic Thought

Author : Daniel W. Brown
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780521653947
Total Pages : 204 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (539 download)

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Book Synopsis Rethinking Tradition in Modern Islamic Thought by : Daniel W. Brown

Download or read book Rethinking Tradition in Modern Islamic Thought written by Daniel W. Brown and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1999-03-04 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Questions about the authenticity and authority of sunna have long been of central importance to the study of Islam, especially to those concerned with Islamic law. In this fascinating study, Daniel Brown traces the emergence of modern debates over sunna, focusing in particular on Egypt and Pakistan where these controversies have raged most fiercely, and assesses the implications of new approaches to the law on contemporary movements of Islamic revival. Using the case of modern Islam as a starting-point, the author considers how adherents of any great tradition deal with change.

Revelation, Radicalisation and Tradition in Islam

Author : Leslie Terebessy
Publisher : Independently Published
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (51 download)

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Book Synopsis Revelation, Radicalisation and Tradition in Islam by : Leslie Terebessy

Download or read book Revelation, Radicalisation and Tradition in Islam written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2023-06-28 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The rejection of reason accelerated the turn from revelation to tradition. The result is confusion and alienation from revelation. The turn from revelation to tradition was triggered by the rejection of reason. For the turn from the Book of Allah to follow books of manmade traditions rested upon flawed reasoning. It rests on a poor rendering of three verses in the Book of Allah. These verses encompass the verse saying that we have "a good example in the prophet," that "whatever the messenger gives you, take it," and that Allah exhorts us to "obey Allah and the messenger." But the Book of Allah also refers to Abraham as a good example. Besides, does it follow from the prophet being referred to as a "good example" that we should follow books of traditions? This is a non-sequitur. The verse that is rendered to suggest that we should take "whatever the messenger gives us" refers to the distribution of war booty, not his traditions. This is a further non-sequitur. The verse that renders heeding the messenger as meaning "following traditions" conflates "obeying the messenger" with "following traditions." This is another non-sequitur. All three reveal flawed knowledge of revelation based upon fallacies. This should not be a surprise as these "arguments" were proffered by persons that rejected reason. It is not surprising that their "arguments" are less than reasonable. Further errors followed. These errors enabled the transmutation of Islam into its traditional and Islamist forms. The errors encompass the teaching of predestination in traditional Islam and the teaching of jihad al-talab in militant Islam, as a sixth pillar of Islam. The first rendered Muslims passive at home, while the second encouraged a militant posture abroad. As a result, traditionists "equate" the revelations of Allah with texts reported in paraphrase by persons that were not prophets. This is tantamount to treating the books of traditions as "partners" of the Book of Allah. It is tantamount to "scriptural shirk." Is it possible to ascribe "partners" to the Book of Allah without ascribing a "partner" to Allah? Are these reports the words of God? Are they even the verbatim words of the prophet? The reason the umma is experiencing difficulties it turned from Allah to the prophet, from the Book of Allah to the books of traditions, to rituals. In brief, the umma became traditional. But Islam is not traditional, except in so far as it re-iterates the messages of the previous revelations, the Tawrat and the Injeel. The Book of Allah is revolutionary. It warns us not to follow traditions of the forefathers tainted by shirk. Not everyone listened. Accordingly, the umma is paying a price for its heedlessness. As a result of the turn from revelation to tradition, the umma is drifting. The transformation or re-invention of Islam as political Islam or Islamism was enabled by the conflation of terms that require being kept separate. There are no synonyms on Quranic Arabic. Words that were fused and confused encompass revelation and tradition, jihad in self-defense and aggressive jihad, sunna and hadith, wahy (inspiration) and tanzil (revelation), udwan (hostility) and qital (fighting) as well as nahy (discouragement) and tahrim (prohibition). The corruption of the knowledge of key words, enabled by the repression of reason, corrupted the knowledge of Islam. The intention was to make traditional" practices palatable and acceptable. The words whose meanings changed encompass: wahy, hikma, ibadat, salat, hawa, jihad, qalb, and mutashabihat.

