The Guardian: blogging the qur'an - ends with similar conclusions to us!
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peace all,
http//blogs.guardian.co.uk/quran/
The writer, broadcaster and cultural critic Ziauddin Sardar wrote a section for The Guardian newspaper online titled "blogging the quran". It was fairly popular and well read worldwide. The Guardian newspaper is one of the most well respected broadsheet newspapers in the UK.
You can read his reflections of his experience on the above site but basically he came to similar conclusions as many of us here have. )
Without the weight of tradition I have uncovered the Qur'an anew. Moreover, by reading the Qur'an on its own terms, by ignoring classical commentaries, I discovered that a great deal that goes under the rubric of "Islamic law" has little or no bearing on what the Qur'an says. Muslim attitudes to women, apostasy, other religions, freedom of expression, democracy, morality and ethics, based on sharia law, are diametrically opposed to the actual teachings of the Qur'an. I have always suspected this. But to see it unfold, as I tackled various verses and passages from week to week, has been nothing short of a revelation!
So, with new determination, I say we Muslims have to teach ourselves to read and think about the Qur'an, without the weight of tradition and classical commentaries. Tradition has come to mean following what historic generations thought and have said about the Qur'an - a process perpetuated by religious scholars who claim sole authority to interpret the Qur'an. But we need to read and think for ourselves; rather than simply read and repeat. Muslim scholars and experts should not exist as gatekeepers, permanently excluding us from using our knowledge and insight to make sense of the Qur'an for ourselves. To give them such power raises them above the text itself.
This is just another example of someone reading The Quran themselves, and in attempting to understand it, they inevitably arrive at the same conclusion.
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Salaam
The way he came to the conclusion in the blog is probably a rubric that many Muslims around the world have followed in their spiritual journeys'; it's a very relatable story.I feel that a movement towards a quran oriented study of islam is occuring even among traditionalists who are beginning to challenge the historicity of certain elements of Ishaq and Bukhari. The Quran is the recitation that we claim to be divinely inspired (because of its message and our personal faith building experiences) and our faith is in the quran, not the siras and hadiths.
Peace -
Thanks for the link Wakas, very interesting.
I've only read the introduction so far. I really appreciate the exchange between the author and a typical Sunni who E-mailed him saying he was not qualified to interpret the Quran, something most of us here have undoubtedly gone through http//www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/feb/02/abdullahalhasanvziauddinsardar
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Peace Wakas,
Interesting find. Ziauddin Sardar is quite famous internationally, so this might be an interesting development...
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I am glad to hear that. Two years ago, he was among the group at Muslim Institute in London participating my lecture. He was one of the witnesses of my debate with the imam who opposed the Quran alone and then could not defend his position and had to literally escape from the lecture room.
http//www.islamicreform.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=74adventures-of-an-islamic-reformer-at-oxford-london-and-istanbul
Ziyauddin had some reservation and after the lecture and debate we went to a restaurant and talked there little more. Though I knew that he was not a dogmatic follower of hadith, I did not expect from him cut loose from the orthodoxy. Mashallah.
Peace,
Edip -
peace all,
http//blogs.guardian.co.uk/quran/
The writer, broadcaster and cultural critic Ziauddin Sardar wrote a section for The Guardian newspaper online titled "blogging the quran". It was fairly popular and well read worldwide. The Guardian newspaper is one of the most well respected broadsheet newspapers in the UK.
You can read his reflections of his experience on the above site but basically he came to similar conclusions as many of us here have. )
This is just another example of someone reading The Quran themselves, and in attempting to understand it, they inevitably arrive at the same conclusion.
great article
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I am glad to hear that. Two years ago, he was among the group at Muslim Institute in London participating my lecture. He was one of the witnesses of my debate with the imam who opposed the Quran alone and then could not defend his position and had to literally escape from the lecture room.
http//www.islamicreform.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=74adventures-of-an-islamic-reformer-at-oxford-london-and-istanbul
Selam Edip
Interesting turn of events for you. I would have loved to be at your lecture in London. We share a little with the Turkish police as I am now wanted for not attending my national service although it has been persponed till the end of the year they are accusing me of staying in the country for 10 years without my knowledge. Its amazing how I could be in two places at once. Specially as I was born and raised in London and only ever spent 4 weeks in Turkey all my life, going there twice for two weeks at a time. They don't seem to be very reasonable people although I have proof. Oh well not to worry.
Peace
