Download or read book Eclipse of Revelation by Tradition in Islam written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2021-04-27 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work explores the reasons for the fall of the Muslim Empire.

Download or read book Discovering Islam written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2022-02-20 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work explores the relationship between revelation, reason and tradition. It focuses on the way willing jurists re-interpreted the teaching of revelation to justify the expansionary aims of their rulers. The alleged abrogation of the verses counselling peace and reconciliation tainted the teaching of revelation. The teaching of abrogation transformed the religion of peace into a political agenda justifying wars of aggression, based on the misinterpretation of verses 9:29 and 9:05, within the alleged "clash" between the abode of peace (dar al-Islam) and the abode of non-belief (dar al-kufr). This misinterpretation accelerated the territorial expansion of Islam at first. It also accelerated its fall afterwards. The teaching of abrogation is not receiving the attention it merits. The repression of reason by tradition facilitated the militarisation of exegesis. The abandonment of reason facilitated the adoption of perceptions alien to revelation, aiming to serve the political agenda of the powers that be. The abandonment of reasoning triggered a sequence of juridical aberrations: the treatment of tradition as revelation, the reversal of the relationship between revelation and tradition, and the subordination of the teaching of revelation to the rulings of the ulema. A prominent example of an aberrant practice is the teaching of abrogation. Prominent among aberrant presuppositions are the perceptions that revelation is "incomplete," in parts "unclear," and that tradition is revelation which has the power to "judge," "abrogate," and even "replace" revelation, and that the rulings of jurists possess the power to "abrogate" and "replace" parts of revelation. The emergence of tradition and its engagement in "explaining" the Quran brought an alteration in the way revelation would be understood. The emergence of taqlid enabled the perception that all problems were solved, including any that might arise in the future. It appears it is time to return to the revelation-centric paradigm of Islam. For the tradition-centric approach ruled far too long. Which person would endorse assertions that brazenly flout the teaching of revelation? The "eclipse" of reason by tradition ensured that tradition would be followed in preference to reason. The de-emphasis on reason facilitated the entry of a range of unwarranted accretions and practices into the Muslim universe of discourse. The "eclipse" of revelation by tradition forced revelation under the auspices of tradition, in exegesis, jurisprudence, and in foreign affairs. The "eclipse' of tradition by the rulings of the ulema usurped the position of revelation and asserted the right of the jurists to abrogate revelation as well as tradition. In politics, ruling elites engaged in wars of aggression, the reprisals for which triggered the fall of Muslim empires. The Muslim past is a record of catastrophe after catastrophe. What to do? While revelation emphasises justice, ethics and reason, we are hard put to find a tradition, let alone a book on justice, ethics and rationality in the secondary literature. The anthologies of traditions attributed to the prophet represent a faint reflection of the teaching of revelation, akin to the faint light of the moon. Even in moonlight, we are largely in the dark. What happened? Bukhari features no entries on justice, ethics, or reason. What kind of Islam are we getting from "tradition"? Is it Islam without justice, ethics and reason? Is it the Islam of unquestioning following? Is it the Islam of revelation or the Islam of tradition? Have the practices of the predecessors eclipse the revealed word of God? Have Muslims turned from revelation to tradition? Has tradition eclipsed (replaced) revelation? Has tradition provided reliable knowledge to the Muslim umma? Does revelation expect us to follow tradition or revelation? Allah knows best.

