Misconceptions Among Muslims Leading to Intellectual Stagnation

If you look at the period in which Islam was given to humanity, you see that it came as an intellectual renaissance and human rights reformation. It is both curious and heartbreaking that this religion became in the hands of its adherents an instrument of intellectual stagnation and human rights violation. Social scientists delve into this topic from time to time, but they do it in a secular way. Accordingly, their ideas don't necessarily find correspondence among the Muslims. I think what is necessary is an internal assessment of the Muslim mind in terms of their own paradigms and values.

During this introspection, we have to keep in mind that people are not intending to be bigots or oppressors, but unconsciously walking on a path that leads them to be so. Therefore, instead of accusing people of their wrongs, making them aware of the path they are walking is essential in order to avoid future recurrences. In other words, they need to be shown how their devotion is leading them to an intellectual stagnation, and how this situation is unpleasing to God.

1. It is not about the path, it is about the sojourner:
Here, we are not questioning the path of God or His religion. Rather, we are questioning the people who announce themselves as believers. I would like to present a metaphor to make my point clear. An apple is an apple, be it now or ten thousand years ago. The same apple can fuel a body that is doing good or a body that is doing evil. Similarly, the book of God is a food for the believing mind and heart. Based on that nourishment, the mind and heart can evolve into whatever they want to. One must keep in mind that your identity as a believer does not warrant a correctness in all your actions and thoughts.

"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]." (3/7)

Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried? (29/2)

2. Fear of God misunderstood
In the Quran, there are different words that are translated as fear of God into other languages. However, dumping all of those meanings into a single one, and a dangerous one for that matter, is neither correct nor harmless! Fear of hell fire and dreading God's anger is a major factor used by the preachers and religious leaders to encourage people on the way of God. But the fear factor is also a very effective psychological tool to achieve intellectual stagnation. The bad news is these two are inseparable! That is, if you are using the fear factor to encourage people, you are also shutting off their thinking ability, since your audience is entering a fight-or-flight mood that is unfavorable for critical thinking.

What is more, a leader who is using the fear factor as their constant tool is very likely to be a person of blind imitation rather than thinking. Given that, how are they going to lead others towards a search for new meanings buried in the divine book? In fact, world history and the recent past is full of proofs of juxtaposition of fear and blind imitation yielding awful results!

If you read the Quran, on the other hand, most of the time you see some general values and encouragement towards the conservation of those values. The emphasis on values gives the freedom, not fear, of interpretation, and enables diversity of applications.

"And when it is said to them, "Follow what Allah has revealed," they say, "Rather, we will follow that which we found our fathers doing." Even though their fathers understood nothing, nor were they guided?" (2/170)

3. Universalism blunder:
A mind that is fueled by fear harbors a logic of universalism. That is, their inability to appreciate the notion of simultaneous-multiple-truths, a notion embedded in the creation by its very Creator, leads them to believing that people who don't embrace their understanding and way of life are risking the hell fire. So, out of compassion, they want to convert all of humanity to the universal truth they have.

In a more real-time scenario, the believers in their daily lives need to consult the religious leaders about the compliance of their actions with the religious rules. But since such detailed structure does not exist in the original divine message nor in the example of the prophet, the imams try to come up with an interpretation. The bad thing is, more often than not, the human dimension of this practice is overlooked and a universality notion is embedded into such jurisdictions. That is, the imams try to come up with universal decisions and those embracing their decisions treat them as universal truths.

If, on the other hand, people try to find their microuniversal, i.e. personal, truths in such cases, or at least treat the decisions of those imams as an educated-guess rather than a God-given truth, than the discomfort of not having a definite answer could make them tolerant towards other practices and thoughts.

"... 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)

But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord." (3/7) 

4. Side effects of the hierarchy of knowledge
The Quran was already in written format during the lifetime of the prophet Muhammad pbuh, and for the matters not clearly defined in it, the believers could consult the prophet. But after the passing of the prophet, the knowledgeable Muslims did two major things in order to establish a common ground for understanding and interpreting Quran.  The first challenge was the recollection of the life details and teachings of the prophet. The second was devising a logic for the interpretation of the Quran and the example of the prophet.

However, humanity and human life was too complex and detailed to be mapped. So, the scholars put forward a hierarchy of knowledge: Quran, Sunna, Agreement of scholars, Comparison. With the passing of time, the new scholars embraced the teachings of the works of early scholars. What is more, due to their historical distance from the prophet and due their fear of making a wrong ruling, they went into a imitative mood in their teachings and interpretations of the Islamic sources.

In the end, today, the body of knowledge from the believers after the prophet has grown so much that we cannot really reach the Sunna nor the Quran. The hierarchy of knowledge once set to enable freedom in the wide world of the Quran has become vector that strictly dictates how to see things through the eyes of the people who lived a thousand years ago. In order to really reach the Sunna and the Quran, the Muslims must put aside this hierarchy, and enjoy the communication with God and with the prophet Muhammad directly.

