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Author: Leslie Terebessy
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 52
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Book Description
This text explores the fabrication of revelation that appears to have taken place when tradition was elevated to the rank of revelation. Revelation in Islam at first did not encompass tradition. Subsequently, tradition was "added" to revelation as "explanatory" and "supplementary revelation." This implied that the revelation of the Quran was deficient. This contradicts the teaching of the perfection of the Quran. It is argued that the Quran does not include instructions on how to pray. It did not appear to occur to the supporters of "additional revelation" that the absence of instructions on how to pray could mean that there may be more than one way to pray. How did tradition become "revelation"? With time, Muslims became focused on the prophet together with Allah. This duality is reflected on the wall of many a place of prayer, where the prophet is referred to side by side with Allah as if they were "equals." But Allah has no "equals." What happened? Tradition became revelation in a process of partial reorientation from revelation to tradition. The imagination of Muslims was captured by the prophet. Islam was becoming prophet-centric to an extent. But this has troubling aftereffects. The elevation of tradition to revelation first "fused" and then "confused" tradition with revelation. The designation of the prophetic tradition as "sacred" in Islam was akin to the representation of Jesus as "divine" in Christianity. It produced analogous effects. The amalgamation of tradition and revelation broadened but also adulterated the meaning of revelation. For tradition is not as reliable as revelation. It does not yield "certainty" or yaqin. Moreover, revelation is transcendent, while tradition is earthly. As revelation is from Allah, the designation of tradition as revelation suggests that tradition is from Allah, too. But is it? In what way are traditions from Allah? Are traditions the words of Allah? Are they even the words of the prophet? In nations where reason is disparaged, believers appear willing to accept the perception that prophetic traditions are from Allah. Thoughtful persons, however, experience reservations. Would Allah require believers to do things that appear cruel as we encounter in a few traditions? Problematic traditions make Islam appear harsh and provide Muslims with reasons to drift from Islam. By their resolve to follow even weak traditions, and even against reason, traditionists perform a disservice to Islam; they discredit it. Hence it is necessary to be cautious with what is presented as tradition. In so far as the traditions are paraphrases, they are not the words of the prophet, let alone the words of Allah. They are the words of transmitters. Transmitters were persons who were not prophets. And the reports are not verbatim words of the prophet. If a tradition is not verbatim, how could it be classified as "authentic"? Does not the word "authentic" mean "genuine"? What is more, there is a tradition according to which the prophet said he received two revelations, the second being the hadiths. How could the prophet receive hadiths when they were recorded two hundred years after his death? Moreover, traditions are presented as "equal" to revelation. How may any tradition be "equal" to revelation when Allah is without "equals"? These assertions are problematic. For the equation of tradition with revelation could result in elevating the prophet to a partner of God. But God has no partners. Moreover, revelation prohibits judging by what God did not reveal. If tradition is not revelation, this presents a problem. For laws are also based on traditions. In different words, the perception that tradition is revelation, as well as relationship between revelation and tradition require rethinking, in both exegesis and jurisprudence.
Author: Leslie Terebessy
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 52
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Book Description
This text explores the fabrication of revelation that appears to have taken place when tradition was elevated to the rank of revelation. Revelation in Islam at first did not encompass tradition. Subsequently, tradition was "added" to revelation as "explanatory" and "supplementary revelation." This implied that the revelation of the Quran was deficient. This contradicts the teaching of the perfection of the Quran. It is argued that the Quran does not include instructions on how to pray. It did not appear to occur to the supporters of "additional revelation" that the absence of instructions on how to pray could mean that there may be more than one way to pray. How did tradition become "revelation"? With time, Muslims became focused on the prophet together with Allah. This duality is reflected on the wall of many a place of prayer, where the prophet is referred to side by side with Allah as if they were "equals." But Allah has no "equals." What happened? Tradition became revelation in a process of partial reorientation from revelation to tradition. The imagination of Muslims was captured by the prophet. Islam was becoming prophet-centric to an extent. But this has troubling aftereffects. The elevation of tradition to revelation first "fused" and then "confused" tradition with revelation. The designation of the prophetic tradition as "sacred" in Islam was akin to the representation of Jesus as "divine" in Christianity. It produced analogous effects. The amalgamation of tradition and revelation broadened but also adulterated the meaning of revelation. For tradition is not as reliable as revelation. It does not yield "certainty" or yaqin. Moreover, revelation is transcendent, while tradition is earthly. As revelation is from Allah, the designation of tradition as revelation suggests that tradition is from Allah, too. But is it? In what way are traditions from Allah? Are traditions the words of Allah? Are they even the words of the prophet? In nations where reason is disparaged, believers appear willing to accept the perception that prophetic traditions are from Allah. Thoughtful persons, however, experience reservations. Would Allah require believers to do things that appear cruel as we encounter in a few traditions? Problematic traditions make Islam appear harsh and provide Muslims with reasons to drift from Islam. By their resolve to follow even weak traditions, and even against reason, traditionists perform a disservice to Islam; they discredit it. Hence it is necessary to be cautious with what is presented as tradition. In so far as the traditions are paraphrases, they are not the words of the prophet, let alone the words of Allah. They are the words of transmitters. Transmitters were persons who were not prophets. And the reports are not verbatim words of the prophet. If a tradition is not verbatim, how could it be classified as "authentic"? Does not the word "authentic" mean "genuine"? What is more, there is a tradition according to which the prophet said he received two revelations, the second being the hadiths. How could the prophet receive hadiths when they were recorded two hundred years after his death? Moreover, traditions are presented as "equal" to revelation. How may any tradition be "equal" to revelation when Allah is without "equals"? These assertions are problematic. For the equation of tradition with revelation could result in elevating the prophet to a partner of God. But God has no partners. Moreover, revelation prohibits judging by what God did not reveal. If tradition is not revelation, this presents a problem. For laws are also based on traditions. In different words, the perception that tradition is revelation, as well as relationship between revelation and tradition require rethinking, in both exegesis and jurisprudence.