Rethinking Tradition as Revelation in Islam

Author : Leslie Terebessy
Publisher : Independently Published
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (541 download)

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Book Synopsis Rethinking Tradition as Revelation in Islam by : Leslie Terebessy

Download or read book Rethinking Tradition as Revelation in Islam written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2022-09-22 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fazlur Rahman referred to what he perceived was the "intellectual suicide" of traditional ulema. Jurists refer to a responsible, sane person as a mukallaf. A person not in his or her right mind is not equipped to pronounce authoritatively on issues relating to religion. Pronouncing on matters relating to Islam requires a person to be a mukallaf, to be in his or her right mind. Being in one's right mind requires the ability and willingness to use of reason. The jurist that refrains from the use of God-given reason is not just ungrateful; he or she fails the test of a responsible or rational person, a mukallaf. The person that refrains from using reason is irrational. An irrational person is technically insane. A mukallaf, however, must be a "sane" person. By refraining from using reason, traditional exegetes and jurists withdrew from the ranks of the mukallafuna. Thereby they barred themselves from commenting with authority on matters of religion. By refraining from the use of reason, they forfeited their right to be treated as mukallafuna (plural of mukallaf). As a result, their right to pronounce with authority on Islam, in particular on exegesis and jurisprudence, is rendered problematic. The fact that traditional exegesis and jurisprudence are based on the rejection of reason renders the pronouncements of traditionists unreliable. The Muslim umma waned because it turned from revelation to tradition. This transpired under the sway of persons with an aversion to reason. The reluctance to use reason prevented Muslims from understanding and therefore following revelation. For following the guidance of Allah requires attaining knowledge of the Book of Allah. And accessing knowledge of revelation requires the use of reason. By prohibiting the use of reason in religion, traditionists do not just prevent themselves from understanding religion; they also prevent the pious from understanding and therefore following the Book of Allah. They hinder the pious from fi sabilillah: "The Qur'an was neglected almost entirely." [1] "From the time the Muslim community abandoned the Qur'an and was overcome by confusion and error, its unity was lost." [2] "The Muslim Ummah experienced these disasters because it had become alienated from the eternal truths of Islam." [3] As a different writer put it: "the one and only reason for the social and cultural decay of the Muslims consisted in the fact that they had gradually ceased to follow the teachings of Islam." [4] [1] Taha Jabir Alwani, Islamic Thought: an Approach to Reform, IIIT, 2006, p. 36, accessed on 12 May 2021: https: //www.academia.edu/43889716/Islamic_Thought_An_Approach_to_Reform_?email_work_card=title [2] Taha Jabir Alalwani, Apostasy in Islam: A Historical and Scriptural Analysis, Original Edition Translated from Arabic by Nancy Roberts Abridged by Alison Lake, The International Institute of Islamic Thought, 2011, p. 18. https: //www.academia.edu/43889653/Apostasy_in_Islam_A_Historical_and_Scriptural_Analysis. [3] Taha Jabir al-Alwani, "Taqlid and Ijtihad (Part One)," in Issues in Contemporary Islamic Thought, pp. 82-96, Compiled from the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, IIIT, 2005, p. 82, accessed on 17 Sep. 2020: https: //iiit.org/wp-content/uploads/IssuesinContemporarIslamicThought_Combined.pdf [4] Muhammad Asad, Islam at the Crossroads, Kazi Publications Inc, 1995 p. xvii.

