In the first part, we arrived at the conclusion that "critical thinking" and "thought based action" are integral parts of the defense against the troubles of Antichrist. However, the inherent divergence of opinions among the critical thinkers is an issue to be digested, because Islam constructs a firm rejection against disputes. In this article, we are going to scrutinize the difference between what Islam really says and what people understand, and how people are paving with their very hands the way for the coming of Antichrist.
When you listen to the preachers or the religious leaders, they would appreciate the differences of opinions among the scholars and would consider this as a blessing from God. In this context, the classical example given is the difference of opinion among the imams of the four major schools of practice (i.e. hanefi, shafii, maliqi, hanbali). But when it comes to the contemporary issues, anything that diverges from the teachings of those imams of centuries ago are considered as part of the dispute that is condemned in the Quran and hadith. If you ask why, here is the explanation they give.
There are verses in the Quran that tell about the clarity of the meanings in the Quran, hence the corrupt nature of the requests for new interpretations. Prophet Muhammad himself made interpretations, and he implicitly endorsed his companions and the first two generations following them to do the same. Us, who are not among those generations and who are 14 centuries away from them, who are engulfed in worldly innovations, etc. etc. are not qualified to make interpretations. If really necessary, the scholars that are trained in Islamic schools of fiqh would extract jurisdictions. Other Muslims need not worry, and just need to obey the rulings from those holy scholars.
So, we, the ordinary Muslims, go home thinking that our religion has already been analyzed thoroughly, and there is no need for further scrutiny, there is no room for real discovery. Even if there is an extraordinary situation, there is a knowledgeable elite to address it. Despite this conclusion of ours, the unprecedented complexities of the humanity and the propositions from science and philosophy don't leave us alone, and we find ourselves in endless arguments, so we keep bothering the scholars and imams.
It is exactly when the scholars feel cornered that they look for a solution, i.e. new interpretations. But when this happens, the believers split into groups. Some of them support the new interpretations and some others condemn those novelties as corruption. In this spectrum of opinions, we can see those who welcome almost anything as Islamic on one end, and the extreme conservatives and fundamentalists on the other.
Seeing this weird picture, non-Muslims cannot decide which one of these various opinions represents Islam. So, they either study the religion themselves, and arrive at their own conclusion, or they listen to what the media says and stay distant.
When you listen to the preachers or the religious leaders, they would appreciate the differences of opinions among the scholars and would consider this as a blessing from God. In this context, the classical example given is the difference of opinion among the imams of the four major schools of practice (i.e. hanefi, shafii, maliqi, hanbali). But when it comes to the contemporary issues, anything that diverges from the teachings of those imams of centuries ago are considered as part of the dispute that is condemned in the Quran and hadith. If you ask why, here is the explanation they give.
There are verses in the Quran that tell about the clarity of the meanings in the Quran, hence the corrupt nature of the requests for new interpretations. Prophet Muhammad himself made interpretations, and he implicitly endorsed his companions and the first two generations following them to do the same. Us, who are not among those generations and who are 14 centuries away from them, who are engulfed in worldly innovations, etc. etc. are not qualified to make interpretations. If really necessary, the scholars that are trained in Islamic schools of fiqh would extract jurisdictions. Other Muslims need not worry, and just need to obey the rulings from those holy scholars.
So, we, the ordinary Muslims, go home thinking that our religion has already been analyzed thoroughly, and there is no need for further scrutiny, there is no room for real discovery. Even if there is an extraordinary situation, there is a knowledgeable elite to address it. Despite this conclusion of ours, the unprecedented complexities of the humanity and the propositions from science and philosophy don't leave us alone, and we find ourselves in endless arguments, so we keep bothering the scholars and imams.
It is exactly when the scholars feel cornered that they look for a solution, i.e. new interpretations. But when this happens, the believers split into groups. Some of them support the new interpretations and some others condemn those novelties as corruption. In this spectrum of opinions, we can see those who welcome almost anything as Islamic on one end, and the extreme conservatives and fundamentalists on the other.
Seeing this weird picture, non-Muslims cannot decide which one of these various opinions represents Islam. So, they either study the religion themselves, and arrive at their own conclusion, or they listen to what the media says and stay distant.
Is this state of disconnection and polarization pleasing to God? Before we say anything further, it is crucial that we see directly what the Quran and Hadith say about the topic of disputes, disagreements and differences.