Download or read book Twilight of Tradition in Islam written by Leslie Terebessy and published by . This book was released on 2021-05-15 with total page 29 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This text explores the relationship between revelation and tradition in Islam. For it appears that in "traditional Islam," which is taken to be "authentic," tradition eclipsed revelation. The eclipse enabled the corruption of the worldview of Islam by tribal proclivities or asabiyyah. We find evidence of the eclipse in the fact that tradition was elevated to a position of a "judge" and "abrogator" of revelation. The ability of tradition to "judge" and "abrogate" revelation reflects a pre-eminence of tradition in relation to revelation that is alien to Islam. For revelation teaches that Allah is the Judge of all. The reversal of the authority of revelation and tradition meant that tradition became a guardian of revelation. Tradition even replaced reason as an "exegete" of revelation, despite the fact that tradition itself requires "clarification," even more than revelation. How may that which requires explanation "clarify" the Book of God? The engagement of tradition to "explain" revelation took place on the basis of the problematic presupposition, that the use of reason to understand revelation was kufr. For understanding requires the use of reasoning. Reason does not guarantee full understanding, which takes place through the "heart," but without the use of reason, it is unlikely that any understanding will be achieved, let alone a comprehensive understanding. The use of reason is a necessary but insufficient condition of comprehension. The subordination of revelation to tradition in Islam represented a reversal of the "traditional" ranking of the roots of the law, where revelation was first, followed by tradition. The constellation that emerged after the reversal of the relation between revelation and tradition was a grotesque re-arrangement of the traditional ranking of the roots of the law.

Download or read book How Tradition Eclipsed Revelation in Islam written by Leslie Terebessy and published by . This book was released on 2021-04-28 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work explains how the Muslim empire collapsed as a result of the eclipse of revelation by tradition, caused by the prohibition of the use of reasoning in religion.

Download or read book Removing the Veil written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2022-02-27 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Much debate has taken place about the veil, a product of tradition rather than a requirement of revelation. However, there is a different veil that is of greater concern. This is the veil of ignorance. This veil was placed on revelation, "covering up" its teaching. The veil encompasses tradition and the rulings of the ulema. Tradition evolved from revelation. In time, tradition superseded and even surpassed that which gave birth to it in the first place: revelation. We refer to this as the second of three "theological coup d'états." These took place early in Muslim intellectual history when a particular authority was "replaced" by a different aspirant to rule. The first "coup" was the subordination of reason to tradition. The third "coup" was the subordination of revelation, tradition and rationality to the ulema. The subordination of revelation to tradition led to confusion. Hence, it is necessary to free the truth from what is covering it. Revelation was revealed 1,400 years ago, and there is no shortage of attempts to hide it. This would not be the first time that the adversaries of revelation attempted to taint religious knowledge. How did this happen? First, reason was repressed in favour of tradition. Second, tradition was presented as "revelation." The effort to "explain" revelation by recourse to tradition, however, resulted in an "eclipse" of revelation by tradition. The subordination of revelation to tradition is encapsulated in the expression that "the sunna judges the Quran," popular among traditional exegetes. The "addition" to revelation in the form of tradition was to mitigate flaws in revelation. These encompass "ambiguity," "inconsistency" (the presence of contradictory verses), and "incompleteness." Referring to revelation as "ambiguous," "incoherent," and "incomplete," however, suggests that revelation is "flawed." For example, it is alleged that revelation does not provide sufficient "detail" on the right way to pray. These assertions are made notwithstanding the fact that revelation presents itself as "clear," "consistent" and "detailed," and makes no reference to any "additional" revelation. In different words, the effort to "explain," "make consistent," and "detail" revelation is predicated on a rejection of key attributes of revelation: perspicacity, consistency and perfection. The concept of a "supplementary" revelation of tradition is a juristic invention. It aims to present an alternative understanding of religion. This perception is grounded in tradition but presented in the attire of revelation. The relationship between tradition and revelation requires rethinking. It requires an epistemological paradigm shift. For the traditional paradigm has failed to live up to expectations. The relationship between reason and revelation reflects the relationship between Allah and man. The relationship between reason and revelation received substantial attention. It is the subject of extensive enquiry. What is the right way to use reason to understand revelation? Traditional Muslims are reticent to use reason. They have been informed that it is wrong to use reason in matters of religion. To be a Muslim, we are admonished, requires the abdication of reason upon the altar of tradition. The prophet allegedly warned against reason-based exegesis of revelation, referring to it as a form of non-belief. But this advice appears to go against the teaching of revelation, that exhorts us to do exactly the reverse, to use reason. May we assume that traditional ulema understood everything in the right way? Especially if their methodology precluded recourse to reason? Are we to believe that there is no room for further reflection? The Mutazilites (rationalists) were faulted for allegedly elevating reason above revelation. The traditionists, however, went further than that. They elevated not just tradition but also their rulings above revelation.

