The Arrogance in Ignorance & Knowledge

(Adapted)


Have you noticed that controversy mostly revolves around power and control? Respect and disrespect are rooted in inequality, which is often the powerplay between superiority and inferiority, and a battle with blindspots and arrogance.

One would sometimes come across people who will say: “I KNOW that!” and those who give the impression that they know, while hiding behind their ignorance when they do not really know. Across the Muslim world today there are also innumerable "experts" without the benefit of even the "minimum required" religious education and training. As for the audiences, they readily confuse eloquence with scholarship. If a person is a good writer or speaker, then that qualifies him or her sufficiently to speak on deep Islamic issues, and if the person carries the magic title of "Dr." - the Dr. sickness, that would certainly fill any gaps in his authority. It does not seem to matter if such a person's educational achievement is only in gynecology or business administration, journalism or nuclear science, physics or animal husbandry. Instead of using their expertise to develop Islamic models in these areas, they rather interpret the Qur-aan and Ahaadiith, give Fataawaa, or even do Ijetihaad on Muslim affairs and fowarding ideas that have been disastrous when mixed with secular concepts.

What is more, we also make a virtue out of this catastrophe by bragging that we have broken the "shackles of blind following" and opened direct access to the original sources of Islamic teachings. Do we know the danger? (What are the dangers that are lurking in this process? Are they real dangers or merely personal fears? On the other hand, choosing someone to act as Amiir for a task group does not require this person to hold an Islamic or other Degree. Also, leading others in Solaah deals with the best among them in the group, which once again is not the absolute right of someone with an Islamic Degree. Such a person can certainly not guarantee success before ALLAAH with claims that s/he has an Islamic Degree.)

However, instead of taking a chance and basing it on hearsay and random readings, one should have a desire to obtain Islamic knowledge along a specific path and then be driven by this desire to acquire it throughout one's life. No doubt, one is forever a seeker/student of Knowledge and can never claim to be an 'Aalim. As such, I believe in words such as "capable", etc. because the commonly used word "qualified" excludes the many "able" persons. Being qualified does not necessarily mean "able" nor does capable mean that the person is not qualified.

For a change, let us also visit a Daarul-'Uluum where they are screening candidates for admission to the next Iftaa class. The top scorers from the regular 'Aalim course were given a test and just the top ten from the test will be brought for an interview. They are tested not only for their knowledge of Arabic and religious texts but also their ability to understand complex real life situations and to communicate well. Once they graduate, they will do an internship for years under qualified and experienced Muftis. Even the best of their teachers will consult others when they face a difficult issue. After exercising the best of caution, they will learn to say "Allaah knows best" at the end of their answers or the people saying: "But the Shaykh said so!" or "But he's a Shaykh!" or "He's a graduate of..." (Is advanced Islamic learning then only for those with the best intellects or should this not be open to any Muslim wanting to acquire it? Are we then creating a priestly class or personality cults at the expense of the humbly able?)

Muslims are, nonetheless, led by the 'Ulamaa_ — i.e Muslim scholars trained in Islamic law — who have determined how Muslims should understand Islaam and the world for centuries. With this defined conception of religious knowledge, the Muslim world began to lag behind in its production and consumption of knowledge (Khan, 2006).

Modern scholarship has often viewed the premodern Islamic legal Tradition as a highly rigid structure. It is defined as being in opposition to the social and political institutions of society that is resistant to change once its fundamental principles and doctrines during the age of formative legal development had been articulated (Zaman, 2002).

The Muslim world often ask whether it is Halaal to eat gummy bears — or if one can marry two sisters simultaneously, and questions on whether it is okay to join the WTO and whether democracy is a good idea. While the 'Ulamaa_ are “trained” to answer the first two questions, contemporary reality appears to be outside their domain (Khan, 2006).

Whereas the social sciences are more interested in understanding and describing the world as it is with an empirical focus rather than postulating on how it ought to be, it is unlike Islamic sciences, which are essentially normative paradigms (Khan, 2006).

However, if we look at the word Anfus (internal world) mentioned along with Afaq (external world) in 41:53, it shows that science is not confined to the laws of physics but encompasses all the social sciences as well. The latter of which have to be developed by practical research. This is an important distinction, which means that the 'Ulamaa_ should not only be trained traditionally but also in psychology and sociology, or sit alongside Muslim psychologists, sociologists and social scientists who will otherwise also carry out research into the Islamic sciences.

