Any former Sheikhs/scholars here?
Reply #29 - May 06, 2016, 03:36 PM
Hey Coolester,
As I said earlier in this thread, I was raised in a Muslim family and I studied Islam (Arabic, aqidah, the “science” of hadith, Qur’an, etc) formally.
I entered into Islam as completely as I knew how and the way of life that I experienced as a Muslim has played a huge role in shaping who I am as a human being. As a result of my studies and my experiences in life, however, I can no longer believe that the Qur’an is the literal and verbatim word of “God,” nor can I believe that “God” is something that can truly be encompassed by the human mind.
The Qur’an describes its God, in literal terms, as being both apparent and hidden; as being both superlatively just and superlatively merciful; as being simultaneously oft forgiving and full of vengeance; as being, at the same time, above his “throne” and closer to a human being than the life veins in his or her body. This God is alive without having any of the characteristics that define life as we know it.
From a literal standpoint, this God is nonsensical. Like a 4-sided triangle, human beings cannot make any literal sense of it. Whatever you may envision this God as being will necessarily miss the mark. This God is, after all, without equal and one unto whom there is nothing like. It is contradictory to the point that removes it from the realm of anything that can exist in a way that we can understand actual existence.
That is because, ultimately, this God is a concept. It is an idea. Ideas are certainly real, but only in the mind of the conjurer. They are abstract, not physical. They are products of the human mind. That is ultimately what I believe about the God of the Qur’an. If anyone insists that the God of the Qur’an exists in some sort of manner that is not abstract, then I would have no method available to me to verify those claims. Therefore, I remain agnostic about the existence of a deity whose existence I would have no way of wrapping my head around.
Still, abstract or not, I’ve never worshipped any other deity. I’ve never seriously feared any other deity. I’ve never placed my hope in any other deity. I’ve never truly believed in any other deity.
As for the Qur’an, then at my prime, I had memorized more than 3 quarters of the book. Its verses come to my mind, framing the different occasions and situations in which I find myself, like the lyrics of a familiar song or the lines of a poem. I think they reflect, at the very least, the meditations of authors who were indeed extremely spiritual people and who certainly found their inspiration through their faith in God. I do not believe that it is the literal speech of an anthropomorphic God, nor do I believe that it is infallible. Again, my studies and my experiences keep me from viewing it in such a way.
Still, divine or not, it is a book that has captivated my mind arguably more than any other. Like any captivating book, it evokes a wide range of emotion in me, from appreciation to disgust. The story of how the book came into existence is one that I cannot help but find fascinating, not just because it is historically interesting, but because of the profound impact the book has had on my life. I don’t think it contains any miracles – scientific, linguistic, or otherwise. I don’t think it contains timeless laws or unfailing moral teachings. But its compilation of rhymed prose, jumbled injunctions and Arabized myths make the book unique in its own right. It doesn’t not make it “divine.”
As for Muhammad, then I truly believe that his story is among the greatest ever told about a man – not because he was a perfectly moral human being or the true mouthpiece of God on earth. I’m not even certain that he existed as we are told, or at what point his story fades into legend. But even as a legend, what the Orphaned and Unlettered Prophet is said to have achieved in his 63 years on the planet is nothing short of incredible. He had plenty of faults and much to criticize. He is a product of his time and experience and could never be an example for all time. Still, his is a story of a man who changed our world completely.
He turned his gaze starward and inspired by words
Dragged Men to greatness from the void of absurd
Made warriors of wanderers and forward they poured
Through the war of ideas and the war of the sword
No matter if it was inspired or forged
Not even God gives, it’s your move to take it
Praisers will praise you and haters will hate it
And history will count you as one of the greatest
عليك الصلاة و السلام
I don’t think that a God needs our prayer 5 times every day, but I do think that sometimes human beings need some time to themselves to contemplate, meditate, and perhaps even yell out to the void for help, even when the void remains silent.
I don’t think that charity should be given in hopes of rewards or in fear of punishment, but I do believe in helping your fellow man and building social and community relationships.
I don’t believe in starving myself for the daylight hours of a lunar month, but I do believe in the value of exercising self-restraint and delayed gratification sometimes for the betterment the mind, body, and self.
I believe that Muslims as a whole would do better by abandoning mindless literalism and determining, case by case, what parts of their heritage they want to salvage to aid in real progress and fulfillment.
I am also secular, liberal, pro-democracy, pro-human rights, pro LGBT rights, pro-science, pro-freedom of thought and pro-freedom of conscience.
So, what does that make me?
Muslims, and even some non-Muslims bent on a literal and black and white interpretation, will tell you that this perspective of mine takes me out of the realm of Islam completely. There are plenty of labels - kafir, murtad, mulhid, zindeeq, munafiq, etc - that are used to describe people like me and to deter Muslims from thinking like me. But people don’t follow labels; they follow what they can actually believe.
You can call me a Muslim if you like, or you can call me a kafir, or an Ex-Muslm, or as my custom title says, a Rastafari Muslim. What’s in a name?
Topic: Any former Sheikhs/scholars here?