Download or read book Revelation and Tradition in Islam written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2021-10-09 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An impartial eyewitness would expect people to follow what brought them from adversity to prosperity. But in Islam, it appears that the believers ended up following tradition rather than revelation. How did this happen? Why did the believers begin to follow their predecessors rather than revelation? How did their predecessors become mediators in their universe? This was a faux pas that would affect the ummah in adverse ways. Revelation was replaced by temporal guidance. The believers began to follow traditional rather than revealed Islam. As a result, Muslims find themselves in the straitjacket of tradition, which transmuted into a fetish. Tradition is treated as an "equal," a "judge" and even "abrogator" of revelation. The elevation of tradition to revelation and even above revelation was an expression of paganism, as it entailed associating a partner with, and even postulating the existence of a being "greater" than God. But no one is "greater" than Allah. The word of man differs from the word of God. Tradition is different from revelation. Tradition is man-made. Revelation is divine. Tradition emerges from revelation and is neither "equal" nor "similar" to revelation. To be relevant and authentic, tradition is required to follow revelation. But it appears that revelation was expected to follow tradition. Tradition affected the knowledge of revelation through unwarranted practices, for example the teaching of abrogation. As a result, the substantive teaching of revelation differs from that of tradition. Tradition drifted from revelation in key aspects, even becoming "independent" of the law. How could this be when it was revelation that spawned tradition in the first place? It appears that the deterioration was triggered by a breakdown of reason. Reason was shunned aside, as unfit to appreciate revelation. But this was a fateful step. For reason is required not just to understand but also to apply revelation. The following error was the designation of tradition as revelation. The latter is rich, addressing all aspects of life. By contrast, tradition is truncated; essential parts of the teaching of revelation are absent. Revelation emphasises justice, ethics, and reason; but we find few books addressing justice, reason or ethics in the traditions. But there is a plethora of traditions explaining the way to pray. What explains this aberration? The elevation of tradition to revelation facilitated the fusion of tradition and revelation. The fusion brought confusion. Blurring the difference between tradition and revelation enabled traditions to "judge" and even "abrogate" revelation. However, abrogation did not take place without a corruption of the knowledge of revelation. Rational analysis requires recognising and being alert to differences. When reasoning atrophies, knowledge deteriorates. In Islam, using reason to understand revelation was associated with kufr or non-belief, based on a fabricated tradition. As a result, reasoning deteriorated to the point of producing a "crisis in the Muslim mind." The denigration of reasoning made it harder to understand and therefore to follow revelation. It tainted the knowledge of revelation and triggered the disintegration of an empire. Will any nation flourish without the use of reason? Reason is the key to knowledge. The attainment of knowledge requires the use of reason. To reject reason is to dispense with the key to knowledge, to fall back into darkness. The renewal of the Muslim civilization thus requires recovering the knowledge of revelation, which presupposes the rehabilitation and re-engagement of reason for the purpose of understanding and following revelation.

