Ramadan Dias...uh.. no se: Law and men.
Aug. 15th, 2011 02:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
akilanajmahIf you follow me elsewhere you know I made the mistake of reading a question/answer service. I was looking for opinion on a particular Islamic issue but, stupidly, got sucked into reading some of the more inane questions.
Can I pray for rain in other countries?
Can I have a roadside assistance membership? Does it count as insurance?
Can I pray in my freshly laundered clothes? There were unclean things contacting them while they were in the washing machine.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again now. I've got a pretty strict anti-fatwah policy and these questions (and the ultimate answers) are all based on fatwas.
Why WOULDNT you be able to pray for rain in other countries?
Well, there's a very specific prayer that has been delineated by dudes in this tradition. It doesn't say you can't pray for rain elsewhere, but because it's so man-centric, people start asking.
Same with insurance-- insurance has been declared gambling by some of the major schools of Islam and people act like it is the word of God. And the thing is, these rulings aren't even consistent with themselves.
"Well, music is okay, if it isn't Western." "Music is always haram."
My general belief is that the Revelation leaves very little question about what we should do and shouldn't do, where things get murky and confusing is when we start acting as though those legal minds and scholars of the Islamic tradition have a vice grip on what Allah wants, and we follow them, instead of using the tools God has equipped us with, and His word, to figure out our way.
Which brings us to hadith. I use hadith as an advisory opinion-- something to supplement the Qur'an. If it doesn't go along with my reading of the Qur'an, I ignore it. If it doesn't have sufficient basis (I do not trust in hadith that interpret the Prophets hand gestures or facial expressions. I demand that actual words be used), I ignore it. If it doesn't make sense with my heart or the heart that I understand to belong to the Prophet (SAW), I ignore it.
Interestingly, a friend of mine mentioned a hadith and pointed to it as a reason he ignores all hadith.
Another friend commented perfectly saying: All hadith aren't bad... the ones that make sense are good.
Which is my point exactly.
Nahida sums up most of my perspective perfectly:
Hadith are used as tools to understand the Qur'an. Whether or not they should be used at all is up for debate and has been a subject of great controversy. It's been noticed here that I rarely use hadith--the reason is not because I am a Quranist, (though I emphasize with them) but rather because (1) hadith can be found for and against pretty much anything, (2) what use are hadith on a particular topic when the Qur'an answers my question entirely for that subject? will I look to a mortal man for answers, however perfect of a man he was--the name of whom other men have probably used to tell lies--when God has satisfied me? and (3) I am very, very, very picky about hadith. I'm choosier than most scholars are when it comes to hadith. (That implied that I am among them; I'm not a scholar, just to be clear.) And so, I will use hadith, but only in very specific circumstances. While even very "Orthodox" (I hate to use sectarian adjectives) Muslims will acknowledge that most hadith are complete fabrications, a good number of them will assert that previous scholars, through centuries of work, have disposed of the ones that are fabrications.
I highly suggest you read the entire essay. It's impeccably reasoned and makes great sense.
Anyway, I still, every once in a while end up reading fatwas or oddball hadith and getting so upset. I get annoyed that this passes as Islam. I get annoyed that there are people out there who're more concerned about whether their toes are perfectly aligned and spaced during salat than whether they're doing charitable works. I get mad that people look at Islam as a set of rote, passionless steps toward salvation instead of a heart filled, love based attempt to please a benevolent creator.
Take note: The 99 names of God aren't "The Micromanaging" or "The Perfectionist"
Al Wadud-- The loving
Al Mujib-- The Responsive
Al Mani- The Preventer of Harm
Al Hadi- The Guide
As-Subur- The Patient One
Ash-Shakur- The Appreciative One
Al Latif- The gentle One
Al Gafur- The Forgiving
The list goes on for 99 names and to be sure there are some that are less pleasant-- the Humiliator (in reference to those who hurt and betray others), the Judge, the Subduer-- but the vast majority are neutral (i.e. The Ever Living) or about God's ultimate patience, compassion and love for creation.
A friend of mine leads prayer and teaches a Qur'an study class. She was suggesting to someone else that they talk to God about their difficulties with Islam. So I tried that. I just raised my hands and made du'a and launched into all the things that I was upset about. I talked about how I didn't think that the way to Him was through rote action or memorization for the sake of memorization. I ask Allah to guide me to Him, and to submit to Him and not to men who have their own priorities. I wanted to know what made Allah happiest. I wanted to know if this seemingly overwrought system was for everyone? I feel like God speaks to different people in different ways, but maybe I was doing something wholly wrong? Maybe I was going about things the wrong way.
And having that out, made me feel better.
And then I got up for suhur and found this hadith (via Masjid Farooq here in Washington) in my email box:
This hadith is backed up by the Qur'an (one of the things I find incredibly annoying are the back flips that people have to go to in order to justify some hadith, which are clearly in contradiction to both other, sensible hadith, and the Qur'an) in Al Baqarah (2:152).
And I felt extremely blessed.
And that is all for my reflection.
This is how I usually roll on the weekends-- but in and out of the house. I didn't go anywhere on Saturday but for a walk around the neighborhood.
