In Search of the Moderate Muslim

Just to comment on the title of Farzana`s essay, for me a ``moderate`` Muslim is an orthodox (``fundamentalist``)Muslim who believes in the fundamentals of the Deen in aqeedah as they have been taught from generation to generation from the time of the Sahaba and who *tolerates * differences of opinion WITHIN the boundaries set by traditional Muslim scholarship of the 4 schools of thought. i.e. he (or she) accepts that there have been, and continue to be, legitimate differences of opinion between scholars within Islam and as long as these beliefs do not breach the zaruriyat e deen they are tolerable even though you might not agree with them. This means belief in Allah, angels, the revealed books, all the Prophets, the Day of Judgement, and belief in Qadr (Destiny), and in the Day of Judgement * *as understood by the Prophet alayhisalatosalam and the Sahaba and as has been related to us by subsequent generations of scholars to the present day. * * Furthermore, if a person denies the zaruriyat of the deen, a moderate will not agree with him or like him but will still accept his right to have that point of view even though he believes him to be wrong or damned and will not harm him in any way. Most practising Muslims are moderates. All of the great scholars of Islam fall within this category e.g. the founders of the 4 schools, Imam Ghazzali, Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi, the Sufi shaykhs etc etc. and the majority of the common believers in the world today.

A fanatic is someone who believes that ONLY their particular interpretation of Islam is correct and all others are wrong and outside the pail of Islam (e.g. Wahabis have this belief) and that you can force your views on others. An example of this is the late Ibn Baz or Yusuf Binori. An historical example would be Ibn Taymiyya

An extremist is the same as a fanatic but believes in using any means necessary to achieve his/her aims including violence. Examples are Mawlana Masood Azhar, some of the Taleban, the fanatics who blow up WTC, kill shias in mosques etc etc. Another exmaple is Muhammad ibn Abd ul Wahab al Najdi. (It is a fact that * *all * * the terrorist organisations with Muslim names or who claim to represent Islam are followers of the ideology of the Wahabi movement founded by this man. Mainstream Sunni orthodoxy (`the moderates`) does not produce terrorism. It produces awliya! The deobandi terrorist organisations like Sipah e Sahaba etc. all share this common admiration of the Wahabi ideology.)

A modernist is someone who thinks that the traditional understanding of Islam as understood by the scholars of yore and as taught in the majority of madrassahs is ``out of date`` and wrong and needs to reinterpreted to fall in line with `modern times`. Most interactors on Chowk who are Muslims tend to be in this category. From the books I have read of him, Rafiq Zakaria is a modernist. Sir Ahmad Khan Aligarhi was a modernist. Another term might be secular `Muslim` though that is an oxymoron...

I would call myself a moderate as per the above definition...

:-)

Ref Headshrinker #: 49

[Farid`s older brother Mansoor was my classmate.]

What is it, Shrink? It looks like anybody who is anybody in India was your classmate. Last time, it was the Ambani kids. Why this compulsion to associate with anybody famous?

Well. so long as you didn`t go to school with Jinnah`s daughter!

Re: Naqshbandi:

``...I believe that Muslims should work to become a powerful lobby within Indian politics (a la the Jews in the USA) and thus help the situation of Muslims and protect them...``

More power to the Muslims if they are able to organize themselves politically to achieve their aims through greater participation in Indian politics. I am with you on that. You should also take into consideration one important thing that differentiates the Jews from Subcontinental Muslims.

The Jews have a policy of consolidating (not fragmenting) their people in one country. In the Subcontinent, the Muslims created first two, then three countries. This division of the people, has not been without consequences. It has led to conflicts, and a dilution of the Muslim voice on issues that affect Muslims. Now, there is a movement underway to create a yet another country.

If you talk to Hindu fundamentalists in India they will say that Muslims vote en block, and influence national politics. And this is when the Muslim population is about 15%. Now imagine, how far the dhot-clad Hindu fundamentalists would have run, had there been no Partition and the Muslim population were 40%? So, while your advice to Farzana may be sound, do you also acknowledge that it may contradictory to your support for the Partition?

Ras, you are absolutely right about the writers on Pakistan Progressive (I was looking through a few of the copies I had) - but I enjoy your thoughtful writings as well! Too bad I missed Salman on CNN - would have really liked to have seen that.

This is a general request: It might be a good thing for all chowkwallahs to post such upcoming events. I know I am not always aware of the programs that are to be broadcast.

Maybe the Chowk Staff can put a little section that lists these kinds of items? Would be very appreciated, I think.

As always, rsaxena is without an answer... but I have a suspicion that everyone on chowk knows what that answer is...

