Emerging Trends, Issues, Concerns & Remedies

On Becoming Learned Muslim Professionals

28th December 2007Main Auditorium, Block Lambda E3,

Kulliyah of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia

Ismail Bin AhmedMBA, ADBM, Dip. Shariah, Dip. Arabic Language, Dip. Translation,

MMIMGuru Agama Bertauliah Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan

Managing Director, Language Explore

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيمنحمده ونصلى على رسوله الكريم

Acquiring Islamic Knowledge

in the Information Age

Popularity of the internet

• Main findings on internet usage • People access the internet for all

types of information• Increasing number of people are

using the internet to be learned Muslims

people are using the internet to be learned Muslims

Source: http://uisk.jinonice.cuni.cz/sisler

Findings by Vít Šisler from Charles University in Prague – on the Construction of Islamic Knowledge in Cyberspace

challenge for the ‘traditional’ authority

Muslim minorities & the non-Islamic legal framework

exposing to debates

individualization & privatization

selective interpretation

transcending virtual borders

‘imam shopping’

canonization of information – Digital Islamic Library Project

Construction of Islamic Knowledge in Cyberspace

Findings on Construction of Islamic Knowledge Via the Cyberspace

Islam Online

URL: www.islamonline.net

Operates from: Cairo, Egypt

Registered: Doha, Qatar

Mufti(s): Yusuf al-Qaradawi, European Council for Fatwa

and Research, Fiqh Council of North America, al-Azhar

graduates, etc.

Construction of Islamic Knowledge in Cyberspace

Fatwa Online

URL: www.fatwa-online.com

Operates from: Saudi Arabia

Registered: Medina, Saudi Arabia

Mufti(s): Saudi Arabian Permanent Committee for

Research and Fatawa

Construction of Islamic Knowledge in Cyberspace

Ask the Imam

URL: www.ask-imam.com

Operates from: Campertown, South Africa

Registered: El Segundo, California, US

Mufti: Ebrahim Desai

Construction of Islamic Knowledge in Cyberspace

Al-Azhar

URL: www.alazhar.org

Operates from: Cairo, Egypt

Registered: Cairo, Egypt

Mufti(s): -

Construction of Islamic Knowledge in Cyberspace

Ijtihad

URL: www.ijtihad.org

Operates from: Falls Church, US

Registered: Newark, US

Author: Muqtedar Khan

Construction of Islamic Knowledge in Cyberspace

An Example of A Web Page Which Propagates An Erroneous View of Islam

In Seeking the Sacred Knowledge, mere information from the internet is insufficient

because ……

We Are Required to Seek Direct Guidance from the Living Authorities

• Without the explanation of Rasulullah SAW, the meanings of the Quran would definitely be misunderstood.

• Allah mentions in the Qur'an, meaning: “Ask the people of knowledge if you do not know.” (Al-Nahli : 43)

• Sayiduna Dawud (AS) is said to have benefited immensely from Luqman al-Hakim, before Dawud (AS) received prophethood.

• The sojourn of Sayiduna Musa (AS) to Sayiduna Khidhr (AS) is well-known and enshrined in the Quran.

• During the era of the tabi‘een, whenever anyone would claim to have any knowledge, he would be questioned as to which person he has acquired that bit of knowledge from.

We Are Required to Seek Direct Guidance from the Living Authorities

• Many scholars of the classical times destroyed their books themselves or instructed so for fear that they may end up in the hands of the ignorants who would not understand their verdicts and would only take the apparent meanings there from.

• Imam Muhammad ibn Sirin, Hakam ibn Atiyyah and Waki‘e ibnul Jarrah have all stated that the primary cause for the misguidance of Banu Israel was the books that they inherited from their forefathers.

• Imam al-Awza‘ie says, “Knowledge is sublime for as long as it is obtained from the mouths of the learned. When it ended up in books, it’s noor (divine light) disappears.”

We Are Required to Seek Direct Guidance from the Living Authorities

• Imam Malik (RA) was once asked if knowledge could be acquired from one who did not sit in the company of the ‘ulama (instead he sufficed with books only). He replied in the negative and said, “Knowledge should not be acquired except from one who has memorized, accompanied the scholars, practiced upon his knowledge and has piety in him.”

• According to Shaykh Muhammad Awwamah, “The ‘ulama never used to pay attention to one who did not have any ustadz (teacher), neither would they consider such a person worthy of even being spoken to due to him being prone to mistakes.”

• Qadi Iyadh and others have narrated that when Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal was requested by the ruler of his time (al-Mu‘tasim) to discuss a certain matter with ibn Abi Du’ad, he (Imam Ahmad) turned his face away and said, “How can I discuss with such a person whom I have never seen at the door of any ‘alim ever!”