Download or read book Resetting the Relationship Between Revelation and Tradition in Islam written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2023-01-09 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Knowledge is the awareness of truth and the reverse of unawareness. Because we are free, we have the power to do right or wrong. Humanity should realize its potential for good; not for evil. Persons that think that the difference between good and evil is no longer relevant are separated from reality, wandering in an environment of their making. Thus, knowledge of right and wrong is key. For righteousness brings felicity but evil brings misery. Knowledge of revelation is essential for well-being. While reason provides partial knowledge of right and wrong, revelation provides a comprehensive understanding of ethics. Yet may we assume that tradition got everything right about tradition? It is acknowledged that the umma is not what it used to be. It has been defeated, colonised, and demoralised. Why? In the process of its evolution, Islam was stripped of essential attributes. As a result of tafsir and emphasis upon tradition, the emphasis upon revelation, reason, ethics, justice, and freedom all but vanished. There are no entries in Bukhari on reason, freedom, justice, or ethics. What we get is an emphasis on treason, relayed to as a tradition that prescribes, in defiance of the teaching of revelation, capital punishment for apostasy. We get political Islam or Islamism, a teaching of world conquest, based upon waging unlawful wars of aggression. For the Book of Allah prohibits aggression. But hawkish ulema made it lawful. They rendered lawful what Allah mad unlawful. We find no books on justice, ethics, reason or freedom in Bukhari, all key features in the Book of Allah. Rather, we find an excessive emphasis on ritual, for example, which foot to use when entering a bathroom. In different words, we encounter a trivialisation of religion. What were the reasons for the decline of the ummah? The neglect of the Book of Allah produced troubling effects. What were the factors responsible for the fall of the umma? The Book of Allah warns against the unquestioning following of the ways of the forefathers. We are exhorted to use reason. But as a result of enchantment with tradition, Muslims turned from revelation to follow their forefathers, the ways preserved in the books of traditions. Islam took a wrong turn when the umma returned to tradition and marginalized revelation. The turn from revelation to tradition was assisted by the disparagement of reason, and its repression by tradition, the subordination of 'aql to naql. Traditional ulema reinforce this perception by asserting that Islam has three roots: the Book of Allah, traditions of the prophet and ijma or the rulings of the ulema. The ulema assert that the tradition of the prophet is a "part of the Quran," and that the umma is expected to "revere" the alleged traditions of the prophet. As a result of a re-direction of the focus from Allah to the prophet, the umma turned from revelation to tradition. Muslims turned to and followed the forefathers, related in the books of traditions, rather than the Book of Allah. The prophet tried to prevent this disorientation from revelation to tradition. After all, the tradition of the prophet was to follow the Book of Allah. He did not follow any other books. Thus, whoever follows the Book of Allah is following the tradition of the prophet. By contrast, whoever follows different books, books that the messenger did not follow and did not even know about, is not following the tradition of the prophet. Nevertheless, people turned from the Book of Allah and subsequently even from the prophetic traditions. In this way, the believers drifted from revelation to tradition. Not everyone agreed with this. Rationalists wanted to approach revelation and use their reason. The rationalists asserted that revelation should be understood by the faculty of knowledge or reason. Traditionists feel that revelation should be understood in the "light" of tradition.

Download or read book Revelation Tradition and Exegesis written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2024-07-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Practice should reflect the theory. Whenever we fail to live up to expectations, a chasm emerges between the theory and the practice. Exegesis is the process of understanding text. In Islam there was a separation between the exemplary and the actual. There was a break from revelation as well as the tradition of the prophet. This was partly due to the repression of reason. The repression of reason was due to the repression of the rationalists by the traditionists. The use of reason was associated with kufr. Thinking - in particular free thinking - became a crime, punishable by death. The repression of reason produced calamitous effects on the umma. It prevented Muslims from understanding and thus following revelation. Thus, they turned to tradition, to the ways of the forefathers. Traditionists misunderstood the purpose of reason. They postulated a "clash" between reason and revelation. Reason and revelation are not enemies; reason is required to understand and heed revelation. Anti-rationalism corrupted knowledge as well as the sharia. Bereft of reason, and in defiance of revelation, hawkish ulama treated terrorism as "martyrdom operations" permitted by God, and meriting reward in the hereafter. The hawkish rendition of revelation, buttressed with following traditions in preference to revelation, resulted in the fall of the umma. The renewal of the umma requires a return to revelation, a return to sanity. This should take place by the reengagement of reason. Refraining from reasoning resulted in the confusion of tradition with revelation, and the subordination of revelation to tradition. Treating tradition as a "part of" revelation, able to "judge," "abrogate" and even "replace" parts of revelation, unfortunately, is an expression of shirk. The turn from revelation to tradition, from the guidance of God to the guidance of men was spurred by efforts to enlarge the empire through wars of aggression. But wars of aggression are prohibited by revelation. The justification of waging wars of aggression, which entail the perpetration of war crimes, was achieved through a "reinterpretation" of the teaching of revelation. The justification of aggression required undermining verses that teach peace and reconciliation. This was achieved by recourse to the teaching of abrogation. By abrogating the verses of reconciliation, hawkish ulama transformed the religion of peace into a religion of war. The reinterpretation of Islam as a religion of war was buttressed by recourse to traditions. Rulers asked different persons to record the traditions. The requests to record traditions were made in defiance of the prohibition of "adding" to revelation by the Book of Allah and the prophet. In so far as traditions are records of the ways of the predecessors, the turn from revelation to tradition was an expression of secularisation. For traditions are "worldly." The reinterpretation of Islam as a religion of war embroiled the umma in unprovoked conflicts. The murder of Mongol traders and ambassadors brought destruction to the Abbasid empire. Assaults on Vienna brought an end to the Turkish empire. The expansion in France brought defeat. This was the toll the umma paid for drifting from the Book of Allah and following the teaching of hawkish ulama and warlike traditions, in preference to the Book of Allah. Reform requires rearticulating Islam as a religion of peace. This requires the rejection of militant exegesis as well as the assumptions on which it rests. Reform requires the reengagement of reason, and the affirmation of the preeminence of revelation in relation to all tradition and writings of exegetes and jurists. It requires a re-reading of the Book of Allah according to its teachings. It requires affirming that the Book of Allah is as it presents itself: "clear," complete," and "coherent."

