“And never concern thyself with anything of which thou hast no knowledge......" Commands the Holy Quran for the Muslim Ummah

“And never concern thyself with anything of which thou hast no knowledge......" 
Commands the Holy Quran for the Muslim Ummah

ABSTRACT

 “And never concern thyself with anything of which thou hast no knowledge: verily, [thy] hearing and sight and heart - all of them - will be called to account for it [on Judgment Day]!”

Does this ayah mean that we just move away from anything that we do not know about? Surely not; this will nip in the bud all roads to progress and enquiry and development. Not only this is against the spirit of innovation of our Century, but also against one of the basic Messages of Islam. For the Quran declares

“(Here is) a Book which We have sent down unto thee, full of blessings, that they may mediate/ponder on its Signs/Messages, and that men of understanding/those who are endowed with insight may receive admonition/take them to heart.”

The ayah is warning us not to grapple with a situation without any information about it. It wants us to first decipher the details and facts about any issue, form an opinion and then pursue it. This is the assessment of a PPK Muslim based on the literal meaning in the context of the general message of Islam. The Mufassirs have dived deeper and placed this ayah on particular situations of life. Dr. Mohammed Asad has this to say: “This would seem to relate to groundless assertions about events or people (and hence to slander or false testimony), to statements based on guesswork unsupported by evidence, or to interfering in social situations which one is unable to evaluate correctly.” Maulana Maudoodi and the thinker and research scholar Javed Ahmed Ghamdi have similar opinions. Nasr, Seyyed Hossein et al in their modern exegesis The Study Quran read this ayah as opposing the concept of Taqleed — blind imitation — proposed by the scholars of the tenth century Hijra and which has led to the present intellectual stagnation of Muslims. To the best of my knowledge Taqleed has been and still is a very strong driver and demand of the traditional scholars of all the four schools of Sunni Islam. Even today in the twenty first century in the USA, there are highly educated elites like doctors, dentists, IT specialists and lawyers who do not mind rushing through the mantra of the Holy Quran in Taraweeh prayers as a result of “taqleed” of some fatwaa in the ninth/tenth century. I am sure they have a ready explanation in the Hereafter for this irrational behavior in the face of clear instructions in the Quran to understand the Quran and recite it “slowly and deliberately”. Allah Ta’aala has declared:

“ Then, shall ye be questioned that Day about the “na-eem” —variously translated as joy/boom/pleasure/bounties/delight/bliss —  (ye indulged in!)

What better bounty can one imagine than the intelligence and reasoning that these professionals are endowed with. They have applied it brilliantly for the mundane success for themselves and their families but refuse to use it to understand their deen (in small matters like the issue of Taraweeh and in bigger ones like stoning to death or executing an apostate) and instead have opted for taqleed. I am sure they have prepared a good defense to be presented in the Hereafter for this differential treatment. 

In short, slander or false testimony, guesswork, presumption instead of knowledge, superstitions, mistrusts (bud-gumani), doubts and suspicions, conjectures and speculations in all aspects of life does not behove a Muslim. S/he should distance herself/himself completely from them. 

The next part of the ayah uses the term “heart”.  Here and else where in the Quran this word is best expressed in the Urdu phrase “dil-o-dimaagh”. The expression heart really stands for mind and its deliberations; the seat of understanding as well as faith. We are told that our ears, eyes and the mind are fully accountable on the Final Day. We will have to explain what and why we tried to hear, what and why we attempted to see and all that went in our mind. 

April 23, 2017

 Read ONLY,  IF AND WHEN you have time and mood for: 

 “An Ayah of the Quran for 30 Days” -- April 2017

Choose the section you have time, in the next 30 days to read this ayah:-

Prelude:                       Recurrent Primary Message          1st.                 Page

Starting Dua, a note & The Ayah                                       2nd.               Page

A Short Summary:       For the Busy Bee                            One Plus        Pages

The Main Story:           Recommended                               Two Plus         Pages

Footnotes:                   For the Perfectionist                        One                 Page

PRELUDE

From the Pen and Perspective of a self-styled PPK Muslim (Proud, Practicing, Knowledgeable) with a humble submission that Islam totally rejects Blind Following BUT vigorously focusses on the Limitations of Pure Human Reasoning..............and clearly and comprehensively AlLAH knows best.

In the beginning of the seventh century C.E., the folks of Mecca and Medina had a fascinatingly unique window: they had direct access to the Heavens through one of their own. They were blessed with a regular stream of Divine counseling and guidelines. Question and answer sessions were part of the program. Even individual questioner was graced by an answer. In the short Introduction to this scheme they were assured that at the end of this twenty-two year project, Divine Directions and Admonitions will continue through the agency of the PEN. The whole discourse has been preserved and archived till eternity under the guarantee of our Lord and Creator. This record in known as the Quran. 

