Scholars

Define scholar. Usually when someone says “scholar” to me in this field, they usually mean the one who has been taught Traditional Islam and has studied at a name brand academy and has a certificate to prove it. I don’t believe there are “official” scholars in Quranism – sure, there are those who have studied Quran more than others and who have read the works of others who have studied the Quran in great depth but that does not mean they have the all the answers or that the ones who have studied less don’t have a very good understanding of the overall message of islam as described by the Quran. But anyway the ones who talk against one another will usually have the attitude of “My school of thought is right (or my opinion is right) and the others are wrong” which doesn’t seem very quranic to me (considering how the Quran talks of multiple paths). To me the Quran is shareware, public domain. No-one has a monopoly on it and no-one can say they know more about the meaning of it than anyone else, as we are all in the same boat. What I do think is encouraging is that there are projects that people can get involved in without having to prove your academic ability – in the Quranists Network there are no limits on who can contribute to theological, ideological and philosophical discussions about the Quran and islam!

Back to scholars – There is a difference between being able to reference facts and words and knowing where to find the themes, concepts and subjects in the Quran, and even then there will be verses that are subjective. When you adopt the premise that the Quran is to be read and understood on a personal basis, anyone else’s interpretation can either assist or cloud your OWN judgement about what the text is saying to YOU the reader. What I like is when people who have learned and studied and have tried to be unbiased and open minded without shutting out the possibility that the meanings are layered, share their views and knowledge and pass it on with the unwritten understanding that what they are saying is also just their own understanding and is of no more or less importance and correctness than anyone else’s take on things.

That is not to say that if you consider yourself to be a scholar (however you define it), that it is a negative thing, of course not – Reading, studying, learning, gathering knowledge, processing and reflecting are encouraged by the Quran afaics so there is no reason why each quranist could not be considered a scholar in their own right, if they want, but never that one is more entitled to be a scholar than the other nor that knowledge is power or control over others.

Intellectual equality is not the same as spiritual equality. By that I mean you could know everything there is to know about The Quran, and everything about Traditionalism and Quranism and all the other religions, doctrines, history, facts and theories etc. But if it is purely knowledge in the sense of facts committed to memory without a connection of how it affects you spiritually and being able to apply that knowledge and nourish your soul from it, and be motivated from within your heart to help others and benefit society with it, then it will all just be superficial. I imagine that there are people do become “scholars” (in the Trad. sense) for the fame and status and the power and the money (not always because I am equally certain that there are genuine people out there in the Trad. field who don’t desire the money/power/fame combo) and others who either claim to be a scholar or even do NOT claim to be a scholar but have become knowledgeable solely due to their own natural journey of curiosity, thirst for knowledge and hunger for the Truth.

Coping with being “condemned to hell”

from QRAC (Quranists Reverts and Converts Support Network on Facebook)

Let the accusations roll

It’s certainly toughened me up, since “coming out” as a Quranist ! I’ve been accused of all sorts and been called all sorts! Kafir, munafiq, arrogant, misguided, ignorant, sectarian, satanic, cultist, and even polytheist! Before, I was always very keen to want to be liked and loved by all and I did like to think I would be able to make lots of friends and get along with people – I used to be quite the social butterfly you know, before by conversion to Islam (well getting married and having kids can take its toll and factor in of course!) – but after my conversion to Islam is when I started becoming more self-conscious and worried about offending other people and THEIR beliefs and feeling odd about not fitting in with cultural stuff or making social faux pas etc, and I lost my sense of humour for quite a while too.

When I say toughened up – I don’t think I mean that I’ve become harder in my heart or hold any grudges or have any hatred for anybody, nothing like that – I’m still soft as brush and just as daft!

What I mean is that the insults or nasty comments seem to roll a lot easier off me like water off a duck’s back now seeing as day in day out listening to the same kind of thing it is easier to tune it out and just smile and say Peace be upon you, or WATDIP! (Someone once said “you gotta get through the NO’s to get to the YES’s !!” ) LOL but tbh that was for a pyramid scheme so I don’t know if that will work in this case.

