Islamic Responsibility

Question:-

Islam - unlike its sister religion Christianity - has no central authority - there is no Pope in Islam. There seems to be nothing to unite or coordinate Muslims. Sectarianism, division and conflict therefore plague Islam. Related to this is the scriptural issue: how is one to read the Islamic text - the Quran? How can one attain salvation in Islam without central authority?

The four points below are what I believe are essential for unity.

(i) The Quran is self-explanatory.

(ii) The self-explanation of the Quran indicates a textual identity.

(iii) The possibility of a Quranic hermeneutic.

The question is: Can all the above conditions be met based on the Quran alone?

Comment:-

The existence of a Pope did not prevent Christianity from breaking up into sects.

There are three ways at looking at the problem:-

(a) In a Social or political manner - concerned with organisation and rules.

(b) In an Academic or intellectual manner as above.

(c) In the Essential manner - Religion is about life and living, about goals and how to get there.

To say that the Quran is self-explanatory has no meaning unless you state to whom it is self-explanatory. This makes the other points redundant.

On this and other sites that discuss Islam we find all kinds of opinions from extreme hostility, to extreme naivety, and varying degrees of partial knowledge and understanding. Obviously, it is the condition of people, their psychology that determines what they see, desire and do.

As the Quran says:-

"Nay, but it (the Quran) is a clear revelation in the hearts of those who are endowed with knowledge, and none deny Our revelations save the wrongdoers (or unjust)." 29:24

"Those unto whom We have given the Scripture, who read it with a right reading, those believe in it. And whoso disbelieves in it, those are the losers." 2:121

"This (Quran) is naught else than a reminder unto creation, unto whomsoever of you wills to walk straight. And ye will not, unless it be that Allah wills, the Lord of Creation." 81:27-29 and 68:52.

"And We reveal in the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy for believers, though it increase the evil doers in nothing but ruin." 17:82

The following factors must be understood:-

(1) Islam does not have a priesthood and organised Church because each Muslim is responsible for his own salvation. (5:105, 10:109, 17:15 etc). Nevertheless, apart from Allah and the Messenger, Islam also has a third authority, those who are nearer to Truth in Islam (surrender to Allah).

"O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger and those in authority amongst you; and if you dispute (quarrel or argue) about anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you (in truth) believe in Allah and the Last Day; that is better and fairer in the end." 4:59

“There is no compulsion in religion; the right way is henceforth distinct from the wrong. And whoever rejects Taghut (false deities) and believes in Allah, he has grasped a firm handle which will not break; but Allah is both Hearer and Knower. Allah is the patron of those who believe, He brings them forth from darkness into light. But those who disbelieve, their patrons are false deities; these bring them forth from light to darkness. Such are fellows of the Fire, they will dwell therein.” 2:256-257

It is not the Quran that saves, but Allah. The Quran is a means of bringing us to Allah, but only for those who apply its discipline – those who surrender to Allah and abandon their submission to all other things.

(2) Personal responsibility means that each Muslim has the duty to seek Knowledge, understanding and apply it. When they make the appropriate effort and follow the appropriate discipline sent to us through the Prophet, then Allah guides them. (2:272, 13:27, 42:13, 5:16, 51, 9:24, 109, etc)

(3) Islam is (a) a Teaching about the nature of existence (that all things are in a state of Surrender to Allah), it is also (b) a Destination or goal (to Surrender to Allah consciously), and (c) it is a method or technique known as the Straight Way - That is, people are at different points on this way and are required to progress - they have not already arrived. (91:7-10, 84:19, 89:27-30)

(4) Muslims cannot withdraw from the world. Man has been sent to the world to learn and develop. (57:27). For Muslims the world itself contains all the factors required to facilitate their development. As Vicegerents they have responsibility towards (a) their own souls, (b) other people and the community and (c) the environment. These are inter-dependent.

Striving refers to seeking correct knowledge, cultivating correct motives and doing the correct actions. This involves:- (i) observing, thinking, meditating, praying, (ii) following the discipline that will purify consciousness, conscience and will so that it may discern truth instead of being prone to fantasy, prejudice, desire, arrogance, lust etc. (iii) living in, and interacting with, an environment and community that has common goals and will encourage, stimulate and reinforce these efforts - one that has cultural influences, ideas, practices, institutions, conventions and events that have maximum positive factors and minimum negative factors relative to the goal. (iv) seeking out those who have knowledge and virtue and can offer guidance (whether personally or through books).

The Quran itself will reveal its meanings as development continues. And this, in its turn will guide further spiritual development. As interaction continues and understanding grows, it will also bring greater unity and solidarity to the community and greater harmony with the environment. All these factors interact and reinforce each other.

Critic:-

So far as I can tell, most of the posters to this Islamic site who present themselves as Muslims I would classify as followers of the Islamic religion. That is, not as what I called "Muslims". I realize this distinction is probably offensive. I simply used the commonest forms I could think off. Perhaps "aware Muslims" as opposed to "unaware Muslims" would be better. "Aware" in the sense of understanding what being a Muslim entails.

Comment:-

Certainly there is a difference between (i) Islam which is a Teaching, a Guidance and (ii) Muslims who are a people and (iii) the state of being a Muslim (of being in surrender to Allah). There are different degrees of being in surrender to Allah. One can be in surrender in intention, in ones convictions, in ones thoughts, in motive or in ones whole being. People are not perfect. These people, Muslims, know, understand and practice Islam to various degrees. This is true of every other religion and of every other system or ideology. But it seems to me that there are a much larger number and proportion of Muslims who are closer to Islam than there are adherents to other religions.