It should sound unbelievable but factually appears to be true: Many of our prevalent, widespread and important concepts and opinions about religious matters do not have a basis in the Quran and sometimes even appear to be in obvious conflict with the teachings of the Quran. It would be very educative and helpful to discuss an Ayah once a month to see if it supports or rejects our views and actions in our daily life. I wish and hope this generates a fruitful interactive discussion. 

DUAA’

بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ

In the name of Allah, we praise HIM, seek HIS help and ask for HIS forgiveness. Whosoever Allah guideth none can misguide; whosoever HE allows to fall astray, none can guide him right. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah alone and we bear witness that Mohammed, SAW is HIS slave-servant and the Seal of HIS Messengers. 

Further, we recall that Allah Ta’aala has declared in HIS Book¹

 “He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing; but none will grasp the Message (or remember or receive admonition) but men of understanding (or intellect)”

 and we also recollect that he has warned us about the day of judgement² 

“Then on that day you shall most certainly be questioned about the boons (joy, pleasure).” 

We realise, that there cannot be a greater boon or blessing or benefit than wisdom and we wonder if this should be a timely reminder to very many of us sincere and practicing Muslims who use our critical thinking to enhance the mundane for ourselves and our families but resort to compulsory following -- taqleed, doctrine of classical Sunni Islamic Fiqh  -- in matters religion. 

(NOTE:  I have filtered out the proofs and details into the Footnotes for those who have the time and interest for them. The main email will then be reasonable length, hopefully for the busy majority. What follows is not a sermon; I do not feel qualified to give one, anyhow. I wish, it may provide a food for thought. A caveat seems in order: If the ayah selected pertains to issues we face in our daily life with our family, friends, neighbours or peers it may affect us personally and lead to some self analysis and soul searching which in turn could be divisive and distressing. If taken in the right spirit, it can be a humble attempt towards finding the “straight path”.) 

THE AYAH

 Surah Al Isra (17), Ayah 36

وَلا تَقفُ ما لَيسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلمٌ ۚ إِنَّ السَّمعَ وَالبَصَرَ وَالفُؤادَ كُلُّ أُولٰئِكَ كانَ عَنهُ مَسئولًا

“And never concern thyself with anything of which thou hast no knowledge: verily, [thy] hearing and sight and heart - all of them - will be called to account for it [on Judgment Day]!” Dr. Mohammed Asad

A SHORT VERSION

 “I am convinced about the veracity of my opinions, but I do consider it likely that they may turn out to be incorrect. Likewise, I am convinced about the incorrectness of the views different from mine, but I do concede the possibility that they may turn out to be correct.” — Imam Shafa’i

“And never concern thyself with anything of which thou hast no knowledge…….” says the ayah to start with. What does this statement and the language mean to a PPK Muslim? Does it mean that we just move away from anything that we do not know about? Surely not; this will nip in the bud all roads to progress and enquiry and development. Not only this is against the spirit of innovation of our Century, but also against one of the basic Messages of Islam. Contrary to the exclusive and dominant view when I was growing up and still a fairly common opinion, Islam demands its followers to think and ponder on every issue. One becomes a Muslim by reciting the Shahaada but not a Momin. True Eemaan needs a lot of thinning and deliberations into the Holy Text. The present common trend of memorising without understanding the Quran, daily reciting the text without grasping any sense, organising Qira’t (simply reciting in rhythm) competitions, the controversial enthusiasm to complete one reading of the Quran in the month of Ramadan (or better still in three, five or ten nights, Bravo!) by running through the Text as a mantra, (despite the clear instructions in the Quran to read it “slowly and deliberately) producing proudly fantastic calligraphy of holy scripture, decorating our walls with ayahs of the Quran in marvelous, beautiful and ornamental style — barely readable many times, let alone understanding it — on expensive carpets on our return from Hajj and Umrah is very commonly regarded as pious activities. May be, but it is far from and probably against the aim and design of Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo when HE communicated and entrusted this adorable Text to us through HIS beloved Messenger. Just look what HE has in HIS mind when HE decided to give us HIS Book:³ 

“(Here is) a Book which We have sent down unto thee, full of blessings, that they may mediate/ponder on its Signs/Messages, and that men of understanding/those who are endowed with insight may receive admonition/take them to heart.”

Let me quote a few more to drive in the point firmly:⁴  …………………

An example of the Star and Idol of Islam, Sayyedna Umar bin Khattab …………..

So the ayah does not mean, that we just bypass anything we do not know about. It is warning us not to grapple with a situation without any information about it. It wants us to first decipher the details and facts about any issue, form an opinion and then pursue it. 

This is the assessment of a PPK Muslim based on the literal meaning in the context of the general message of Islam. The Mufassirs have dived deeper and placed this ayah on particular situations of life. 

