I received a number of emails on my last blog, Reform Now. Most of the people who wrote to me asked whether I could comment more on the list of reforms that I suggested in the second part of the blog.
Well, here is a sincere attempt.
I would like to acknowledge eminent scholars and authors such as Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, Ziauddin Sardar, Muhammad Akhund, Ali Shariati, Irshad Manji, Dr. Fazalur Rehman, Musa Al-Sadr, and Abdullah Chakralawi, whose published work helped me construct this modest attempt.
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While formulating Islamic laws, a rationalist and contextual approach to Islamic sources should be taken, keeping in mind Islam’s core values i.e., justice and mercy.
Islamic rules should always meet the following criteria: Compatibility with reason and compatibility with the requirements of (modern) times and people’s preferences.
How is that possible, wouldn’t the traditionalists protest?
Well, let’s take the example of Quranic verses dealing with slavery. Understandably, the institution of slavery was perceived as perfectly acceptable in the seventh century. But from eighteenth century onwards, through a widespread civil consensus between various world civilisations (including the Muslims), slavery was abolished as being an inhuman act.
Just imagine what the state of the Muslims would have been had they insisted on retaining slavery. The so-called Muslim ummah would have stood completely isolated with millions of Muslims preferring to adopt a more accommodating religion.
So my point is that when traditionalists demand that the Quran be understood literally and laws should then be based on this literalist reading, they are actually undermining the evolutionary spirit of the Holy book and relegating its status to being a document frozen in the social, political and cultural ethos of a distant past.
Islam and Islamic law should be understood and implied by each generation according to its own conditions.
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We should define Islam in such a way that it does not undermine its global standing. For this we need educated, pragmatic and rational political and cultural spokespersons. Obviously, people like the Al Qaeda and the Taliban are the worst poster boys for Islam in the modern world.
But so are sectarian and communal hate-mongers found on TV screens these days across the Muslim world, and the many Muslim preachers doing the same in mosques in the West – ironically cursing and abusing anything to do with the West while at the same time gleefully benefiting from their adopted countries’ democratic and generous welfare systems.
And what about Muslims in the West who are fighting a little battle to wear the hijab and burqas in Paris, Zurich and London? Whenever a Pakistani protests at a western government’s take on the hijab and burqa, I usually agree with him. But at the same time, if the protester thinks that the French and the Swiss are being close-minded and intolerant, this does not mean we are any better. Harassment of women not wearing a hijab or a burqa is rampant in various parts of Pakistan.
Religion does not play such a major role in the lives of most Europeans. But they do take their secular values as seriously as Pakistanis do their religious principles. If we would like them to respect this side of ours, then we should be fully prepared to understand their values too – especially when we live among them in countries run by their ideals, beliefs and rules.
Most current Islamic rules regarding women’s rights do not meet the criteria of either justice or rationality. Most of these rules were devised by ancient jurists who were all men. Even in this day and age, it is the men who decide what is good or bad for Muslim women. A woman’s right to decide and make her own decisions decreed by the Quran is blatantly ignored, and hard-to-authenticate hadiths are often used to hit home the conservative male’s point of view on the matter.
But then, sadly, there are some Muslim women who inexplicably defend the conservative male point of view regarding Muslim women. Recently one saw a member of the PML-Q on a Pakistani television channel doing exactly that.
She had every right to air her stance, but think about it; what a disaster she might have been to the struggle of thousands of Muslim women in Pakistan who are doing a remarkable job in trying to assert their rights given to them not only by democracy, but by the Quran itself.
Can a woman who adorns a hijab and explains it as a liberating act, may as well be submitting to the historical male-driven tradition of claiming control over women?
Purda or wearing the hijab is an outcome of laws and social mores constructed over the last many centuries by judges, ulema and lawmakers who were all male. The Holy Book addresses the faithful women, who are told to shield their private parts and not to display their adornment ‘except what is apparent of it.’ Scholarly disputes in the Muslim world revolve around what this last phrase means.
To modern Muslim thinkers, Muslim women enjoyed great autonomy in public and private life during the time of the Prophet — an autonomy they say, which later Muslim rulers and ulema took away. The issue of hijab is often used by conservative Muslims as a weapon against the struggle of Muslim women who want to understand the autonomy that was given to them during the Prophet’s time. These struggling women want to undo what came afterwards in the shape of various gender-biased laws and social practices aimed at subduing and controlling women.
