Leave the Confusion and Understand Real Islam
"Our Lord, raise among them, from among themselves, a messenger, who reads out Your verses to them - gives them knowledge of Al-Kitaab and Al-Hikmah - and [thereby] cleanses them. You, indeed, are the Mighty, the Wise".
(Surah Baqarah, 128 - 129, trnsl. Moiz Amjad, www.understanding-islam.com)
Moiz Amjad states regarding this verse:
The ultimate purpose for which the prophets and messengers give their people the knowledge of the divine laws and wisdom is to guide them to the path of cleansing and purification and, thereby, rendering them fit for the eternal bliss of the life in God's Paradise. The Arabic word "Tazkiyah" entails both the aspect of removal of the unwanted qualities as well as the development and elevation of the desired attributes. It is not only a cleaning process but is also a process of development and elevation in the right direction. Furthermore, it should be noted that the contents of "Al-Hikmah" (that is, the corpus of beliefs, morality and the spirit of the law) contribute to the cleansing and purification of intellectual and the mental side of the human being, while that of "Al-Kitaab" cleanse and purify his physical side. In combination, Al-Kitaab and Al-Hikmah guides man to the path of comprehensive cleansing and purification of the complete human being - the mind, body and soul.
Islam is not about inherited patterns of conduct, but is about the purification and development of the human personality, otherwise called tazkiah in the terminology of the Quran. In order to achieve this, one must not simply perform rituals like a mindless robot, but one must engage the Quran, constantly reflecting on it's verses to try and understand what God wants to achieve by laying down a particular law. Without doing this, one's Islam becomes distorted by the individual himself even if done unintentionally. All the various sects in Islam are clear manifestations of this reality and the root cause of this whole mess is a total ignorance of the Quran.
The Quran has a radical way of rectifying the perspective of man. A beautiful example of this point can be illustrated in Ameen Ahsan Islahi's (R) brilliant explanation of verse 219 in surah Baqarah. This explanation follows a section of the Quran that begins with waging war in the path of God, and ends with the limits of spending in the way of God. It is pertinent to note that the two injunctions, i.e that of fighting and spending money for a charitable cause, are not unrelated. The reason the Quran has raised the latter topic in the context of waging a war against the disbelievers is to point to the need for a proper and balanced perspective towards life.
Before quoting Islahi (R), a brief summarization of the section of Surah Baqarah will be alluded to, so that one may appreciate the comment of the Maulana.
The first point the Quran addressed in this section is that although war in it's original appearance may seem evil, sometimes it is necessary. Verse 216 of Surah Baqarah states:
"Warfare is ordained for you and it is also displeasing to you [like it is displeasing for you to spend in the way of Allah]. It is very much possible that you may dislike a thing even though it is good for you, and it is very much possible that you like a thing even though it is bad for you."
(Translated Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)
One of the basic flaws in man's ability to judge properly for himself is his limited perception. His reason may be clouded emotion, or he is subject to so many ideas that he cannot maintain a proper balance in respect to certain affairs. This is one of the primary needs for revelation. The Quran, in order to teach men and rectify their thinking has elaborated on the wisdom, i.e. hikmah, behind certain injunctions. In this particular instance, the Quran has elaborated on the purpose of fighting.
They ask you of warfare in the sacred month."Tell them: ‘Warfare in this month is a grave offence but to impede others from the path of God, to deny Him, and to stop people from going to Sacred Mosque and to expel its dwellers, is far more grave in His sight. To force people to give up their religion is more grievous than bloodshed’."
(Translated Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)
The purpose of the revelation of God is for the overall benefit of man, and He is far above commanding things uselessly. It is interesting to see how the Quran is engaging the mind of the Muslim, and instructing him in a proper manner. War is being ordained to prevent persecution. Another interesting point is that, while the original command was about fighting, the second reveals that there were certain implications that resulted out of this command which caused hesitation in the minds of many Muslims, i.e. the issue of fighting in the sacred month. While it was part of the sacred nature of the hajj, to respect the months affiliated with the pilgrimage and cease all fighting, the Quran ordered the Muslims to fight the disbelievers even if it meant 'violating' the sacred month. The Holy Book was further rectifying the conception of piety of the Muslims in regards to their obligations, giving them a balanced perspective of what it means to serve God. Everything has it's place in Islam, and never should the religion be used to justify apathy in respect to greater obligations. Muhammad (S) stated that one should not hesitate to break an oath in the name of God, if breaking the oath was better for the individual.
