|
submit
articles |
| Common
Ground for Multifaith Dialogue Shaykh Ahmed Abdur Rashid Human
Nature and the Call Towards Islam The
Prophet Muhammad (sal) said: However,
the innate qualities of the human being become obscured by the
circumstances and experiences of daily life.
Our inner light dims under the veils of emotional and mental
conditioning; of diseases, desires, and fears; of greed and doubt. Islam
is based on removing the veils that stand between our inherent nature
and our self. It responds
to a call for bringing out the innate goodness in people.
In Arabic, the root of the word “Islam” refers to peace,
safety, wholeness, well-being. Rather
than being seen as a religion, Islam is better understood as a guidebook
to finding peace, security, and wellness through fulfilling and
realizing our essential nature, our fitrah.
Muslims
believe that the same guidance was brought by the great leaders and
prophets of the Torah, by Jesus as recorded in the Gospels, and by other
divinely inspired messengers. The
Qur’an instructs us: Those
who believe, and those who follow the Jewish [Scriptures], and the
Christians, and the Sabaeans—whoever believes in God and the Last Day
and does what is right—surely their reward is with their Lord; no fear
shall come upon them nor shall they grieve (2:62). The
Qur’an includes major events of the Torah and the Gospels: the stories of Moses, Pharaoh, and the Exodus; David and
Goliath; Joseph and his brothers; Mary and the immaculate conception;
and Jesus and his disciples (may Allah’s blessings be upon all these
noble prophets and saints). Common
Ground for Multifaith Partnerships Let
me pause here for a moment to clarify the term “fundamental,” which
we see and hear frequently in the media.
To the average Muslim, “fundamental” refers to the basic
beliefs of the Shar‘iah and the Sunnah that all Muslims share, just as
fundamental Christian beliefs and fundamental Jewish beliefs are shared
by all Christians and all Jews, respectively.
Real fundamentalist Islam is a far cry from the negative
implications of fundamentalism based on extremist, narrow-minded, and
ultra-orthodox thinking that does not take into consideration other
schools of thought. It is
equally distant from the so-called fundamentalism that uses Islamic
principles for political ends. Many
of these ends are questionable, and some fall entirely outside of the
Shar‘iah: for example, killing innocent people, manipulating political
situations in the name of Islam, and even oppressing contrasting
expressions of Islam. No
matter how often such attitudes and activities are labeled
“fundamentalist,” they do not reflect the fundamental principles of
Islam, principles that are universal and constructive.
Muslims
call upon God as the Compassionate and the Merciful at least thirty-four
times a day, reciting ar-Rahman
ar-Raheem twice in every cycle of prayer.
They value the establishment of a peaceful society, the
well-being of the family, respect for elders, freedom to worship,
efforts to create a better world for future generations—values that
are dear to all people of
faith, whether they are called Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus,
Buddhists, or by any other name. Through
dialogue, all our communities of faith can work together to affirm these
values. We can become
better able to meet the needs of the society we live in.
In
August 1999, I participated in a unique meeting in Cordoba, Spain that
brought together Jewish and Muslim scholars and religious leaders.
In-depth discussions revealed a substantial agreement in goals
that is often overlooked due to historical inaccuracies, cultural bias,
and the politicization of Jewish-Islamic relations.
We all agreed on the need for mutual respect and for developing
common ground for the future, especially with regard to the
deterioration of values and ethics in today’s society. Many
opportunities exist for sincere peoples of faith in the United States to
form partnerships for mutual goals.
Together, we can help this society reverse the trends towards
violence, materialism, the breakdown of communities and families, drug
and alcohol abuse, and other social ills.
Islam
as a Framework for Practical Approaches The
day-to-day responsibilities of a Muslim are shaped by a trust that was
given to us by God. In the
Qur’an, Allah (swt) says: The
mechanisms for upholding the amanat
are revealed to us in the Qur’an, exemplified in the Sunnah (the way)
of the Prophet Muhammad (sal), and manifest through qualified personal
decisions on applied topics of life and worship. While I do not have
time to enumerate all the ways that Muslims strive to fulfill the trust,
I can at least list some of them. A
Muslim must guarantee the rights of non-Muslims to practice their
religions, and he or she must respect and preserve others’
institutions. A
Muslim has the duty to help those who are in need in the community, to
the point where they can begin to assist themselves, if possible.
Muslims regard bureaucratic welfare systems as less effective than the
bonds of community and personal responsibility. The Prophet Muhammad (sal)
said: A
Muslim is enjoined to be fair and just.
The Prophet Muhammad (sal) said, Muslims
are enjoined to be loyal to the countries that they live in, whether
they have Islamic governments or not. Muslims
are enjoined not to distinguish on the basis of race, ethnicity, or
nationality. In one of his
last public sermons, the Prophet Muhammad (sal) said, Islam
believes strongly in the rights of women, both in the areas of law and
justice, and in the areas of religious rites and practice. Islam also acknowledges differences between men and women
that are considered to be positive and constructive for society. A
truly Islamic community is inherently pluralistic and democratic. In
addition, Islam has a system of thought and self-evaluation that enables
it to adapt to the ongoing changes in the world.
It embraces and encourages the evolution of human understanding.
