A Reasoned and Articulate View of Islam

Q-News ^ | Hamza Yusuf

[meia]

This article first appeared in Q-News, the Muslim magazine,
www.q-news.com.

On September 11th our lives changed forever. We witnessed an act of aggression that in many ways does not have a parallel in past or present times. There are several elements that make this act unique, from the use of civilian planes as weapons of mass destruction to the attack on the most widely recognised skyscrapers in the world. Nor have we ever witnessed the terrible indictment of Islam as having a part to play in such a heinous crime, writes Hamza Yusuf.

Muslims were seen rejoicing in some parts of the world in a display of what can only be called shamaatatul 'aadai', which is rejoicing at the calamities of ones’ enemies. This is something explicitly prohibited in Islam and was never practiced by the Prophet of Mercy, upon him be prayers and peace. We have seen images since of American flags burning to further arouse the wrath of a nation filled with grief, confusion and anger. Again, Islam prohibits the burning of flags according to the explicit verse, “Do not curse [the idols] of those who call on other than Allah, thus causing them to curse Allah out of animosity [toward you] and without knowledge.” This verse prohibits even the cursing of false gods because of the consequences.  We have also seen image after image of Muslims with beards and turbans, who by all outward means look religious and pious - but are they really?

Unfortunately, the West does not know what every Muslim scholar knows; that the worst enemies of Islam are from within. The worst of these are the khawaarij who delude others by the deeply dyed religious exterior that they project. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said about them, “When you see them pray you will consider your own prayers insignificant. They recite the Quran but it does not exceed the limits of their throat.”  In other words, they don’t understand the true meanings. The outward religious appearance and character of the khawaarij deluded thousands in the past, and continues to delude people today. The Muslims should be aware that despite the khawaarij adherence to certain aspects of Islam, they are extremists of the worst type. 

Our Prophet said, peace be upon him, “Beware of extremism in your religion.”  Islam is the middle way between excess and neglect. Zealots are a plague upon religion. These extremists come in two types. The first is a reactionary extremist who falls far right of a centre-point. Reactionary extremists do not want any pluralism; they view the world in melodramatic, black and white, good and evil terms. They are good and anyone who opposes them is evil. From among the Muslims these are people who ‘excommunicate’ any Muslim who fails to share their interpretations of the Quran. They use takfir and character assassination as a tool for marginalising any criticism directed at them. They are used often by the Western media in order to scare simple people and cause them to believe that Muslims are insane. Unfortunately, our communities provide them with much fuel to fire their incendiary flames. 

The second group are radical extremists, who while they are almost identical with the former group, differ in that they will use violence to further their cause. They are actually worse than the first. They believe like every nefarious secret society before them that ‘the end justifies the means.’ They see any act as acceptable if it will further their ‘cause.’ This is blatantly anti-Islamic for a number of reasons.

Firstly, Islam’s means must reflect its noble ends. Any means that does not embody the core truths and ethics of Islam is not from Islam and thus denounced as aberration. Secondly, Islam is not a secret society of conspirators who no one knows what they are planning. Islam declares openly its aims and objectives and these are recognised by good people everywhere as pure and congruent with their own wisdom and traditions. In the case of many of these extremists even the non-Muslims recognise that no religion of any weight could sanction the taking of innocent lives. The Quran says that the Torah and the Gospel have guidance and light and that the Quran came to fulfil these prior dispensations. Good Christians and Jews who believe in God and live ethically upright lives have no frame of reference for such acts, so how could these acts be from Islam, which confirms what has come before it? 

Thirdly, they are invariably people who have never taken a true spiritual path to God and nor have they studied the humanities. I can almost guarantee that you will not find a scholar of poetry among the whole vile lot of these people. They have no true knowledge of Arabian culture, which is centred in the idea of futuwwa; a word akin to the western word chivalry. The terrorists posing as journalists who killed Ahmad Shah Masuud were cowards of the worst type. Killing themselves was not bravery but stupidity, but killing one’s enemy in such a way is the worst form of treachery and the Arabs have many poems denouncing such type of people. 

Our real situation is this: we Muslims have lost theologically sound understanding of our teaching. Islam has been hijacked by a discourse of anger and the rhetoric of rage. We have allowed for too long our mimbars to become bully pulpits in which people with often recognisable psychopathology use anger - a very powerful emotion - to rile Muslims up, only to leave them feeling bitter and spiteful towards people who in the most part are completely unaware of the conditions in the Muslim world, or the oppressive assaults of some Western countries on Muslim peoples. We have lost our bearings because we have lost our theology. We have almost no theologians in the entire Muslim world. The study of kalaam, once the hallmark of our intellectual tradition, has been reduced to memorizing 144 lines of al-Jawhara and a good commentary to study it, at best.