"And how many a sign within the heavens and earth do they pass over while they, therefrom, are turning away." (12/105)

"And when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture, [saying], "You must make it clear to the people and not conceal it." (3/187)

5. Murder of ego and self-confidence
In the eastern cultures and philosophies, ego is something to be abandoned. This notion has also infiltrated into the understanding of the Quran among Muslims. Today, also with a reactionary psychology towards the West, Muslims treat ego as pure evil. Self confidence, along the same lines, is considered as not having confidence in God, hence a major sin. But is such understanding among the Muslims correct in this matter?

I would like to answer this question by using a proxy. Take lust. Is it forbidden by God to have a sex life? No. On the contrary, proper sex experience is an integral and indispensable part of a believer's life. Both the Quran and the example of the prophet instruct the believers (man and woman) to ensure a satisfactory experience for themselves and for their spouses. Nevertheless, and unfortunately, we can say that feeling of lust and sex life have been marginalized among Muslims. And this state of the believers is leading to misinterpretations of the Quran and unacceptable applications in the society.

Similarly ego is an instrument given by God. Arrogance and selfishness are misuses of ego, but they are not the only uses of ego. Ability to stand alone for truth and pursuing independence from all other than God, critical thinking for understanding the word of God and deciphering his signs in the universe (i.e. science) are all functions of the ego.

"O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion - Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah ; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing." (5/54)

These five items listed above are my conclusions from personal experiences, observations and contemplation. Of course other people can present their view of the issue, and they may not be the same as mine. Regardless of their classification and focus, I think that the diagnosis and the prescription in this matter must have explicit roots from the Quran and the Sunna in order to ensure a path of worship. This is what I am trying to do in this blog and in all previous blogs. In the end what is important is that believers wake up from their stagnation and start moving...

God knows best.

Emmanuel and Independence

If you watched the movie Kingdom of Heaven, there, you will see an excellent depiction of how people can be manipulated by declaring "God is with us". It is unfortunate to see that the same manipulation has occurred throughout the history, and even today. Nevertheless, this concept, "God is with us - Emmanuel" is in fact expressed in the holy texts, and so, there must be a proper understanding of it.

Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us. (Isaiah, 8/10)

So whoever has assaulted you, then assault him in the same way that he has assaulted you. And fear Allah and know that Allah is with those who fear Him. (Qur'an 2/194)

If you do not aid the Prophet - Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Makkah] as one of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his companion, "Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us." And Allah sent down his tranquility upon him and supported him with angels you did not see and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allah - that is the highest. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. (Qur'an 9/40)

Considering their contexts, these verses frame God's presence with you in case of a war. And this image at first glance is exactly what the manipulators employ. The embedded message they convey is like this: "If you want God on your side, wage war in His name". And so, they foster a polarization between communities or countries. They embellish their words with the name of God and quotations from the holy books. But is this really what God wants from us?

And of the people is he whose speech pleases you in worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness as to what is in his heart, yet he is the fiercest of opponents. And when he goes away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And Allah does not like corruption. (Quran 2/204-205)

Permission [to fight] has been given to those who are being fought, because they were wronged. And indeed, Allah is competent to give them victory. (Quran 22/39)

And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend. (Quran 41/34)

 It seems that using the word of God, or His name for that matter, to justify your ambitions is cursed, while striving to stop injustice is praised! And that is the commonsense voiced by the God-given conscience anyway. So, in order to generalize the notion of Emmanuel in our lives, that is to find ways to be with God in all aspects of our lives, we can dig further into the concepts of injustice and oppression.

Simply told, in the Quranic sense, when the rights of a person or a people are not delivered, this is injustice and oppression. And among those rights, a few of them are essential, since they are related to the things that make a human human. Namely, freedom of thought and expression, freedom of religion and fair labor. Before I further my discussion, let me warn you that in the classical literature, these concepts are told in different names, and are not necessarily put into the framework of the modern life; so, they are not recognizable as in the way I am putting them forward. However, if you look at what lies beneath those classical concepts, you see the principles set in the Quran. And that's exactly how I am coming up with the above list.

So, if one or more of these rights, i.e. freedom of thought and expression, freedom of religion and fair labor, are violated, then what? The person/people committing that violation are called the oppressors, and you are the oppressed. But that does not mean that you can lean back without any responsibility, although you are the oppressed. You know why? Because if you don't strive to deliver yourself from the oppression, you are surrendering yourself to injustice, and that makes you self-oppressor!

Traditionally, the term self-oppressor is coined for those who violate or deliberately ignore the clear signs or explicit orders from God. Along the same lines, who violate other's rights and who don't repent are counted not only as oppressors towards other people but also as oppressors towards themselves. According to this traditional stance, self-oppression can be seen in people who believe in God and who don't alike.

