ASA, I am new here and learning. some simple questions.
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Please pardon my ignorance and I just dont have the time to go through all these posts but was wondering ur thoughts on a few things.
I recently submitted to Islam. I found Humza Yusuf as a role model. Indeed, he is my sheikh and respect him greatly.
Now, his view is that we should not read the quran and try to interpert it OURSELVES. Indeed, we may interpert it wrong. We do not have the erudite understanding of our scholars and should defer interpertation of what Allah may be saying (if it is a difficult ayiyah) to the scholars who can better put it into context and have studied it.
I dont know now what to think. Here on this webside there seems to be a lot more room for ones own understanding, but I am very scared to go with the opinion of anyone other than Sheikh Humza for now as I learn more about my religion.
sorry, I may just be thinking aloud and I hope u forgive me if my questions did not make sense.
what are your thoughts. I would like to know because I am going to go thru my first English Quran and dont know which one to choose. I am thinking Cleary or Abbas.
thanks again.
handshake
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Please pardon my ignorance and I just dont have the time to go through all these posts but was wondering ur thoughts on a few things.
I recently submitted to Islam. I found Humza Yusuf as a role model. Indeed, he is my sheikh and respect him greatly.
Now, his view is that we should not read the quran and try to interpert it OURSELVES. Indeed, we may interpert it wrong. We do not have the erudite understanding of our scholars and should defer interpertation of what Allah may be saying (if it is a difficult ayiyah) to the scholars who can better put it into context and have studied it.
I dont know now what to think. Here on this webside there seems to be a lot more room for ones own understanding, but I am very scared to go with the opinion of anyone other than Sheikh Humza for now as I learn more about my religion.
sorry, I may just be thinking aloud and I hope u forgive me if my questions did not make sense.
what are your thoughts. I would like to know because I am going to go thru my first English Quran and dont know which one to choose. I am thinking Cleary or Abbas.
thanks again.
handshake
Peace.
I have the Muhammad Asad translation, from what I hear from others it's probably the best English translation (it's a little pricey, but worth it!). I also have some Saudi translation and then Yusuf Ali's, but I don't think they read as nicely or as clearly. Plus they have lots of words in brackets.I know that Hamza Yusuf is popular here in the US, but some things turned me off him ... one being I heard about him dissing the US in a talk he gave, another was women who don't wear hijab are "disrespecting themselves", and then another he was saying that women should not be working outside the home, and if they do they're selfish. )
Anyway, what you say about him saying we shouldn't interpret the Qur'an ourselves is a common belief among many (or maybe most) traditional Muslims.
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Welcome
I have Asad's translation also actually i don't but i use his translation online. everyone has their own preferences.
In regards to your fear, even scholars can interpret wrongly after all they are human.
though another thing to keep in mind, you can't just interpret things simply because you want it to be so, interpretations need justifications.
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I recommend www.StudyQuran.org
How likely do you think it is that God, The Almighty, The Wise, The Knowledgeable would send us a book that only a tiny tiny minority could understand? This concept is nowhere to be heard of in The Quran itself.
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I recommend www.StudyQuran.org
How likely do you think it is that God, The Almighty, The Wise, The Knowledgeable would send us a book that only a tiny tiny minority could understand? This concept is nowhere to be heard of in The Quran itself.
Good point.
As far as the questions raised in the opening post
I would freelance, meaning I would see what people here say and then see what the sects(Sunni/Shia) believe and see which is the one most closest to the Quranic teachings and which is the one that makes sense. But one thing you do get here that you don't elsewhere is personal freedom in interpretation and practice. I am tired of Sunnism and their intolerance. They never debate you just attack and slander and try to marginalize your views and make it hidden from the public. This ain't cool. Prophets preached in public and the Quran encouraged and indeed ordered the prophet to debate and preach in public and private.
I believe in freedom like the Quran says.
As far as Hamza Yusuf, he is a maliki scholar who follows what the Sunni orthodoxy says. He has Sufi influence which means he knows how to dodge and duck controversial issues in Sunnism and sticks with the religious and spiritual aspects of Sunnism rather than the legalistic and political aspect. Hamza Yusuf also like many converts sees Sunnism as the "original" Islam practiced by the Muslim world. But is this Sunni Islam consistent with the Quran?
