Disagreements: Keeping a Sense of Proportion
The following is an anecdote I wish to share particularly with my Muslim readers, as it pertains to the etiquettes of disagreement in matters of understanding the religion. Other readers may benefit more from the early part as well as the general principles in the conclusion.
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A common theme expressed by Muslim speakers when addressing audiences with varied backgrounds is the common origin of all humanity from a single mother and father. As the Qur’an says:
[O mankind, indeed We created you from a (single) male and female, and made you into nations and tribes so you may know one another. Truly, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you. Indeed, God is Knowing and Acquainted.] (Al-Hujurat 49:13)
In other words, people all over the world form a single human family comprised of different languages and colours, and also different creeds.
This point is so obvious as not to require further evidence from scripture, but indeed there are other verses of relevance. In particular, various prophets are described as the “brother” of their people, including Prophet Lut (Lot, peace be upon him) who was not even a blood relation (in the immediate sense) of the people of Sodom to whom he was sent:
[The people of Lut denied the messengers, when their brother Lut said to them: “Will you not fear (God)? Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.”] (Ash-Shu`araa’ 26:160-162)
Admittedly, there is a verse that seems to contradict the notion of a universal human brotherhood, and it appears in the same chapter as the first verse quoted above:
[The believers are but brothers...] (Al-Hujurat 49:10)
However, we should note that technically, what the verse denies is that the believers are anything to one another except a brotherhood. It does not preclude describing the broader human race as a brotherhood. It should also be noted that the Arabic term “ukhuwwah” is not as male-specific as the English translation implies.
In short, there is a brotherhood – and sisterhood – based on faith, and that is what the Muslims share with one another and nobody else. It is the concept of “Ummah”, or a single diverse nation. At the same time, Muslims share with all other children of Adam and Eve a family bond: brotherhood in humanity.
Islam: What’s in a Name?
[An edited version of this article was originally published in two parts at ReadingIslam.com]
It is a common practice of Muslim scholars writing on some field of knowledge to define its basic terms; when it comes to Arabic words, this involves looking at their root meanings as well as their usage.
This practice is certainly useful when seeking to understand Islam as a faith and way of life, as there are many things to learn from the very fact that it is so named. Generally speaking, when naming something new, or a new addition to the family, we choose a name that reflects the appropriate and desired meanings.
In this article, we shall explore five significant features of the name Islam, making special reference to how the Qur’an speaks of Islam and being Muslim. We shall note that the word reflects the concept of peace, that it is a name used right from the start, that it was specially chosen by the Creator, that it reflects an action and way of life, and that its meaning has a universal meaning and appeal.
Christmas and the “Muslim Jesus”
So it is Christmas again, and I wish all my readers the choicest greetings. I have previously posted some of my reflections on Christmas as a Scottish Muslim. Here in Egypt it will be celebrated by the Coptic community on 7th January, and it is also a national holiday. Idris Tawfiq, who was a Catholic priest before becoming a Muslim, has also presented his thoughts on the occasion at Reading Islam.
On a related note, I have noticed an increase in usage lately of the phrase “The Muslim Jesus”. Former Cambridge professor Tarif Khalidi wrote a fascinating compilation of Muslim traditions related to the Prophet Jesus (on whom be peace), and there was an ITV documentary broadcast in 2007 by the same title. Emel magazine has given this title to its latest issue, as did – more surprisingly – the New Statesman magazine of 14th December 2009. The latter featured an in-depth, very interesting article by Mehdi Hasan in which he outlined Islamic doctrine concerning this great prophet, and explored its significance in the field of inter-religious dialogue.
One particularly interesting excerpt that chimes with my experience:
But the real significance of Mary is that Islam considers her a virgin and endorses the Christian concept of the Virgin Birth. “She was the chosen woman, chosen to give birth to Jesus, without a husband,” says Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, an imam in Leicester and assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB). This is the orthodox Islamic position and, paradoxically, as Seyyed Hossein Nasr notes in ‘The Heart of Islam’, “respect for such teachings is so strong among Muslims that today, in interreligious dialogues with Christians . . . Muslims are often left defending traditional . . . Christian doctrines such as the miraculous birth of Christ before modernist interpreters would reduce them to metaphors.”
For what it’s worth, I question how effective the expression “Muslim Jesus” actually is, as it seems to miss the point that religious people today, like millions throughout history, have exerted their efforts to understand the implications of this unique man’s short life on earth and the message he brought. Indeed, this struggle was manifested in the earliest days in divisions between competing sects – which repeatedly turned towards violence and oppression. Did each group have its own Jesus, or was there a greater truth at stake?
To Muslims, Jesus (on whom be peace) is an example to be followed, a perfect worshipper of Almighty God. This is what we must contribute to the discourse first and foremost, as we understand Islam (wilful submission to God) to be the religion of Jesus and all prophets and their followers. Thus we expect all religious people to seek to be the best “small-m muslims” they can be, even if they do not agree with us that this consists in being a “big-M Muslim” who follows Muhammad, the successor to Jesus – peace be upon them.