Can I pray for rain in other countries?
Can I have a roadside assistance membership? Does it count as insurance?
Can I pray in my freshly laundered clothes? There were unclean things contacting them while they were in the washing machine.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again now. I've got a pretty strict anti-fatwah policy and these questions (and the ultimate answers) are all based on fatwas.
Why WOULDNT you be able to pray for rain in other countries?
Well, there's a very specific prayer that has been delineated by dudes in this tradition. It doesn't say you can't pray for rain elsewhere, but because it's so man-centric, people start asking.
Same with insurance-- insurance has been declared gambling by some of the major schools of Islam and people act like it is the word of God. And the thing is, these rulings aren't even consistent with themselves.
"Well, music is okay, if it isn't Western." "Music is always haram."
My general belief is that the Revelation leaves very little question about what we should do and shouldn't do, where things get murky and confusing is when we start acting as though those legal minds and scholars of the Islamic tradition have a vice grip on what Allah wants, and we follow them, instead of using the tools God has equipped us with, and His word, to figure out our way.
Which brings us to hadith. I use hadith as an advisory opinion-- something to supplement the Qur'an. If it doesn't go along with my reading of the Qur'an, I ignore it. If it doesn't have sufficient basis (I do not trust in hadith that interpret the Prophets hand gestures or facial expressions. I demand that actual words be used), I ignore it. If it doesn't make sense with my heart or the heart that I understand to belong to the Prophet (SAW), I ignore it.
Interestingly, a friend of mine mentioned a hadith and pointed to it as a reason he ignores all hadith.
Another friend commented perfectly saying: All hadith aren't bad... the ones that make sense are good.
Which is my point exactly.
Nahida sums up most of my perspective perfectly:
Hadith are used as tools to understand the Qur'an. Whether or not they should be used at all is up for debate and has been a subject of great controversy. It's been noticed here that I rarely use hadith--the reason is not because I am a Quranist, (though I emphasize with them) but rather because (1) hadith can be found for and against pretty much anything, (2) what use are hadith on a particular topic when the Qur'an answers my question entirely for that subject? will I look to a mortal man for answers, however perfect of a man he was--the name of whom other men have probably used to tell lies--when God has satisfied me? and (3) I am very, very, very picky about hadith. I'm choosier than most scholars are when it comes to hadith. (That implied that I am among them; I'm not a scholar, just to be clear.) And so, I will use hadith, but only in very specific circumstances. While even very "Orthodox" (I hate to use sectarian adjectives) Muslims will acknowledge that most hadith are complete fabrications, a good number of them will assert that previous scholars, through centuries of work, have disposed of the ones that are fabrications.
I highly suggest you read the entire essay. It's impeccably reasoned and makes great sense.
Anyway, I still, every once in a while end up reading fatwas or oddball hadith and getting so upset. I get annoyed that this passes as Islam. I get annoyed that there are people out there who're more concerned about whether their toes are perfectly aligned and spaced during salat than whether they're doing charitable works. I get mad that people look at Islam as a set of rote, passionless steps toward salvation instead of a heart filled, love based attempt to please a benevolent creator.
Take note: The 99 names of God aren't "The Micromanaging" or "The Perfectionist"
Al Wadud-- The loving
Al Mujib-- The Responsive
Al Mani- The Preventer of Harm
Al Hadi- The Guide
As-Subur- The Patient One
Ash-Shakur- The Appreciative One
Al Latif- The gentle One
Al Gafur- The Forgiving
The list goes on for 99 names and to be sure there are some that are less pleasant-- the Humiliator (in reference to those who hurt and betray others), the Judge, the Subduer-- but the vast majority are neutral (i.e. The Ever Living) or about God's ultimate patience, compassion and love for creation.
A friend of mine leads prayer and teaches a Qur'an study class. She was suggesting to someone else that they talk to God about their difficulties with Islam. So I tried that. I just raised my hands and made du'a and launched into all the things that I was upset about. I talked about how I didn't think that the way to Him was through rote action or memorization for the sake of memorization. I ask Allah to guide me to Him, and to submit to Him and not to men who have their own priorities. I wanted to know what made Allah happiest. I wanted to know if this seemingly overwrought system was for everyone? I feel like God speaks to different people in different ways, but maybe I was doing something wholly wrong? Maybe I was going about things the wrong way.
And having that out, made me feel better.
And then I got up for suhur and found this hadith (via Masjid Farooq here in Washington) in my email box:
A person once said to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "The laws of Islam are too much for me, so tell me something that I can follow easily." The Prophet told him: "Let your tongue be always busy remembering (dhikr) God's beauty, majesty and glory."
This hadith is backed up by the Qur'an (one of the things I find incredibly annoying are the back flips that people have to go to in order to justify some hadith, which are clearly in contradiction to both other, sensible hadith, and the Qur'an) in Al Baqarah (2:152).
And I felt extremely blessed.
And that is all for my reflection.
This is how I usually roll on the weekends-- but in and out of the house. I didn't go anywhere on Saturday but for a walk around the neighborhood.