Dr. Mohammed Asad has this to say: “This would seem to relate to groundless assertions about events or people (and hence to slander or false testimony), to statements based on guesswork unsupported by evidence, or to interfering in social situations which one is unable to evaluate correctly.”

 Maulana Maudoodi, as expected is very explicit. He says: …………..

The thinker and research scholar Javed Ahmed Ghamdi, in his typical style confirms……………..

Nasr, Seyyed Hossein et al in their modern exegesis The Study Quran read this ayah as opposing the concept of Taqleed — blind imitation — proposed by the scholars of the tenth century Hijra and which has led to the present intellectual stagnation of Muslims. The authors maintain:  ……………I must point out that I am surprised when the authors state “the traditional Islamic discouragement of taqlīd”. To the best of my knowledge Taqleed has been and still is a very strong driver and demand of the traditional scholars of all the four schools of Sunni Islam. While I was growing up in Bombay (now Mumbai), India thinking and reasoning in religion was an anathema. Understanding and studying the Quran was an exclusive prerogative of the “ulema”. As I have stated earlier, even today in the twenty first century in the USA, one of the most if not the most advance country there are highly educated elites like doctors, dentists, IT specialists and lawyers who do not mind rushing through the mantra of the Holy Quran in Taraweeh prayers as a result of “taqleed” of some fatwaa in the ninth/tenth century. I am sure they have a ready explanation in the Hereafter for this irrational behavior in the face of clear instructions in the Quran to understand the Quran while reciting it “slowly and deliberately”. Allah Ta’aala has declared:5 

“ Then, shall ye be questioned that Day about the “na-eem” —variously translated as joy/boom/pleasure/bounties/delight/bliss —  (ye indulged in!)

What better bounty can one imagine than the intelligence and reasoning that these professionals are endowed with. They have applied it brilliantly for the mundane success for themselves and their families but refuse to use it to understand their deen  (in small matters like the issue of Taraweeh and in bigger ones like stoning to death or executing an apostate) and instead have opted for taqleed. I am sure they have prepared a good defense to be presented in the Hereafter for this differential treatment. 

In short, slander or false testimony, guesswork, presumption instead of knowledge, superstitions, mistrusts (bud-gumani), doubts and suspicions, conjectures and speculations in all aspects of life does not behove a Muslim. S/he should distance herself/himself completely from them. 

Allah Ta’aala Subhanahoo has ordained these principles elsewhere more clearly and emphatically……………

The next part of the ayah “verily, [thy] hearing and sight and heart - all of them - will be called to account for it [on Judgment Day]!” on the face of it seems to strike suddenly an entirely different chord. Does it? This is not the style of our Holy Text. There has to be a connection. But first, a clarification. The term “heart” here and else where in the Quran is best expressed in the Urdu phrase “dil-o-dimaagh”. The word heart really stands for mind and its deliberations; the seat of understanding as well as faith. There are no sanctions on the ground to implement the ordinances of Allah Ta’aala Subhanahoo: no police to arrest us, no attorney to indict us and no court to try and punish us. All this is deferred for the Final Judgement. Hence the Quran reminds us of the Hereafter in one form or the other immediately after most of the moral and ethical edicts. This, one may call a standard practice in the Quran. And this, for very good reasons. All such edicts are irrelevant to a non-believer in the Day of Judgement. Hence this is exactly the pattern here in this ayah. The ayah starts with an edict and goes on to end with a reminder of the Hereafter. We are told that our ears, eyes and the mind are fully accountable on the Final Day. We will have to explain what and why we tried to hear, what and why we attempted to see and all that went in our mind. 

The Study Quran offers a nuance on the meaning of the latter part of the ayah………………

........and Allah knows best. 

May Allah Ta’aala bless us with true understanding--“fahm”--of our Deen, Aameen.

THE MAIN STORY

“I am convinced about the veracity of my opinions, but I do consider it likely that they may turn out to be incorrect. Likewise, I am convinced about the incorrectness of the views different from mine, but I do concede the possibility that they may turn out to be correct.” — Imam Shafa’i

