Archive for Concepts
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.
The Art of Apology
There can be many reasons to apologise, and this is a must when you have done something wrong by another person, even an adversary. A sincere apology opens hearts, and that is why it can even have uses when you are not entirely in the wrong. Sometimes you may search for something in your behaviour to apologise for, just to engage the other person and bring an emotional aspect into the dialogue. It is probably beyond all civilised behaviour to reject a sincerely presented apology, and doing so would make the rejecter seem mean-spirited and would in fact weaken his standing in any debate.
I regularly come across “bogus apologies”, where a form of words is used that is supposed to count as an apology while lacking the hallmarks of sincerity. The professionals at this are those journalists with a penchant for smearing or libelling groups of people. Remember Robert Kilroy-Silk? Rather than apologise for his racist diatribe in 2003, he said: “It has obviously caused great distress and offence and I can only reiterate that I very deeply regret that.”
People tend to dislike being asked for an apology, but I believe we should welcome this invitation. If someone knows – or believes – that I have done something wrong, I want them to tell me rather than store some resentment which could have repercussions farther down the line. Least of all do I want to meet my Lord while some person has a rightful claim against me which we did not settle in earthly life. This is part of the spirit behind the saying of ‘Umar b. al-Khattab: “God bless the person who gifts me my faults.”
An apology – and its acceptance – should draw a firm line under an issue and any subsequent mention of the matter should be avoided as far as possible. Unfortunately, some people like to bring up old grievances that they had supposedly forgiven, rather than letting old wounds heal over completely.
With these things in mind, I have compiled this simple guide to apologising, which is based upon Islamic teachings of how to repent to God Almighty for our sins – see, for example, the writings of Imam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah.
7/7 four years on
Extremism relies on despair and is defeated by hope
Sohaib Saeed
Originally published in the Edinburgh Evening News, 7th July 2006
A YEAR ago, Thursday morning: something on the news about a power surge in the London Tube; I get some breakfast, and it looks to have been a series of bombings; by lunchtime, it was the al-Qaida network and the Muslim threat within.
In the weeks that followed, I was hot property in the media’s eyes: what can this young bearded man tell us about these Angry Young Muslims and the process of radicalisation? I don’t know, I said; I can tell you anything about facts, but I’m not going to jump on any bandwagon and point the easy finger at the mosques, the youth, the Muslim communities.
I’m not interested in agenda-driven polls like in The Times this week – I reckon poll is short for “polarise”. Muslims are horrified by terrorism, full stop. The London bombings affected people of all backgrounds and ways of life. They harmed not only all those people killed or injured, but also our whole society. Years of harmony-building effort were set back by this devastating criminal act, condemned in the sight of the Creator – whatever name we may call Him by.
Just as it was hard to remember what life was like before 9/11, 7/7 became another turning point. Headlines in the papers became hysterical: one screamed “Radical Islamists at Scots universities” – which was news to me as a student well connected to Islamic societies around Scotland. The “story” was based on assertions made by Prof Anthony Glees, labelling Dundee University as a breeding ground for extremism on the basis of precisely nothing. I recall how distressing this was for Muslim students there, who have since faced increased scrutiny and visits by Special Branch.
I learned an important lesson that summer, though: not to assume that people are like some in the media portray, or that they are shaped by the negativity they are exposed to. I hope others can bear that principle in mind when thinking about Muslims too. The Central Mosque on Potterrow opened its doors every day in August for the annual Discover Islam Exhibition. So many people came, and I was amazed and heartened by their warmth and interest to know us and what we are about.
Read the rest of this entry »
Born believers – new study
Children are born believers in God, academic claims
Dr Justin Barrett, a senior researcher at the University of Oxford’s Centre for Anthropology and Mind, claims that young people have a predisposition to believe in a supreme being because they assume that everything in the world was created with a purpose.
He says that young children have faith even when they have not been taught about it by family or at school, and argues that even those raised alone on a desert island would come to believe in God.
Very interesting, though rather a familiar idea to a Muslim! The Prophet Muhammad (on whom be peace) taught: “Every newborn is born upon the Natural Way (fitrah) and it is his parents who make him Jewish, Christian or Magian.” And we might add: or atheist.
While the term ‘fitrah’ is understood to mean Islam, the wording is important because it indicates that what we mean by children being “born Muslims” is the most essential meaning, namely the natural inclination of the soul to recognise its Creator and worship Him. That, after all, is the meaning of Islam: wilful submission to God’s will, so we can see clearly why the “natural way” is considered synonymous with Islam.
Because of this concept, many people who accept Islam later in life prefer the term “revert” over “convert”, to reflect the idea that they are coming back to something they always recognised in their heart of hearts. As the Qur’an says:
{ And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam – from their loins – their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], “Am I not your Lord?” They said, “Yes, we have testified.” [This] – lest you should say on the day of Resurrection, “Indeed, we were of this unaware.” } [Al-A'raf 7:172]
“Shari’ah Courts” in Britain
Shari’ah is a word that can single-handedly create a media storm. It is one of a set of terms (also including fatwa, burka, …) that have made their way into mainstream discourse in the English language without a proper understanding of their meanings.
The term “sharia courts” conjures quite a terrifying image in many people’s minds, combining all the “barbarity” that is assumed of Islamic law with the notion of a “separate law” for Muslims operating in secret enclaves, allowing Muslims to circumvent British law and eventually impose their own way across the British isles!
The simple point that is often missed is that, rather than being a specific legislative code that takes one form only, Shari’ah is understood by Muslims as the law based upon divine revelation, and aspects of this legislation will vary according to place and time, due to the inherent flexibility of Islam. So Muslim scholars obviously have ways of reconciling their place within a society like the UK that is majority non-Muslim and has a basically secular legal system.
While the focus may be on matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance, let’s not forget that Muslims also eat, pray and sleep according to the Shari’ah, which is the path through which we seek God’s pleasure in obedience to His guidance, which in turn is for our own benefit.