Shirk from a different angle

In all seriousness though the Trust and Faith in Allah as our protector and Sustainer made me so much stronger and more patient alhamdulillah! I think one of the most insulting suggestions to a Traditionalist or any muslim for that matter, quranists included, is to accuse them of Shirk. It is normal to feel a duty to remind people so that they don’t commit shirk, and I used to act upon that. More recently I have come to believe that there are so many situations / conditions / factors involved in the “act of Shirk” that I cannot in all confidence try to make someone else feel as though they might be commiting shirk (for whatever reason – asking for blessings on the Prophet in Salat or by going to ask a scholar for advice etc which is a common attack/accusation about Tradtionalists from Quranist Fundamentalists ) when quite equally, I myself might be committing shirk by letting my own ego take over from humbleness, and not saying maashaaAllah in situations like 18:32-18:42.

Common ground

I would say the key is to remember that the Quran unites us all and we all believe in 1 God . Maybe try to find common ground wherever possible. We all believe in doing good deeds and charity and helping others and acts of worship and living good, honest lives caring for families and parents etc etc I am sure you can think of many more things. I know it is natural, for new converts/reverts to Quranism, with your enthusiasm and the excitement and the emotions of this spiritual roller coaster ride to want to engage in dialogue with people and I think that’s wonderful!

Turn every negative into a positive

If I have learned anything it is that sometimes I would be a little “full on” and not give people room to breathe or chance to think or digest. I am probably doing that now and apologies if I am! But what I mean is, don’t be afraid to keep things simple and maybe just “sow the seeds”. Keep studying Quran and ponder and reflect and refer to it at every appropriate opportunity in discussions – not to attack people with verses to show they are wrong of course, I know you wouldn’t do that, rather to suggest / brainstorm WITH them how they can apply the verse. Turn every negative into a positive, wherever possible inshaaAllah!

Don’t force, lead the horse

And you may like to simply accept that they have their approach to islam and are entitled to it, just as YOU have your approach to islam and are entitled to it. Not everyone has to have the same approach and not everyone has to agree with you and you don’t have to agree with them! They already have the Quran so the onus is on them to read and apply it. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink! They probably think that about you! But that’s fine! Just smile and never give up – Trust in Allah And when they use 59:7 on you just send them the link to the QNet TV episode “responses to Critics- refuting Sheikh Faiz !

See also Multiple Paths to Salvation

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more notes

Pharaoh calls Musa a liar in 28:38; 40:24; and 40:37; and he calls him bewitched in 17:101 Noah was threatened with being stoned in 26:116 . 49:11 says we should not be ridiculing others or calling names. in 40:26 Pharaoh accuses Musa of spreading evil/corruption in the land 40:29 Pharaoh claims he is the one guiding to the right path

Questioning the Quranist Vision

I was recently asked whether it was really necessary for Quranism to be recognised as a valid form of Islam (from the Quranist Vision on Quranists.net). It is great to have people interested and taking the time to think about these things and question everything! I applaud this attitude. Please keep the questions coming! Thanks for sending in this question.

“Salaam Alaykum Asfora Safarina. There is something awkward sounding (to me) in this paragraph:

“Our secondary vision is to have Quranism recognised as a legitimate form of Islam. At present, Quranism is seen as either heretical or worse still, totally irrelevant to Islamic discourse. “

Is it necessary, truthfully, that one be “recognized” as a “form” of something, outside of the knowledge one already has about his/her beliefs? Does it matter, in *truth,* what others think of you or anyone else, if what you do is honest and sincere, and harming no one? Why would you seek validation (because it *sounds* like that is the “vision”) from people who would be so far removed from your belief system as to accuse you of being heretical–because you follow the Qur’an (solely)? Is it not also, in some way, taking steps forward on that slippery slope of establishing a ‘sect’, simply by hoping/wishing/envisaging that someone or group or entity outside legitimizes what you believe? Does it make you (or anyone for that matter) stronger in your belief/faith by gaining their “acceptance.”? “

My response: Walaikum salam – for me it makes no difference whether ppl accept my beliefs as heretical or not. Alhamdulillah I don’t live in a country ruled by man made “Shariah” law. I believe everyone should have the same privilege or should I say the same RIGHT. I believe if there are ppl who are living in fear that they must say they believe something out of force / oppression in order to spare their lives, then this is tantamount the to situation that Firawn had with his people. See 7:123 and 10:83. The prophetic example of Musa shows that he was sent to abolish this practice. I believe we were given those examples in the Quran for a reason – to learn, to acknowledge and understand and then put the wisdom into action, not to let such valuable guidance fall by the wayside. If, from the work we are doing at Quranists.net we can encourage people, whatever their approach is, to have respect for other people’s beliefs and interpretations and to discourage fundmentalist or extremist views, and promote a more quranic attitude of pluralisticism, acceptance and tolerance, then I would consider it a contribution to the betterment of society, inshaaAllah.