Download or read book Rescuing Revelation and Reason from Tradition written by Leslie Terebessy and published by . This book was released on 2021-06-21 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Traditional Muslims congratulate themselves on having "escaped" the ravages of empirical knowledge, which they see as "unIslamic" and therefore requiring Islamization. After all, present-day knowledge brought us pollution, global warming and, with the proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction, to the brink of annihilation. True, but without present-day knowledge a people also become defenceless against aggressors, as they do not have advanced ways of defending themselves. The process of the disintegration of Islam was triggered by a disruption of the balance between revelation, reason and tradition. This balance prevailed until the time when traditionists in their squabbles with the rationalists designated the use of reason in religion a form of kufr. This was aimed to prevent the rationalists from using arguments in their debates with the traditionists. The designation of the use of reason as kufr effectively prevented the expression of alternative perceptions in matters of religion. As if this was not enough, tradition was elevated to revelation. This meant that tradition could not be queried. These events represented a meteoric rise of tradition at the expense of both revelation and reason. In the end, tradition did not just eclipse - both revelation and reason -but even abrogate parts of revelation. These developments reveal that Muslim world fell into the trap of the alleged tension between reason and revelation, the perception that reason and revelation are in tension or exclusive. The European Enlightenment fell into this trap near to reason. By contrast, Muslims fell into the trap closer to revelation, or rather more precisely near to tradition perceived as revelation, in itself a problematic assumption. The denunciation of reason and the repression of the thinkers that followed put the brakes on the evolution of the Muslims civilization, condemning it to disintegration and weakness.

