By
Zakariya Dehlawi
November 13, 2008
Given that Islam prides itself on sticking to authenticated traditions and texts, change isn’t really a sought after ideal. We believe the central beliefs and values of Islam have been unaltered for almost a millennia and a half.
Naturally, the understanding and implementation of certain Islamic laws have been applied differently, depending on context and culture, but this flexibility has been inherent since the earliest inception of Islam. Depending on who you ask, there either has been too much flexibility, or not enough.
The discussion of change, specifically reform, is a contentious issue. I offer you my humble untrained opinion and apologize for any mistakes, which are mine, while any benefit is by God’s mercy.
In order to understand Islamic progression, we need to understand the roots of Islamic jurisprudence. Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessing be upon him, received verses from God which were memorized and recorded as the Quran. The Quran is considered the complete and unalterable holy book for Muslims. Muhammad (peace be upon him) was an exemplary human being, who received divine inspiration and guidance. His actions and sayings were recorded and transmitted and came to be known as hadith. The Quran and hadith form the basis of Islamic belief, as well as Islamic law.
The Quran and hadith aren’t cookbooks. There isn’t any explicit recipe on what it takes to be a Muslim; rather, the ingredients are sprinkled liberally throughout (This cooking analogy is making me glad Thanksgiving is soon). The point being, the Quran and hadith rarely issue explicit commandments. Instead, they offer a basis that is often open to interpretation. Throughout the centuries scholars have primarily performed this interpretation. Via scholarly debates and discourse a diverse legal literature emerged. But despite this diversity, every argument is still based on Quranic or hadith principles.
The scholars and their discourse continue to this day, drawing upon the writings of earlier scholars, as well as forming their own opinions. The discourse has adapted as science has progressed and Islam has spread all over the world. The issues discussed range from the mundane, like whether kangaroos are permissible to eat, to the serious, like what is the role of DNA evidence in a Muslim judicial system.
Some people and groups perpetuate an idea that Islam needs to undergo a reformation, often alluding to Martin Luther’s reformation of Christianity.
Writers such as Irshad Manji, or organizations like Muslims Against Sharia, cite that female inequality and violence found in Muslim societies today is inherent to current day Islam and can only be solved by changing it.
They fail to recognize that the societal ills that plague Muslim communities are, for the most part, socioeconomic problems or inappropriate cultural applications and understanding of Islam.
Islam doesn’t require a broad reformation because the framework for Islam creates a space for discussing practices. This framework grants legitimacy to contrary views and allows them to be evaluated against strict scholarly standards.
The tenets of Islam are unchanging, but its relevance in everyday practice is constantly reassessed.
Reach columnist Zakariya Dehlawi at opinion@dailyuw.com.
13 Comments
#1 Muslims Against Sharia
on November 13, 2008 at 9:19 a.m.(Omaha, NE | Unverified Name)
"socioeconomic problems or inappropriate cultural applications and understanding of Islam"
If you compare Saudi Arabia to poor non-Islamic country your "socioeconomic problems" argument is completely destroyed. Your "[mis]understanding of Islam" argument is destroyed by the fact that inferiority of women is enshrined in the Koran.
We suggest you learn a little bit more about Islam before suggesting what others are "fail to recognize."
#2 Kadri M.
on November 13, 2008 at 11 p.m.(Seattle, WA)
Let's break this last comment down piece by piece.
First off, who even uses Saudi Arabia, one country, and perhaps one country with a number of interesting and unique issues, as an all-encompassing or fully representative example. It's become a tired cliche to bring that country up.
Secondly, it's a myth that the people in Saudi Arabia are somehow all fabulously wealthy or even well-off. Yes, there do exist socioeconomic problems, as well as many others. That's not to say that that is the only issue. The other main issue is concerning the "inappropriate cultural applications", which is true not only in Saudi, but can be best seen there at times.
Thirdly, it is beyond weak to try to justify a claim in an argumentative sentence by referring to your claim as a "fact". Women are not inferior to men nor are they superior. Ultimately, despite fundamental, sometimes major, sometimes minor, differences between genders, men and women are equal in what matters, spirituality and in totality.