Coping with being called “not a proper Muslim”

There seems to be a tendency in Traditional Islam to be called “not a proper Muslim” if you disagree over any minor point of dogmatic doctrine. But to be fair, it is not really whether People think you are a true Muslim that counts. What counts is whether God judges you to be “muslim” – a characteristic that is described in the Quran. I should also say at this point that there are also people within the Quranist community (Quranist Fundamentalists) that will also hold fundamentalist views that THEY are the only true muslims and you are not (again because you don’t agree with their exact interpretation on a certain point) So whilst it is an undesirable thing that people like to do to each other and afaics not sanctioned by the Quran (see 4:94), it does happen and you really shouldn’t take it personally if that happens to you, just try to deal with it in patience and peace and overlook vain talk and ignorance ( 25:63 and 28:55) and debate in the best way (16:125) or agree to disagree in peace (42:15). It is a very common thing for Quranists to be called “not a proper muslim / kafir / munafiq / hadith rejector ” etc at some point. It is supposed to be an insult but the main thing is to have faith in Allah and let Him guide you and be in Awe of Him and not be discouraged or unsettled by the people. InshaaAllah.

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Further reading

more like this
A Quranist’s response the the term “Hadith Rejector”

My response to the term ‘Just Muslim’

We had an interesting discussion thanks to Asfora’s repost of her essay ‘Submitters and Quranists’ on Quranology Discussions where the term ‘just muslim without any sects’ came up. Here is my opinion on that along with a simile i devised:

 ‎’Just muslim’ is an untenable term anyway. It’s equivalent of saying ‘im just a computer user’ when asked ‘which operating system do you use’. The fact is, one can only access a pc’s facilities with an operating system, just as one can only access the universal principles of islam through a methodology. Quranists acknowledge that there are in fact other access methods but feel that their operating system is the most efficient. Submitters/19ers/Rashadite​s however feel that thier operating system is IT, anyone who rejects it are simply not computer users at all.

The deceptive “Just Muslim” label

Meaning vs Metaphor

As Quranists, many of us were often accused of taking the Quran to an excessive, over-metaphorical level. You would think this accusation came from anti-Quranic (and NOT Sunni, Shitte of other) parties, yet instead it came from fellow Quranists who first refused the name at the time Farouk was launching the website and forum (www.quranists.net)!

I can hardly say I’m religious in the terms of organized religion. My belief in God is still natural rather than based on a sacred text, which is safe for now. I figured that before reading the Quran again, I had to establish a mechanism, a way, a more appropriate language than the currently dealt-with Arabic, and a new (yes! brand new) mentality… and probably more age since I doubt my brain is developed enough for all this.

Many things in organized religion never appealed to me. The constant call for rituals that I did not understand (although I don’t deny the beauty of rituals), the unnecessary-seeming Quranic details (for example, why it was so important to say that Abraham offered his Angelic guests roasted beef, or why Moses was traveling with a Whale, he lost for some reason etc), and the constant call for fundamentalism – all these seemed of no value whatsoever.

So, many Quranists began to question these details. They were NOT questioning Allah SWT, and NOT questioning the validity of the Quran, but they were questioning the Quranist-Traditional (which Farouk might like to call QFists) understanding of Quranic verse.

Based on many Quranists challenging the current “silly” (oh, yes it is silly!) understanding of many well-known Quranic verses, other fellow Quranists accused them of exaggerating in extracting a metaphorical, symbolic, “wider” meaning, and by that “drifting away” from God, trying to “make our life easier by eliminating rituals”.