“And never concern thyself with anything of which thou hast no knowledge…….” says the ayah to start with. What does this statement and the language mean to a PPK Muslim? Does it mean that we just move away from anything that we do not know about? Surely not; this will nip in the bud all roads to progress and enquiry and development. Not only this is against the spirit of innovation of our Century, but also against one of the basic Messages of Islam. Contrary to the exclusive and dominant view when I was growing up and still a fairly common opinion, Islam demands its followers to think and ponder on every issue. One becomes a Muslim by reciting the Shahaada but not a Momin. True Eemaan needs a lot of thinning and deliberations into the Holy Text. The present common trend of memorising without understanding the Quran, daily reciting the text without grasping any sense, organising Qira’t (simply reciting in rhythm) competitions, the controversial enthusiasm to complete one reading of the Quran in the month of Ramadan (or better still in three, five or ten nights, Bravo!) by running through the Text as a mantra, ( despite the clear instructions in the Quran to read it “slowly and deliberately) producing proudly fantastic calligraphy of holy scripture, decorating our walls with ayahs of the Quran in marvelous, beautiful and ornamental style — barely readable many times, let alone understanding it — on expensive carpets on our return from Hajj and Umrah is very commonly regarded as pious activities. May be, but it is far from and probably against the aim and design of Allah Ta'aala Subhaanahoo when HE communicated and entrusted this adorable Text to us through HIS beloved Messenger. Just look what HE has in HIS mind when HE decided to give us HIS Book:³ 

“(Here is) a Book which We have sent down unto thee, full of blessings, that they may mediate/ponder on its Signs/Messages, and that men of understanding/those who are endowed with insight may receive admonition/take them to heart.”

Let me quote a few more to drive in the point firmly:⁴  ..

“A.L.R.  A Book which We have revealed unto thee, in order that thou mightest lead mankind out of the depths of darkness into light - by the leave of their Lord - to the Way of (Him) the Exalted in power, worthy of all praise!”

“And this is a Book which We have revealed as a blessing: so follow it and be righteous, that ye may receive mercy.”

An example of the Star and Idol of Islam, Sayyedna Umar bin Khattab further elaborates this point. It took almost three years for him to memorise the full Surah al Baqaraa. Why? He used to understand and practice the portion he had memorized. Only after he had accomplished what he had memorised, he would move forward to the next ayah. The moral is clear. Our first and foremost duty is to comprehend our Holy Text and apply it in our daily life. The other activities that  I have referred to may follow if one likes it.

So the ayah does not mean, that we just bypass anything we do not know about. It is warning us not to grapple with a situation without any information about it. It wants us to first decipher the details and facts about any issue, form an opinion and then pursue it. 

This is the assessment of a PPK Muslim based on the literal meaning in the context of the general message of Islam. The Mufassirs have dived deeper and placed this ayah on particular situations of life. 

Dr. Mohammed Asad has this to say: “This would seem to relate to groundless assertions about events or people (and hence to slander or false testimony), to statements based on guesswork unsupported by evidence, or to interfering in social situations which one is unable to evaluate correctly.”

 Maulana Maudoodi, as expected is very explicit. He says: “The meanings of "Do not follow that of which you have no knowledge" are very comprehensive. It demands that both in individual and collective life, one should not follow mere guess work and presumption instead of knowledge. This instruction covers all aspects of Islamic life, moral, legal, political, administrative and applies to science, arts and education.” He ends thus: “Above all, it cuts at the very root of superstitions, for this instruction teaches the Believers to accept only that which is based on the knowledge imparted by Allah and His Messenger.” 

The thinker and research scholar Javed Ahmed Ghamdi, in his typical style confirms that this injunction means that it is not permissible for any Muslim that he mistrusts (bud-gumani) anybody  or accuses somebody or proceeds against an individual without prior scrutiny or fans rumors merely on doubts and suspicions. He further extends the relevance of this ayah to forming any point of view on the identity, attributes or commandments of our Lord Sustainer merely on conjectures, doubts or baseless speculation. His own language is more convincing: اِس کے معنی یہ ہیں کہ کسی مسلمان کے لیے یہ بات جائز نہیں ہے کہ بدگمانی کرے یا کسی پر الزام لگائے یا تحقیق کے بغیر کسی کے خلاف کوئی قدم اٹھائے یا محض شبہات پر افواہیں اڑائے یا اپنے پروردگار کی ذات و صفات اوراحکام و ہدایات کے بارے میں ظنون و اوہام اور لاطائل قیاسات 

پر مبنی کوئی نقطۂ نظر اختیار کرے۔

Nasr, Seyyed Hossein et al in their modern exegesis The Study Quran read this ayah as opposing the concept of Taqleed — blind imitation — proposed by the scholars of the tenth century Hijra and which has led to the present intellectual stagnation of Muslims. The authors maintain: “Pursue not can also be rendered simply “Follow not,” indicating that one should not follow a path or a guide without knowing whether one will be led or misled; the verse can thus be read as supporting the traditional Islamic discouragement of taqlīd, the blind imitation or following of another in matters of theology. In fact, some suggested that this verse meant, with regard to legal rulings, that one should not make judgments based on speculation, even through the process of analogical reasoning (qiyās), though others argued that various legal determinations, such as estimating the direction of the qiblah or issuing a non-binding legal opinion (fatwā), necessarily entail some level of speculation”.  I must point out that I am surprised at “the traditional Islamic discouragement of taqlīd”. To the best of my knowledge Taqleed has been and still is a very strong driver and demand of the traditional scholars of all the four schools of Sunni Islam. While I was growing up in Bombay (now Mumbai), India thinking and reasoning in religion was an anathema. Understanding and studying the Quran was an exclusive prerogative of the “ulema”. As I have stated earlier, even today in the twenty first century in the USA, one of the most if not the most advance country there are highly educated elites like doctors, dentists, IT specialists and lawyers who do not mind rushing through the mantra of the Holy Quran in Taraweeh prayers as a result of “taqleed” of some fatwaa in the ninth/tenth century. I am sure they have a ready explanation in the Hereafter for this irrational behavior in the face of clear instructions in the Quran to understand the Quran while reciting it “slowly and deliberately”. Allah Ta’aala has declared:⁵ 