The patriarchal notions of women’s rights and laws among Islamists have their roots in ancient pre-Islamic Arab culture and prejudices and not in Islam. No religious principal should be imposed by force, because Islam has declared that there is no compulsion in faith.
There is nothing wrong in asking a person to pray, adorn the hijab or grow a beard, just as there is no harm if that person does not pray, wear a hijab or grow a beard. It’s a matter between him/her and God. And if he/she does not believe in a God, then it’s a matter that does not concern you, as long as he/she is not imposing his lack of faith.
Quran is a book of guidance. So the state, government or any political group or lobby cannot force people to observe rules intended as guidance, because judgement, punishment and reward in this respect belongs to God.
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Democracy (in Muslim countries) is the best system at this point in time.
The many reformist regimes in the Muslim world which once proudly implemented various modernist economic and political ideas failed to revitalise their societies. Industrial development and modern education were attempted but without also allowing a vibrant democratic culture to prevail.
Democracy is vital to sustain economic, social and political development. Without it one is only implementing Modernism without modernity. The result, as we have seen in various modern Muslim states, is the emergence of dictatorships and societies that were always venerable to becoming myopic and intransigent at the first sign of economic and political failure.
Islam has neither proscribed nor prescribed a particular form of government.
No matter what Syed Qutb or Abul Ala Mauddudi wanted us to believe, Islam in the light of the Quran only wants to ensure that governments, whatever their form, are based on justice. The whole idea of a so-called ‘Islamic State’ is a twentieth century concoction.
Islam should not be identified with politics because ‘political Islam’ (that pursues to create an ‘Islamic State’) has led to repression and encouraging the religion’s abuse for individual and group advantage.
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The usage of hadith in legislation should be handled carefully and critically because most are difficult to authenticate.
A government or an individual using a hadith as a pretext for any action does not mean that action has divine approval. It usually means that that government and individual is simply exploiting religion to forward their own version of the faith. Or maybe the issue is entirely non-religious, but a hadith is being used to give it a religious colour. Who is to say which hadith is authentic or not?
All administrative and political matters are human affairs and hence, not subject to religious rules.
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Shariah is man-made. It needs to be updated, refreshed and revitalised through ijtihad (rational/open debate), and according to the needs of the time.
The Shariah was formulated according to conditions of a particular time and place (medieval Arabia). Power of Islamic legislation should flow back to the people through democracy.
The spirit and body of Islam is represented by the people and not by religious organisations or the clergy because Muslims commune directly with God.
By discouraging democracy, looking for scapegoats for ones own failings, and turning religion into a hollow ritualistic and rhetorical fest has drained the spirit of Islam of some of it most imperative ingredients: justice, progress, reason and mercy.
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There is no official clergy in Islam. In fact, a lack of official clergy in the religion makes it most compatible with secularism. Yet, we are always going against this by constructing pillars of political and spiritual officialdom that trap us within their narrow confines, leaving us cut-off from our true potentials to play an open and intellectually robust role in world affairs.
Islam provides the ethical basis of a society, while government is based on rational premises. Thus, there is no need for the caliphate as a model for the exercise of power.
The call for a modern caliphate is nothing more than yet another synthetic and fanciful pillar of religious-political officialdom.
The state/government has political functions while religious functions belong to the people according to their own will, need and consensus. To avoid dictatorship, repression, state coercion and stagnation, Muslim political systems must not rest on theological foundations.
Everything under the unity of God is plural. There is only one God, but many kinds and types of Muslims. Rather, all types of men and women, Muslim or otherwise. Nobody but God can determine exactly who or what a real or true Muslim is, and/or who or what a kafir, or an infidel, is.
There are two telling verses in the Quran:
“To you your religion, to me my religion.” (Sura 109, Verse 6).
And:
“To each among you, have We prescribed a Law and
an Open Way. And if God had enforced His
Will, He would have made of you all one
people.” (Sura 5, Verse 46)
Hence it is quite clear that hostile and discriminatory forms of inter-religious relations have nothing to do with Islam.
Belief in God must mean a faith in humanity, justice, mercy, reason, tolerance and spiritual and material well-being. Going against these (especially in the name of faith) is an exhibition of arrogance and bigotry, and of passing judgment on matters that God alone has the wisdom and power to adjudicate.
Nadeem F. Paracha is a cultural critic and senior columnist for Dawn Newspaper and Dawn.com.
