Studying Islam

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[quote][red]Quote: A madhhab is, after all, nothing more than a piece of precision equipment enabling us to see Islam with the maximum clarity possible. [/red]

Reply: The metaphor of telescope needs to be questioned. Telescope is an optical instrument, following laws of physics it will show whatever is in front of it as it is. A scholar however is a human, and despite his best intentions, (assuming he is well-intended) he can & might err. Secondly no two telescopes would have a 'difference of opinion' on showing their object. Their strengths might differ, but the image they show wouldnt. Two scholars can have a difference of opinion, as religion is not an exact science. The rules of interpretation, the objective of analysis, the premises and the differing background can result in differing conclusions. So taking help from scholarship might clarify certian things, but following ONE scholar necessarily will unnecessarily make my view biased. A differing opinion will get rejected just because it was 'different' without seeing whether it is closer to Quran and Sunnah or not.

[red]Quote: A third image might also be deployed. An ancient building, for instance the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, [/red]

Reply: Well what if people having studied modern sciences come up with a research that the pillars of this mosque have become dangerous for the people praying in it? because of its age and the incapacity of its material to face the corrusive air arround it, they might fall very soon. Will we still give our lives to save those pillars? For what? for saving our tradition? Ofcourse one would pay attention to the new research, look at its credentials and authenticity and take a decision accordingly.

[red]Quote: The spectacle of the disunity and fitnas which divided the early Muslims despite their superior piety, and the solidity and cohesiveness of Sunnism after the final codification of the Shariah in the four Schools of the great Imams, must have put ideas into many a malevolent head. This is not to suggest in any way that those who attack the great madhhabs are the conscious tools of Islams enemies. But it may go some way to explaining why they will continue to be well-publicised and well-funded, while the orthodox alternative is starved of resources. With every Muslim now a proud mujtahid, and with taqlid dismissed as a sin rather than a humble and necessary virtue, the divergent views which caused such pain in our early history will surely break surface again. Instead of four madhhabs in harmony, we will have a billion madhhabs in bitter and self-righteous conflict. No more brilliant scheme for the destruction of Islam could ever have been devised.[/red]

Reply: I cannot help saying this that this itself is a self-righteous statement, if the tradtional alternative is [red]'starved of resources[/red]' (although that is not the case in our country atleast- majority of local funds go towards the traditional alternative, so the writer does not seem to be well informed, over 20,000 madaris with over 1.65 million students, including the chains of Ashrafia, Darul Uloom and Iqra etc. are being financed by us, still the complain!), it can mean 1)Yes, that the fund-providers have different political agendas, and also more importantly 2) that the traditional alternative has stopped contributing positively towards the society or atleast that they havent in the recent past, hence this perception.

Considering every differing viewpoint, as a "[red]scheme for the destruction of Islam[/red]" reflects academic weakness on the part of our traditionalist scholars. If they feel there is a problem with other viewpoints, they need to publish material to [u][b]refute that argument with arguments[/b][/u] - not with statments such as this.

I am surprised that Taqlid is still considered as a [red]necessary and humble virtue[/red], while Quran is calling for constant "pondering", and the Prophet (sws) is asking [u][b]not[/b][/u] to make your scholars your Lords (rubb).

Regards,
Salman

Edited by: salmant on Friday, March 09, 2007 10:42 AM[/quote]

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