The Quran does not stop with these verses, but continues with the attitude of the disbelievers, and their insistence on forcing the Muslims to recant their faith. Than, in verse 219, the Holy Book follows with another question raised:
"They ask you about drinking and gambling [because in their society these are also a means of helping the poor]. Tell them: ‘There is great sin in both, [and no doubt] they have some benefit for people; but their sin is far greater than their benefit’.
(Translated Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)
While the Quran had spoken earlier about spending in the way of God, the Holy Book seems to have placed this verse particularly in the context of fighting because it is part of an overall elaboration on the proper proper perspective one must have in performing certain deeds, i.e. balanced perspective. Javed Ghamidi has elaborated on the underlying motivation behind the question of certain Muslims:
Gambling and drinking in pre-Islamic times were a means through which the rich showed their generosity and helped the poor and needy. In winters, when cold winds blew in and caused conditions akin to drought, the courageous would gather at various places, drink liquor and, in their state of inebriation, slaughter any camels they could get hold of. They would pay the owner of the camels whatever price he demanded. They would then gamble on the meat of the slaughtered camels. Whatever parts of meat a person won in this gambling, he would generously distribute them among the poor who would gather around on such occasions. In pre-Islamic Arabia, this was a matter of great honour and people who took part in this activity were considered very philanthropic and generous. The poets would narrate the accounts of their benevolence in their odes. On the other hand, people who stayed away from this activity would be called ‘barm’ (stingy). It was this very benefit of drinking and gambling which prompted people to make an inquiry when they were regarded as prohibited items.
While certain activities may seem to benefit society morally, the reason God Almighty has forbidden certain things is that negative impact on a human beings personality is far greater than the benefit. The Quran rectifies an approach to activities arguing that one must weigh the overall consequences before judging them as good or bad. One should not be so short-sighted in one's judgement to conclude that an activity may be good, when in reality it is harmful. A discussion on balance cannot be fulfilled until the Quran acknowledges the positive nature of something, even if it has an overall negative effect. And the Quran, in it's profound and complete way does so beautifully.
"...they have some benefit for people; but their sin is far greater than their benefit"
Imagine if the preacher of the pulpit today spoke in a manner in conformance with the Quranic style, how much better they would be in correcting the affairs of Muslims. They could further find reason to appreciate a particular good, even if it came from the West.
The next question related by the Quran is verse 219:
"And they ask you [to explain] what they should spend [in charity]. Tell them: ‘Whatever is above your needs.’ Thus God explains to you His verses so that you may reflect on the matters of both this world and of the next."
(Translated Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)
While the previous question revolved around morally beneficial spending that resulted out of other activities that were questionable, the final question revolved around the limitation of spending. This question was actually asked many times before before, as related in verse 215. In the original question quoted, God Almighty did not give a maximum amount of spending but stated:
Tell them: ‘Whatever you spend is for your parents and kinsfolk and for the orphan and the destitute and the wayfarer [of your society]. And [rest assured] whatever good you do [will never go waste] because God is fully aware of it’.
(Translated Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)
In this particular verse, God does not lay down any limitation but reminds the believers that whatever they spend in the defense of God Almighty is for the protection and overall well-being of the society they live in. This society includes parents, relatives, as well as the poor. Here the motivation to spend is the primary issue that God Almighty wanted to rectify.
When the believers asked for more precise clarification, God Almighty revealed verse 219 giving an actual limitation to the requirements of spending. I can do no better than quote Javed Ghamidi in respect to this verse:
"After repeated questions on this topic, the Qur’an has replied that after setting aside money for personal and business use whether of the present or of the future what remains is the right of the society they live in. The obligation of infaq pertains to this over and above amount. This is the utmost limit of the obligation of infaq that is imposed on a Muslim by his Creator. He is not required to do anything over and above this."