“ Then, shall ye be questioned that Day about the “na-eem” —variously translated as joy/boom/pleasure/bounties/delight/bliss —  (ye indulged in!)

What better bounty can one imagine than the intelligence and reasoning that these professionals are endowed with. They have applied it brilliantly for the mundane success for themselves and their families but refuse to use it to understand their deen  (in small matters like the issue of Taraweeh and in bigger ones like stoning to death or executing an apostate) and instead have opted for taqleed. I am sure they have prepared a good defense to be presented in the Hereafter for this differential treatment. 

In short, slander or false testimony, guesswork, presumption instead of knowledge, superstitions, mistrusts (bud-gumani), doubts and suspicions, conjectures and speculations in all aspects of life does not behove a Muslim. S/he should distance herself/himself completely from them. 

Allah Ta’aala Subhanahoo has ordained these principles elsewhere more clearly and emphatically:⁶

“O you who have attained to faith! Avoid most guesswork [about one another]1 - for, behold, some of [such] guesswork is [in itself] a sin; and do not spy upon one another, and neither allow yourselves to speak ill of one another behind your backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, you would loathe it! And be conscious of God. Verily, God is an acceptor of repentance, a dispenser of grace!”

The next part of the ayah “verily, [thy] hearing and sight and heart - all of them - will be called to account for it [on Judgment Day]!” on the face of it seems to strike suddenly an entirely different chord. Does it? This is not the style of our Holy Text. There has to be a connection. But first, a clarification. The term “heart” here and else where in the Quran is best expressed in the Urdu phrase “dil-o-dimaagh”. The word heart really stands for mind and its deliberations; the seat of understanding as well as faith. There are no sanctions on the ground to implement the ordinances of Allah Ta’aala Subhanahoo: no police to arrest us, no attorney to indict us and no court to try and punish us. All this is deferred for the Final Judgement. Hence the Quran reminds us of the Hereafter in one form or the other immediately after most of the moral and ethical edicts. This, one may call a standard practice in the Quran. And this, for very good reasons. All such edicts are irrelevant to a non-believer in the Day of Judgement. Hence this is exactly the pattern here in this ayah. The ayah starts with an edict and goes on to end with a reminder of the Hereafter. We are told that our ears, eyes and the mind are fully accountable on the Final Day. We will have to explain what and why we tried to hear, what and why we attempted to see and all that went in our mind. 

The Study Quran offers a nuance on the meaning of the latter part of the ayah. I will let you read it in the language of the authors: “The human faculties of hearing, and sight, and the heart are frequently invoked in the Quran, as they are understood to be three means by which people are guided to truth; the heart is traditionally considered the seat of understanding as well as faith. The three faculties are thus mentioned as gifts for which people should be grateful, but also as faculties that can be “removed,” “sealed,” or otherwise rendered ineffective by God as a punishment for wrongdoing or disbelief. Thus these three faculties will be called to account, meaning that one will be held accountable for their proper or improper use. The verse may also be read to mean that the faculties of hearing, sight, and the heart will themselves be questioned. This would be similar to other verses where one’s limbs and one’s skin are said to testify about and even against one on the Day of Judgment”.

........and Allah knows best. 

May Allah Ta’aala bless us with true understanding--“fahm”--of our Deen, Aameen.

Dr. Khalid Mitha

FOOTNOTES

(1) Surah 2/269

يُؤتِي الحِكمَةَ مَن يَشاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُؤتَ الحِكمَةَ فَقَد أوتِيَ خَيرًا كَثيرًا ۗ وَما يَذَّكَّرُ إِلّا أُولُو الأَلبابِ

(2) Surah 102/8

ثُمَّ لَتُسأَلُنَّ يَومَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعيمِ

(3) Surah 38/29

كِتابٌ أَنزَلناهُ إِلَيكَ مُبارَكٌ لِيَدَّبَّروا آياتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الأَلبابِ

(4) 

Surah 14/1

الر ۚ كِتابٌ أَنزَلناهُ إِلَيكَ لِتُخرِجَ النّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُماتِ إِلَى النّورِ بِإِذنِ رَبِّهِم إِلىٰ صِراطِ العَزيزِ الحَميدِ