Rescuing Revelation from Tradition

Author : Leslie Terebessy
Publisher : Independently Published
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 52 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (451 download)

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Book Synopsis Rescuing Revelation from Tradition by : Leslie Terebessy

Download or read book Rescuing Revelation from Tradition written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2021-04-27 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This text explores the fabrication of revelation that appears to have taken place when tradition was elevated to the rank of revelation. Revelation in Islam at first did not encompass tradition. Subsequently, tradition was "added" to revelation as "explanatory" and "supplementary revelation." This implied that the revelation of the Quran was deficient. This contradicts the teaching of the perfection of the Quran. It is argued that the Quran does not include instructions on how to pray. It did not appear to occur to the supporters of "additional revelation" that the absence of instructions on how to pray could mean that there may be more than one way to pray. How did tradition become "revelation"? With time, Muslims became focused on the prophet together with Allah. This duality is reflected on the wall of many a place of prayer, where the prophet is referred to side by side with Allah as if they were "equals." But Allah has no "equals." What happened? Tradition became revelation in a process of partial reorientation from revelation to tradition. The imagination of Muslims was captured by the prophet. Islam was becoming prophet-centric to an extent. But this has troubling aftereffects. The elevation of tradition to revelation first "fused" and then "confused" tradition with revelation. The designation of the prophetic tradition as "sacred" in Islam was akin to the representation of Jesus as "divine" in Christianity. It produced analogous effects. The amalgamation of tradition and revelation broadened but also adulterated the meaning of revelation. For tradition is not as reliable as revelation. It does not yield "certainty" or yaqin. Moreover, revelation is transcendent, while tradition is earthly. As revelation is from Allah, the designation of tradition as revelation suggests that tradition is from Allah, too. But is it? In what way are traditions from Allah? Are traditions the words of Allah? Are they even the words of the prophet? In nations where reason is disparaged, believers appear willing to accept the perception that prophetic traditions are from Allah. Thoughtful persons, however, experience reservations. Would Allah require believers to do things that appear cruel as we encounter in a few traditions? Problematic traditions make Islam appear harsh and provide Muslims with reasons to drift from Islam. By their resolve to follow even weak traditions, and even against reason, traditionists perform a disservice to Islam; they discredit it. Hence it is necessary to be cautious with what is presented as tradition. In so far as the traditions are paraphrases, they are not the words of the prophet, let alone the words of Allah. They are the words of transmitters. Transmitters were persons who were not prophets. And the reports are not verbatim words of the prophet. If a tradition is not verbatim, how could it be classified as "authentic"? Does not the word "authentic" mean "genuine"? What is more, there is a tradition according to which the prophet said he received two revelations, the second being the hadiths. How could the prophet receive hadiths when they were recorded two hundred years after his death? Moreover, traditions are presented as "equal" to revelation. How may any tradition be "equal" to revelation when Allah is without "equals"? These assertions are problematic. For the equation of tradition with revelation could result in elevating the prophet to a partner of God. But God has no partners. Moreover, revelation prohibits judging by what God did not reveal. If tradition is not revelation, this presents a problem. For laws are also based on traditions. In different words, the perception that tradition is revelation, as well as relationship between revelation and tradition require rethinking, in both exegesis and jurisprudence.

Rethinking Islam

Author : Mohammed Arkoun
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1000309959
Total Pages : 229 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (3 download)

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Book Synopsis Rethinking Islam by : Mohammed Arkoun

Download or read book Rethinking Islam written by Mohammed Arkoun and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-06-18 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Berber from the mountainous region of Algeria, Mohammed Arkoun is an internationally renowned scholar of Islamic thought. In this book, he advocates a conception of Islam as a stream of experience encompassing majorities and minorities, Sunni and Shi'a, popular mystics and erudite scholars, ancient heroes and modern critics. A product of Islamic

Rethinking Exegesis in Islam

Author : Leslie Terebessy
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 102 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (417 download)

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Book Synopsis Rethinking Exegesis in Islam by : Leslie Terebessy

Download or read book Rethinking Exegesis in Islam written by Leslie Terebessy and published by . This book was released on 2021-04-21 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work highlights problems in the traditional exegesis of revelation in Islam and suggests ways of rectifying them.