In the best traditions of this Ummah, Imaam Maalik considered his knowledge as a trust. When he knew something to be right or wrong, no intimidation could stop him from declaring so. It was his Fatwaa that divorce given under compulsion is invalid that earned him the wrath of the ruler (as it implied that a pledge of allegiance given under compulsion was also invalid). He was punished with lashes and at every strike he said, "I am Maalik bin Anas and I declare that divorce given under compulsion is invalid." (Who among us will be prepared to undergo this today?)

Imaam Maalik bin Anas (b. 93 AH, d. 179 AH) was one of the greatest Islamic scholars of his time. Among his 1300 disciples were people from all walks of life; rulers, judges, historians, Suufis, poets, and scholars of Qur-aan, Hadiith, and Fiqh. The Khaliifah (Caliph) himself attended his class as an ordinary student along with others.

Yet it was the same Imaam Maalik who was more likely to say "la adrii" (I don't know) or "la ahsin" (I don't know it very well) in response to the constant flow of queries directed toward him. Once a person approached him and told him that he had come from Marrakesh --- after a six month journey --- only to ask a question. "My people back home are waiting for your answer", he said. After hearing the question Imaam Maalik replied, "Please tell your people that I do not know the answer to your question." In one case he was asked forty-eight questions and in response to thirty-two of them he said, "I don't know." It was commonly said that if somebody wrote down Imaam Maalik's answers to questions, he could easily fill pages with "I don't know" before writing a real answer.

The reason for this extraordinary care was nothing but a deep sense of accountability before Allaah. It was the caution of a person who was standing between Hell and Heaven, fearful that one wrong step could lead him to the former. "Before you answer a question about religious law, visualize that you are standing at the gates of Hell and Heaven", he used to advise others.

Of course, he was not alone. Ibn Jariij used to attend the Majelis (sitting) of Abdullaah ibn 'Umar (R.A.). "In answer to more than half the questions he used to say I don't know." Ibn Abii Layla saw 120 Sohaaba (companions). "Whenever one of them was asked a question he wished that someone else would answer it."

Nor was this caution restricted to Fiqh (Islamic Law). In interpreting the Qur-aan or the Hadiith, they exercised the same care. Imaam Muslim whose Sohiih Muslim is unanimously considered second of the two most authentic collections of Hadiith, had set for himself only the task of Hadiith collection leaving the job of interpreting them to others. He was so concerned about this that he did not even divide the book into chapters for such classification would amount to interpretation.

They were the authoritative source on Islamic teachings, having devoted their lives to learning and practicing them. They knew very well the tremendous burden inherent in a statement that begins with "Allaah Ta'aalaa says", or "The Prophet, Sollal Laahu 'alayhi wa Sallam, says". For stating something that is not so means that a person is attributing something to Allaah or the Prophet that is not true. What can be a greater sin than that! They always remembered that it is Haraam to give Fatwah without knowledge. They always remembered the Hadiith, "Whoever interprets the Qur-aan without knowledge should make his abode in Hell."

Fast forwarded to today and you find yourself in a totally different world. The vast confusion and ignorance of even elementary subjects in religious teachings among the seemingly "educated" classes today is unprecedented. Today, one can find all sorts of un-Islamic ideas and practices, conjectures, whims, and desires finding approval in concocted "Ijtihaadom". There is a famous saying in Urdu. "A pseudo doctor is danger to life - A pseudo religious scholar is danger to faith." The resulting death and injury is not physical in this case and is therefore less visible. But no amount of bragging can hide the fact that this is the equivalent of allowing unlicensed and untrained people to practice medicine. Others again will use this saying to protect their own interests. The reasons for this malaise are complex except for two:

First, the schooling of our "educated" people included very little or no Islamic education. Plainly, "they do not know and they do not even know that they do not know", and this is when the blind following starts.

Second, many of us harbour great mistrust of those who have received formal Islamic education. In turn, this is also based on ignorance of what constitutes such education. All that is known is that it is foreign (a sort of black box) and what is made known is that there is something wrong with it.

(Can anyone in all honesty declare that an alternative that misses each of these features is better?) Yes, A PEP-UP! That is, [A]lways [P]articipate and expect [Equality] in the [P]artnership - [U]phold these [P]rinciples.

ALWAYS...

Participate: It is far easier to be gossip mongers, fence sitters and arm-chair critics. If we remain in our comfort zones and sit back and expect others to be pro-active, we can expect to see the same faces in multiple profiles. We don't need a situation where there are more chiefs than Indians and where the Indians also want to act as chiefs, for the Qur-aan clearly states,"Indeed, He (ALLAAH) does not love the proud" [16:23]. Our elders need to stand out from among the crowds, and be counted and respected, and they must also give others space to reach their full potential with much less gatekeeping.