1001 Inventions
I used to wonder about the title “1001 Inventions”, since the exhibition is not (yet) as vast as that. It turns out that it was a take on the exotic “1001 Nights” concept, showing that the history of Arab and Islamic civilisation should be seen in a new light.
Common Word: “now for action”
There is an article at IslamOnline about a recent conference in the USA developing the dialogue initiative now well known as A Common Word:
Religious scholars, politicians and experts agree that a Muslim dialogue initiative for the Christian world needs action to address all the challenges still standing between the followers of the two Abrahamic faiths.
“I think what we are addressing… is how to develop out of ‘A Common Word’ a common work together and common partnership,” John Esposito, professor of International Affairs and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University, told IslamOnline.net.
Esposito was among a galaxy of international religious scholars and experts participating in a two-day conference sponsored by Georgetown’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and the office of Georgetown University President.
The conference, “A Common Word Between Us and You: A Global Agenda for Change”, is a follow-up on an October 2007 letter from Muslim scholars to the world’s Christian clergy urging dialogue to declare the common ground between Islam and Christianity.
For more details of the project itself, see the official website: A Common Word Between Us and You
Esposito was among a galaxy of international religious scholars and experts participating in a two-day conference sponsored by Georgetown’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding and the office of Georgetown University President.
The conference, “A Common Word Between Us and You: A Global Agenda for Change”, is a follow-up on an October 2007 letter from Muslim scholars to the world’s Christian clergy urging dialogue to declare the common ground between Islam and Christianity.
And among His signs…
The following video is from the 2008 launch of the Scottish-Islamic Foundation, of which I was a director at the time. After the introduction by the chair is a recitation from the Qur’an delivered by yours truly, of a passage I selected due to the universal significance of its meanings.
Here is the A. Yusuf Ali translation of the verses recited:
{ So (give) glory to God, when ye reach eventide and when ye rise in the morning;
Yea, to Him be praise, in the heavens and on earth; and in the late afternoon and when the day begins to decline.
It is He Who brings out the living from the dead, and brings out the dead from the living, and Who gives life to the earth after it is dead: and thus shall ye be brought out (from the dead).
Among His Signs in this, that He created you from dust; and then,- behold, ye are men scattered (far and wide)!
And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect.
And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colours: verily in that are Signs for those who know.
And among His Signs is the sleep that ye take by night and by day, and the quest that ye (make for livelihood) out of His Bounty: verily in that are signs for those who hearken. }
[Ar-Rum 30:17-23]
Declining Christian worship? A sad thing
I gave a quote for a piece on former church buildings being used for Muslim worship, which appeared in UAE-based paper The National:
As Christian church attendances continue to fall, more church property may transfer to Muslim ownership. “There is sometimes opposition,” said Sohaib Saeed, a young volunteer imam and scholar at Cairo’s renowned Al Azhar University. “But others appreciate that the buildings are still put to religious use. I remember passing a church that had become a nightclub, seeing people outside with glasses of beer and feeling regretful, not because I thought it should be a mosque but because I wished it had still been a place of worship.”
Read the whole thing here: Empty churches, full mosques
A Muslim Christmas?
I wish all my readers a joyful ‘Eid al-Fitr and pray that Allah accepts the efforts of all who fasted and prayed in the blessed month that just left us.
Do check out this informative and entertaining article by Mr Moo (Musab Bora), which originally appeared in the Guardian: Is Eid the Muslim Christmas?
Speaking of Muslims and Christmas, below I’ve reproduced an article by yours truly, published (in reduced form) last Christmas in the Edinburgh Evening News…
Fridays at the Synagogue
See this video about a “super-unusual” arrangement between the Jewish and Muslim communities in Northern Virginia.
I’m not certain of the juristic positions of the respective faiths on this matter, but I do recall a rabbi mentioning in an inter-faith discussion I attended that he would have no discomfort in performing his prayers in a mosque if welcomed, whereas he would not do the same in a church.
Heroes with super-values
There’s been a buzz around “The 99″ for some time, but the latest news is that these Islam-inspired superheroes will soon be making their debut on British TV.
They have proved a hit from Morocco to Indonesia and were recently named as one of the top 20 trends sweeping the world by Forbes magazine. Now they are being brought to British television by Endemol, the production company behind Big Brother, with a mission to instill Islamic values in children across all faiths. [...]
They were created by Dr Naif al-Mutawa, a clinical psychologist from Kuwait, who felt Muslim children needed a new set of heroes to look up to, to counter jihadist role models. [...]
Dr al-Mutawa hopes the cartoons will have a universal appeal. He said: “It is based on attributes such as generosity and mercy. These are not things that Islam has a monopoly over.”
One rather strange point in the Independent’s report was the claim that “there will never be a full cast of 99 superheroes since it is forbidden to depict all Allah’s attributes.” I can’t see what this statement is based on, and there are two further problems with it: (1) God’s attributes cannot truly be portrayed in the first place, but these are characters just reflecting some aspect of the “99 Names”; (2) Although it’s not commonly known, God has more than 99 names, as evidenced in a supplication taught by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), in which we say:
“O Allah, I am your servant, son of Your servant, son of Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your hand; Your command over me is forever executed; Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Qur’an the springtime of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and release from my anxiety.”
