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From: darwish@eng.umd.edu (Ali Darwish)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Dress Codes in Islam
Message-ID: <1991Apr16.211545.23804@wpi.WPI.EDU>
Date: 16 Apr 91 21:15:45 GMT
References: <1991Apr11.113529.6267@wpi.WPI.EDU>
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Assalamu `alaykum. Sister Hanan Lutfiyya writes: 
>
>   Let's be careful here.  Do all rulings have to be necessarily correct?
  I think he was refering to the Islamic rulings that are not simply
opinions. eg: The Qur'an says "Do not kill your children for fear of
poverty".
  As for scholars' opinions, there is no cleargy in Islam and we may choose to
disagree. Their opinion is heard because they know more, but they can
still be wrong.

>  One example of what I would consider a stupid, silly ruling 
>is the Saudi "Islamic scholar" who said that
>women should not drive.  This "scholar" also ruled that the
>earth was the center of the universe.  He only changed his mind
>after a Saudi astronaut went up in the Space Shuttle.  He seems
>to have a great deal of influence in Saudi Arabia.  Should he
>be followed blindly just because he is an Islamic scholar?
>Rather people should be able to do some reasoning for themselves.

  The earth being at the centre of the universe is an interesting opinion
that cannot be understood from the Qur'an or the Sunna. Its only source
is medieval Christian litterature. This should cast some doubt as to the
seriousness of such "scholar".

  It is my duty as a Muslim to warn other Muslims about danger. Saudi
Arabia a terrible source of Islamic knowledge in any topic that can
be used politically. It has been dubbed by some "the graveyard of scholars"
because ideas are not respected, opinions are sometimes forbidden  and
scholarly opinion is frequently bought from those who will sell it.
  
  The reason the Saudi government (not the scholars per se) does not want
women to drive is for fear of the corrupting influence of the large number
of foreigners on their daughters. This fear is supported by some incidents,
some of which are famous. Still, The Saoudi government has no right to
restrict a freedom given by the creator (after all, since when were women
even discouraged from riding horses?)
 
  If I have wronged the Saoudi governemt, I ask Allah for forgivness, but
I do not think I made that mistake.
  
  Assalamu `alakum