living islam with purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]zn avx` i]z l^aa...

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were the best. He replied: “You will find that people are mines of gold and silver. The best of you in the time of ignorance be- fore Islam will be the best of you in Islam if they gain understanding of the religion.” This Hadith implies that Islam requires both belief and understanding to bring out intrinsic human goodness, even in the best of people. However great the native goodness of Muslims may be, they can only realize their potential as individuals and members of communities through an adequate understanding of their faith. The need for a deeper understanding of Islam in order to achieve excellence clearly applies to Muslims in America. They have exceptional potential. They are intelli- gent, industrious, and uniquely promising, yet, like undiscovered mines of gold and silver, their promise remains largely untapped due to insuf- ficient acquaintance with their faith, its resources, and legacy. A Nawawi Foundation Paper by Umar Faruq Abd-Allah, Ph.D. Living Islam with Purpose

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Page 1: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

were the best. He replied: “You will find that people are mines

of gold and silver. The best of you in the time of ignorance be-

fore Islam will be the best of you in Islam if they gain understanding of

the religion.” This Hadith implies that Islam requires both belief and

understanding to bring out intrinsic human goodness, even in the best of

people. However great the native goodness of Muslims may be, they can

only realize their potential as individuals and members of communities

through an adequate understanding of their faith. The need for a deeper

understanding of Islam in order to achieve excellence clearly applies to

Muslims in America. They have exceptional potential. They are intelli-

gent, industrious, and uniquely promising, yet, like undiscovered mines

of gold and silver, their promise remains largely untapped due to insuf-

ficient acquaintance with their faith, its resources, and legacy.

A Nawawi Foundation Paperby Umar Faruq Abd-Allah, Ph.D.

Living Islam with Purpose

Page 2: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 3: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

operational principle one

TRUSTING REASON

Page 4: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 5: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 6: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

operational principle two

RESPECTING DISSENT

Page 7: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Although the

protocol of

Islamic thought

agrees to disagree

on presumptively

authoritative

matters, it should

be emphasized that

dissenting views

must be held to

high standards

and sound

methodologies.

Page 8: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 9: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 10: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Receptivity

to dissent

counteracts

rigidity and

dogmatism;

familiarity with

competing

interpretations

and different

points of view

leads to flexibility

and intellectual

maturity.

Page 11: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 12: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 13: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

operational principle three

STRESSING SOCIETAL OBLIGATIONS

Page 14: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

For the American

Muslim community,

societal

obligations

require the

proactive

development of

needed resources

that address real

issues on the

ground.

Page 15: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 16: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 17: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 18: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

operational principle four

SETTING PRIORITIES

Page 19: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 20: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 21: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Actions and

activities are not

done for their

sake alone; it is

not enough to

“go through the

motions.” Works

must have direction

and be carried out

in a manner that is

likely to achieve

the rationales and

objectives behind

them.

Page 22: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

operational principle five

EMBRACING MAXIMS

Page 23: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 24: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 25: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 26: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

A religious

psychology

narrowly molded

by lists of do’s and

don’ts is greatly

handicapped.

Muslims with

such an identity

struggle not

to feel alien or

out of place in

surroundings

where their list of

do’s and don’ts is

not shared.

Page 27: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 28: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 29: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 30: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 31: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Islam is not

culturally

predatory, and it

teaches Muslims

to look upon all

cultural heritages

with an open mind,

especially those

where they live

and to which they

belong.

Page 32: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 33: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 34: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Islam is a religion

of humane

rationales

and practical

objectives.

Application of the

religion in practice

must be consistent

with them. Islam

must make sense,

but, to make

sense, it requires

intelligent

followers

with sound

understanding.

Page 35: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

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living islam with purpose

CONCLUSION

Page 37: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 38: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 39: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

Page 40: Living Islam with Purpose · 2000-03-26 · living islam with purpose * ' i]Zn aVX` i]Z l^aa id \V^c ^i# L]Vi hZZbh id WZ b^hh "^c\ ^h Vc deZgVi^dcVa [gVbZldg` id [VX^a^iViZ i]Z VX

living islam with purpose

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living islam with purpose