GHETTO THINKING OF THE MUSLIMS IS APPALLING: Maulana Azad's take on prohibiting the polytheists to enter the Ka’ba any further
To Everyone participating in New Age Islam Forum
Ladies & Gentlemen,
As-Salaam Alay-Kum
Candidly speaking, I was dumbfounded to read the comments of so many pertaining to Maulana Wahiddudin’s article titled, “Muslim Separatism is Un-Islamic.” The spirit of Maulana’s message was to enlighten us about how the Muslims of modern days have drifted towards “Identity Conscious” ways of living which has helped to trigger the defeatist mentality. Maulana Saheb has correctly pointed out that such an unnatural identity-consciousness has produced “ghetto country, colony, institutions and society.”
I say “GHETTO THINKING” is what we the Muslims are skilfully applying in many of the Islamic forums across the world. This particular on-going discourse on “New Age Islam” has pretty much gone out of context. Muslim minds are now very deeply entrenched into focusing only on the categorised versions of Hadiths: The Sahih or Genuine; the Hasan or the Fair; and the Da’if or the Weak. Though, I have not extensively studied the “Hadith,” nonetheless, I respect the sayings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). In fact, after reading some of the truly derogatory remarks, I decided to participate by making a handful of comments only to be frightened by the onslaught of unruly and unintelligent remarks that struck back.
Having said that, I find the current discourse to be truly mind-boggling. A few comments have taken me aback as to make me to simply wonder about what has permeated the minds of Muslims these days. At times I wonder if the participants are at all Muslims or they are Muslim converts to other religions or merely they belong to other faiths.
Respecting the “Freedom of Speech,” I would say that there seems to be a mixed blend of debaters on this forum who are engaged in back and forth rebuttals. Spirited debates should always be welcomed and that is what Sultan Shahin is striving for. For instance:
Khalid Suhail’s comments are as follows:
Quran is unintelligible without the Hadith.
He (Prophet Muhammad) was the first to violate the treaty of Hudaibiya. Islam is a journey from peace to violence. The early writings of prophet Muhammad are very distinct from latter ones. When prophet Muhammad started his prophetic career, he had no earthly powers and the verses that he wrote during that period are all conciliatory and tolerant.
Rational Mohammed Younus comments are as follows:
- He is caught between who tells the Quran can't be understood without Hadith and one who says the Quran can be understood by the common man like you.
He is caught between "submitters" and who open the chapters of philosophy and rationality behind the every verse. So let us close the Madrasas, Universities or any other institutions those award scholarship and shoot the scholars as they have become godhead of their sects.
3. Do you think Islam produced so many blasphemers including Sufis. Can you tell me some Sufis who rejected the Ahadith? Bokhari was smarter than Hazrat Mohammed in this case. Millions of Muslims are believing in Ahadith. You need not to run into search you will find some of them here in so called moderates.
Hats Off (A fellow human hailing from a different religion) comments are as follows:
- Gandhi was doing exactly what the moderate Muslim apologists do today. the moderate Muslims hold candles for their violent brothers, who quote the exact same verses for murdering, which the moderates use for whitewashing. so you have these fantastically flexible verses, which one may use either for general slaughter or general peace.
2. Idol worship and personal hygiene are not at all connected either by cause and effect or by association. the surprise is that you are constrained to say you feel sorry for asserting that polytheists do not wash. this is derogatory and actually rather coarse.
- Someone somewhere needs to wake up. The eternal text is dead. The ephemeral text has come to stay.
- Mr. Hats Off. You are absolutely right. Someone somewhere needs to wake-up big time. Whilst the Muslim minds are muddled way too much by the “Science of Hadiths,”
I would like to respectfully point out to you the summary of Qur'anic verse 28 in Chapter 9 – Repentance (Al-Tawba) as follows:
O Ye Muslims! Surely those who ascribe partners to God are an unclean lot. Let them not after this year approach the Holy Place of Prayer, and if (due to lack of opportunity to profit by trading with them at the time of Hajj you apprehend poverty, (then, do not lose heart for), God , if He pleases, will soon give you riches out of His abundance.