Photo illustration by Eefa Khalid/Dawn.com
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
Mr. Paracha!
I ve always respected ur opinions but i ve always found them leaning far too left-wards even banking on aggression. But this piece here turned the respect into reverence that in me, the likes of sir syed ahmed khan have always stirred. .
Kudos!!
how many of muslim comentaters on this blog have read ” The Message of The Quran” by Mohammad Asad?It sure will help discussion become more intelligent.
Nice article – very thought provoking… I agree with what you’ve discussed…
First thing that needs to happen is to treat women equal to men.
Forcing them to wear hijabs and subjecting them to polygamy should be abondoned if God has to be realized.
As it is, managing one wife is a big challange for some, where is the time and energy to manage multiple partners. Secondly, the concept of Madarsas need to be abolished in favour of international educational schools. Quran is wonderful and can be taught by the elders to the younger generation…there are no exclusive mullahs and maulvis required for this.
Eating meat should be limited to no more than twice a week if the feeling of lust and anger needs to be controlled and Mastered. There are other tips but the above is a good start to realize God.
Could have had a better pic..
Whatever pic of LADEN you put it can only show two things “EXTREMISM” & “TERRORISM”.
But the article is a serious one, the pic suits a satire more
Who cares? We won against Australia. Yipee!!
All knowledge religious or non-religious, written or non-written, are bound to become corrupt with time.
It is essence of chinese wispher games that kids play. Every human and generation has to use his/her brains to assess the wisdom of anything religious or otherwise. That is the purpose of having one brain per person. Otherwise, words of devil may be passed as words of god.
A simple non-religious example is that of homeopathy. Hanemann did extraordinary well to develop homoepathy on terms of few logical observation that he made. However, several of premises have been refuted overtime by more rigourous analysis. Yet we see so many people sucumbing to homeopathy
and endangering themselves and their families.
Very nicely put NFP.
Many of our problems are on account of fake or unauthentic Hadees, which many people take a gospel truth.
And many more of our problems are because Muslims do NOT follow authentic Ahadeeth!
Have you not read the article?? who is to decide which hadith is authentic?
It’s nice to have this discussion with you, Shermalick.
Just as a surgeon is the best person to make a determination whether a surgical protocol is referenced properly, only Islamic jurists (UNBIASED) are the most appropriate to do the same about religious matters, ahadeeth included; not you, me or anyone else.
Wouldn’t you agree that it’s only fair that just as we happily accept a surgeon’s expert opinion, we ought to extend the same courtesy to the Islamic scholars, INDEPENDENT of all personal biases nonetheless?
‘surgical protocol’ is created by humans, and it does fail at a times. Even expert doctor is not as good as god(not even fraction of Him).
Same is the case of ‘Islamic jurists (UNBIASED)’.
Only god can authenticate Hadith.
Yates, I respect what you are trying to say but there is always bias when analyzing religious matters unless it was done by an athiest historian who only believes in applying scientific methodology to analyse histocal events that took place in certain time and place. Religious scholars most certainly will not speak thier minds regarding truth. I know you believe there is someone out there who is upto the task. I am not against muslim scholars, what I am saying applys to all religious scholars from all religions. So my point is, there is no AUTHENTIC hadith out there that can be trusted. when Bible can not be trusted which considered to be the word of God how can a word of mouth pass down the generations be trusted?
Kindly define “authentic hadees?”
Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani, considered THE hadith specialist of present era, did an extraordinary work (available online) of authenicating ahadeeth.
They why do you blindly trust/believe everything that is stated or ordered by your un-certified ISLAMIC scholars and don’t research or investigate yourself, although you people claim to be civilized now.
NFP you have done it again.
As recommended by many please also write in local Urdu media. Only you can change Pakistan for better.
Although reconstruction of Islamic ideologies is necessary but attention needs to be paid to the methodology and the intensity. Change is not easily accepted b people. We must prepare people first and then slowly inject more rational and liberal values.
At times men like usama are depicted as heroes. This is highly condemned and these actions need to be stopped. A terrorist is given too much hype many a times which is not appreciated at all.. This mindset needs to be seized at once and for all.
