Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!samsung!crackers!m2c!wpi.WPI.EDU!bigboote.wpi.edu!shari
From: zix@cs.nott.ac.uk (Zafer Iqbal)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Questioning attitude (was Re: Question regarding Pork
Message-ID: <1990Dec10.212918.19994@wpi.WPI.EDU>
Date: 10 Dec 90 21:29:18 GMT
References: <1990Nov22.183944.21990@wpi.WPI.EDU> <1990Nov28.161718.26498@wpi.WPI.EDU> <1990Dec3.144121.18647@wpi.WPI.EDU>
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In article <1990Dec3.144121.18647@wpi.WPI.EDU> SX43@liverpool.ac.uk writes:
>
>Peace, everybody !
>
>In article <1990Nov28.161718.26498@wpi.WPI.EDU>, zix@cs.nott.ac.uk (Zafer Iqbal)
>says:
>>
>>The only aspects of Islam you need to explain using your ration, intellect &c
>>is that there exists a creator and that the Qur'an is from the creator and it
>>has not been corrupted over the ages. Once you have convinced anyone of these
>>facts, following Islam is rational, following the commands whether you
>>understand them or not!
>
>Like the Prophet said, (PBUH) 'Reason is the root of my  Faith'.. yes,
>I agree that we >need< to base our knowledge of the existence of Allah
>on Reason. But it doesn't >have< to stop there. I don't see anything
>wrong in looking for >confirmation< of our Faith..
>
>I think it is incumbent upon us to use our capability of thought
>to investigate the Wisdoms behind Qur'anic injunctions, not with the
>aim of justifying the commands, but of further Glorifying our Creator
>and advancing our knowledge.
>
>To discourage thought and reasoning (beyond the stage of understanding
>that Islam is valid) is also very dangerous, and is perhaps what has
>led in the past to the decay of Muslim civilisation; if we are firm
>in our belief that Islam is correct then we should not be afraid of
>asking difficult (or simple) questions, -- unless we are afraid to hear
>the answers, in which case our Faith would seem to be shaky to start
>with.
>
>I think the process of investigating and understanding more and more
>of the Wisdoms behind Quranic injunctions serves two purposes.
>
>Firstly, it keeps our Faith 'topped' up : who can claim to have
>a fixed and static, perfect Faith. It goes up and down like a
>rollercoaster, and it's part and parcel of the Mu'min's struggle to
>keep re-affirming his/her faith by observing the Signs of Allah, those
>in His revelation and the corresponding ones in the creation around us.
>
>Secondly, and more relevant to the situation of Muslims in the West,
>it helps us to disseminate Islam 'with Wisdom' (bil-Hikmah) as it says
>in the Quran. In today's age, the particular disease that afflicts the
>Kuffar is the attitude of 'if I can't see it, it don't exist'. In other
>words, we have to show manifestly the Wisdom in the Quran before it is
>likely to be received. This actually requires that we have the answers
>ready for questions like the one brother Sumon finds himself asked,
>otherwise to a non-Muslim unfamiliar with Islamic Wisdom what is the
>difference between Islam and any other eastern religion like
>Budhism and Yoga or whatever, just a set of rituals without meaning ?
>
>If we put ourselves in the shoes of the Kuffar, we would ourselves want
>to be told some of the Wisdoms behind Islamic practice, as an aid to
>believing in the existence of an All-Wise Creator.
>
>It is only when the fact that Islam provides a viable solution to
>today's problems is made loud and clear that people will sit up and take
>notice. This will only happen when Muslims can give ready, valid answers
>to questions on a whole plethora of topics such as why we don't eat
>pork, up to four wives, no alcohol and gambling etc.
>
>I do stress though that we must give the truthful answer.. as I mentioned
>in a previous post on the pork issue, that though there are many
>Wisdoms behind ('reasons for') any given aspect of Islam, no single one
>can be given as THE reason. We must then be ready, willing and able to
>explain what at least a few of these are. These cannot be discovered
>without questioning and research.
>
>The "WE know what's best for YOU, ask NO questions" undertones I felt,
>left me uncomfortable, and are the reason for the length of this.
>
>          Yours in the hope of greater understanding,
>
>          Fazal.


I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say.
The point I was making was that we are allowed to think of the wisdom
behind the rulings in Islam, (which have not been given a reason by Allah or
his messenger (pbuh)) but it is haram to say that such 'n such is the reason
why we have a certain rule simply because we have not been told or even
indicated as to why we have many rulings...

              Wasalam
                Zaf