Download or read book Revelation Radicalisation and Tradition in Islam written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2023-06-28 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The rejection of reason accelerated the turn from revelation to tradition. The result is confusion and alienation from revelation. The turn from revelation to tradition was triggered by the rejection of reason. For the turn from the Book of Allah to follow books of manmade traditions rested upon flawed reasoning. It rests on a poor rendering of three verses in the Book of Allah. These verses encompass the verse saying that we have "a good example in the prophet," that "whatever the messenger gives you, take it," and that Allah exhorts us to "obey Allah and the messenger." But the Book of Allah also refers to Abraham as a good example. Besides, does it follow from the prophet being referred to as a "good example" that we should follow books of traditions? This is a non-sequitur. The verse that is rendered to suggest that we should take "whatever the messenger gives us" refers to the distribution of war booty, not his traditions. This is a further non-sequitur. The verse that renders heeding the messenger as meaning "following traditions" conflates "obeying the messenger" with "following traditions." This is another non-sequitur. All three reveal flawed knowledge of revelation based upon fallacies. This should not be a surprise as these "arguments" were proffered by persons that rejected reason. It is not surprising that their "arguments" are less than reasonable. Further errors followed. These errors enabled the transmutation of Islam into its traditional and Islamist forms. The errors encompass the teaching of predestination in traditional Islam and the teaching of jihad al-talab in militant Islam, as a sixth pillar of Islam. The first rendered Muslims passive at home, while the second encouraged a militant posture abroad. As a result, traditionists "equate" the revelations of Allah with texts reported in paraphrase by persons that were not prophets. This is tantamount to treating the books of traditions as "partners" of the Book of Allah. It is tantamount to "scriptural shirk." Is it possible to ascribe "partners" to the Book of Allah without ascribing a "partner" to Allah? Are these reports the words of God? Are they even the verbatim words of the prophet? The reason the umma is experiencing difficulties it turned from Allah to the prophet, from the Book of Allah to the books of traditions, to rituals. In brief, the umma became traditional. But Islam is not traditional, except in so far as it re-iterates the messages of the previous revelations, the Tawrat and the Injeel. The Book of Allah is revolutionary. It warns us not to follow traditions of the forefathers tainted by shirk. Not everyone listened. Accordingly, the umma is paying a price for its heedlessness. As a result of the turn from revelation to tradition, the umma is drifting. The transformation or re-invention of Islam as political Islam or Islamism was enabled by the conflation of terms that require being kept separate. There are no synonyms on Quranic Arabic. Words that were fused and confused encompass revelation and tradition, jihad in self-defense and aggressive jihad, sunna and hadith, wahy (inspiration) and tanzil (revelation), udwan (hostility) and qital (fighting) as well as nahy (discouragement) and tahrim (prohibition). The corruption of the knowledge of key words, enabled by the repression of reason, corrupted the knowledge of Islam. The intention was to make traditional" practices palatable and acceptable. The words whose meanings changed encompass: wahy, hikma, ibadat, salat, hawa, jihad, qalb, and mutashabihat.

Download or read book Eclipse and Revelation written by Henrike Lange and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2024-02-06 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two questions guide this seven-year project: First, how can we approach the phenomenon, representation, and interpretation of total solar eclipses? Second, how can we heal the historical divide separating the natural sciences from the humanities, arts, history, and theology? The result of this interdisciplinary investigation into eclipses is an exciting look behind the scenes - into labs, archives, and museums, as well as around fieldwork in astronomy, meteorology, animal behaviour, and ecophysiology. Carefully prepared for readers from all backgrounds, these voices invite us to imagine a liberated mode of discovery, perception, creativity, and knowledge-production across the traditional academic divisions. A uniquely prismatic representation of total solar eclipses emerges, itself rising to a model of communal thinking, together, across disciplinary borders. This book is Tom McLeish's final project and scholarly testament. Dedicated to him and to astrophysicist Jay M. Pasachoff (contributing author of a chapter about the solar corona, also Pasachoff's final piece of writing), the volume is a friendly companion to the chase of knowledge, encouraging its readers to embark upon their own interdisciplinary journey of discovery.

Download or read book The Origins of the Koran written by Ibn Warraq and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2010-10-05 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scholars of Islam are familiar with the Koran's many errors and contradictions, but these have rarely been revealed to a wider public. THE ORIGINS OF THE KORAN is an attempt to remedy this deficiency by bringing together classic critical essays which raise key issues surrounding Islam's holy book. Indispensable to scholars and all those interested in the textual underpinning of one of the fastest growing religions in the world.

Download or read book Retrieving Authentic Islam written by Leslie Terebessy and published by . This book was released on 2021-04-18 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This text aims to retrieve authentic Islam and to restore revelation to its pre-eminence in relation to tradition.

Download or read book Affirming the Pre eminence of Revelation in Islam written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2021-05 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Islam, tradition eclipsed revelation. Tradition became as, if not more prominent than revelation. This is evident from expressions as "tradition judges revelation" and that "revelation requires tradition more than tradition requires revelation." Such perceptions, apart from their irreverence, are expressions of the reversal of the relationship between revelation and tradition.

