the parallels of the "Quran Alone" movement...
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peace all,
I often find it amazing how history seems to repeat itself...
According to Parwez, support for the notion that sunna is wahy can be found neither in The Quran nor in the earlier traditions. Moreover, since neither the Prophet, nor his Companions, nor the early Caliphs considered anything to be revelation except The Quran, it is evident that the elevation of sunna to this status must have been a creation of later Muslims. He also speculates about what motives might have led to the establishment of this doctrine. The problem, he argues arises from The Quran itself where some commands are explicit while others are vague. For example, a penalty for adultery is clearly defined, while no punishment is laid down for consumption of alcohol does this mean that drinking of it is allowed? Details such as the penalty for drinking were left to the Prophet and his successors to establish as sunna. God's intent was to allow such details to be changed according to circumstance. But later Muslims were faced with a challenge from non-Muslims and from dissenters in their own community if commands and prohibitions not found in The Quran are important, why did God not establish these details Himself? And by what authority did the Prophet enforce commands not found in The Quran? In the face of such challenges, and afraid that anarchy would result if the basis for law was undercut, the ulama (Muslim scholars) adopted the idea that sunna is wahy (divine revelation).
Can't handle the inherent flexibility? Let's formalise it, make it compulsory, this way or no way, detail it... blah blah blah.
Now apply the above to many concepts/laws/views... e.g. consumption of alcohol, what is salat, what is zakat, what is a muslim, punishments for crimes, women's clothing guidelines blah blah blah.
PAST "Quran Alone" ---> masses seek the need for details
NOW "Quran Alone" ---> masses seek the need for details?When we discuss various issues on the forum, let's not forget the lessons of the past.
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I agree, if something is left vague in the quran, it is left vague for a reason. There is no need to waste time chasing things that aren't there and when they are found not to be there, to make our own things up.
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I agree, if something is left vague in the quran, it is left vague for a reason. There is no need to waste time chasing things that aren't there and when they are found not to be there, to make our own things up.
They aren't found there, they are found under our noses.
I'd give lashes for those who drink or smoke too much and become dangers.
In public, with Flip-flops, in a flashy outfit.
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I know that Muslims believe that Jesus was sinless. What has helped many Christians is asking themselves "What would Jesus do?" Ask GOD, What would You want me to do?
Jesus might drink wine but He would never drink it to excess, to offend anyone and He would never drink and drive.
Not having everything all written out lets you truly examine what is in your heart and analyze each of your actions.
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Greetings all,
YES! Agreed! handshake
A rigid and inflexible system does not allow enough variation for all the types of people there are - one size does NOT fit all. The desire to 'prevent us from making mistakes' via following the exact example of the prophet or otherwise, stifles and prevents many from learning. We all react in different ways and many will find a specific, pre-determined set of rules quite unsettling, if not impossible to follow.
For example, we can easily have at least four options to how a person can react to having a hair in his soup
- fly into a rage and throws his soup and dish at the waiter;
- be startled, express disgust, but shrugs it off, stands up, takes his hat and coat and walks out whistling;
- break into a crying fit because the most awful things always have to happen to him; and
- look at the hair, leaves it right there, goes on eating and after finishing the dish orders another portion.
Each one is a characteristic reaction, pre-programmed, and automatic -- just how you are set up to react without thinking. If the standard were set up as any one of these reactions being the 'ideal' reaction, and the remaining three types of people tried by willpower and self-discipline to react in that recommended way, they would, at best, only partially succeed -- and that is only at the surface level --where others can see. Moreover, this artificial reaction would be stilted and unconvincing. (Can you imagine a person inclined to be angry being forced to cry instead of getting angry??) Furthermore, the expenditure of energy and the conflict between the natural energy pattern and the contrived act will be at odds, creating dis-ease.
Think about trying to suppress a cough you try and try, struggle and struggle as the urge to cough continues to grow and finally comes to occupy our whole attention. We can hardle concentrate on anything else until at last the repressed impulse forces its way through -- in an explosive outburst, often more violent than the original impulse. It finds its way to the surface, no matter how hard we try to stop it.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we shouldn't try to find ways to prevent having the 'cough' (so to speak) in the first place -- that's what general rules of living and guidance from God are for.
We will have succeeded when the inner urge is the urge to do good acts and they flow freely and easily from within, not when we are living as hypocrites performing outward actions that do not coincide with our inner urges.
If God wanted to wipe out all differences of opinion and action, He easily could have. There are many lessons to be learned on the stage of life, but all of them are learned through acting -- in a positive or negative sense.
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peace all,
For example, a penalty for adultery is clearly defined, while no punishment is laid down for consumption of alcohol does this mean that drinking of it is allowed? Details such as the penalty for drinking were left to the Prophet and his successors to establish as sunna.To give a hundred lashes for adultery there is clear cut order as to who shall mete out the punishment and also before the witness of whom the punishment shall have to be carried out.
Let not compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if you are Mumin and let a party of Mumins witness their punishment.
Then who is a mumin?
Successful indeed are the believers
Who are humble in their prayers
Who avoid vain talk;
Who are active in deeds of charity;
Who abstain from sex.
But those whose desires exceed those limits are transgressors;
Those who faithfully observe their trusts and their covenants;
And who pay heed to their prayers.Ultimately, there is none who can claim himself to be Pure or Mumins; Allah purifies who He Wish; and lets all others go astray who He Wish; and none knows who belongs to which category. So there is no way anyh can punish any. Now is the time for us to think afresh on Quranic behaviour.