Surah 6/155

وَهٰذا كِتابٌ أَنزَلناهُ مُبارَكٌ فَاتَّبِعوهُ وَاتَّقوا لَعَلَّكُم تُرحَمونَ

(5) Surah 102/8

ثُمَّ لَتُسأَلُنَّ يَومَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعيمِ

(6) Surah 49/12

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنُوا اجتَنِبوا كَثيرًا مِنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعضَ الظَّنِّ إِثمٌ ۖ وَلا تَجَسَّسوا وَلا يَغتَب بَعضُكُم بَعضًا ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُم أَن يَأكُلَ لَحمَ أَخيهِ مَيتًا فَكَرِهتُموهُ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوّابٌ رَحيمٌ

Full Body Burqua in the News in Europe; Is it an Islamic Shari’ah Prescription?

Full Body Burqua in the News in Europe

Is it an Islamic Shari’ah Prescription?

Women dressed in Full Body Burqua

The four human forms that you see in this picture shrouded from head to toe in black fabric are supposed to be Muslim women dressed, as they see it in a shari’ah conforming attire. Talking to them will confirm that they are indeed women. I feel very confused, disturbed and distressed when I see such pictures. It gives my adorable Divine Deen a very ugly color. It looks funny and strange; defies all sense; hides the identity of my Sisters; puts unnecessary and harsh constraints and limitations on them and their movements; they are supposed to hear with their ears tightly covered; they will talk and eat with their mouths covered; yes they can breath but cover their noses. Allow me to vent out my feelings to you all; perhaps it may relieve me.

I am very clear on one issue. Those women who think that full body burqua are required by the Shari’ah they must do it, come what may and despite what I say. I admire their courage of conviction to wear it in a Western society with all its negative impact. But they have to realise that three fourth of the world population find this outfit very amusing. Even the great majority of Muslims think that Islam is too rational and meaningful religion to suggest such a uniform for women. I think if these four women were to forget for a moment that this is a shari’ah requirement and then look in the mirror they will probably be surprised at themselves. I will hasten to repeat, this type of burqua immediately becomes acceptable, desirable and respectable IF (and this is a mighty if ) it is a command from God Almighty; in that case logic gives in to obedience. 

What is the source in Islamic Law for this type of burqua/hijaab/purdah? This is not a forum to debate the correct interpretations  of the ayahs in Surah Noor and Ahzaab and the relevant ahaadith which are the sources usually quoted. Most traditional Ulema of the Madrasah Curriculum and Madrasah Philosophy of Taqleed (mandatory following of the Fiqh of the Four Schools of Sunni Islam of the ninth and tenth century) and specially the scholars of the Wahaabi-Saudi school strongly support a strict and rigid burqua. Independent thinking Islamic scholars notable among them the research scholar and academician Javed Ahmed Ghamdi have logically proved that these ayahs do not recommend any dress code for Muslim women. They have explained the relevant ayahs in their proper context and critically analysed the hadith literature to prove that our Shari’ah outlines in fact a very clear Code of Conduct for Islamic decency and modesty for both Men and Women. Moreover a vast majority of Muslim women all over the world have not adopted the full-body burqua seen in the photograph. An abaya with covering of the head is more common. A very significant number of sisters have metamorphosed the whole-body burqua into just a scarf on their head. It is very strongly promoted as “the hijab” since the mid nineteen seventies. It is touted as “the Muslim identity” or “flying the flag of faith” in our confrontations and conflicts with the West — our past colonizers  and present “enemies and killers of Muslims”. To the best of my knowledge, this last form of hijaab has no basis in our Shari’ah; it is more an outcome of social, cultural and political forces.

The four women in the photograph are at the Senate in The Hague during talks to ban full-body burqas in some public places in the Netherlands. Are they allowed to be there by the Shari’ah which they profess to follow? No; they are not. They are ignoring the main part of the shari’ah requirement. Based on the Quran (ayahs 30-31 in Surah Noor no. 24 and ayahs 32-33, 53 and 59 of Surah Ahzab no.33), the Sunnah and Hadith, all the Four Schools of Thought of traditional Sunni Islam have unanimously agreed that “hijaab” prescribes the following dress and code of conduct for Muslim women:

  1) Women to stay indoors; home is their workplace.

  2) Total segregation of genders at all levels and at all times; no mixed events at all.

  3) If a woman has to step out of her home out of necessity, she should be covered the way we see in the photograph. 

Please note: women are to stay and work indoors, always be in the company of women, no mixed events except with mehram males. Burqua is needed if and only when they are commuting for urgent reasons. These are the requirements of the shari’ah of their choice. 