Equality: Everyone brings along a Basket of Knowledge and life experiences, which allow for the changing roles in an expert-ignorant relationship. This also applies in a student-teacher relationship where both are able to contribute or add to the Basket of Wisdom within the framework of the Sharii’ah.

Partnership: Islaam has no place for glory-seekers, egoists or egotists and eletist groups who simply battle to achieve their objectives. And raising barriers shows a lack of transparency and accountability. This Ummah not only needs people of sound intelligence and reasoning, but also "other capable" Muslimuun who are "able" to go the extra mile or even deeper to guide the Ummah to what is best at all times.

Uphold these Principles.


- M. Tahir Farrath -

Download pdf copy at:

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Interconnectedness of the Qabiilah with the Bonds in Faith

Bis-Mil LAAHIR Rahmaanir Rahiim.


You might be wondering about the word "Qibiilah". A Qabiilah (tribe) in the Arabian desert was organized in clans. The nucleus of the tribe was the Khaymah (tent), which represented a family. An encampment of tents formed a Hayy and members of one Hayy constituted a Qawm (clan). A number of kindred clans grouped together formed a Qabiilah (Hitti, 1961).

The name of each clan is prefixed with Banuu, which means the "descendants of" or children. Thus, the members of each clan are invariably blood-related. While tribal members share in common all pasturage, water and cultivable land, only the tent and its contents belong to the individual.

When family members move abroad today, they no longer enjoy the usual support from their family. They may feel disconnected and become dysfunctional as they face the culture shock and transition. Unless people reach out to welcome them into an extended family and vice-versa, they would become strangers among strangers (estranged among even their own countrymen), and sadly loose their customary beliefs and values in this new environment. Certainly, people do bring along their "baggage", and because each person is different, those who are settled should be tolerant and not indulge in spreading Fitnah that would usually harm such people. So the Qabiilah I am referring to is based on the Arabic proverb:

Rubba Akhin laka lam Talidehuu Ummuka

"There is many a brother for you to whom your mother has not given birth."

In some cases the words Akhii (my brother) and Ukhtii (my sister) are the very words most frequented by the tongue of the Muslim. Oftentimes though, a Muslim may feel disappointed or let down by his brother, the very feeling of which is a contradiction of what the word brother represents to the Muslim and the Arabs, as told in part by the etymology of the word itself.

Ola Shoubaki mentions that some linguists believe that the word Akh is derived from the word Aakhiyyah that refers to a piece of rope where the two ends are attached to a small stone or stick and buried in the ground. It was used to tie a horse or other animal in place so that it does not wander off. In this way should one be attached to one's brothers, so that we do not wander off from one another (which is clearly the mother-of-all Buddy systems). Then there is the verb Khaala, which has two different forms that also differ in pattern and meaning, but let us concentrate on the first meaning, namely "to do proficiently" or "to perfect".

This meaning allows us to recognise the importance and status of the maternal uncle and aunt, and indeed our obligations as maternal aunts and uncles, who are called the Khaal and the Khaalah because they are supposed to "take care proficiently" of their family. And this may be one reason why the maternal aunt in Islaam is afforded the status of the mother when the mother is absent. There is also the situation where the bigger brother takes charge of the little brother/s.

Thus, Islaam invites to social cohesion or a single Ummah and Tamim al-Barghouti, a Palestinian poet, writes:

"The desert is said to impose unity, homogeneity - and therefore equality on all the creatures, because sand is everywhere, and in the end everything turns into sand. A sense of continuity and unity of the universe might have been present in the desert community of Bedouin Arabs.

Taking a second look at antonyms, one can see that most words relate to power and knowledge. The continuous fighting for water and means of livelihood among Arab tribes, the temporality of life and the cruel paradox of the desert coupling monotony and uncertainty, might have resulted in an instinctive position on power.

Power is temporary, and is in itself meaningless. Temporary power is therefore the same as weakness, master and slave will both die in the end, so would the seer and the blind, and the blind might be more of a seer than the one whose eyes are wide open.

Power and knowledge become meaningful only if the result is something that is not temporary. To Arabs, all physical objects will in the end vanish and turn to sand, but ideas will remain. Thus, power is necessary only to create legacies, memories, epics, legends and poetry. One could trace this idea well into the pre-Islamic era. After the advent of Islaam, the concept of legacy was replaced with the concept of the afterlife." Therefore, we must somehow be continually reminded that the Messenger of ALLAAH (S.A.W.S.) said:

Laa Yu_minu Ahadukum hattaa Yuhibba li-Akhiihii maa Yuhibbu li-Nafsih

"None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." [Al-Bukhaariy.]