Your assertions imply that you think you know what Islam is and that your ideas of it are not just your own prejudices or fantasies. But past discussions show that you have only a partial knowledge and understanding of Islam. This is because understanding requires the experience that comes from practice and striving.

Critic:-

God is God, no matter whether you call God, Allah or YHWH or whatever.

I do not know what Islam is and I doubt whether anybody else does. But I do know something about God and, since Islam claims to be a religion of God, I know a little about what Islam should be and great deal about Islam should not be.

The same knowledge is easily available to anyone else. Just ask God.

Comment:-

That is, of course, what every one says to justify whatever they fancy or suits themselves, including terrorists.

I see that you say you do not know what Islam is and yet you think others do not know it either, which you cannot possibly know, and still wish to make pronouncements about Islam!

But you can believe whatever you like. That is not the problem. The problem is that you are making pronouncements about Islam. You have invented your own idea of Islam to suit yourself.

For Muslims Islam means surrender to Allah and Allah is comprehensively described in the Quran and so is Islam.

The thesis of the Quran is that human beings as a result of the Fall are in a degenerate condition. That is to say their consciousness, conscience and will have atrophied and they are prone to falsehoods, illusions, wishful thinking, prejudices, fantasies, fixations, addictions etc. They need a proper discipline, obedience to the instructions of God that come through His Messengers, in order to rectify this condition. Those who follow that discipline rather than their own fancies will gradually approach the goal, that of Unity with, and true surrender to, Allah.

"Surely, We have created man in the best of moulds. Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low; save those who believe and act right; for theirs is a reward unfailing." 95:4-6

"The dwellers of the desert say: We believe. Say: You believe not, but rather say, 'We submit'; for faith has not yet entered into your heart; and if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not diminish aught of your deeds; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Only they are the believers who believe in Allah and His Messenger, then afterwards they doubt not and struggle hard with their wealth and their lives in the way of Allah; they are the truthful (sincere or righteous) ones." 49:14

A Muslim:-

I don't quite understand what you're trying to imply here. The Quran, like any book, has a referential identity; i.e. a *way* it ought to be read. Now certainly you'll agree with me that the Quran makes objective claims. We can discover these.

Comment:-

I have quoted the Quran to show how the Quran is meant to be read. Please read the whole article again. I am surprised that you have obviously not understood it.

The Quran being the Word of God certainly has objective truths and values. But do you not know that what human beings see and understand is only a small part of reality that is usually distorted? Not only do they (i) perceive selectively according to their interests and desires, but they also (ii) have habits of thought and perception, fixations, attachments, hypnosis and they also (iii) re-arrange, invent, add fantasies, superstitions, based on desire and fear.

The Quran is constantly warning against conjecture, distorted interpretation, illusions, thoughts and motives based on personal desires. This is the result of the Fall and has to rectified by means of a discipline:-

“Surely, We have created man in the best of moulds. Then We reduced him to the lowest of the low; save those who believe and act right; for theirs is a reward unfailing.” 95:4-6

Muslim:-

In my opinion Sola Scriptura fails because scripture alone cannot resolve the interpretative disputes. And if scripture cannot resolve textual disputes, then scripture cannot function as the sole infallible authority by which one can read it.

Comment:-

This is partially correct. Much depends on the experiences, motive, effort and ability to understand of the person who reads it. All these depend on whether (i) the person undertakes the necessary discipline, (ii) consults those who have knowledge, understanding and insight (whether personally or through their writings) and (iii) interacts with the rest of the like minded community, which reinforces motives and efforts.

But Allah is the ultimate source. His spirit is in us (32:9) and gives understanding in so far as it is not obstructed. The Quran is a guidance, the Prophet explained and demonstrated its application, and the third authority are those who have acquired or been given knowledge and understanding.

But it remains a fact that the individual has to develop his own soul, his own consciousness, conscience and will, his understanding, his contact with the Spirit within. These others are only means to that end.

Another Muslim:-

"Salvation is in the hands of God and God alone. He is our central authority and there no mediator between Him and His servants. He creates and He destroys. He is the source of salvation and damnation. The key to salvation is submission ( = Islam) to God."

First Muslim:-

Exactly, hence my inquiry discerning Quranic Sola Scriptura. The Quran places an emphasis on individual responsibility. And given that one attains salvation individually, then it is hard to see how one can go against Quranic Sola Scriptura on *those grounds*.

Comment:-

The Quran is a means, not an end. The end is surrender to Allah and it is Allah who will inform us. The Quran contains instructions, a discipline that has to be followed, and that is likely to achieve salvation. But Islam is not just about salvation from destruction, but about development and return to Allah. Surrender to Allah is surrender to His Spirit within. Man has Fallen and the Spirit within him has become dormant. This needs to be reactivated.

"Then set your purpose for religion as a man upright by nature - the nature made by Allah in which He has made men; there is no altering (the laws of) Allah's creation; that is the right religion, but most people do not know..." 30:30

"The dwellers of the desert say: We believe. Say: You believe not, but rather say, 'We submit'; for faith has not yet entered into your heart; and if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not diminish aught of your deeds; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." 49:14

"O you who believe! Respond unto Allah and His Messenger when He calls you to that which quickens you; and know that Allah comes in between a man and his own heart; and that He it is unto Whom you shall be gathered." 8:24

"You shall surely travel from stage to stage!" 84:19

"And the soul and Who fashioned it, and enlightened it with what is wrong and right for it! He indeed is successful who causes it to grow (or purifies it)! And he indeed is a failure who corrupts it!" 91:7-10

“Say: I exhort you only to one thing that you awake for Allah's sake in twos or singly, then ponder. There is no madness in your companion; he is only a Warner to you before a severe doom.” 34:46

----------<O>----------

Contents