Following Muhammad

Author : Carl W. Ernst
Publisher : ReadHowYouWant.com
ISBN 13 : 1442994061
Total Pages : 354 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (429 download)

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Book Synopsis Following Muhammad by : Carl W. Ernst

Download or read book Following Muhammad written by Carl W. Ernst and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2009-07-27 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Avoiding the traps of sensational political expos and specialized scholarly Orientalism, Carl W. Ernst introduces readers to the profound spiritual resources of Islam while clarifying diversity and debate within the tradition. Framing his argument in terms of religious studies, Ernst describes how Protestant definitions of religion and anti-Muslim prejudice have affected views of Islam in Europe and America. He also covers the contemporary importance of Islam in both its traditional settings and its new locations and provides a context for understanding extremist movements like fundamentalism. He concludes with an overview of critical debates on important contemporary issues such as gender and veiling, state politics, and science and religion.

The Second Pillar of Islam

Author : Leslie Terebessy
Publisher : Independently Published
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (639 download)

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Book Synopsis The Second Pillar of Islam by : Leslie Terebessy

Download or read book The Second Pillar of Islam written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2023-10-10 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In traditional Islam, ethics are being replaced by rituals. Why are there no books in Bukhari on justice, reason, freedom, or ethics? Even Shatibi refrained from treating justice as a purpose of Islamic law. The de-emphasis on ethics, in tandem with the enforcement of religiosity is reducing the relevance of Islam. Muslims turn to Islamism and related perspectives because they are unable to find justice in tradition, which is becoming less relevant as a result of disregarding key teachings of the Book of Allah. The failure to treat non-Muslims with justice is palpable in the teaching of jihad al-talab, an extremist rendition of religion without any foundation in revelation. The pushback for unjust efforts to propagate Islam by the sword, based on traditions according to which "the blood of the kafir is halal for the believer," resulted in defeats for the umma, bringing an end to every empire without exception. For building an empire upon a corrupt knowledge of revelation is to build on weak foundations. The repression of reason enabled the misunderstanding of revelation and the treatment of tradition as "revelation." The repression of reason stifled different perspectives, thereby restricting progress. Traditional exegesis and jurisprudence rest on premises. A premise is an assertion that provides a pillar of the analysis. Premises take the form of presuppositions. These presuppositions could be in accord with, indifferent to, or in defiance of a discourse a particular exegesis endeavours to articulate. As a matter of principle, all presuppositions in the exegesis of revelation should be derived from revelation, should be in agreement with it. If for any reason a particular presupposition veers from or defies revelation, the analysis based upon that presupposition becomes flawed and requires being rehabilitated or rejected. This transpired with several presuppositions of traditional exegesis and jurisprudence. They include the perceptions that revelation is flawed because it is "unclear," "incomplete," and "incoherent." These presupposition emerged as a result of the reticence to use reason in acquiring knowledge of revelation. They paved the way for recourse to a flawed exegesis, based on a misunderstanding and even defiance of the teaching of revelation, viz. that revelation is "clear," "complete," and "coherent." Hence the entire edifice of traditional exegesis and jurisprudence requires being re-constructed, this time on the basis of presuppositions that are in agreement with what they seek to "explain," the teaching of revelation. Further tenets also veer from revelation. They encompass the perception that tradition is revelation, that reason is subordinate to tradition, the assumption that isnad matter more than matn in the verification of traditions, the teaching of predestination, the teaching of abrogation, the teaching of jihad al-talab, and the perception that the globe is a battlefield between the dar al-Islam and the dar al-harb. The premises that tradition is revelation, that it judges, abrogates and is able to replace revelation are particularly problematic because they are expressions of scriptural and juristic shirk. Thus, the greatest weakness of traditional exegesis is its adulteration by procedural shirk. The greatest weakness of traditional jurisprudence is its adulteration by juristic shirk. This adulteration renders traditional exegesis and jurisprudence problematic and ill-equipped to provide reliable scriptural and juristic analysis.Traditionists assert that there is no morality without religion. That is a far-fetched proposition, betraying an indifference to reason. For we recognise particular practices as evil from the evil they bring. But the articulation of ethics without reference to revelation requires recourse to causality, the awareness that acts produce effects, good or evil, according to the action taken.