If strictly followed, there should not be much of a problem for these women with the society they are living in. But these ladies have decided to follow their shari’ah half way. They will flout the shari’ah (which they have decided to follow) and participate fully in society and deal with men everywhere and anywhere but, in deference to their Shari’ah they will drag the  full-body burqua into the streets, conferences, hotels and music concerts etc; take half, leave the other half. Result? Aberration and anomaly; confusion and conflict. Instead of a sister you are dealing with a human shape and configuration which sounds to be a female.

Suggested take home message: If these four sisters are following an edict of Allah Ta’aala Subhanahoo to don this full-body burqua, hats off to them. We should all try and emulate them. If this is not a divine injunction and it is not, it just cannot be then this outfit is anything but Islamic, looks odd and perhaps ludicrous, denies any personality to our sisters and enforces undue restrictions on their movements and their social interactions with other human beings.

I came across and interesting piece on this subject “What not to Wear”  "What Not to Wear"

 in the International section of the Economist dated January 28th 2017. The subtitle reads “A dispute over Muslim women’s attire is helping nobody”. I would like to share with you some informative portions of the article.

An unusual sight on a university campus in strictly secular France.

It speaks of Aïcha Khobeizi seen in the photo who is presenting “an unusual sight on a university campus in strictly secular France dressed in her bottle-green nylon skirt and matching veil”. When she first decided to wear a headscarf, at the age of 15, her mother laughed and her father also disapproved. She persisted any how because “But I felt something was missing. I was determined to wear it in order to feel at ease with who I am.” Good luck, please go ahead I would say. But this does not make it Islamic. Our deen has tried to address the business of  modesty and decency; the sister has made it an issue of identity in her struggle and confrontation with her fellow citizens. She wants a prominent marker on her body to distinguish herself from her fellow citizens; a sort of self profiling. It does not bother her that, in the process she becomes an enigma to ninety nine percent of  folks around her.

About the present social and political climate in secular France the author says “there is a remarkable consensus for upholding curbs on religious dress from public place ……François Fillon, a front-runner, backed local bans on the “burkini”, a modest all-in-one swimsuit, last summer and considers the spread of the veil to be part of what he calls “Islamic totalitarianism”. The author adds “Last month Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, told cheering members of her Christian Democratic party that exposing one’s features was part of normal interaction in a liberal society. Face covering, she said, should be banned “where legally possible”. He mentions a surprising piece of information “The strangest clampdown has occurred in Morocco. Earlier this month local officials told shopkeepers that the production, importation and sale of the burqa must end, and made them sign a document agreeing to the change.”

“Anxiety over Muslim dress is running high partly because of a surge in Muslim refugees ……and Islamist terrorist attacks in Belgium, France and Germany have stirred fears about immigrants” adds the author. I will strongly endorse when the author says “But there is a deeper cause. Secularist doctrine and Muslim culture are both evolving in a way that causes a clash over attire.” Put simply, the fight over the burqua and veil is not about religious phobias or racism. It is about culture and values, very highlighted in France. Muslim sisters would like to show the minimum part of their body. Western women, on the other hand  like to cover only the bare minimum required. The gulf is wide enough to cause friction in social interactions.

This debate is fast running away from law and shari’ah to personal opinions and individual freedom. As the article further says “In France, Quebec and even Turkey, a growing number of young Muslim women favour a live-and-let-live approach. “There’s no single meaning to the veil,” insists Ndèye Aminata Dia, a Senegalese-born woman working in Paris who has started a fashion line in stylish head-coverings. She wears her veil over a long flower-print skirt and carries a jaunty red handbag. “Wearing it doesn’t mean you are fundamentalist,” she says, “just as you can decide not to wear it, and still behave with modesty.” 

Some facts to correctly comprehend the real basis for this controversy over burqua according to the write-up: “Although Britons dislike mass immigration, they seldom get excited about Muslim dress. Nor do most Americans……..France is different. The roots of French political secularism, known as laïcité, go back to the revolution of 1789 and to an anti-clerical campaign in the early 20th century. By 1904 some 10,000 religious schools had been shut; thousands of priests fled France. “We have torn human conscience from the clutches of faith,” declared René Viviani, a Socialist minister. To France’s current Socialist government, with its strong attachment to laïcité , the row over the burkini was a rematch of 1905. Manuel Valls, then the prime minister and now a run-off candidate in the Socialist presidential primary, said the garment embodied the “enslavement of women”. Its logic, added the women’s minister, Laurence Rossignol, was “to hide women’s bodies in order better to control them”. Many citizens concur. Fully 72% say they would back outlawing the veil from university campuses, and 64% would ban the burkini from beaches.”

