Surah Saturday: Bani Isra'il
Apr. 2nd, 2011 11:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
akilanajmahA Persian woman that I'm aquainted with was very upset about the news of a Bangladeshi girl who was executed for being raped. The story came in the form of an opinion piece from the NYT and it blamed the village imam for the sentence. I had a lot of problems with the story-- particularly the lack of sources, the lack of blaming the rapist, the lack of inquiry into Islam (the story went on to blame sharia instead of injustice and improper application of sharia)-- but in response to the story she was emphasizing her dislike of Mullahs, Shayks and Imams and she ended up pointing out that religion was between her and God and cited to Bani Isra'il: "You shall not accept any information, unless you verify it for yourself. I have given you the hearing, the eyesight, and the brain, and you are responsible for using them." Quran 17:36
Now, if you'll recall, I have a strict "Don't fuck with fatwas" policy myself and similarly view my relationship with God, the merciful and benevolent. I'm not a fan of treatises by Islamic scholars because I find that they tend to over look lots of things and pull too much from the past-- cultural, historical ideas that haven't moved forward, that haven't considered other perspectives-- minority perspectives, female perspectives, poor perspectives. There isn't consensus usually, and where there is, I note that several voices are significantly diminished. I was just reading Imam Zaid Shakir's most recent essay on revolution and what he points out the most is that things change.
In addition to pointing out the neo-colonial aspects of governing (delux_vivens , he talks about hegemony... be warned) the indigenous masses he points out what I've always thought:
The writings of pre-modern Muslim scholars, no matter how brilliant, cannot give us full insight into the social, political and cultural issues that Muslims are currently dealing with.
Anyway. I don't fuck with fatwas. I research things on my own, after all, God has enjoined us to seek knowledge. I was happy to see the above cited verse but I didn't remember it that way. Indeed, I even have over ayahs from Bani Isra'il highlighted but that would've stuck with me wouldn't have? I mean, considering what I already think?
My copy of the Divine Revelation says it this way: Do not follow that of which you have no knowledge. Verily, the ear, the eye, the heart, each will be questioned.
Which is sort of the same? Maybe. I went over to my handy dandy Qur'an explorer, and I still didn't see the version that Hedi had pointed out. Still, that's okay. It gave me a basis for Surah Saturday.
Again, with the specifics, God tells us very specifically to pray, and how to do so and then goes on to say:
What We have sent down of the Qur'an is a healing and grace for the faithful, and adds only loss for the sinners. When We are gracious to man, he turns away and moves aside; yet when evil befalls him, he begins to despair.
I sense such a sense of disappointment in this ayah. Man, it's like God is bummed that we're so fickle. Still, He says to us in this surah that things aren't going to always go our way. Look at the other prophets! Did their people believe them? Nope. Did they despair and give up? Huh? Did they? Nope. They trusted in Me.
I think that the demand that we not simply follow, but confirm first is the perfect solution for this type of quandry and God and his Prophet make it abundantly clear what we're meant to do: Leave aside whatever causes you doubts or misgivings, in favor of what does not cause you doubts or misgivings. For truth is peace of mind, while falsehood is mental disquiet.
Seek the truth. Acknowledge that the truth may change from person to person, from time to time. Every man's life will not be the same as every woman's life. All women's lives are different. All people's lives are different. The point is to seek God and seek truth as it reveals itself to you, to accept challenges and to turn to God in all instances-- seeking truth, seeking confirmation, seeking refuge and seeking comfort. Use what God has blessed you with to do it-- your heart, your mind, your senses.
Now, if you'll recall, I have a strict "Don't fuck with fatwas" policy myself and similarly view my relationship with God, the merciful and benevolent. I'm not a fan of treatises by Islamic scholars because I find that they tend to over look lots of things and pull too much from the past-- cultural, historical ideas that haven't moved forward, that haven't considered other perspectives-- minority perspectives, female perspectives, poor perspectives. There isn't consensus usually, and where there is, I note that several voices are significantly diminished. I was just reading Imam Zaid Shakir's most recent essay on revolution and what he points out the most is that things change.
In addition to pointing out the neo-colonial aspects of governing (
delux_vivens , he talks about hegemony... be warned) the indigenous masses he points out what I've always thought: The writings of pre-modern Muslim scholars, no matter how brilliant, cannot give us full insight into the social, political and cultural issues that Muslims are currently dealing with.
Anyway. I don't fuck with fatwas. I research things on my own, after all, God has enjoined us to seek knowledge. I was happy to see the above cited verse but I didn't remember it that way. Indeed, I even have over ayahs from Bani Isra'il highlighted but that would've stuck with me wouldn't have? I mean, considering what I already think?
My copy of the Divine Revelation says it this way: Do not follow that of which you have no knowledge. Verily, the ear, the eye, the heart, each will be questioned.
Which is sort of the same? Maybe. I went over to my handy dandy Qur'an explorer, and I still didn't see the version that Hedi had pointed out. Still, that's okay. It gave me a basis for Surah Saturday.
Again, with the specifics, God tells us very specifically to pray, and how to do so and then goes on to say:
What We have sent down of the Qur'an is a healing and grace for the faithful, and adds only loss for the sinners. When We are gracious to man, he turns away and moves aside; yet when evil befalls him, he begins to despair.
I sense such a sense of disappointment in this ayah. Man, it's like God is bummed that we're so fickle. Still, He says to us in this surah that things aren't going to always go our way. Look at the other prophets! Did their people believe them? Nope. Did they despair and give up? Huh? Did they? Nope. They trusted in Me.
I think that the demand that we not simply follow, but confirm first is the perfect solution for this type of quandry and God and his Prophet make it abundantly clear what we're meant to do: Leave aside whatever causes you doubts or misgivings, in favor of what does not cause you doubts or misgivings. For truth is peace of mind, while falsehood is mental disquiet.
Seek the truth. Acknowledge that the truth may change from person to person, from time to time. Every man's life will not be the same as every woman's life. All women's lives are different. All people's lives are different. The point is to seek God and seek truth as it reveals itself to you, to accept challenges and to turn to God in all instances-- seeking truth, seeking confirmation, seeking refuge and seeking comfort. Use what God has blessed you with to do it-- your heart, your mind, your senses.