For example, the Qur’an describes Abraham (Ibrahim (aleihi
salaam)) as a hanif—a
believer in one God—not a Jew, nor a Christian, nor a practicing
Muslim, other than in the literal sense of being one who submits to a
higher authority. Later, the doctrines and practices of the three
Abrahamic religions evolved through the teachings of the prophets of the
Torah, the Bible, the Qur’an: through
Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph; Moses, David, and Solomon; through Jesus; and
through Muhammad, whom we consider to be the final prophet (may
Allah’s peace and blessings be upon all the prophets and messengers!). The
evolution of human understanding is a core principle of Islam.
In the Qur’an, Allah (swt) tells us: Our
faculties can be developed through conscious effort, in accordance with
the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (sal):
To
catalyze the growth of understanding, Allah (swt) gave human beings the
capacity for choice within parameters.
For the Muslim, the parameters of choice are Shar‘iah.
Shar‘iah
is based on revelation: its sources are the Qur’an and the Sunnah,
meaning the living commentary on the Qur’an that the Prophet Muhammad
(sal) conveyed through his words and acts.
By observing Shar‘iah in all his or her activities, the Muslim
places everything that he or she does within the context of revelation. This
framework is evolutionary, not constraining.
In Arabic, shaari‘
means “a broad street or boulevard”; Shar‘iah, therefore, is a
broad boulevard of activity. It
is like a raga in Indian music. A
raga is a precise musical form, but endless improvisation is possible
within that form. Shar‘iah
gives us clear guidelines about life, yet it also allows ongoing
innovation, as long as each innovation serves the purpose of Islam. Islam
is a dynamic, vibrant way of life that is well able to address the
issues of today and tomorrow.
But for many non-Muslims, it remains a mystery, if not a threat. Sources
of and Responses to Misunderstandings of Islam We
cannot avoid addressing these misunderstandings
of Islam both from within and without, for they reflect on all Muslims.
More seriously, they undermine the contributions that Islam can
and should make to today’s society. We
can tackle misunderstandings by reflecting on history: for example, on
the role of Muslim scholars and scientists in preserving and
transmitting the discoveries of classical civilizations and in extending
humanity’s knowledge of chemistry, medicine, astronomy, human rights,
law, organizational development, government, philosophy, education,
navigation, and architecture. But
we can learn about the historical role of Muslims from books.
I prefer to speak about the role of the Muslim in today’s
society. How can we best
illustrate the progressive aspects of Islam?
How can we most effectively interface with the needs of today’s
world? One
important step being taken by educated, practical Muslims is to address
the most difficult cultural and heretofore accepted practices which have
reflected poorly on Islam or which have not been considered in the light
of modern times. Contemporary
scholars are discussing and finding ways in which the Shar‘iah/Qur’an
and the Sunnah can guide us in the present and future, without
compromising the essentials of the faith or betraying the trust that
Allah has given us. For
example, some of the most destructive cultural overlays that have been
imposed on Islam are customs that oppress or limit the activity of
women. The integral role of
women in Islamic society is evident in the historical examples of
Khadija (blessings upon her!), the first wife of the Prophet (sal), who
was his employer before she was his wife.
It is equally evident in accounts of Muslim women who fought in
battle, who served as some of the earliest archivists of Islamic
teachings, and who throughout the history of Islam ranged from saints to
scholars. However, I do not
want to give the impression that Islam looks at women in the same terms
as Western political feminism. Islam
offers a whole other view of women, which many Muslim women are actively
exploring as they extend Islamic understanding of women’s roles inside
and outside of the home. In
addition to addressing cultural overlays, Muslims today face the need to
adjust for modern times. An
example may be drawn from the field of medicine.
An ultra-orthodox Muslim may regard organ transplants as an
offense against God’s natural order, arguing that the violation of a
body is forbidden in Islam. But
other contemporary Muslims point to the Qur’anic passage: They
note that according to Islamic law, “the lesser of two evils is to be
chosen if both cannot be avoided.”
From their perspective, an organ transplant is permissible if it
will make the difference between life and death (“Organ Donation”). By
carefully examining both age-old cultural customs and the latest
technological and social advances, scholars are using the light of
Shar‘iah to see and to relate to today’s world in better ways for
individuals and for the community at large.
They are expanding opportunities for Islam to be a major force,
working together with other faiths and forces in society to re-affirm
the fundamental values that we share. Fulfilling
the Amanat Here and Now Many
Muslims in the United States are first-generation Americans.
They have come to this country for various reasons: some are
refugees; many are seeking a better life, a higher standard of material
well-being for themselves and their children.
Like other immigrants and religious minorities, they have often
found support in cultural enclaves or sub-communities of people from the
same background. Perhaps
the most important challenge facing Muslims in this country today is to
integrate more fully into American society as Muslims.
We need more Muslim teachers, more Muslim curriculum developers,
more Muslim sociologists and psychologists, more Muslim urban planners,
more Muslims throughout diverse professions.
We need professionals who are Muslims in the true sense of the
word: living and working in submission to God, accepting our amanat.
Muslims must be full participants, individually and collectively,
actively seeking means and venues for applying Islamic values and
mechanisms to the needs of our times. Conclusion By
responding to such needs, we can build mutual understanding and
partnerships among our diverse religious communities.
We can become better Muslims, better Christians, better Jews,
better Hindus, better Buddhists, better believers by any name.
We can help to re-awaken the essential goodness that resides
within every human being. We can fulfill the trust that we bear. “For,” as Allah (swt) instructs us in the Holy
Qur’an,
References Faizi,
S.F.H. Sermons of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). New Delhi:
Kitab Bhavan, 1991. Shaykh
Ahmed Abdur Rashid |