Notice that in all these questions, the Quran is speaking about balance towards life.
"Thus God explains to you His verses so that you may reflect on the matters of both this world and of the next."
To end, I quote the words of Islahi (R), which I alluded to earlier:
If all the questions discussed above are deliberated upon, it comes to light that these questions arose because generally a person is unable to assess in a balanced manner the benefits of this world and of the world to come. It is because of this imbalance that if people become inclined to religion they go as far as becoming ascetics and hermits so much so that to them warfare, in all circumstances, becomes something adverse to righteousness and piety; similarly, if they become inclined to mundane pursuits they go as far as to try to regard things like gambling and drinking as virtuous deeds merely because they provide a few benefits. The guidance provided by the Qur’an to human intellect actually equips it to overcome this unbalanced and extreme attitude and view the requisites of both worlds in the correct perspective.
All the questions raised by the believers in respect to their obligations revolved around a proper, balanced perspective towards this world and the hereafter. Even the final question which revolved around the welfare of the orphans was addressed to ensure a proper intellectual perspective when deciding what is the best way for helping certain oppressed in society.
"And they ask you [that if war takes place and people are killed then] what should be done with the orphans? Tell them: ‘In whatever is their welfare is best. And if [by marrying their mothers], you share [their affairs] with yours, they are your brothers. And God knows the man who means mischief from the man who means good."
To quote Javed Ghamidi once again:
"The implied meaning being that in this regard the real thing is the welfare of the orphans – which must always remain in consideration. If this objective can be achieved by combining their affairs, then this should be done and if it can be achieved by keeping them independent, then this measure should be resorted to."
The Quran provides a teaching that helps develop the human mind to a more balanced attitude with respect to living. It is about high-time that Muslims start reflecting on the Quran, and stop following blindlessly the opinions of men when it comes to their religion. Muslims need to realize their purification as well as development depends on their intellect as well as performing certain deeds.
(Surah Baqarah, 128 - 129, trnsl. Moiz Amjad, www.understanding-islam.com)
Moiz Amjad states regarding this verse:
The ultimate purpose for which the prophets and messengers give their people the knowledge of the divine laws and wisdom is to guide them to the path of cleansing and purification and, thereby, rendering them fit for the eternal bliss of the life in God's Paradise. The Arabic word "Tazkiyah" entails both the aspect of removal of the unwanted qualities as well as the development and elevation of the desired attributes. It is not only a cleaning process but is also a process of development and elevation in the right direction. Furthermore, it should be noted that the contents of "Al-Hikmah" (that is, the corpus of beliefs, morality and the spirit of the law) contribute to the cleansing and purification of intellectual and the mental side of the human being, while that of "Al-Kitaab" cleanse and purify his physical side. In combination, Al-Kitaab and Al-Hikmah guides man to the path of comprehensive cleansing and purification of the complete human being - the mind, body and soul.
Islam is not about inherited patterns of conduct, but is about the purification and development of the human personality, otherwise called tazkiah in the terminology of the Quran. In order to achieve this, one must not simply perform rituals like a mindless robot, but one must engage the Quran, constantly reflecting on it's verses to try and understand what God wants to achieve by laying down a particular law. Without doing this, one's Islam becomes distorted by the individual himself even if done unintentionally. All the various sects in Islam are clear manifestations of this reality and the root cause of this whole mess is a total ignorance of the Quran.
The Quran has a radical way of rectifying the perspective of man. A beautiful example of this point can be illustrated in Ameen Ahsan Islahi's (R) brilliant explanation of verse 219 in surah Baqarah. This explanation follows a section of the Quran that begins with waging war in the path of God, and ends with the limits of spending in the way of God. It is pertinent to note that the two injunctions, i.e that of fighting and spending money for a charitable cause, are not unrelated. The reason the Quran has raised the latter topic in the context of waging a war against the disbelievers is to point to the need for a proper and balanced perspective towards life.