Removing the Veil

Author : Leslie Terebessy
Publisher : Independently Published
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 132 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (24 download)

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Book Synopsis Removing the Veil by : Leslie Terebessy

Download or read book Removing the Veil written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2022-02-27 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Much debate has taken place about the veil, a product of tradition rather than a requirement of revelation. However, there is a different veil that is of greater concern. This is the veil of ignorance. This veil was placed on revelation, "covering up" its teaching. The veil encompasses tradition and the rulings of the ulema. Tradition evolved from revelation. In time, tradition superseded and even surpassed that which gave birth to it in the first place: revelation. We refer to this as the second of three "theological coup d'états." These took place early in Muslim intellectual history when a particular authority was "replaced" by a different aspirant to rule. The first "coup" was the subordination of reason to tradition. The third "coup" was the subordination of revelation, tradition and rationality to the ulema. The subordination of revelation to tradition led to confusion. Hence, it is necessary to free the truth from what is covering it. Revelation was revealed 1,400 years ago, and there is no shortage of attempts to hide it. This would not be the first time that the adversaries of revelation attempted to taint religious knowledge. How did this happen? First, reason was repressed in favour of tradition. Second, tradition was presented as "revelation." The effort to "explain" revelation by recourse to tradition, however, resulted in an "eclipse" of revelation by tradition. The subordination of revelation to tradition is encapsulated in the expression that "the sunna judges the Quran," popular among traditional exegetes. The "addition" to revelation in the form of tradition was to mitigate flaws in revelation. These encompass "ambiguity," "inconsistency" (the presence of contradictory verses), and "incompleteness." Referring to revelation as "ambiguous," "incoherent," and "incomplete," however, suggests that revelation is "flawed." For example, it is alleged that revelation does not provide sufficient "detail" on the right way to pray. These assertions are made notwithstanding the fact that revelation presents itself as "clear," "consistent" and "detailed," and makes no reference to any "additional" revelation. In different words, the effort to "explain," "make consistent," and "detail" revelation is predicated on a rejection of key attributes of revelation: perspicacity, consistency and perfection. The concept of a "supplementary" revelation of tradition is a juristic invention. It aims to present an alternative understanding of religion. This perception is grounded in tradition but presented in the attire of revelation. The relationship between tradition and revelation requires rethinking. It requires an epistemological paradigm shift. For the traditional paradigm has failed to live up to expectations. The relationship between reason and revelation reflects the relationship between Allah and man. The relationship between reason and revelation received substantial attention. It is the subject of extensive enquiry. What is the right way to use reason to understand revelation? Traditional Muslims are reticent to use reason. They have been informed that it is wrong to use reason in matters of religion. To be a Muslim, we are admonished, requires the abdication of reason upon the altar of tradition. The prophet allegedly warned against reason-based exegesis of revelation, referring to it as a form of non-belief. But this advice appears to go against the teaching of revelation, that exhorts us to do exactly the reverse, to use reason. May we assume that traditional ulema understood everything in the right way? Especially if their methodology precluded recourse to reason? Are we to believe that there is no room for further reflection? The Mutazilites (rationalists) were faulted for allegedly elevating reason above revelation. The traditionists, however, went further than that. They elevated not just tradition but also their rulings above revelation.

Following Muhammad (EasyRead Super Large 18pt Edition)

Author : Carl W. Ernst
Publisher : ReadHowYouWant.com
ISBN 13 : 1442994088
Total Pages : 410 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (429 download)

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Book Synopsis Following Muhammad (EasyRead Super Large 18pt Edition) by : Carl W. Ernst

Download or read book Following Muhammad (EasyRead Super Large 18pt Edition) written by Carl W. Ernst and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2010 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Permitting the Prohibited and Prohibiting the Permissible

Author : Leslie Terebessy
Publisher : Independently Published
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (863 download)

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Book Synopsis Permitting the Prohibited and Prohibiting the Permissible by : Leslie Terebessy