Nangnatheshwar #57

Para. 1 you explain the point ``she receives threat calls ``

She does not say that.

Para. 2 you explain that she cannot leave tv because she is on the wrong side of it (on tv, rather than on the viewer side). Again, she does not say that.

Para. 3 your explanation leaves me as clueless as her para.

Para. 4/5 Not much here.

Oh well. I tried to understand. Actually, I think Eklavya summarizes the point of the article in a later that sheds more light. Maybe I`ll sit and read the whole thing again sometime. Or maybe I`ll find a life...

scout #77: ``Brian O Connell, Junoon`s guitarist, is American, a NY`er.``

I thought he had moved to Pakistan, permanently.

P.S. I am a Pakistani working for a US software company. Does that make my company American-Pakistani? :-)

Romair #89,

why not :) does it really matter?

you asked a question, i gave you what i thought is an answer,,,, does everything have to be dissected?

Farzana

`This is how the truly secular are overtaken`

Totally agreed.. and we see a lot of that here on chowk... though none of `them` can be described as moderates, as one would describe Nehru or Gandhi.

I found an interesting website www.sangat.org. The site seeks to ``enhance awareness, create insight, and generate debate on social, political, and cultural issues related to Pakistan in particular, and to South Asia in general.``

The site doesnt appear to be updated reguarly, but it contains some articles on BJP, written by an Indian I respect, Asghar Ali Engineer. Of course, the website offers a larger number of articles on the history and current understanding of Pakistan. If any of you happen to surf over to sangat, please share your views about the material found there.

The most recent poll on Chowk asked the question, ``The hijacked plane attacks on 11 September were masterminded by Osama Bin Laden - Agree or Disagree?``

An overwhelming 93% disagreed.

Most likely, they were all waiting to see proof of bin Laden`s guilt.

On the other hand, I am sure they would have approved of Ahmad Haq`s execution, within hours of capture, as an American spy by the Taliban.

No proof would have been needed for Ahmad Haq`s guilt.

And we are all looking for MODERATE Muslims?

I haven`t heard a bigger joke in my life.

....both maulana urstruly and the man with the funny hat and beard, v.s. naipaul, are right when they scoff at the silly idea of a ``moderate`` muslim..... but what about george carlin ?

..urstruly, consumate muslim and loyal subject of the one-eyed caliph, is absolutely right when he says :

``Islam is unique in this sense that it demands its followers to be absolute fundamentalists. Islam is not a buffet religion. You cannot pick things out of it which suit your lifestyle and depraved reject all those which don’t.``

..... and sir vidia, third-world hater and ravisher of muslim women, agrees with urstruly when he says :

`` I think it is a contradiction. It can be called upon to drown and overwhwlm every movement. The idea in Islam, the most important thing, is paradise. No one can be a moderate in wishing to go to paradise.``

..... but, there is also no such thing as a moderate christian or a moderate jew either - this whole concept of religious moderates is an obfuscation or, as i prefer to call it, cow manure ........

......... the only difference between the other religious kooks and the islamists is that they don`t talk to god on a two way radio ..........

........ but what about george carlin ? ......oh well - since he doesn`t have gabriel intrepreting for him it is difficult to get his word past the chowk censors ......but that does not make him a lesser god .......

Re: Tahmed321 #79

Thanks. It is one thing to criticize on the basis of fact, but quite another to criticize for no reason at all. YLH`s tirade against Rafiq Zakaria was not founded on any facts at all -- purely on a vague judgment call.

Re: ylh

``As always, rsaxena is without an answer... ``

Huh? Answer to what? Been sniffing your behind again?

We, the christians of Pakistan, fully condemn the terrorist attack carried out against our brethren, and we hold India responsible for this heinous attack.

Urstruly (#53)

Man you just joined the Farce-Anna Hall of Shame.

Both of you: do the Muslim World a favor and renounce your religion. Neither of you would know a Koranic metaphor if it bit you in the ass. I`ve never read so much self serving ejaculation

As you said, yer definitely a `Master Baiter`. Alas, it`s made you both go blind as your Uncle told you it would.

Flash: The Creator is not `Muslim`, `Hindu` nor `Christian`(For your sake and the sake of humour and justice we hope it`s Ahmadi). The Creator is THE Absolute. If any human claims claims first-hand knowledge of The Absolute, he/she is an absolute idiot. We can only theorize the Absolute, which is something you and Fursanus

will continue to do despite our best efforts. Drivel on, continue to abuse free speech... and remind us why we sometimes need things like war and silence.