The reality is we are an Umma that no longer realises that Allah is the power behind all power; that it is Allah who subjugates one people to another; that He gives dominion to whom He pleases and He takes it away from whom He pleases. Our understanding of tawhid has fallen into such disarray that we can no longer introspect when afflictions befall us and then wonder in amazement at why the Americans seem incapable of introspection. Indeed, I personally attended a memorial service in San Francisco with over 30,000 people and the Reverend Amos Brown said in no uncertain terms that America must ask herself what she has done either wittingly or unwittingly to incur the wrath and hate of people around the world. Muslims on the other hand, generally prefer to attack the West as the sole reason for their problems when the truth is we are bankrupt as a religious community and our spiritual bankruptcy has led to our inability to even deliver the message of Islam to Westerners in a time when they were giving us platforms to do so. 

It is ironic that the Western media while producing many vile programs on Islam has also produced and aired material of the highest quality with a high level of accuracy only to be vilified by Muslims because it was not good enough. Where is our media?  Where are our spokespeople?  Where are our scholars? Where are our literary figures?  The truth is we don’t have any - and so instead of looking inward and asking painful questions such as why we don’t have such things and such people, we take the simple way out by attacking people whom Allah tells us will do mean things, say bad things and plot against us. And always when we are warned we are told to be patient, to work for the good, to trust in Allah, to return to Allah, to implement our deen.

Conspiracy or not, we are to blame for the terrible backlash against Muslims. The simple reason is that when a crazy Christian does something terrible, everyone in the West knows it is the actions of a mad man because they have some knowledge of the core beliefs and ethics of Christianity. When a mad Muslim does something evil or foolish they assume it is from the religion of Islam, not because they hate us but because they have never been told by a Muslim what the teachings of Islam are all about.

[meia]

Here is a different view of Islam that I think everyone should read. It is important that we know that not all Muslims are crazed fanatics such as OBL just as not all Christians are hate-filled bigots such as The Right Reverend Fred Phelps of "God Hates Fags" fame.

[ValerieUSA]

a related story about a "good" Muslim -- yeah, right

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/750603/posts

FBI reportedly interested in former state engineer

[dts32041]

Just remember it is no sin for an islamist to lie to an infidel, and this was written for infidels to read.

Want to see the the true face of islam, lokk at their world, and tell me if you want to live like that.

[KeyBored]

Thanks for posting this, but one question and one comment jumps out:

Question: Why is this view (of Islam) not more widely disseminated? Why did it take a year for this to appear?

Comment: Beware of moral equivalency - the Rev. Phelps (as bad as he may be) has, to my knowledge, NEVER commissioned anyone to fly airliners into buildings.

[AzJP]

Good article. Thanks. It's typical of the Muslims I know, but then I'm damned picky.

From my travels I'd opine that Islam in the mideast has more contradictory factions than Christianity here in the States, and that's quite a bit!

kj

[ChadGore]

"...One hundred percent of the successful terrorist attacks on commercial airlines for 20 years have been committed by Arabs. When there is a 100 percent chance of being hijacked by an Arab Muslim Extremist, it ceases to be a profile. It's called a 'description of the suspect...."

In 1968 who assassinated Robert Kennedy?
(a) Abbe Hoffman
(b) Tiny Tim
(c) Charles Manson
(d) Muslim male extremist between the age of 17 and 40

In 1972 at the Munich Olympics, athletes were kidnapped and massacred by:
(a)Olga Corbutt
(b)Sitting Bull
(c)Arnold Schwartzeneger
(d)Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1979,the U.S. embassy in Iran was taken over by:
(a) Lost Norwegians
(b) Elvis
(c) A tour bus full of 80-year-old women
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

During the 1980's a number of Americans were kidnapped in Lebanon by:
(a) John Dillinger
(b) The King of Sweden
(c) The Boy Scouts
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1983, the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut was blown up by:
(a) A pizza delivery boy
(b) Pee Wee Herman
(c) Geraldo Rivera making up for a slow news day
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.

In 1985 the cruise ship Achille Lauro was hijacked, and a 70 year old American passenger was murdered and thrown overboard by:
(a) The Smurfs
(b) Davy Jones
(c) The Little Mermaid
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40.

In 1985 TWA flight 847 was hijacked at Athens, and a U.S. Navy diver was murdered by:
(a) Captain Kid
(b) Charles Lindberg
(c) Mother Teresa
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1988, Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by:
(a) Scooby Doo
(b) The Tooth Fairy
(c) Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid with dynamite left over from the train job.
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1993 the World Trade Center was bombed the first time by:
(a) Richard Simmons
(b) Grandma Moses
(c) Michael Jordan
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 1998, the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania were bombed by:
(a) Mr. Rogers (b) Hillary, to distract attention from Wild Bill's women problems
(c) The World Wrestling Federation to promote its next villain: "Mustapha the Merciless"
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

iN 1999, The USS Cole was attacked and more than 15 American Sailors were killed by:
(a) David Letterman
(b) Shaquille O'Neil
(c) The Cookie Monster
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 2001 Phillipene Missionaries Gracia and Martin Burnham were kidnapped, held for over a year, and Martin subsequently killed by:
(a) Mr. Rogers
(b) Scooby Doo & Shaggy
(c) Ronald Reagan
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