Problem of taking sacred knowledge only from books/ cyberspace

• No guarantee on the authority of the “teachers”

• No guarantee on the recognised chain of knowledge transmission

Abu Hurayrah, Ibn ‘Abbas, Zayd ibn Aslam, Ibn Sirin, al-Hasan al-Basri, al-Dahhak and Ibrahim al-Nakhai‘e said:

“Verily this knowledge is religion. Thus beware who you take it from.”

Reminder...

Al-Tabari said: “The main criteria for a person

interpreting the Qur’an are true faith and commitment to the sunnah.

A person with faulty belief is not fit to propagate not only religious matters but also worldly matters.”

To qualify as a Mufassir, one must master 15 branches of knowledge according to Imam al-Suyuti

7 concerns the branches of Arabic language:1. ‘ilm al-lughah (philology of language)2. ‘ilm al-nahw (syntax - a branch of Arabic

grammar)3. ‘ilm al-sarf (etymology)4. Knowledge of ishtiqaq (word derivatives)5. ‘ilm al-ma‘ani (knowledge of semantics) 6. ‘ilm al-bayan (knowledge of figures of speech) 7. ‘ilm al-badi‘ (knowledge of rhetoric)

To qualify as a Mufassir, one must master 15 branches of knowledge according to Imam al-Suyuti

8. ‘ilm al-qira‘ah (recitation of the Quran)9. ‘ilm al-’aqaa’id (knowledge of the

fundamentals of Faith). The Sifat [qualities] of Almighty Allah should be interpreted, so as to negate the possibility of establishing a physical form to the being of Allah.

example - Surah Taha verse 5.

To qualify as a Mufassir, one must master 15 branches of knowledge according to Imam al-Suyuti10. usul al-fiqh (principles of Islamic jurisprudence) 11. asbab al-nuzul (the particular circumstance which became the cause of the Quranic revelation) 12. al-nasikh wa al-mansukh (knowledge of commandments that have subsequently been abrogated or changed) 13. ‘ilm al-fiqh (knowledge of the Islamic Jurisprudence) 14. ‘ilm al-hadith – (knowledge of the hadith which happen to be a commentary on certain verses of the Quran) 15. ‘ilm al-mawhibah (talent or the gifted under standing, bestowed by Allah upon His selected and pious slaves)

Qualifications of a Mufassir

• A commentary written by a person who is not thoroughly acquainted with the branches of knowledge mentioned earlier will be based on his personal opinion.

• The Sahabah already had the Arabic language as their mother-tongue, and they reached the depth of the rest of the knowledge by means of their enlightening contacts which they had with the Messenger of Allah.

Reminder...Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali said: …. three persons are not blessed with complete understanding of the Qur'an: • firstly, one who is not well versed in Arabic; • secondly, one who persists in committing a

major sin or indulges in acts of religious innovation, because these actions blacken his heart, which in turn prevents him from understanding the Qur'an.

• thirdly, for one who is a rationalist, even in the matter of faith, feels embarrassed when he reads an ayah of the Quran which he is not able to fully rationalize.

Right Actions...

• Identify the Qualified teachers

• Check with the relevant authorities who have set Rules & Regulations concerning the Qualified teachers

Characteristics of a good teacher to learn from according to Imam Al-Ghazali

• does not seek the glamour of this world using his knowledge

• does not contradict his actions from his words (Al-Baqarah: 44)

• propagates the knowledge Allah has endowed upon him to achieve happiness in the hereafter, continuosly increasing the knowledge which draw him nearer to Allah, is always occupied with his inner actions (his sincerity etc.) and thus avoiding superfluous debates which only flaunt his learning and intellectuality

Characteristics of a good teacher to learn from according to Imam Al-Ghazali

• leads a simple life, avoids ostentation and practice his knowledge as an act of obedience to Allah

• avoids high office and the company of the oppressive rulers.

• is not quick to issue fatwa which could cause undue disasters due to unresearched facts and which only aim to “promote” his megalomania

• is very concerned to watch and guard his own inner motives and continuosly work to achieve humility to Allah and fear the wrath of Allah while being optimistic of Allah’s mercy

Characteristics of a good teacher to learn from according to Imam Al-Ghazali

• strives hard to achieve firm belief (haqqul-yaqin)• is fearful of Allah and has the unblemished akhlaq

as a humble and sober individual, the very sight of him reminds others of Allah

• indulge more on the practicing aspects of the religion in his discourses and not on the hazy concepts of theology, rhetoric and semantics which only confuse and does not benefit others

• have the knowledge which emanates from the heart and not from the written books

• his only role model is the Prophet SAW whom he is unflinchingly loyal to

CONCLUSION

Imam Shafi‘ey says:

Oh my brother,you will never acquire knowledge,without these six things:-

intelligence, desire, determination,expenditure for sojourn, tutorship of a guide & a long consistent period of studying under him.

أعلم واللهورحمة عليكم والسالم

وبركاته الله