Download or read book Permitting the Prohibited and Prohibiting the Permissible written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2023-03-09 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Muslims are experiencing problems due to a misunderstanding of Islam. The misunderstanding of revelation resulted from the repression of reason by Muslim tradition. Reason is gift from Allah. To reject the blessing of reason betrays ungratefulness, which is among the meanings of kufr. Reason is disparaged by persons that feel threatened by it. The fear of reason precipitated the extermination of 5,000 rationalists by Musa al-Hadi during the mihna or Inquisition of 786. The killing of the philosophers confirms that "orthodoxy" was established by force rather than arguments. The persons that perpetrated this atrocity were not well versed in argumentation. Thus, they resorted to violence to force their perceptions on the umma through coercion, prohibited by revelation. The misunderstanding of revelation encouraged extremists to follow their passions. The misunderstanding was the result of traditional exegesis, which requires understanding revelation through the prism of tradition. Traditional exegesis treats traditions as a furqan of revelation. This is reflected in the perceptions that tradition "judges" revelation, and that revelation requires tradition more than tradition requires revelation. By treating tradition rather than revelation as the furqan, traditional exegesis defied tauhid. Treating tradition as a "judge" of revelation is tantamount to scriptural shirk. The traditional approach entails the repression of reason. But the refusal to use reasoning to understand revelation made it harder to understand revelation. It rendered traditional exegesis unreasonable and unreliable. The assumptions that render the traditional exegesis unreliable comprise the perception that reason is the enemy of revelation, that reason is subordinate to tradition, and that tradition may "judge," "abrogate," and "replace" parts of revelation. The repression of reason enabled the emergence of perceptions that defy revelation, the perceptions that revelation is "unclear," "incomplete," and "incoherent." Problematic assumptions encompass the perception that tradition is "equal" to revelation and that tradition is a root of the sharia. These perceptions generated unwelcome effects. The allegation that tradition is equal to revelation embedded scriptural shirk in exegesis. The perception that tradition may "abrogate" and replace the rulings of revelation by rulings from tradition embedded juristic shirk in traditional jurisprudence. The embedding of scriptural and juristic shirk into the fabric of the religious knowledge corrupted knowledge and a warped the penal code. The death penalties for blasphemy, apostasy and adultery, were incorporated into Islamic law without endorsement in revelation. These punishments embedded extremism into the law. The punishments were drawn from tradition rather than revelation. They result in injustice and impart to Islam a reputation for cruelty. The shirk at the foundation of the exegesis of revelation renders the knowledge brought by traditional exegesis and jurisprudence unreliable. Thus, requires reconstruction and rehabilitation. The reconstruction of religious knowledge requires a return to reason and the affirmation of the preeminence of revelation in relation to all tradition. Reconstruction also requires the affirmation of revelation as the foundation of all legislation in religion. It requires a return to a rational methodology of understanding revelation.

Rethinking Islam in Europe

Author : Zekirija Sejdini
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN 13 : 3110752468
Total Pages : 283 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (17 download)

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Book Synopsis Rethinking Islam in Europe by : Zekirija Sejdini

Download or read book Rethinking Islam in Europe written by Zekirija Sejdini and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2022-01-19 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Islamic theology had to wait a long time before being granted a place in the European universities. That happened above all in German-speaking areas, and this led to the development of new theological and religious pedagogical approaches. This volume presents one such approach and discusses it from various perspectives. It takes up different theological and religious pedagogical themes and reflects on them anew from the perspective of the contemporary context. The primary focus is on contemporary challenges and possible answers from the perspective of Islamic theology and religious pedagogy. It discusses general themes like the location of Islamic theology and religious pedagogy at secular European universities. The volume also explores concrete challenges, such as the extent to which Islamic religious pedagogy can be conceptualised anew, how it should deal with its own theological tradition in the contemporary context, and how a positive attitude towards worldview and religious plurality can be cultivated. At issue here are foundations of a new interpretation of Islam that takes into account both a reflective approach to the Islamic tradition and the contemporary context. In doing so, it gives Muslims the opportunity to take their own thinking further.