These facts also suggest that the root problem in this controversy is not Islamophobia or racism as much as deeply rooted social preferences and prejudices. Therefore to me as a Muslim, the crux of the problem  is to fall back on the source of our religion and find the correct verdict of our Shari’ah on this issue. If it prescribes burqua, we Muslims have no choice but to follow. However if it does not then Islam should not be dragged into the controversy. If some sisters feel a “sense of emancipation” or “knowing who I am” in burqua, please go ahead. Wish you good luck. But do not try to raise “a flag of Faith” above it. If you feel resistance from your fellow citizens, then deal with them without invoking Islam for it. The high sounding phrases usually thrown out such as “women emancipation” or “women enslavement” should be left to personal opinions. “Many educated young Muslim women consider themselves the beneficiaries of feminist battles fought by the previous generation. They have no time for arguments favored by academic feminists about whether the veil is a form of emancipation or oppression. Instead they insist on their right to dress how they like, whether in tight jeans or a full-length niqab, and not to be judged for it.”  I would like to add that the debate is and should be all about personal preferences, norms and rights, quite apart from religion or Islam.

When the government or state or establishment appears on the stage, the argument takes a different twist.  The article states: “From this perspective, the government’s attempts to impose and elaborate a dress code are not just an affront to their freedom but further proof of male chauvinism. ‘I am a feminist, I consider that I am equal to men and I wear what I want’ says Fatima El Ouasdi, a student in finance, who wears her skirt short and her hair loose and runs a women’s-rights group. ‘But the burkini ban really revolted me.’”

It adds “Yet the trend of “re-veiling” among young French women is sincerely regarded by many members of their mothers’ generation and by many politicians as part of a fundamentalist political project. They believe the government has both the right and the duty to oppose it. The French do not view the state merely as a provider of services but as a guarantor of norms. Lending legitimacy to certain individual choices is not just a matter of personal freedom but can have real social consequences.” To us Muslims, the phrase “guarantor of norms” should sound familiar and well come.

The article gives examples of the opposite trend i.e. to enforce the veil: “For evidence, some say, look at the banlieues (A suburb of a French city, especially an economically depressed suburb with a large immigrant population). The atmosphere in some heavily immigrant suburbs can curb freedom by making it hard not to wear the veil, argues Nadia Ould-Kaci, who co-runs a group called Women of Aubervilliers against the Veil. In recent years, she says, the spread of the veil in her district has reached “worrying” proportions. Girls of North African origin who do not wear it are insulted by being told that “God is ashamed of you.” The challenge is to defend women from such pressures while affirming individual freedom. “ Laïcité (French secularity; the French are very firm, sensitive and emotional about it) used to be about the neutrality of the state,” says Amélie Barras, a political scientist at York University in Canada. “But now it’s more about citizens, and what they can and cannot do.”

The last comment in the article explains the general approach of the folks towards this problem: social , cultural and political rather than religious: “One moderate in France’s presidential debate is Emmanuel Macron, a former Socialist minister. He argues that laïcité should not be “vindictive” and focused on prohibition. “I don’t think we need to invent new texts or new laws in order to chase the veil from universities,” he has said. Better to use other legal means of enforcing equality and women’s rights, such as child protection. Perhaps schools could take on the topic as part of civic education, and explain to girls that they can wear what they want within the law and do not have to dress how others tell them.” The author hastens to add “Such calm, nuanced thinking is rare. But France badly needs to work out how to marry secularism and liberty. If it cannot forge a more tolerant laïcité react, it runs the risk of estranging a generation of its own young Muslim women.”

A Gratifying Endorsement of One of the Islamic Values on Sex Morality in Modern America

A Gratifying Endorsement 

of

 One of the Islamic Values on Sex Morality in Modern America

It was really heartening to read an article Why It Matters That Pence Won’t Have Dinner With A Woman Who Isn’t His Wife in the Huffington Post of March 30, 2017 by Emma Gray. Not that our Islamic values need any approval from other sources. All the same it is a proof that ours is a Natural religion and builds on our natural God Given instincts.

Sex is a very strong appetite for all humans of all the genders. Unless society builds strong measures and barriers to harness it, this leads to widespread promiscuity, gender harassment and scandals: lots of them at all levels, high and low. I would call it a physiological phenomenon which is staring at us furiously in all modern “western” and fast intruding into “eastern” societies. The First, Effective and Bold step in this direction is the Golden Principle “ A man and woman should hate to be alone behind closed doors”. It builds a real and true family life, a unit of our society. I am really and pleasantly surprised to know that there are persons like our Vice President Mike Pence even in this openly and blatantly permissive society which he lives in. Hats off to him. The comments posted against this rule by the author and others are pure examples of ignorance. There have been numerous women as Prime Ministers, Presidents, Ambassadors, lawyers, doctors, CEO’s and successful business women in Countries that strictly follow this guideline. This is the first step to introduce some moral values in the present and prevalent amoral society fast descending into an abyss of immoral community.