Q. I am aware that the ulema (scholars) of today preach messages of violence and
extremism, and a lot of ulema
also differ with each other in opinions. Therefore, when the Qur'an
tells us to follow those in authority, is this implying that we follow the ulema? And if so,
which ulema
do we follow as there are so many and they all differ in opinions? The so
called ulema
whom I watch on the Islamic channels discuss very trivial things from hadith rather than important guidance
from the Qur'an.
A.
There are two aspects to your question. In the first instance, obeying those in
authority can mean following the rules of a civil society so that we have law
and order. Since political and religious leaders are usually elected by
consensus in a democratic society, in cases where these elected officials pass
laws (religious or secular) that affect how we behave, then we have to follow
the rules or there will be chaos. For example, if we disagree with a ban on
abortion or the speed limit of 55mph, we have to obey these laws anyway or
there are consequences.
In the second case (which I think is more applicable to your question), in
instances where we are unsure or do not have enough knowledge to answer certain
questions, we seek the answers from those who know or are an authority on the
subject matter in question. These can be scholars and leaders who are elected
or entrusted by the masses to provide guidance, and usually known to be in good
standing with the community. Given that these are typically matters of personal
belief (not the law of the land) and we have a choice, then it is up to us to
follow what we feel is right or makes sense. For example, the majority of
"scholars" (and by extension most Muslims) believe in punishment in
the grave, stoning
to death for adultery, the second coming of
Jesus, etc. At forpeoplewhothink.org,
we do not subscribe to such beliefs, and we have the option to reject these
notions as they are matters of personal
choice. Remember too that regardless of
what the scholars say (and as you correctly surmised, different scholars do
have varying positions on the same issues), it is up to us to follow what we
feel is correct as we are all individually accountable to God. Having said that, you also have to take the circumstances into
account when making your decision. For example, even if you disagree
with the day selected to celebrate the Eid, you should go with the consensus of your community so
as not to create discord. Islam promotes harmony and stability at the societal
level, what you believe personally is a private matter between you and God.
Given that the overall message of the Qur’an is peace above everything else,
the ulema
who preach violence and extremism are obviously misguided. As you correctly
observed, the majority of Muslim scholars do focus on trivia and create a lot
of confusion, thus misleading their followers. When the Qur'an uses the term "ilm"
and all of the words that are derived thereof, it really means "knowledge",
and that is quite different from the mass of transmitted traditional
rulings. The scholars do realize that the rulings reached by ijtihad are
theory and open to discussion, but it would seem that during the late
ninth century, the tremendous scholarship gave way to a rigid legalism and
reliance on prior rulings that have since become the cornerstone of what passes
as "Islamic law", regardless of any consideration for time, place,
and circumstances. The result is that the majority of Muslims today tend to
follow the so called "scholars" who are trained in just memorizing
centuries old rulings and passing them down from generation to generation. In
order words, today’s "scholars" prefer not to think as they feel that
they do not have the intellectual capacity to question previous decisions or
beliefs and practices, as these scholars somehow cannot measure up to the
scholars of old. This is an erroneous notion, and compounding the problem is
that today’s scholars who are academically trained are for the most part
unknown to the Muslim masses. Hopefully this will change in the near future.
And Allah knows best.
Posted
October 8, 2008