Rethinking the Repression of Reason in Muslim Tradition

Author : Leslie Terebessy
Publisher : Independently Published
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (797 download)

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Book Synopsis Rethinking the Repression of Reason in Muslim Tradition by : Leslie Terebessy

Download or read book Rethinking the Repression of Reason in Muslim Tradition written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2024-02-16 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The umma is experiencing trauma. The umma is experiencing trauma because it exchanged the Book of Allah for books of traditions, resulting in sectarianism. To follow tradition rather than revelation to is to treat persons as superior to Allah. Which person is a better guide than Allah? It is evident that the state of the umma changed. Allah said He does not alter the state of people until they change what is in themselves (Q, 13: 11). The umma used to be on top of the world. At present it finds itself nearer to the other end. The umma went from hero to zero. Why? The Book of Allah was not enough for the umma. It wanted more. So it turned to the ways of its forefathers. It turned from revelation to follow tradition. That is the chief cause of the umma's downfall. The reorientation from revelation to tradition was triggered by an enchantment with tradition. The turn was assisted by the repression of reason. The repression of reason enabled tradition to mount a coup d'état, to usurp the place of revelation. The "coup" corrupted knowledge and triggered turmoil in the umma. The turn from revelation to tradition was backed by the assertion that tradition, too, was revelation. This rested upon problematic exegesis, which asserts that everything the prophet uttered was "revelation" from Allah. From then, matters went from bad to worse. Jurists did not pause at merely treating tradition as revelation (wahy). They further treat tradition as tanzil, what Allah "sent down." But traditions are not the words of Allah. They are not even the words of the prophet. Traditions are paraphrases of paraphrases of what Muhammad allegedly said or did. They are not verbatim. Traditions are hearsay. To treat the words of mere persons as "revelation" is an expression of cavalier exegesis, exhibiting a failure to differentiate the rulings of Allah from reports of persons. The traditional ulama persisted in the promotion of tradition at the expense of revelation until tradition surpassed revelation. It was treated as a "judge" of revelation. This represented a reversal of the relationship between revelation and tradition. Revelation was subordinated to tradition. The Book of Allah was subordinated to books of traditions. This was a breakdown of rationality. Reversing the relationship between revelation and tradition harmed the umma enormously. Turning to tradition from revelation was tantamount to a relapse into shirk, following the way of the forefathers rather than the Book of Allah. Allah prohibited "adding" to revelation in chapter 69: 44-46 of the Book. Those who do not judge by what He "sent down" are referred to in the Book as unbelievers, rebels, and wrongdoers (5: 44-45, 47). The prophet prohibited the recording of his sayings, too. But hawkish rulers, in defiance of the prophet's prohibition of the recording of his traditions, asked ulama to record the traditions. The effects would be troubling. The Mongols erased the Abbasids when Abbasid rulers acted in keeping with the tradition according to which "the blood of the kafir is halal for the believers." Encouraged by this tradition, the Abbasids murdered a group of Mongol traders, as well as three ambassadors dispatched by Genghis Khan to ask for justice. This brazen defiance of the Book of Allah resulted in the deaths of a million persons in the reprisals that followed. Anti-rationalism also resulted in the deaths of five thousand philosophers, murdered by Musa al-Hadi in 786, during the mihna (inquisition). This was a "reign of terror," a persecution of intellectuals by the adherents of traditions. But there was barely a whimper expressed at this atrocity. Anti-rationalism plunged Muslims into stupefaction and, due to the resulting backwardness, rendered the umma vulnerable to external assaults.

Rethinking the Jurisprudence of Islam

Author : Leslie Terebessy
Publisher : Independently Published
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (761 download)

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Book Synopsis Rethinking the Jurisprudence of Islam by : Leslie Terebessy