"O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted." (49/13)
"It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah . But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding. [Who say], "Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower." (3/7-8)
"And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful. And do not be like the ones who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them. And those will have a great punishment." (3/104-105)Before looking at the hadiths, first let's make sense of these verses to further our analysis.
The first verse teaches us that the differences among people are actually will of God. Then, difference of opinion should not be evil, just by itself. In fact, this notion is highlighted in the second verse through the words of those firm in knowledge. These people admit that all those different interpretations could potentially be intended meanings by God. So, they carefully go for what they think is true, and ask in humbleness from Allah guidance and correction. By logic, you can see that people who are not firm in knowledge, instead of scrutinizing their opinions and thinking critically, exhibit hostility towards such differences in opinion, and comfort themselves by suppressing and silencing other opinions. And in fact, it is this hostility, which is burgeoning in an atmosphere of diversity but threatening diversity itself, that is criticized in the third verse. In other words, rather than the differences in opinions, it is the bigotry and polarization that is disliked and condemned in this verse.
Having read and pondered over the verses from Quran about the issue, now let's look at some of the relevant words of Prophet Muhammad pbuh:
"Beware! The people of the Book before were split up into seventy two sects, and this community will be split into seventy three: seventy two of them will go to Hell and one of them will go to Paradise, and it is the majority group." (Grade: hasan, Abu Dawud 4597)Among the classical commentaries about this hadith, you can hear that there are going to be exactly 73 groups among Muslims. This, I think, is a very shortsighted opinion. This hadith could mean that the Muslims are going to be divided at least as much as the people of the book, hence the difference of opinions.
The second half of the hadith forces us into further scrutiny. Why? Because in the appearance, it tells that the majority is always truthful, but we know that there are other hadiths implying otherwise (Sahih Al-Bukhari 7052,7055,7059,7062,7064,7066,7084). Plus, history is a testimony that majority is not necessarily always true. So, there must be other intentions behind these words.
One meaning could be that forced and misguided interpretations of the Quran will not be embraced by majority in the long run. So, the time is going to be a test for the veracity of an opinion. Another meaning could be that this expression is an exaggeration to highlight a notion. That notion is the difficulty of finding the path pleasing to Allah in times of aggravated disputes. Accordingly, this hadith is a call for attention. A third meaning is that this hadith is specifically talking about the near future after the prophet pbuh. We know that he was informed by God about certain events that are going to unfold after his death. But he was not given all the details, so, the prophet is trying his best to warn his companions and the generations following them of the upcoming conflicts.
Contemplating these options, we see that rather than the difference of opinions, it is the conflicts due to difference of opinion that we are alerted about in this hadith. The following hadith shows us another situation that we need to avoid:
"The most despicable amongst persons in the eye of Allah is one who tries to fall into dispute with others (for nothing but only to display his knowledge and power of argumentation)." ( Grade: sahih, Muslim 2668)
Again here, rather than the discussions, it is an evil motivation driving the discussions that we are warned against. That is dispute for its own sake, rather than for the sake of discovering the subtleties of the path of God and acting accordingly.
"I enjoin you to fear Allah, and to hear and obey even if it be an Abyssinian slave, for those of you who live after me will see great disagreement. You must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error." (Grade:sahih, Abu Dawud 4607)
This hadith is a very famous one that is used as a weapon to defeat an argument that is not voiced by the classical scholars or conservative imams. Briefly, what they say is: "anything that you claim, if it is new, it is wrong, because the messenger of God says so in this hadith! After all, anything he says is revealed to him, as told in the Quran: Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed,... (53/3-4) " Furthermore, "And whatsoever the messenger gives you, take it. And whatsoever he forbids, abstain (from it)." (59/7). Since you wouldn't like to position yourself against the prophet, you feel awkward to continue, and shut up.