What is worse that all this is that these Quranists deny the title and study approach “Quranist”, prefer to be called on Muslims AND call any those who have tried to think harder, dig deeper and find another way “Quranists”, and by that refusing us, dividing the ummah on a mini-scale on the internet. I have absolutely no issue with people calling themselves “Muslims”. That is simply beautiful and up to them, but to entirely separate themselves from those who seek a wider Quranic meaning (which doesn’t include all Quranists) in the name of God? Why, any 17-year-old can spot the intolerance there!

In response, many Quranists stood up to say, “Yes, we do take the Quran metaphorically and we believe many verses were meant to be understood metaphorically!”

Here is where I highly disagree. There is no “metaphorical” meaning, but the words are deeper and have more angles than we assume. We’re not trying to find a metaphorical meaning in the Quran, but we’re trying to find the actual meaning!

Once you reach the point of realizing Salaat cannot be a ritual, you start wondering what ablution is for. Then you follow a trace, and you discover that “ablution” has much greater angles. Later on, you discover that the “whale/hoot” means something “unstable” and that this instability would visit The People of the Sabbath on the Day of “Sabbath” – the Day of “Rest” when they are under-equipped and unprepared for trouble.

I doubt the Quran is a life schedule, but it’s a grand philosophy by which Allah teaches those who seek guidance the means to patience, balance, “prayer” and life.

Traditional Islam created a whole new language called “al-mustalahat ash-sharia”, where (ironically) every Arabic word connected or found in the Quran has a “sharia” meaning and an “actual” meaning. For example, “safira” is a word Islamists use to describe an “exposed” hijabless woman, but they don’t tell you how it’s from the same root as the word “safar” which is found in the Quran,  roughly translated as “traveling”. Now, everything has a twisted sharia meaning to fit into a religion that aims to drown you in sunnah details of eating with your right hand and entering the bathroom with your left foot.

I highly disrespect those who say Quranists joggle with root words (as if it’s a sin to brush up on our Arabic!). They would tell me the Quran is easy to understand which to them means that words have a limited range of meanings as long as the majority of translators agree to deliver to us, (good enough for any mediocre thinking style), EVEN if these words were based on hadith, historical sources and other things they themselves consider to be “dogmas”. Due to this faulty understanding of the Quran, they themselves end up relying on outside sources to complete their religion, such as using a calendar to know when Ramadaan is, although we made that calendar with our own hands.

God’s word is clear. Sure, but do your eyes know clarity? Are you not looking through the eyes of traditional, intolerant, “ban-thinking” people?
- Take the word “nisa’” for example, which, root-wise, has nothing to do with women! Can you find anyone who ever translated “nisa’” as anything beside “women”?

- Take the word “rajeem” (a word used in the Quran to describe the Devil) that everyone flipped from “the oft-banishing” to “the banished one”.

- Take how “fatayat” and “banat” are both translated as “daughters”, or how both “zawj” and “imra’a” are both translated as “wife”.

- Take how Satan is The Devil although the two concepts are different and featured separately in the story of Adam.

- Take how “jald” could mean many other things beside flogging and whipping.

- Take how Sujjud (prostrating) does not fit as “physical prostration” in many verses and means “submission” at the same time. Do you see how many people are afraid to give up the meaning stuck in their head (that sujjud is about kneeling and lowering your forehead to the ground) although it doesn’t always fit?

Understanding God’s word cannot and will not happen overnight. It’s a life-long journey of giving and taking.

Pyrrhic victory

I know it always seems to be a victory when we can prove a point or make someone realise that what the Quran teaches is not what (all) the Hadiths teach. I think it is really important to bear in mind that the intention is to invite to the truth and expose falsehood, but never to make anyone feel embarrassed or for them to lose their dignity in front of other people. We are instructed to debate/dispute/argue/discuss  in the best manner (16:125) and (29:46).

I’ll be honest – I am not really sure what the best manner is! Maybe I spend too much time wondering about the safest way to ensure the other party does not get humiliated? Is the only real way to do that for the debate to be done in private? Should debates be private or public? A public debate can be very revealing and educational, and obviously can benefit more people than the alternative of private conversations with each individual. After all, we are all in the same boat, looking for the truth, so no-one has anything to hide do they? Or do they? The problem is that it is natural to want to “save face” and I think we should always be aware of our own ego and pride and try to remain humble and never arrogant. By focussing on the issues and the evidence and never letting the debate turn into a personal attack about intelligence, I think the debates can be productive and to the point.

