Who Are We? Who Defines Us?

[ummtaalib]

A debate has been going on about defining or redefining Islãm and its followers. Several terms have been designed to make a distinction among Muslims' various political schools of thoughts. These terms sometimes appear attractive, especially in the state  of confusion in which we live. They provide us with a different approach to identify ourselves. However, when we look at these terms deeply, we begin to realize that they are meant to define us in the mould of our thinking influenced by our social and  political milieu. 

 

Terms that are in fashion currently are moderate Islãm, progressive Islãm, enlightened Islãm, modern Islãm, extremist  Islãm, liberal Islãm, conservative Islãm, reformed Islãm,  orthodox Islãm, fundamentalist Islãm, medieval Islãm, and  obscurantist Islãm, etc.

 

What is interesting is that these terms emerge from the limitations of our own readings of Islãm controlled by our own  social political experiences. For instance, in the context of the  West, it is now fashionable to use terms such as progressive Islãm  and moderate Islãm. When asked to define these terms, their  proponents say that "moderate" or "progressive" Islãm opposes  violence, accepts the universal charter of human rights, promotes  gender equality and recognizes the idea of pluralism.  Dialectically, what they are saying is that there is an Islãm that  does not recognize the value of non-violence, that rejects  universal charter of human rights and that opposes the idea of  gender equality and pluralism. If this is the basis of redefining  Islãm, then it is a weak premise. Islam is a faith given to human  beings to live their lives according to certain values originally defined by the Divine. People have a choice to reject them or accept them because they are responsible for their own actions.  Islãm does not advocate violence. Those who use violence as a  means to achieve their goals, however noble their goals may be,  are essentially in violation of their faith. They are the ones who  are deviating from the path of Islãm.

 

Why should their deviation cause some Muslims to redefine Islãm and form a separate category of moderate or progressive  Islãm in order to make a distinction between the two? There are  always people and groups who use their faith to promote their  own political and economic agenda. This is true with all  religions. The most effective way to confront such people is to  develop a sound argument on the basis of a comprehensive understanding of the divine values and prophetic teachings. This is a struggle that we all have to carry on within ourselves  and in the society at large. Creating further divisions and  categorizing ourselves in terms that refer to our own political  expediencies will not serve the  real purpose of the faith. Islãm,  after all, demands from every  Muslim to be a witness to the  truth.

 

The truth is clear in Islãm. We cannot change it for our political  purposes. Thus, the coinage of  these terms is primarily a weak  strategy that defeats the very purpose of the faith. The questions that ought to be  raised, then, are: what is this  truth and how do we discern it from the falsehood? The truth will emerge from our quest of knowledge, experiences, wisdom and guidance from the Divine. The truth will not be dictated by a few sound bites of President Bush or Daniel Pipes or people like them.

 

In the case of Islãm, the truth, as perceived by Muslims based on their general readings of the Qur’ãn, is that Islãm is a divinely revealed faith that commands its adherents to follow the principles of monotheism, justice, equality, and peace in all aspects of their life.

 

We have to understand our world in the context of these divinely revealed truths and develop suitable instruments to ensure that they are shared with the rest of the world. Thus, our struggle is to be a witness to these truths and to challenge all those who are in violation of these regardless of what label they assume.

 

In the Qur’ãn, the Divine tells us of people who would call themselves Muslims, yet, would do everything that is contrary to the teachings of Islãm. It is not a prudent strategy to say that because of the deviations of others, we are changing our self definition and coining a new term to describe our relation  with our faith. Our commitment to our faith is based on the criterion of right and wrong.The propagation of new terminologies by various Mu slim s is leadi ng our  community into a bewilderment of confusing ideas without realizing that the principles of faith cannot be compromised for our understanding or lack of

understanding of political realities. Thus, we have two tasks at hand. First, internally we have to challenge those who a r e d e v i a t i n g f r o m t h e foundation of Islãm, and second we have to communicate to the rest of the world the real foundation on which our faith stands. It is better that we spend our time and resources in these areas rather than wasting our energy in coining and recoining terms that confuse us and others as well. When we do what is expected of us in Islãm, we will notice qualitative change in our own attitude as well as the attitude of the people in our faith.

 

At-Tarbiyah

Islamic Tarbiyah Academy