Download or read book Rethinking the Jurisprudence of Islam written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2024-01-14 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Islam is the third of the three Abrahamic faiths. They share the heritage of monotheism. But Muslims are perceived with concern. They experience tensions not just with non-Muslims, but also with Muslims of related persuasions. The RAND Corporation Report highlights a range of challenges of the umma. These challenges stem from the politicisation of religion. Hawkish ulama re-interpreted Islam to justify unlawful wars of territorial expansion of the empire. Hawkish jurists reinvented Islam as Islamism, as a religion of war rather than peace. They misinterpreted the teaching of Islam by recourse to tradition and the teaching of abrogation. Revelation was "interpreted" to endorse practices that are against Islam. These encompass treating the refusal to pay zakat as deserving the death penalty. It also includes waging wars of aggression to "propagate" Islam by the sword. The Book of Allah refrains from treating apostasy as a crime punishable by death. The prophet did not take any person's life for apostasy, either. Prescribing the death penalty for apostasy required by-passing revelation. Recourse to tradition enabled politicised ulama to produce "traditional Islam." Recourse to the teaching of the "abrogation" of the verses of reconciliation by verse 9:5 enabled hawkish ulama to re-interpret Islam as a manifesto for war and a justification for territorial expansion. Replacing the rulings in the Book of Allah required the treatment of tradition as "revelation" and therefore as a "second" root of the law. But treating tradition as "revelation" (wahy) is not enough to derive religious rulings from tradition. For religious rulings require being derived from what Allah "sent down" (tanzil). This is clear from verses 44, 45 and 47 of chapter 5 of the Book of Allah. By contrast, wahy (inspiration) could be provided by evil beings, too. By deriving rulings of the sharia from tradition, jurists treated traditions not merely as wahy (inspiration) but as tanzil or what Allah "sent down." But enacting law in religion is the exclusive prerogative of Allah. Treating tradition as a root of legislation defies the teaching of the Book of Allah. For the Book teaches that we are to "judge" exclusively by tanzil, (what Allah sent down). But Allah sent down the Book of Allah; he did not "send down" books of traditions. Blasphemy, adultery and apostasy do not merit capital punishment in the Book of Allah. These rulings represent a corruption of Islamic law. This requires attention. Islamic law requires rehabilitation to ensure that all legislation related to religion is firmly rooted in revelation and only in revelation. Prescribing capital punishment in cases of blasphemy, adultery and apostasy disregards the Book of Allah and encroaches upon tawhid, the principle that the authority to enact laws in religion belongs to Allah alone. Is treating tradition as a "second" root of legislation in keeping with tauhid? Thus, the sharia requires rehabilitation. It is necessary to emphasize justice. It is necessary to restore the Book of Allah as the only root of legislation in all matters related to religion. Following tradition in preference to revelation brought disasters upon the umma. The Mongols devastated the Abbasid empire after the murder of a caravan of Mongol traders and ambassadors sent by Genghis Khan to request justice for the killers of the traders and ambassadors. The Abbasids perpetrated these transgressions because they followed the tradition which says that "the blood of the kafir is halal for the believer" in preference to the Book of Allah that teaches that "Allah does not love wrongdoers." The Abbasids paid dearly for confusing tradition with revelation and following tradition in preference to revelation. Even to this day, acts of terrorism elicit a disproportionate response against Muslims.

Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World

Author : Carl W. Ernst
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 276 pages
Book Rating : 4.X/5 (4 download)

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Book Synopsis Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World by : Carl W. Ernst

Download or read book Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World written by Carl W. Ernst and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An introduction to Islam, today the faith of more than a billion people, set in the context of world history and of religious studies.

A New Introduction to Islam

Author : Daniel W. Brown
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1118953487
Total Pages : 433 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (189 download)

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Book Synopsis A New Introduction to Islam by : Daniel W. Brown

Download or read book A New Introduction to Islam written by Daniel W. Brown and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2017-02-13 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Covering the origins, key features, and legacy of the Islamic tradition, the third edition of A New Introduction to Islam includes new material on Islam in the 21st century and discussions of the impact of historical ideas, literature, and movements on contemporary trends. Includes updated and rewritten chapters on the Qur’an and hadith literature that covers important new academic research Compares the practice of Islam in different Islamic countries, as well as acknowledging the differences within Islam as practiced in Europe Features study questions for each chapter and more illustrative material, charts, and excerpts from primary sources