Verily God knows (your needs) and He will in His Wisdom compensate you for your loss.
Commentary by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad is as follows:
In verse 28 the Quran reverts to the order issued in an earlier verse of this chapter prohibiting the polytheists to enter the Ka’ba any further. That House of Prayer had been raised by the Prophet Abraham and his son Ismail for the worship of God, the One, and was meant to serve as a centre of spiritual activity for those who believed in the unity of God.
In this verse the reference to the uncleanliness of the polytheists is not to their physical condition but to the uncleanliness of their hearts. Islam does not regard the person or the body of anyone as unclean. Every man as man stands on the same footing as every other human being.
It is why it has prohibited untouchability and does not single out any section of humanity as untouchable. In fact, it is clear from the recorded history of the Prophet that the Prophet maintained social relationships with not only the People of the Book, the Jews, but with the polytheists of his time. He used to dine with them and accept their invitations and also offer invitations to them. History has recorded that he at times had allowed them to stay in his own mosque at Madina."
Note the emphasis is strictly on “but to the uncleanliness of their hearts.” How about this translation that debunks all the jibber jabber of what little many know about the actual meaning of the Qur'anic verses.
No, Mr. Hats Off, the eternal text is not dead.
The ephemeral text is alive because there are those who have been misled to believe that “Quran is unintelligible without the Hadith.” Just like you remain flabbergasted, and so do I. The ignorant among Muslims do not have a clue, but sadly, your comments are way off the chart too. Yes, we have our fair share of “Misunderstanders” of religion, nevertheless, the grossly mislead misinterpretations by people of other faiths do not help either. This very discourse is enough of a proof that even a learned man like you do not, perhaps, have enough knowledge of Islam. Need I say more, Mr. Hats Off?
Most importantly, while writing this note, another rebuttal was posted by “Secular Logic” as follows:
"Polytheists are totally unclean"!
What a breathtakingly outrageous statement!
For the sake of my own sanity, I avoid coming to this site and reading the views of the most biased, rabid, brainwashed, churlish and irrational people on this planet.
Yet, because these outpourings fall in the "horror" genre, they seem to hold some morbid fascination for me that I keep coming here to get outraged.
For the sake of my sanity, I remain baffled at many irrational comments posted by my fellow Muslims. I feel embarrassed to read absurd comments, and all such baseless thoughts are nothing but the consequences of “GHETTO THINKING.”
Trust me, Sultan Shahin Saheb and I also are horrified at the thought process of Muslim minds. We both are fully aware of the extent of the damage that has been done, All we can do is to encourage the young Muslim youth to ponder over what people hailing from other religions are thinking about our repulsive attitude.
Honestly speaking, the only “Moderate Muslim” who has displayed a whole lot of common sense in this on-going discourse has been Ghulam Mohiyuddin whose astute remarks were as follows:
The essential message of the Quran is, "be good, do the right thing, do good deeds, be just, be kind, do not kill, be rational". Do we need to know where Masjide-Aqsa is? The life of the Prophet and his parables are interesting reading but they are not an essential part of Islam. God's entire message to Moses could be accommodated in one page. Jesus's Sermon on the Mount is only four pages. Was Islam created for the ordinary man or for scholars? All I am saying is that let common sense rule.
All in all, I earnestly recommend every Muslim to remind himself/herself of a saying of our Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), that “Disputation about the Quran constitutes unbelief.” Let us then deter from continuing to keep on compiling more versions of Hadiths in order to understand the simple and basic commandments of our Holy Quran. One only needs to reflect upon the powerful fact that if an “Unlettered Prophet” and his companions many of whom being “Unlettered,” clearly understood the verses of Holy Quran, then why do we the 21st century Muslims have to apply our minds deeply into the so-called “Science of Hadiths” consisting of ample confusions? Not to mention, for a Muslim to dare suggest that “Quran is unintelligible without the Hadith” is a starting point of disputation. The word to the wise is sufficient.
Thanks again for reading, I remain
Very respectfully yours,
Mohammed Rafiq Lodhia
23 October 2013
rafiq@thelodhiacenter.org