The Pharaoh was certainly a tyrant and a transgressor. (10/83)

With their hearts occupied (with evil things) those who do wrong, conceal their private counsels, (saying): "Is this (Muhammad SAW) more than a human being like you? Will you submit to magic while you see it?" (21/3)

... and these are the limits of Allah, and whoever goes beyond the limits of Allah, he indeed does injustice to his own soul. (65/1)

And [mention] the man of the fish, when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses, "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers." (21/87)

Tell my servants who have committed injustice to themselves, "Do not despair of the mercy of God. God certainly forgives all sins. He is All-forgiving and All-merciful." (39/53)

Thus We let some of the wrong-doers have power over others because of what they have earned. (6/129)

However, this perspective is not complete in describing the concept of self-oppression highlighted in the Quran! There is also self-oppression due to inaction when subject to injustice. To make my point clear, first, I would like to share with you some of the verses from the Quran that highlight this nuance. Then, I am going to elaborate on the implications of this new and broader perspective on our lives today. The words italicized in the below verses are used for injustice and oppression in Arabic.

Wrong not, and ye shall not be wronged. (2/279)

And fear a trial which will not strike those who have wronged among you exclusively (8/25) 

Tell my servants who have committed injustice to themselves, "Do not despair of the mercy of God. God certainly forgives all sins. He is All-forgiving and All-merciful." And return [in repentance] to your Lord and submit to Him before the punishment comes upon you; then you will not be helped. (39/53-54) 

When the angels take away from their bodies the souls of those who have wronged themselves, they will ask them, "How did you live?" They will reply, "We lived on earth in weakness and oppression." The angels will say, "Was not God's land vast enough for you to go wherever you could live in peace?" The dwelling of these people will be hell fire, a terrible destination.(4/97) 

She said: My Lord! surely I have been unjust to myself, and I submit with Suleiman to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. (27/44)

It is clear from the above verses that oppression includes inaction when you can stop injustice committed by others. Similarly, as can be inferred from the above verses, self-oppression includes inaction when you can deliver yourself from injustice, too. At first, this doesn't make sense, right? Why wouldn't anyone stop injustice when they can? Let's say they are too selfish and antisocial to do that, why wouldn't they run away from injustice when they can?

Elaborating on this last question is actually the real aim of the present blog. Consider the following sample situations:

• Mr A works at a company, where he is consistently and illegally asked to work too many hours a week. And he is not paid for these extra hours, because "if you are not happy, we can hire someone else instead of you who is going to do it". Because of this, Mr A is unable to take care of his family, he is unable to watch his health, he has no time and energy to read and think, and his life has become the life of a machine rather than a human. His relationship with his Lord has become dull and is crushed to null due to the pressure from this situation. Still, Mr A thinks that he must keep up with his work, because in this time of economic turmoil, he cannot take any risks.
• Ms B is working at a company, where she is asked to maximize customer satisfaction. In doing so, the way she is dressing comes under scrutiny, and unofficially she is required to "improve" her dressing style, to which she agrees. In her heart, however, what she is doing is against her values and beliefs, but she stays calm due to the uncertainties at home. Ms B has an abusive husband, and in case of a divorce, she wants to be on a safe ground. Nevertheless, Ms B postpones that ultimate separation, thinking that "much worse families exist and her husband has appreciable aspects, too; perhaps things will get better by time."

Examples can be increased, but in all of them, freedom of thought and expression, freedom of religion and fair labor are clearly violated. A human being cannot function as a human under these circumstances, and lack of exercising your will to stop what is going on is further proof that the state of the affairs is against what is pleasing to God.

At this point, committing actions that translate to injustice to others (violent riots, damage to property, etc.) is not a proper way out either, because Quran says "don't do injustice, and don't subject yourself to injustice". So, let's think about what would/could Mr A and Ms B do, had they felt that God is with them - Emmanuel.

So, whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. (2/256)

Number one action that can be done is speaking against injustice. Usually, oppression thrives on secrecy. That is why unjust people hide their actions. So, speaking about the injustice and seeking help from others is one option.

Second option is talking to the person committing the injustice. Of course, not everybody can do this, and not every oppressor is open for talks. But there are people who, upon warning or a reasonable resistance, are open to give up or change.

Third, walking away. Excess attachment to and unreasonable belief in the cause-effect chains are caused by and are symptoms of a flaw in true belief in God. If you truly believe in God, you know that He is with you if you are on a rightful cause. And striving for your essential rights and taking risks thereof are certainly actions that a person would/could do, since they think "God is with me".

O My servants who have believed, indeed My earth is spacious, so worship only Me.
 (29/56)

... And whoever respects Allah - He will make for him a way out, and will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him.(65/2-3)