Archive for Language
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.
Sunni-Shi’i Rapprochement
Among the scholars, intellectuals and leaders within the worldwide Muslim Ummah (community), one of the most prominent figures who emphasise the need for dialogue in all its forms is Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars. This attitude can be seen even in his books on aspects of Islamic jurisprudence, such as his research on music, in which not only does he disagree with the prevailing view on its prohibition, but exemplifies the way to disagree with respect and in the spirit of truth-seeking.
Here I want to share a very useful summary by Dr Qaradawi – a Sunni scholar – of the need for intra-faith dialogue between Sunnis and Shi’ah, as the two main branches within the Ummah today and historically. Many points from this (translated) research can be generalised and adapted for the purpose of the Charter of Religious Dialogue which this diablog is working to build.
Principles for the Rapprochement of Muslim Schools of Thought
The main sections, which you may access directly on their own pages, are:
Personally, I have not done a great deal of reading in this field, nor engaged in much dialogue with people of the Shi’ah. I do think there are a number of interesting questions that arise from this issue, giving us cause to think more broadly than the specifics of Sunni-Shi’i dialogue.
Points of divergence
What makes a Shi’i a Shi’i? (Or someone may ask the opposite question for a Sunni.) The origin of the question is a political matter, namely the dispute over the succession of leadership after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (on whom be peace), who was the leader of the Muslims in every sense. Over the centuries, the differences between Sunnis and Shi’ah has not remained in the political sphere, so it is interesting to consider how the various doctrinal, jurisprudential and geographical/sociological differences we see today came to be. I see this as retracing our steps to see where we went wrong (whoever it was who was at fault).
Labels
If the term Sunni means someone who is upon the example and tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and the word Shi’ah has its origins in expressing loyalty to ‘Ali, who was the fourth of the universally acknowledged righteous caliphs (may God be pleased with them), why would anyone wish to have one of these labels while making a point of rejecting the other? It seems plausible that some Sunnis would claim, “We are the true Party of ‘Ali,” and that some Shi’is would claim “We are the true people of Sunnah.” This question leads us to reflect on the nature of labels and why and how they are used.
That’s all I’ll note; please do see Sheikh Qaradawi’s paper and let me know your thoughts.
Bismillah (in the name of God)
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful…
Welcome to a new blog which has existed in my mind for quite some time. My intention here is to explore and expound the principles of meaningful, effective dialogue on the subject of religion. Please see the About page for more details of the spirit of this diablog.
Since I have started in the name of God, it seems fitting to share a thought-provoking article by Dr Umar Farooq Abd-Allah:
“One God, Many Names” (PDF download)
It is a fairly brief exposition of the use of the name “Allah” to refer to the One God, and corrects a number of misconceptions that exist surrounding this.One of them is the hesitance some Muslims have to use other names in reference to Allah, such as the standard English term God (with a capital ‘g’).
More significantly, I have found many Christians (usually more among those with a keenness for evangelism) who believe that the names “God” and “Allah” have two different referents, so one of them is the true “God of the Bible” (Who of course is referred to by other terms in the Bible’s original language) and the other is a “false god” – or even, according to one particularly wild theory, the “moon god”. We often find the media manipulating this perception in the minds of the public by translating a whole speech by some fanatic or other but not translating the term used for God, Allah. We always read of extremist Muslims who “kill in the name of Allah” – this phraseology obviously being chosen to imply a particular fanaticism among those who use this term to refer to the same God, in Whose name(s) other people do kill.
It is a very crucial point that Jews, Christians and Muslims (and of course we can extend this list) worship the same God, even if their doctrines differ sharply in numerous ways. My Christian friend believes that God is a trinity, made up of Father, Son and Spirit. I point out that the only one of these Who is God is the One he is describing as “Father”, while the others are not equal persons. But more importantly, I emphasise that we may have different beliefs and descriptions of God, but that does not mean we are referring to two different entities. Both of us are saying that we worship the One Who created all things, and neither of us would admit that there is any more than One Who can be truly described as such. So our monotheism (however different its expression) leads us to the conclusion that there is One God upon Whose description we need to work to agree, in the pursuit of true belief and worship.