Great article. Unfortunately, the people who really need to read and understand it will never do so unless it is published in the local language.
salam NFP,
most of all i have to acknowledge your this really great effort, i could not stop my self to say that in fact it is the best article i have ever read from you but dear bro i show my disagree notion about your one point.may be i could not able to understand it in the way you tried to but as far as i got it, i must say that religion and politics are indivisible for each other. islam has the room for all the matters related to human beings whether its related to personal life or for the state. islam has very basic concept of being accountable to ALLAH ALMIGHTY and thats the reason one, who is administrator in the islamic state, should always keep this in mind while observing its duties.
m ali you say:
“..islam has the room for all the matters related to human beings whether its related to personal life or for the state. islam has very basic concept of being accountable to ALLAH ALMIGHTY and thats the reason one, who is administrator in the islamic state, should always keep this in mind while observing its duties”
Unbelievers are also human beings and they may consider themselves accountable to some other deity than Allah. If the administrator of the Muslim state mixes religion and government the Khalifa will have to discriminate against non-Muslims.
regards
Great Article!! Hope you don’t get into trouble for writing this..
Nadeem for President of Pakistan (joking, but perhaps?). In all of my years of reading Pakistani press this is among the most thoughtfully written articles. Without question these words should be translated and disbursed to every corner of Pakistan and beyond. These principles apply to all religions, and they are long overdue for present day Islam. The mind is a beautiful thing to waste.
I think that you want Pakistan to be secular. If so why don’t you come out and say, instead of beating around the bush.
You can be Muslim (believe in Allah and our dear Prophet (pbuh) and the Quran and still be secular i.e. respect people who believe in some other God. There is not contradiction between being a proud Muslim and also highly secular.
Belief isn’t enough, practice is required too. Hence, simply believing that fasting is mandatory does not suffice, one must fast too.
Religion has nothing to do with the business of state
Beating around the bush?
NFP has always stood for a secular Pakistan. And as always his point is one can be a constructive and rational Muslim while remaining secular.
If wearing of hijab, burqa, niqab, chador, viel effect the knowledge, wisdom, efficiency, work in any way then topic is worth discussing but i wonder what a piece of cloth on face has to do with education, job, business , work or any oither activities.
Really? Can a burqua wearing woman be equally effective and efficient in a job as a teller compared to man /woman who does not have that? Would Sania Mirza have been equally successful at tennis if she had to wear a niqaab? These things significantly reduce the options available to a woman for career and even how successful she can be once she has that career. Pretending that this discussion has nothing to with “knowledge, wisdom, efficiency, work in any way” implies that you ae only considering these traits in the context of men, which is a pity.
That peace of cloth has everything to do with everything when you interact with other human beings. How can you do you job with your face fully covered in that peace of CLOTH?
Please, let a woman choose!
I agree Yates. If we individualy decide about hijab it means we are discrimination between women who wear hijab and the ones who don’t follow it at all. As far as I am concerned I think we should respect all women with or without hijab.
The topics touched upon in this article are very sensitive and deserve serious deliberation and contemplation. Unfortunately, NFP has dealt with them very cursorily and the level of this article, at best, is amateur. The analysis is very shoddy, flimsy and rather done childishly. NFP has mixed up many issues in this article. These issues should have been analyzed separately. NFP has been trying to make a case for secularism which is self-contradictory to start with. He is totally against the involvement of any religion (in our case Islam) but, probably unawarely, strongly and vociferously supports the imposition of a religion called secularism. Yes, secularism is a religion because like Islam it offers a way of life. So, the question should clearly be which religion: secularism or Islam? Now, to be able to best answer this question one has to reject the other (let’s say Islam) on the basis of good knowledge about it, NOT on the basis of one’s own feelings.
Dear AKhan, Syed
Islam is indeed a religion, in that i think we all agree. Secularism just isnt. Islam and secularism have in common that they both porpose a way with dealing with our ways of life, wheras secularism isn’ta religion because it doesn’t deal with any Supreme Being or promsises a paradise after death for those who do good deeds or act accordingly with its commandments (laws).
I know what you mean by saying secularism is a religion: you follow the trade of old anthropologysts like Frazer and Campbell who thought in the religious evolution of the human being first step would be the magic, then the religion and eventually the science. Those guys are totally outdated nowadays.
NFP is trying to say: be a muslim if you please, but don’t try to impose Islam on others no matter how fair and just it might seem. Let everyone be what they are and let’s all just respect and admire each other for being children of God. really, sir, there is only one God, what name we each give him is really the matter. Let’s stop killing each other for a name’s sake.