Author: Leslie Terebessy
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 230
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Book Description
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.
Author: Leslie Terebessy
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 161
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Book Description
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.
Author: Monty Wright
Publisher: Sermon To Book
ISBN: 9781945793363
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 386
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Book Description
Unlock the essential, life-changing truths in the Book of Revelation without getting entangled in misinterpretation and intimidation! What if you could put aside fear of the future? Imagine embracing what is and is to come with hope, strength, and the power and blessings of God! Rev. Monty C. Wright, founding and lead pastor of Snoqualmie Valley Alliance, takes us step by step through the Book of Revelation, digging out the intended meaning of the text by examining the historical and cultural contexts in which it was originally received as well as how it connects to other Scripture. In this book, you'll learn: The real meaning of apocalypse and how people miss the mark Why Christianity is not about pain avoidance and why the gospel without suffering is not the gospel How to address the fatal flaws of the church in the United States Why true worship is about thin spaces and the hum of the universe How to reclaim the Holy Spirit theology and use the powerful spiritual weapons God gives the Church to be His transforming agent in the world The truth about Satan and his unholy trinity and what this has to do with the separation of church and state Why God's judgment should be a source of hope and encouragement Why it all comes down to
Author: Richard Twiss
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830898530
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 276
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Book Description
The gospel of Jesus has not always been good news for Native Americans. But despite the far-reaching effects of colonialism, some Natives have forged culturally authentic ways to follow Jesus. In his final work, Richard Twiss surveys the complicated history of Christian missions among Indigenous peoples and voices a hopeful vision of contextual Native Christian faith.
Author: Philip Nicholas Shuttleworth (bp. of Chichester.)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Tradition (Theology)
Languages : en
Pages : 182
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Author: Leslie Terebessy
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Fazlur Rahman referred to what he perceived was the "intellectual suicide" of traditional ulema. Jurists refer to a responsible, sane person as a mukallaf. A person not in his or her right mind is not equipped to pronounce authoritatively on issues relating to religion. Pronouncing on matters relating to Islam requires a person to be a mukallaf, to be in his or her right mind. Being in one's right mind requires the ability and willingness to use of reason. The jurist that refrains from the use of God-given reason is not just ungrateful; he or she fails the test of a responsible or rational person, a mukallaf. The person that refrains from using reason is irrational. An irrational person is technically insane. A mukallaf, however, must be a "sane" person. By refraining from using reason, traditional exegetes and jurists withdrew from the ranks of the mukallafuna. Thereby they barred themselves from commenting with authority on matters of religion. By refraining from the use of reason, they forfeited their right to be treated as mukallafuna (plural of mukallaf). As a result, their right to pronounce with authority on Islam, in particular on exegesis and jurisprudence, is rendered problematic. The fact that traditional exegesis and jurisprudence are based on the rejection of reason renders the pronouncements of traditionists unreliable. The Muslim umma waned because it turned from revelation to tradition. This transpired under the sway of persons with an aversion to reason. The reluctance to use reason prevented Muslims from understanding and therefore following revelation. For following the guidance of Allah requires attaining knowledge of the Book of Allah. And accessing knowledge of revelation requires the use of reason. By prohibiting the use of reason in religion, traditionists do not just prevent themselves from understanding religion; they also prevent the pious from understanding and therefore following the Book of Allah. They hinder the pious from fi sabilillah: "The Qur'an was neglected almost entirely." [1] "From the time the Muslim community abandoned the Qur'an and was overcome by confusion and error, its unity was lost." [2] "The Muslim Ummah experienced these disasters because it had become alienated from the eternal truths of Islam." [3] As a different writer put it: "the one and only reason for the social and cultural decay of the Muslims consisted in the fact that they had gradually ceased to follow the teachings of Islam." [4] [1] Taha Jabir Alwani, Islamic Thought: an Approach to Reform, IIIT, 2006, p. 36, accessed on 12 May 2021: https: //www.academia.edu/43889716/Islamic_Thought_An_Approach_to_Reform_?email_work_card=title [2] Taha Jabir Alalwani, Apostasy in Islam: A Historical and Scriptural Analysis, Original Edition Translated from Arabic by Nancy Roberts Abridged by Alison Lake, The International Institute of Islamic Thought, 2011, p. 18. https: //www.academia.edu/43889653/Apostasy_in_Islam_A_Historical_and_Scriptural_Analysis. [3] Taha Jabir al-Alwani, "Taqlid and Ijtihad (Part One)," in Issues in Contemporary Islamic Thought, pp. 82-96, Compiled from the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, IIIT, 2005, p. 82, accessed on 17 Sep. 2020: https: //iiit.org/wp-content/uploads/IssuesinContemporarIslamicThought_Combined.pdf [4] Muhammad Asad, Islam at the Crossroads, Kazi Publications Inc, 1995 p. xvii.