Before quoting Islahi (R), a brief summarization of the section of Surah Baqarah will be alluded to, so that one may appreciate the comment of the Maulana.
The first point the Quran addressed in this section is that although war in it's original appearance may seem evil, sometimes it is necessary. Verse 216 of Surah Baqarah states:
"Warfare is ordained for you and it is also displeasing to you [like it is displeasing for you to spend in the way of Allah]. It is very much possible that you may dislike a thing even though it is good for you, and it is very much possible that you like a thing even though it is bad for you."
(Translated Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)
One of the basic flaws in man's ability to judge properly for himself is his limited perception. His reason may be clouded emotion, or he is subject to so many ideas that he cannot maintain a proper balance in respect to certain affairs. This is one of the primary needs for revelation. The Quran, in order to teach men and rectify their thinking has elaborated on the wisdom, i.e. hikmah, behind certain injunctions. In this particular instance, the Quran has elaborated on the purpose of fighting.
They ask you of warfare in the sacred month."Tell them: ‘Warfare in this month is a grave offence but to impede others from the path of God, to deny Him, and to stop people from going to Sacred Mosque and to expel its dwellers, is far more grave in His sight. To force people to give up their religion is more grievous than bloodshed’."
(Translated Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)
The purpose of the revelation of God is for the overall benefit of man, and He is far above commanding things uselessly. It is interesting to see how the Quran is engaging the mind of the Muslim, and instructing him in a proper manner. War is being ordained to prevent persecution. Another interesting point is that, while the original command was about fighting, the second reveals that there were certain implications that resulted out of this command which caused hesitation in the minds of many Muslims, i.e. the issue of fighting in the sacred month. While it was part of the sacred nature of the hajj, to respect the months affiliated with the pilgrimage and cease all fighting, the Quran ordered the Muslims to fight the disbelievers even if it meant 'violating' the sacred month. The Holy Book was further rectifying the conception of piety of the Muslims in regards to their obligations, giving them a balanced perspective of what it means to serve God. Everything has it's place in Islam, and never should the religion be used to justify apathy in respect to greater obligations. Muhammad (S) stated that one should not hesitate to break an oath in the name of God, if breaking the oath was better for the individual.
The Quran does not stop with these verses, but continues with the attitude of the disbelievers, and their insistence on forcing the Muslims to recant their faith. Than, in verse 219, the Holy Book follows with another question raised:
"They ask you about drinking and gambling [because in their society these are also a means of helping the poor]. Tell them: ‘There is great sin in both, [and no doubt] they have some benefit for people; but their sin is far greater than their benefit’.
(Translated Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)
While the Quran had spoken earlier about spending in the way of God, the Holy Book seems to have placed this verse particularly in the context of fighting because it is part of an overall elaboration on the proper proper perspective one must have in performing certain deeds, i.e. balanced perspective. Javed Ghamidi has elaborated on the underlying motivation behind the question of certain Muslims:
Gambling and drinking in pre-Islamic times were a means through which the rich showed their generosity and helped the poor and needy. In winters, when cold winds blew in and caused conditions akin to drought, the courageous would gather at various places, drink liquor and, in their state of inebriation, slaughter any camels they could get hold of. They would pay the owner of the camels whatever price he demanded. They would then gamble on the meat of the slaughtered camels. Whatever parts of meat a person won in this gambling, he would generously distribute them among the poor who would gather around on such occasions. In pre-Islamic Arabia, this was a matter of great honour and people who took part in this activity were considered very philanthropic and generous. The poets would narrate the accounts of their benevolence in their odes. On the other hand, people who stayed away from this activity would be called ‘barm’ (stingy). It was this very benefit of drinking and gambling which prompted people to make an inquiry when they were regarded as prohibited items.