As mentioned earlier, the brother should be like an Aakhiyyah and ensure that his companion is kept close to the mark and does not wander too far away from it, but if it should happen, his brother shall draw him back to it. Although we should act as one - each of us is also unique, and in terms of tribes, ethnicities or cultures, ALLAAH (S.W.T.) mentions this uniqueness as follows:

"O Mankind, we have created you male and female, and made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Lo, the best of you, in the sight of ALLAAH, is the best in conduct. Verily, ALLAAH is the Knower, Aware." (49:13)

Commentators have said that the word Shu'uub used is the plural of Sha'b, referring to a large group of people of the same origin (like a nation). This then consists of clans and tribes. The largest in this arrangement is called a Sa'b, and the smallest is the 'Ashiirah. Abuu Araaq stated that Shu'uub and Sha'b refer to non-Arab nations whose lineage is not preserved whilst Qabaa-il refers to Arabs whose lineage is well-preserved. This is followed by Amaa'ir (tribal districts), then Butuun (tribal sub-districts), then Afkhaadh (sub-tribes) and finally Fasaa-il (clans). Tafsiir Jalaalayn provides the following example: Khuzaymah is the Sha'b, while Kinaana is the Qabiilah, Quraysh is the Imaarah, Qusayy is the Batn, Haashim is the Fakhdh, and 'Abbaas is the Fasiilah.

The colonialists have destroyed our history through their imperialism, and this does not also exclude slavery, adoptions and subsequent marriages, etc. So without being boastful, we may have to take a step back to define ourselves clearly, and then be proud of who we are and our way of being. Being clear of one's identity can be quite liberating. In this regard, we need to ask: Who am I? Where do I come from? What is my place or family of origin? What is our "Cultural Identity"? Do we have one? What does it look like? Does it resemble some dominant culture? If you/we are not clear about this, then you/we are in an "Identity Crisis!" However, this process must conform with the Sharii'ah, for our Nabiy was asked:

"O Prophet of ALLAAH! What is 'Asobiyyah?" He replied: “That you support your nation (or tribe) in oppression.” [Abuu Daawuud # 5119]

So there appears to be praiseworthy and blameworthy 'Asobiyyah. To understand this, we need to understand the history of the Arabs. The evil side of Tribalism, Nationalism, Patriotism, Racism, Prejudice, Institutionalised Discrimination, etc. cause all sorts of Internalised Oppression within a group or community and to society through unified oppressive social structures that emphasise control in terms of organic solidarity as opposed to mechanical solidarity. Essentially, the rule then is "Do no harm!" A praiseworthy principle then is that "If you do not know yourself well, you will not be in a position to fully know others". This also implies the following: "If you don't know yourself, how CAN you know others?"; "Speak about yourself (it or to him, her, them) and not about others"; and "Explore your own life (attitude, behaviour or ways) instead of prying into another's life" and forming conclusions.

Furthermore, a genealogy or genogram is helpful for such purposes as Miraath (inheritance), Mahaariim, etc. It is also a natural tradition in Islaam to preserve narratives. Our history is in our stories, which are stories of humanity. Therefore, we need to keep the fire burning so that that history is not forgotten and our heritage remains. The least we can do is to keep our stories alive so that they are remembered and retold by the children. Amidst the very great and rich cultural diversity, whatever we leave behind are treasures that will enable the next generation to continue the journey. Are there any substantial ones? Surely, it's not only a culture of inequality, conflict and disagreement.

With regard to this Qibiilah that is based on the mentioned proverb and Hadiith, it would be necessary to fully understand the collective nature of an "extended family" around the meaning of Akhwiyyah (brotherhood). Being selective or isolating oneself and excluding others will never foster this brotherhood. Since another group of linguists believe that the word Akh is derived from the word Wakhaa, it refers to an aim, endeavour or desire. This is because the two brothers or sisters, Ikhwaan or Ikhwah (brethren) would share these ideals in such a way that they are as one. There are various Muslim cultures that the Ummah identifies with, but there is the Islamic culture as the main way of life. The Nabiy (S.A.W.S.) said:

“...Now people are of two kinds. Either believers who are aware or transgressors who do wrong. You are all the children of Aadam and Aadam was made of clay… If they do not give this up (i.e. pride and arrogance in the glorification ancestors) Allaah will consider them lower than the lowly worm which pushes itself through dung.” (Abuu Daawuud and Tirmithiy)

As history will show, the bonds of faith and courage would often unite to become stronger than the bonds of blood and connection. So as we go about rediscovering ourselves, we also need to ask ourselves, "Are we bonded in Faith and Courage? How?"


- M. Tahir Farrath -

Download pdf copy at:

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