I think one way to “debate in the best manner” would probably be by presenting evidence, highlighting the illogic of the opposing argument and remaining calm and polite and respectful. I wondered whether sarcasm is included in “debating in the best manner”

Wikipedia says:

“Understanding the subtlety of this usage (of sarcasm) requires second-order interpretation of the speaker’s intentions. This sophisticated understanding can be lacking in some people with certain forms of brain damage, dementia and autism,^[11] and this perception has been located by MRI in the right parahippocampal gyrus.^[12][13]

Cultural perspectives on sarcasm vary widely with more than a few cultures and linguistic groups finding it offensive to varying degrees. Thomas Carlyle despised it: “Sarcasm I now see to be, in general, the language of the devil; for which reason I have long since as good as renounced it”.^[14] Fyodor Dostoyevsky, on the other hand, recognized in it a cry of pain: Sarcasm, he said, was “usually the last refuge of modest and chaste-souled people when the privacy of their soul is coarsely and intrusively invaded.”^[15] RFC 1855, a collection of guidelines for Internet communications, even includes a warning to be especially careful with it as it “may not travel well”.”

However, it is interesting to note some examples from the Quran about how Ibrahim dealt with the one who tried to argue with him in 2:258. It seems to me Ibrahim used irony to prove a point and I imagine it was said with a smile  In 21:63 too, again a point is proven by Ibrahim. This shows that sometimes we have to highlight the illogic in a profound way to prove the point, without beating around the bush! After all Ibrahim is a good example (60:4)

Who is the audience? Sarcasm, irony, rhetoric, hyperbole and understatement are misunderstood communication devices, too often unnecessarily considered rude when in fact there is no malice intent. I think if it was available in a tube the instructions would be “Apply sparingly” and “Use with caution” !

I don’t have the opportunity very often to debate in real life face to face, so I am thinking about online debates mainly. Maybe I am over-sensitive though? Maybe I need to toughen up!  I don’t really like conflict so I guess I sit on the fence a lot. Or maybe I think it is sitting on the fence by refusing to take sides when people have heated discussions, once I have shown my evidence (verse from the Quran) – I guess I have this automatic instinct to stick up for the underdog, and I don’t really believe in “kicking a guy when he’s down”. Even though that would probably not be reciprocated! Maybe that is a weakness on my part. But still the truth must prevail over falsehood. I need to remember 2:42

I suppose for those who choose to engage in public debates know what they are getting into and do so at their own risk, but I think the good that can come from effective debates must outweigh the possible negative side effects.  I sometimes find myself being drawn in to online debates and then it is difficult to end things without being accused of “running away” which is not the case – it’s just I don’t see the point in repeating my evidence. There has to be a line drawn somewhere when the debate is no longer productive. After all, time is a precious and limited commodity! Some people think that having the last word means you have won the debate! I don’t agree with this simplistic and superficial view. Agreeing to disagree is a good one! (28:55)

The last point I wanted to make was that although quranists do get attacked constantly,  it seems a little extreme to tar all the attackers with the same brush with the concept that if they do not follow quranism (islam based on no other source than the Quran) then they are “polytheists” by default. I will admit; I am naive and I give the benefit of the doubt all too often. But I don’t like to brandish anyone, call names or mock – 49:11 comes to mind and I feel it is important to remember quranic etiquette and manners at all times, especially in debates. I think it is REALLY important for the quranist “movement” to lead by example and prove that the Quran really does have everything we need. A recent attack on Quranism was that if we did not have the hadiths then we would not have good manners, which I certainly do not agree with. Here are some links about Attitudes and Etiquette from the Quran.
More verses about truth and falsehood :

Chapter 2 - 2:42;

Chapter 3 - 3:71;

Chapter 8 - 8:8;

Chapter 13 - 13:17;

Chapter 17 - 17:81;

Chapter 18 - 18:56;

Chapter 21 - 21:18;

Chapter 22 - 22:62;

Chapter 31 - 31:30;

Chapter 34 - 34:49;

Chapter 40 - 40:5; 40:78;

Chapter 42 - 42:24;

Chapter 47 - 47:3;

Happy debating! Remember to smile – it’s from the Quran! 27:19 !