On 9/11/01, four airliners were hijacked and destroyed and thousands of people were killed by:
(a) Bugs Bunny, Wiley E. Coyote, Daffy Duck, and Elmer Fudd
(b) The Supreme Court of Florida
(c) Mr. Bean
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 2002 the United States fought a war in Afghanistan against:
(a)Enron
(b)The Lutheran Church
(c)The NFL
(d)Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

In 2002 reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped and murdered by:
(a) Bonny and Clyde
(b) Captain Kangaroo
(c) Billy Graham
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40

On July 4th 2002, 2 Innocent Airline Passengers Were Killed, And 3 Others Injured at the ticket counter of El Al Airlines in the LAX International terminal by:
(a) Hulk Hogan after losing the WWF Title
(b) The cast of Monty Python
(c) Senator Lil' Tommy Daschle
(d) Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 41

[ValerieUSA]

Propagandists Alert!!

[kimosabe31]

Do you love fags??

[meia]

Question: Why is this view (of Islam) not more widely disseminated? Why did it take a year for this to appear?

I just found it today. I don't know how long it has been out. It could have been out for a year for all I know. As to why this view is not more widely disseminated, I don't know. Could it be that viewpoints such as this are just too tame to garner attention? If he were calling for death to infidels, we would probably see it plastered all over the place.

Comment: Beware of moral equivalency - the Rev. Phelps (as bad as he may be) has, to my knowledge, NEVER commissioned anyone to fly airliners into buildings.

Don't change the meaning of my statement. I was making the point that one person does not define a complete religion.

[ValerieUSA]

Yeah, Mr Picky must know Muslims like Farid Adlouni.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/750603/posts

"I am a family man," he said. "I have been here for 20 years. I have given lectures to churches, to prisons, to synagogues on how we can achieve peace and understanding of each other. This is my main concern."

...Adlouni was a business associate of el-Hage, the former personal secretary for bin Laden. El-Hage is serving a life sentence for his part in the embassy bombings.

Records of telephone calls, faxes and bank-account transfers between el-Hage and Adlouni were presented in evidence at el-Hage's 2001 trial in New York.

One fax to Adlouni, sent by el-Hage in October 1996, requested donations for a drought-relief fund. Federal agents later determined the fund was a front to provide new identities for those involved in the U.S. embassy bombings.

Adlouni, under advice from his lawyer, would not answer specific questions yesterday about his contacts with el-Hage.

..."Farid was a great guy," said Mike Clark, his former supervisor. "I recognized right away that he had good managerial skills and great leadership skills."

Adlouni was also deeply religious and had a small conference room set aside for daily prayers, Clark said, adding, "I realized he was strong in his faith; my impression was that his religion was more peace and harmony. He didn't push his religion on anybody."

...Adlouni was one of about 250 "unindicted co-conspirators" in the federal prosecution of the 1998 bombing of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, a source involved in that case said. The Oregonian, citing an unnamed intelligence source, described Adlouni as "a person of interest" to the FBI terrorism task force.

[meia]

Do you love fags??

As a matter of fact I do. I even love you in spite of the fact that you could be a completely dispicable person.

[KeyBored]

I think I see a pattern here.

Are you sure it wasn't E. Ronald Reagan < /sarcasm >

[aimhigh]

This article presents an Islam that doesn't exist. No Islamic country allows freedom of religion. Most lack freedom of speech. To Islam, peace is the result of Islamic justice, where the enemy is subdued. Islamic peace doesn't mean getting along with your enemies. Just read the Sharia (Islamic law) to get a picture of how corrupt this religion really is.

[AzJP]

Nope, not my type.

Must be yours?

kj

[Conservative til I die]

Of course, no one has ever had any reason to label all Christians sa hate-mongers, because it's been made clear that this is not what Christianity is about. Phelps, btw, is an obscure figure.

Muslims have not made clear that all of Islam is not hateful. The best they can do is call the 9-11 attack tragic, and then go into apologist mode with all their "but America should have....."

[meia]

"...One hundred percent of the successful terrorist attacks on commercial airlines for 20 years have been committed by Arabs. When there is a 100 percent chance of being hijacked by an Arab Muslim Extremist, it ceases to be a profile. It's called a 'description of the suspect...."

Nearly 100% of serial killers in America have been white men. The mass killings in schools in recent years have been done by white middle-class teens. If you are white, does this mean we should suspect you of being a serial killer?

[joesnuffy]

This is something explicitly prohibited in Islam and was never practiced by the Prophet of Mercy,

Who dat?...not that pedophile whose early prophesies were under the possession of satan.. must be some other prophet of peace... Yeah keep preaching that middle of the road bs...the gang of murderers always has the "front man" of peace..ring the doorbell...gets it opened easier than the truth

[meia]

Just read the Sharia (Islamic law) to get a picture of how corrupt this religion really is.

Try basing all of Christianity on Leviticus.

[Iwentsouth]

Nearly 100% of serial killers in America have been white men. The mass killings in schools in recent years have been done by white middle-class teens. If you are white, does this mean we should suspect you of being a serial killer?

Yes. The FBI does profile serial killings. They usually look for white men. Of course you would not be offended by that.