While certain activities may seem to benefit society morally, the reason God Almighty has forbidden certain things is that negative impact on a human beings personality is far greater than the benefit. The Quran rectifies an approach to activities arguing that one must weigh the overall consequences before judging them as good or bad. One should not be so short-sighted in one's judgement to conclude that an activity may be good, when in reality it is harmful. A discussion on balance cannot be fulfilled until the Quran acknowledges the positive nature of something, even if it has an overall negative effect. And the Quran, in it's profound and complete way does so beautifully.
"...they have some benefit for people; but their sin is far greater than their benefit"
Imagine if the preacher of the pulpit today spoke in a manner in conformance with the Quranic style, how much better they would be in correcting the affairs of Muslims. They could further find reason to appreciate a particular good, even if it came from the West.
The next question related by the Quran is verse 219:
"And they ask you [to explain] what they should spend [in charity]. Tell them: ‘Whatever is above your needs.’ Thus God explains to you His verses so that you may reflect on the matters of both this world and of the next."
(Translated Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)
While the previous question revolved around morally beneficial spending that resulted out of other activities that were questionable, the final question revolved around the limitation of spending. This question was actually asked many times before before, as related in verse 215. In the original question quoted, God Almighty did not give a maximum amount of spending but stated:
Tell them: ‘Whatever you spend is for your parents and kinsfolk and for the orphan and the destitute and the wayfarer [of your society]. And [rest assured] whatever good you do [will never go waste] because God is fully aware of it’.
(Translated Shehzad Saleem, www.monthly-renaissance.com)
In this particular verse, God does not lay down any limitation but reminds the believers that whatever they spend in the defense of God Almighty is for the protection and overall well-being of the society they live in. This society includes parents, relatives, as well as the poor. Here the motivation to spend is the primary issue that God Almighty wanted to rectify.
When the believers asked for more precise clarification, God Almighty revealed verse 219 giving an actual limitation to the requirements of spending. I can do no better than quote Javed Ghamidi in respect to this verse:
"After repeated questions on this topic, the Qur’an has replied that after setting aside money for personal and business use whether of the present or of the future what remains is the right of the society they live in. The obligation of infaq pertains to this over and above amount. This is the utmost limit of the obligation of infaq that is imposed on a Muslim by his Creator. He is not required to do anything over and above this."
Notice that in all these questions, the Quran is speaking about balance towards life.
"Thus God explains to you His verses so that you may reflect on the matters of both this world and of the next."
To end, I quote the words of Islahi (R), which I alluded to earlier:
If all the questions discussed above are deliberated upon, it comes to light that these questions arose because generally a person is unable to assess in a balanced manner the benefits of this world and of the world to come. It is because of this imbalance that if people become inclined to religion they go as far as becoming ascetics and hermits so much so that to them warfare, in all circumstances, becomes something adverse to righteousness and piety; similarly, if they become inclined to mundane pursuits they go as far as to try to regard things like gambling and drinking as virtuous deeds merely because they provide a few benefits. The guidance provided by the Qur’an to human intellect actually equips it to overcome this unbalanced and extreme attitude and view the requisites of both worlds in the correct perspective.
All the questions raised by the believers in respect to their obligations revolved around a proper, balanced perspective towards this world and the hereafter. Even the final question which revolved around the welfare of the orphans was addressed to ensure a proper intellectual perspective when deciding what is the best way for helping certain oppressed in society.
"And they ask you [that if war takes place and people are killed then] what should be done with the orphans? Tell them: ‘In whatever is their welfare is best. And if [by marrying their mothers], you share [their affairs] with yours, they are your brothers. And God knows the man who means mischief from the man who means good."
To quote Javed Ghamidi once again:
"The implied meaning being that in this regard the real thing is the welfare of the orphans – which must always remain in consideration. If this objective can be achieved by combining their affairs, then this should be done and if it can be achieved by keeping them independent, then this measure should be resorted to."
The Quran provides a teaching that helps develop the human mind to a more balanced attitude with respect to living. It is about high-time that Muslims start reflecting on the Quran, and stop following blindlessly the opinions of men when it comes to their religion. Muslims need to realize their purification as well as development depends on their intellect as well as performing certain deeds.
posted by Asim at 7:51 AM
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