Nadeem, congratulations on writing such a good article. Wish there were more like minded people in Pakistan to
change for the better. Wish you had mentioned about changes that need to be brought about in the education
system in the country. Madarsaa trained students do not get the skills required to make a living in to-day’s world.
Please write something about the education that the young children should receive to meet tomorrow’s requirements.
Mr. Nadeem,
Hats off to you on such a wonderful article. I am an Indian and visit this website very often to know the other side of the story:). I am glad to know that positive and liberal thinkers do exist in Pakistan. You are doing a great service to Islam.
Chinmay
As a sociological matter, the agents of Islamic “reform” are the grassroots imams and ‘alims. No matter how “eminent” Paracha’s schoalrs are, they or Paracha can’t do the job. You don’t learn your kalima or prayer or Quranic recitation from any of these folks. The guy who does this job for Rs. 5000 and a room in your local masjid, for better or for worse, gets to keep the monopoly to define what Islam is and will remain.
Another obsessive piece. Change your theme, NFP.
Agreed!
He is obsessive about putting the country on right track pull it into the right direction. But then again there are people like you who believe in paradise rathet than improving thier lives while alive.
Why change theme? Why does facing reality hurt?
It’s about time we sorted out our housekeeping and reform drastically to align ourselves so that we are a shining example as a progressive, broad minded nation.
Keep it up NFP.
Obsessive?…still not Fanatical
It’s quite obvious, Mr. Absar has NO CLUE what this piece is about.
Superb! I wish more people would talk about this in this positive way as Nadeem has. Hopefully the rag heads and long bearded ones get to read this.
Thank you Nadeem.
Proud US Muslim.
Excellent piece Mr. Paracha, you are spot on. One small point however;
I have never understood why the discussion about Hadith only revolves around which one is authentic and which one isn’t? Why is there never any discussion on the fact that even within the confines of Islamic discourse, why should the hadith (even if it was authentic) have divine status equal to that given to the Quran?
I can understand that if a Hadith is about an issue that helps clarify a Quranic injunction, then yes, it should be considered to have divine sanction and should be taken seriously. Otherwise, how can the words of the Prophet (PBUH) (Hadith) be equated with the word of God (Quran)?
Exactly. Well said Naveed. Hadith is only used to justify power in the hands of traditionalists.
Your image of resembling Ben-ladin with gun is revolting.I hope it will dissuade muslims from becoming religious zealots, terrorist and forsake absurd religious practices to become responsible citizen of the world
Inter religious matters must be solved to improve the overall image of our society. The real effort can only be made by people.
Dear Nadeem F. Paracha a cultural critic and senior columnist for Dawn Newspaper and Dawn.com you have indeed put the right perspectives and the article is an eye opener to many of us Muslims, to stop hatred to none, not considering Islam a taboo, think realistically and be truthfully practical, not attribute all good or bad happened or will happen, to God almighty, as every thing is per our own actions and God comes in for our help, only when asked truthfully. Thank you for such a truthful, articulate and lovely article Nadeem Sahab.
Sincerely,
Mohamemd Ali Shyhaki
Singer/Artist Civil Engineer
Mr Ali, You seem, from your writing, a nice person and you said something like whatever , good or bad, happens to us is only a re-action to our own actions, which implies that we have a free will and god has nothing to do with our actions and what happens to us is a re-action to our action., for which I agree with you. don’t you think it contradicts what you said about our actions and asking help from God? God either does not exist or God also helps (if asked, in your words) those who don’t believe in any God at all, cause many of these non believers live better lives with fewer social problems than those who believe in God. Besides, why do you always have to bring in God everytime when you say or do somethiing worthwhile which of course is your own action and you and only you are responsible for your actions?
Well done.
May Almighty ALLAH help those who really struggle for the welfare and prosperity of human beings.
Bravo Nadeem! Your articles are more mature now yet have the edginess that makes you special. Im a fan. Anyway you can get your articles into publications that the youth read…?
I never thought i would be a fan of a journo, but without realizing I have become a fan of Nadeem. It is awesome to see him flower and develop a mature yet edgy voice of reason. The ratio of positive comments to negative ones from readers has also risen sharply. Bravo Nadeem!! ROCK ON..any way you can get your articles into magazines for youth…?
This is one of a very few articles by NFP that presents some constructive ideas about Islam and Muslims and not just thrashes them all around for amusement’s sake.
Ameen!