Fourthly, it is obviously painfully easy in our present day to go online and write "brave" irresponsible comments under false aliases. Not only does your fake name not make sense, since there is some clear ignorance behind choosing it, but also, it doesn't match your opinion or your overall take on the subject. If by "we" in your last sentence, you are aggrandizing yourself or referring to a group, I suggest you get more serious and scientific in your approaches for confronting an issue and getting closer to some truth. If you are genuinely willing to give a different side's argument or opinion a chance to be heard and analyzed, then your approach here is terrible. You should be willing to spend time talking to professors or scholars in their fields concerning this subject, or even listen to other people and student's opinions; the point being, you should aim for being productive, genuine, constructive, and scientific in your discourse with others. Simply stating some unsupported unqualified claim or argument under a false name in cyberspace and running away is only a true waste or your time and chances to know more.
If, however, you are already convinced of your opinions and stubborn about your position on such complex topics, then you are again only wasting your time typing such unsupported and easily debunkable and refutable nonsense.
"Muslims Against Sharia", assuming you are some group, as you stand right now based on this comment, you are pathetically uninformed and you and your opinions and "facts" hold no weight whatsoever.
#3 Muslims Against Sharia
on November 14, 2008 at 12:28 a.m.(Omaha, NE | Unverified Name)
"who even uses Saudi Arabia"?
People who are aware about the fact that the two holiest cities are located there.
"it's a myth that the people in Saudi Arabia are somehow all fabulously wealthy or even well-off"
True, but there many more non-Islamic countries that are poorer than Saudi Arabia than non-Islamic countries that are richer than Saudi Arabia.
"it is beyond weak to try to justify a claim in an argumentative sentence by referring to your claim as a "fact"
If you weren't such an ignoramus and bothered to learn the Koran before providing your scholarly opinions, you might have noticed Surah 4, Ayat 34, which makes my claim a statement of fact.
Are there any normal Muslims in UW or just ignorant Islamists?
#4 Abdullah
on November 14, 2008 at 2:22 a.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name)
>>People who are aware about the fact that the two holiest cities are located there.<<
Saudi Arabia is a nation state founded in the early 20th century. Saudi Arabia does not dictate religious law, it doesn't speak for Islam, and it has nothing similar to the scholarly religious authority of ulema in Al-Azhar.
Your point is moot. But so are "Muslims against Sharia".
So, who bankrolls your outfit?
#5 YB
on November 14, 2008 at 12:57 p.m.(Ottawa, Canada | Unverified Name)
These so called "Muslims Against Sharia" are not Muslims. A person cannot be a Muslim and be against Sharia.
#6 Muslims Against Sharia
on November 16, 2008 at 11:42 a.m.(Omaha, NE | Unverified Name)
“Saudi Arabia does not dictate religious law, it doesn't speak for Islam”
Saudi Arabia finances vast majority of Islamic institutions (mosques, madrassas, cultural centers) in the United States as well as multiple Islamic institutions around the world. Fatwas emanating from Saudi Arabia are widely accepted throughout the world.
“So, who bankrolls your outfit?”
Donations
“A person cannot be a Muslim and be against Sharia.”
This is just as stupid as to claim that a person cannot be a Christian and be against the Inquisition or a white person cannot be against the KKK.
I’d like to repeat my question: are there any normal Muslims in UW or just ignorant Islamist retards?
#7 KtotheT
on November 16, 2008 at 10:30 p.m.(Tacoma, WA | Unverified Name)
But, Muslimsagainstsharia, you can't be Muslim and be against the Sharia...It's kind of counter intuitive...I'll let you ponder it a little, give a little more time to sink in...it's okay you're young and naive. Probably influenced by some La Rouche people too eh? Recruitment possibly? Hmmm...more to ponder...
To answer your questions: no, I doubt you have ignorant Islamist retards, however, since you've used the word "Islamist" I'll assume you're some neo-Con facist...How do you like them apples?