Download or read book Resetting the Relationship Between Tradition and Revelation in Islam written by Leslie Terebessy and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2023-12-17 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Islam is an Abrahamic religion. It reiterates the previous revelations. It rectifies a range of misunderstandings that proliferated regarding them. Islam is a monotheistic religion. However, the treatment of tradition as "revelation," as a "partner" and even "judge" of revelation, tainted the knowledge of Islam with shirk. Allah is the Lawgiver in religious matters. Persons are free to legislate in non-religious matters, for example regarding traffic laws. It is necessary to return to the Book of Allah from the bellicose teachings encountered in traditions and the writings of hawkish ulama. It is necessary to retrieve the defensive teaching of jihad, important to abandon the jihad al talab. It is also necessary to abandon the teaching of the alleged abrogation of the peace verses by the verse of the sword. The purification of religion requires freeing the sharia of extremists tendencies. It requires being brought in line with the teaching of the Quran. Attachment to militant misinterpretations of Islam places the umma at risk of retaliation for acts of aggression by a few extremists. The Muslim past is strewn with clashes. Political struggles between Muawiya and Ali, as well as between Yazid and Hussein, emerged with the passing of the prophet. The Battle of the Camel pitted Aisha against Ali while the Battle of Siffin pitted Muawiya against Ali. These were fratricidal wars. Up to fifteen thousand companions died in these two battles. There was also a war between Ali and the Kharijites. A range of alternative perceptions emerged during this turbulence. The Murjiates wished to remain neutral. Disagreements emerged not just regarding succession but also about the way to approach revelation. A few wanted to understand revelation with the assistance of reasoning. A different sect wanted to adhere to tradition, assuming that tradition encompassed revelation. The two sects were the rationalists and the traditionists. Traditionists accorded greater credence to following their predecessors, recorded in the prophetic traditions. The two groups comprised the Mutazilites and the ahl al-kalam on the one hand, and the traditionists or the ahl al-hadith on the other. The rationalists followed Abu Hanifa, while the ahl al-haith followed Malik, al-Shafi'i and ibn Hanbal. The rationalists asserted that understanding revelation required recourse to reason. Traditionists preferred to understand revelation through the lens of tradition. Traditionists became enchanted with the ways of their predecessors, while the rationalists were less prone to follow tradition. The encounters between the two groups reached a political expression in the mihna, launched by al-Mahdi in 780. Five thousand philosophers were killed by Musa al-Hadi, the son of al-Mahdi, in 786. After a brief reign of the rationalists from 809 to 849, al-Mutawakkil resumed the persecution of the rationalists. But the trauma of the umma is due to having strayed from the right path. This transpired because the umma misunderstood revelation as well as the tradition of the prophet. The misunderstanding is due to the reluctance to use reason and an infatuation with tradition. Traditions attributed to the prophet were treated as revelation. Following Bukhari was understood as following the traditions of the prophet. But the tradition of the prophet was to follow the Book of Allah, not books of traditions. By turning from the Book of Allah to the books of traditions, the umma drifted from the Book of Allah under the misapprehension that it was getting nearer to Allah by following books of traditions. This was a tragedy. It explains the state of the umma and highlights the need to return to the path of Allah.

Download or read book Revelation Revolution in Islam written by Ziaul Haque and published by Adam Publishers. This book was released on 1987 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Heavenly Sign written by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad and published by Islam International. This book was released on 2005 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nishan-e-Asmani (The Heavenly Sign or the testimony of the recipients of revelation) first published in 1892, is one of the smaller but equally important books by Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (1835-1908), the Promised Messiah and Mahdi (peace be upon him). It is a closely reasoned thesis, primarily based on prophecies made by some earlier Muslim saints and seers about the Coming of the Promised Messiah and Mahdi. That all the events precedent to the Coming happened as prophesied and that they conclusively established the claim of the revered author to be the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, is part of history. He has since been globally hailed and accepted by tens of millions of devoted followers - the Ahmadiyya Jama'at, known for their genuine commitment to religious values, devotion to the Living God, service to the mankind, piety and peaceful communication of the Truth.