9th June 2014
A perspective on Reconstruction
of Muslim Thought (with deference to Allama Iqbal)
By Syed Haider
Raza Mehdi
Yesterday’s
Karachi Airport attack, the slaughter of innocent people in the sectarian
madness which has gripped Pakistan, as in Quetta yesterday, the horrifying beheading
of soldiers by the TTP, the fratricidal bloodbaths
in Syria and Iraq,. What is going on? And why? Here’s a perspective.
It
starts with the fossilization and complete absence of any form of creative
reflective thought in the Muslim world. And I deliberately use the phrase
Muslim world and not Islamic world, for they represent two very different
perspectives. The former is the perspective adopted by Muslims, very dogmatic,
entrenched and narrow, while the latter would be, a perspective based on
rationale, logic and laws, which represent evolved thinking, societal development,
scientific and technological discoveries ( not “Islamic” science and
discoveries).
I say not Islamic discoveries, for the entire nature of the
Universe and Creation, for a believer in ‘Creationism” as we Muslims are, is
the Work of the One Supreme Creator. He Existed Before Everything and
After Everything. Quantum Physics proves the Universality of “energy” as the
only source of everything.
Muslim
thought, has unfortunately remained frozen, at a point in time in the 11th and
12th Century, based on an understanding and interpretation of Islam, Quran,
Hadith, Shariah and defined quite differently by 5 very eminent theologians;
; Imams Malik, Hanbal, Shafei, Hanifa and Jafar, with each school
claiming its way as the “right way”
Since
then the Muslim World has failed to re-interpret and redefine their code of
conduct based on very different individual, societal, scientific, technological
developments and challenges. The 5 theologians were certainly great,
eminent and well versed theologians, perhaps the leading scholars of the Quran,
Hadith, Jurisprudence, Shariah etc, of their times, but we must not forget that
they lived several hundred years ago, were not God Ordained Prophets and were
only able to do what they did, as best as they could, based on their personal
abilities, readings, research, understanding and their views of what the
Shariah Code should be for a society which existed in their times.
This is like
using the scientific and technological formulas and knowledge of the 11th and
12th century scholars of medicine, science, astronomy, physics, chemistry,
mathematics etc, in fact every aspect of life( all God’s Rules) to develop
things for today’s needs.
For
the Muslim world, to become truly “Islamic” which means being a humane, gentle,
inclusive, fair, tolerant faith, accepting the right of people to hold
divergent and contrarian views and beliefs, as most powerfully and symbolically
manifested in the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) Charter of Medina, must re-vitalize its
strongest value, which gave its greatest strength, that of reflection,
discussion, discourse, to find answers which today challenge the minds of 21st
Century Muslims and Non-Muslims.
And a process which must continue to develop
practical solutions, based on the eternal principles of Islam, which allows
people to practice a faith in new and evolved environments, as society changes
and morphs.
The
Muslim society, as History proves, reached its earlier zenith and height, not because
it was dogmatic, but dynamic, not exclusivist, but inclusivist, not fossilized
and frozen, but phenomenally fresh and continuously challenging and coming up
with answers and solutions for that day and age.
It certainly did not have a
“my way or the highway” message for non-believers, or those of different sects
or faiths but “I will fight to defend your highway”.
Unfortunately, the
continuous downfall of Muslim societies and this great liberating faith, can be
traced to the era of exclusivistic dogmatism following the interpretation by
the five Imams, when it became a “sin” to challenge existing dogma, even as
times and centuries passed. Unfortunately, this dogmatism has become even more
tragically entrenched today.
Today
Muslim Countries, collectively represent the worst forms and examples of
terrible, cruel and corrupt governance. We see the unending exploitation of the weak and the poor,
unbelievable poverty, non-existent health care, education, and job
opportunities, discrimination of every sort, zero scientific and technological
development, except for farces like the “water car” in Pakistan and other such
nonsense.
We must reflect, deeply, dispassionately and objectively that
something must be terribly terribly wrong in the manner in which we interpret
and practice our great Faith with the result that today, we are at the bottom
of pile. Our current state, certainly does not reflect the Great
Teachings of the Quran and The “True Way: and "Sunnah" of the Prophet” PBUH.
Above
all and foremost, Muslims of all pales and shades, will have to leave the
“politics” of “right” and wrong”. WE will have to make our beliefs a private contract and not a public one. However difficult this may seem, we must do so. For this is the only way we will move away from the need and
desire to declare the others as “Usurpers”, “non-Muslims” “unbelievers”,
with no right to live, exist with different views and faiths. The collective society can and will be be Islamic if its individuals act, according to its values not its rituals only. The state has to be fair to all, Muslims and Non Muslims
We
must learn to live in a world of divergent views and beliefs within and outside
the pale of Islam. This is the true message of an enlightened Islam and
an enlightened polity. We must reflect, challenge and come up with answers for
today.
We
must not blindly follow centuries old interpretations, by people who did the
best that they could, given what they knew then and what they saw then. We must reflect, discuss, discourse, research, re-interpret and manifest codes which
reflect our current states based on the Eternal principles as laid Down By The
Creator.