Your point with "Retard"? ouch...however are we in the third grade? Honestly, I think you got to have been lucky to get into this University with that kind of vocabulary...
Whatever the case maybe it's clear from you diction and tone: you're angry. If you got something to say back it up, maybe with a little scholarship? Especially you quoting a verse from the Quran without a proper education?! tsk tsk...good luck with YOUR sola scriptora, people like you make Radical Islamic Fundamentalism thrive because you're removing a fundamental aspect of Islamic education and that's the line of transmission called "isnad"(which happens to go all the way back to the Propeht). WOW! If you still doubt this then go look it up...Isn't that neat though, a line of transmission that goes from one scholar to the next to the next, etc...women NOT excluded. So remove all of the scholarship, deduction and critiques...what do you get? Some crazy guy writing some crazy book about Islam...But wait! That's what those crazy terrorists are doing anyway...congrats for contributing to global terror! :) Have a nice day ;)
#8 Abdullah
on November 18, 2008 at 3:32 a.m.(Puyallup, WA | Unverified Name)
"Saudi Arabia finances vast majority of Islamic institutions (mosques, madrassas, cultural centers) in the United States as well as multiple Islamic institutions around the world. Fatwas emanating from Saudi Arabia are widely accepted throughout the world."
Any proof behind those two very bold assertions? Probably not.
It's clear you don't know what Shariah is or what Islam is or even what Islamism is.
Your statements get stupider by the minute.
#9 Muslims Against Sharia
on November 22, 2008 at 12:12 a.m.(Omaha, NE | Unverified Name)
"But, Muslimsagainstsharia, you can't be Muslim and be against the Sharia...It's kind of counter intuitive..."
What a stupid Islamonazi douchebag! Not every Christian supports condones the Inquisition or supports Christian Identity Movement. By the same token, not every Muslim condones Sharia or supports Islamism.
"Any proof behind those two very bold assertions? Probably not."
Get your head out of your ass, you moron, and check the deed of your local mosque. If it's a Sunni mosque, chances are it the deed is held by a Saudi-based trust.
#10 Abdul
on December 1, 2008 at 9:51 a.m.(Tempe, AZ | Unverified Name)
Starting from the underlying premise of Islam that the Koran is the literal word of Allah -- perfect, complete, immutable and valid for all of eternity -- it follows logically that there can be no reform. How can something already considered to be perfect be reformed? It makes no sense. Since the Sharia is based on the Koran and the sayings of Muhammad (which are also considered sacred and untouchable), there is just no way that a Moslem can reject Sharia and still be considered Moslem by the Islamic religious authorities -- even of those anti-Shariah folks still want to consider themselves Moslems. They are Moslems-in-name-only. Frankly, I wish there were more of them; but, no matter how many of them there are, they will never have any influence on the Islamic religious authorities.
#11 Muslims Against Sharia
on December 1, 2008 at 10:52 p.m.(Omaha, NE | Unverified Name)
Only a complete moron would claim that "the Koran is the literal word of Allah -- perfect, complete, immutable and valid for all of eternity" considering inconsistencies in the Koran. Allah would never contradict himself and would never command his followers to "kill them [infidels] wherever you find them."
#12 MuslimL
on January 9, 2009 at 12:21 a.m.(Seattle, WA | Unverified Name | UW Community)
MuslimsAgainstSharia Says:
"Only a complete moron would claim that "the Koran is the literal word of Allah -- perfect, complete, immutable and valid for all of eternity" considering inconsistencies in the Koran. Allah would never contradict himself and would never command his followers to "kill them [infidels] wherever you find them.""
Your reasoning is kind of shot. This is like taking "there is no God" from there is "there is no god, but God" and saying, 'oh look, Muslims don't believe in God.' This is ofcourse ridiculus. Please read the whole page surrounding the verse (first part of the 9th chapter of the Qur'an) before you start distorting meaning of the Qur'an.
#13 KtotheT
on February 3, 2009 at 7 p.m.(UW Campus | Unverified Name | UW Community)
Muslims Against Sharia:
I'm making dua for you. May Allah make your hardships easy, amin.
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