Author: Thomas Langan
Publisher: University of Missouri Press
ISBN: 9780826208002
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 276
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Br> Tradition and Authenticity in the Search for Ecumenic Wisdom by Langan, Thomas Terms of use Our emerging world system is bringing the great traditions and cultures it has spawned into ever more intimate and dangerous contact. Langan argues that we must struggle toward a unity of discourse respectful of genuine experiences of varying civilizations if we are to live peacefully on one planet. Descriptive content provided by Syndetics"! a Bowker service.
Author: Leslie Terebessy
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Muslims rose to prominence by following revelation. They receded into obscurity by following tradition. For tradition is a reflection of revelation. Yet tradition has practically become a fetish. How did the reorientation from revelation to tradition take place? It appears that Muslims became captivated by tradition. At first, there was just the authority of revelation. With the establishment of religion, tradition began to compete with revelation for attention. First, tradition cast doubt on the ability of reason to "explain" revelation. To discredit reason further, tradition portrayed the use of reason in explaining revelation as a form of kufr. This was the beginning of the descent into anti-rationalism. To enhance its prestige further, tradition presented itself as "equal" to revelation. This took place in defiance of statements in revelation that Allah has no "equals." As a result of the incorporation of tradition in revelation, the meaning of "revelation" became broader. Revelation was no longer restricted to mean the word of God; it would also encompass reports by persons known as "transmitters." The elevation of tradition to revelation had profound effects on the Muslim civilization. For revelation found a "partner" in tradition. In the longer term, tradition did not merely "supplement" or "clarify" revelation. It went on to "judge," and even "abrogate" parts of revelation. Traditions - reports of persons - replaced the words of God. Hence, renewal requires rescuing the knowledge of revelation from corruption by unwarranted accretions and assumptions, as the perception that tradition is revelation. Knowledge of revelation also requires being rescued from unwarranted practices, as the teaching of abrogation. These tasks require the engagement and therefore the rehabilitation of reason. For as a result of the disparagement of reason, people were prodded to follow traditions even against reason. The rehabilitation of the knowledge of revelation requires the affirmation of the pre-eminence of revelation in relation to tradition. Tradition, for its part, requires being relegated to its role as the actualization of revelation in practice rather than its "equal," "judge" or "abrogator." As a result of the shutting of the gates to ijtihad, the reasoning ability of exegetes atrophied. They began to experience difficulties in comprehending revelation. In response, and in defiance of the teaching of revelation, they pronounced parts of revelation to be "unclear." For revelation presents itself as "clear." They thereby denied a part of what revelation teaches, that it is "a perspicuous book" (kitab al mubin). The rejection of reason necessitated recourse to an alternative way of "explaining" revelation. This alternative way was the engagement of tradition to "explain" revelation. This was rather strange, as tradition appears to require explanation, more than revelation. For there are multiple variants of traditions. The decision to turn to tradition rather than reason to explain revelation reflected the belief that tradition explains better than reason. That even understanding tradition requires the use of reason was disregarded. Exegetes were expected to refrain from using their reason. The recourse to tradition to "explain" revelation, however, required the elevation of tradition to revelation. For in verses 44, 45 and 47 of chapter 5 of the Quran, Allah has forbidden "judging" by anything that He did not reveal. The elevation of tradition to revelation had far reaching and not entirely welcome effects. It expanded the scope of revelation and in the process affected its teaching. Revelation encompassed six extra books, the traditions. Revelation would be "supplemented" and "explained" by tradition. It was declared that "tradition judges revelation" and that "revelation needs tradition more than tradition needs revelation." This reversed the relationship between revelation and tradition.
Author:
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ISBN:
Category :
Languages : de
Pages : 78
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