But if you have more courage and wisdom to clarify yourself, you explain the rationality of your point and underline the incompatibility between the classical stance and the modern conditions. Then, they stop you with the Quranic verse (5/3) about the perfectness and completeness of Islam. At this point, you are not expected to say even a single word, because who are you to say anything about religion of God, given that you are not a trained scholar. Hasn't Muhammad pbuh said "whoever says (something) about the Qur'an according to his own opinion and he is correct, yet he has committed a mistake." (Tirmidhi, Tafsir 2952)
But if you have more courage and wisdom to clarify yourself, you explain the rationality of your point and underline the incompatibility between the classical stance and the modern conditions. Then, they stop you with the Quranic verse (5/3) about the perfectness and completeness of Islam. At this point, you are not expected to say even a single word, because who are you to say anything about religion of God, given that you are not a trained scholar. Hasn't Muhammad pbuh said "whoever says (something) about the Qur'an according to his own opinion and he is correct, yet he has committed a mistake." (Tirmidhi, Tafsir 2952)
The shear warning against anything and everything new has burdened the early scholars as well, because clearly, with the passage of time and the change of conditions geographically and culturally, there must be new injunctions for the practice of religion. Plus, the prophet himself approved of such interpretations at other occasions. So, what is meant here?
The bottom line in that discussion is that a novelty that supersedes and puts to oblivion a clear injunction in religion is what is condemned in this hadith. So, the points that are left vague are not at the target of this hadith. Furthermore, we can see, using our previous analysis of the verse from chapter Ali-Imran (3/7-8), that the effort to suppress other opinions while highlighting and promoting yours is an indication of the falsehood of that path. And this hadith is reiterating that in view of the upcoming conflicts after the death of the prophet. In fact, the history shows us that in the times following the prophet, there have been efforts to establish a politically guided interpretation of Islam while curtailing the other free thinkers.
The second point about the holy status of everything that the prophet utters is an exaggeration and a clear misinterpretation of the verse, because the context of that verse refers to the Quran itself. Second, life details of the prophet Muhammad pbuh and several Quranic verses criticizing/correcting him are against those who claim this verse as a proof that everything is revealed to him. If you are interested, you can read another blog specifically on this issue (Chosen From Among Us Humans).
And then comes the perfectness and completeness of Islam. What people have difficulty in understanding is that the perfection and completeness of Islam is not due to its coverage of all possible conditions and thoughts that could occur to humanity, but rather due to its simplicity and approval of "interpretations in an atmosphere of friendly divergence". This is the whole point of this blog, but let's make it clear through Quran and hadith.
Had the Quran taught everything that we need in an explicit manner, there would be no need for scholars at all, or even a messenger thereof. So, the example of the prophet is needed to understand the book of God, or to establish a methodology to interpret it. This is how all scholars, classical or non-traditional, find authenticity within the borders of Islam. If you curtail the work of some scholars, or any thinker for that matter, you render all interpretations baseless. In the end, all of these efforts throughout the history and the hadiths and verses about their authenticity are clear evidence that perfectness of Islam lies in the "brevity of its pillars of faith and small number of clear orders" and in its invitation to "think and take lessons from the creation", hence a stable belief with a dynamic intellect.
The bottom line in that discussion is that a novelty that supersedes and puts to oblivion a clear injunction in religion is what is condemned in this hadith. So, the points that are left vague are not at the target of this hadith. Furthermore, we can see, using our previous analysis of the verse from chapter Ali-Imran (3/7-8), that the effort to suppress other opinions while highlighting and promoting yours is an indication of the falsehood of that path. And this hadith is reiterating that in view of the upcoming conflicts after the death of the prophet. In fact, the history shows us that in the times following the prophet, there have been efforts to establish a politically guided interpretation of Islam while curtailing the other free thinkers.
The second point about the holy status of everything that the prophet utters is an exaggeration and a clear misinterpretation of the verse, because the context of that verse refers to the Quran itself. Second, life details of the prophet Muhammad pbuh and several Quranic verses criticizing/correcting him are against those who claim this verse as a proof that everything is revealed to him. If you are interested, you can read another blog specifically on this issue (Chosen From Among Us Humans).
And then comes the perfectness and completeness of Islam. What people have difficulty in understanding is that the perfection and completeness of Islam is not due to its coverage of all possible conditions and thoughts that could occur to humanity, but rather due to its simplicity and approval of "interpretations in an atmosphere of friendly divergence". This is the whole point of this blog, but let's make it clear through Quran and hadith.
Had the Quran taught everything that we need in an explicit manner, there would be no need for scholars at all, or even a messenger thereof. So, the example of the prophet is needed to understand the book of God, or to establish a methodology to interpret it. This is how all scholars, classical or non-traditional, find authenticity within the borders of Islam. If you curtail the work of some scholars, or any thinker for that matter, you render all interpretations baseless. In the end, all of these efforts throughout the history and the hadiths and verses about their authenticity are clear evidence that perfectness of Islam lies in the "brevity of its pillars of faith and small number of clear orders" and in its invitation to "think and take lessons from the creation", hence a stable belief with a dynamic intellect.
And finally, we saw the hadith about the mistake of those who make interpretations of Quran based on their own opinion. First, is there anyone who is not making their own opinion? It is easy to see that the target of this hadith is forced interpretations to justify worldly ambitions and lack of fear of God (Probing Fear of God) while interpreting the Quran. Second, the scholars themselves are making their own opinions based on knowledge, and they try to come to a conclusion with a sensitivity towards what is pleasing to God.
The last point to discuss in this issue is "are you a trained scholar of religion?" This question, itself, actually summarizes a lot of things that pave the way for the coming of the Antichrist. When people leave the job of learning, understanding and interpreting the Quran to a certain group of people, they basically turn themselves into non-thinkers and imitators. This, in itself, is a problem, and anyone living as such is vulnerable to all kinds of misguidance in today's world. No individual today has the luxury of not thinking. Everybody has to think for themselves, and scrutinize the matters relevant to them. After all, one of the manners severely criticized in the Quran is to say "we saw our forefather doing this" (e.g. 31/21, 2/170). And the prophet Muhammad pbuh himself told in his farewell sermon to spread his words, because "those who were not present there could understand better than those who were present at that sermon".
After all this discussion, you can see that neither the Quran nor the hadith has an objection to difference of opinions or the inherent divergence in the thoughts of critical thinkers, as long as they are kept in an environment of friendly diversity.
However, when you look at the Muslim world, you see a strong tradition to unify everything, rather than friendly diversity. Even today, some of the most severe clashes break out between Islamic congregations. It seems that the bigger the Islamic communities and the higher the ambition to gain power, the less is the intellectual activity, the less is the tolerance for diversity. So, growth of the Islamic groups today is acting as an invitation to the conflicts due to Antichrist?!?! This needs a discussion on its own.
After all this discussion, you can see that neither the Quran nor the hadith has an objection to difference of opinions or the inherent divergence in the thoughts of critical thinkers, as long as they are kept in an environment of friendly diversity.
However, when you look at the Muslim world, you see a strong tradition to unify everything, rather than friendly diversity. Even today, some of the most severe clashes break out between Islamic congregations. It seems that the bigger the Islamic communities and the higher the ambition to gain power, the less is the intellectual activity, the less is the tolerance for diversity. So, growth of the Islamic groups today is acting as an invitation to the conflicts due to Antichrist?!?! This needs a discussion on its own.
More Quranic verses and Hadith on the issue:
"Indeed, they who conceal what Allah has sent down of the Book and exchange it for a small price - those consume not into their bellies except the Fire. And Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them. And they will have a painful punishment. Those are the ones who have exchanged guidance for error and forgiveness for punishment. How patient they are in pursuit of the Fire! That is [deserved by them] because Allah has sent down the Book in truth. And indeed, those who differ over the Book are in extreme dissension." (2/174-176)
"... Had Allah willed, He would have made you one nation [united in religion], but [He intended] to test you in what He has given you; so race to [all that is] good. To Allah is your return all together, and He will [then] inform you concerning that over which you used to differ." (5/48)
"And if your Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one community; but they will not cease to differ." (11/118)
"A Book whose verses have been detailed, an Arabic Qur'an for a people who know, as a giver of good tidings and a warner; but most of them turn away, so they do not hear. And they say, "Our hearts are within coverings from that to which you invite us, and in our ears is deafness, and between us and you is a partition, so work; indeed, we are working." " (41/3-5)
"'No people go astray after having followed right guidance, but those who indulge in disputes.' Then he recited the Verse: "Nay! But they are a quarrelsome people.' " (Grade: hasan, Ibn Majah 1/48)"The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) recited this verse: “He it is who has sent down to thee the Book: in it are verses basic or fundamental . . . .” Up to “men of understanding”. She said: The Messenger of Allah then said: When you see those people who follow that which is allegorical in the Quran, those are the people whom Allah has named (in the Quran). So avoid them." (Grade: sahih, Abu Dawud 4598)"Whoever says (something) about the Qur'an according to his own opinion and he is correct, yet he has committed a mistake." Weak-Tirmidhi, Tafsir 2952
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