Islam: Misconceptions and Challenges

By Bashir Ahmed Datoo Ph.D

There has never been a time when misconceptions about Islam and Muslims, and challenges that Muslims themselves face, have been so prevalent in the minds of people and so dominant in public discourse.
It is true that misconceptions have existed for many centuries, especially among westerners. This is due to their ignorance about the religion of Islam and its history, and deliberate attempts by certain segments of the population to misconstrue the Qur’anic verses and/or quote them out of context. The misconceptions are then propagated by some leaders of those countries, in particular politicians and evangelicals, and this filters down to the public at large via 24/7 broadcast media and social media, and becomes uncritically accepted by it.
It is also true that challenges that Muslims face have emerged in the past century or two. Several have arisen as a result of external forces that impinged upon the Muslim world. The most important force was the advent of colonialism and the consequential policy of the complete separation of ‘Church’ and ‘State’. There are, in addition, some internal forces that have compounded the problems. The most pernicious is the propagation of Salafi–Wahhabi ideology, an exclusionist and puritanical version of Islam, and its main tenet of takfīr, pronouncement of the charge of disbelief upon mainstream Muslims.
However, the existence and problem, respectively, of misconceptions and challenges have greatly increased since the tail-end of the twentieth century. The primary forces behind this development are twofold. Firstly, the rise of Islamophobia and the policy of regime change led to the emergence of fringe terrorist groups in the Muslim lands who espouse extremist ideology and commit horrendous terrorist acts; suspicion and fear have consequently been instilled in the minds of people in the West. Secondly, the politicisation of sectarianism in the foreign policy of some Middle eastern countries that feed upon ethno-religious differences; the goal of rival countries is to advance their political agenda and gain regional power and dominance.
Given the above narrative of the origin and intensification of misconceptions and challenges in recent decades, it is my humble hope that this book serves to (a) dispel ten of the most common misconceptions with the goal of persuading their peddlers to re-examine their rhetoric with an open, unbiased mind, and (b) address ten of the most pressing challenges with the purpose of encouraging Muslims to adopt appropriate strategies and tactics at different levels to effectively contribute to their resolutions

• Language: English
• Publisher: The World Federation of KSIMC
• Release date: Jul 2, 2020

Book preview

Preface

There has never been a time when misconceptions about Islam and Muslims, and challenges that Muslims themselves face, have been so prevalent in the minds of people and so dominant in public discourse.

It is true that misconceptions have existed for many centuries, especially among westerners. This is due to their ignorance about the religion of Islam and its history, and deliberate attempts by certain segments of the population to misconstrue the Qur’anic verses and/or quote them out of context. The misconceptions are then propagated by some leaders of those countries, in particular politicians and evangelicals, and this filters down to the public at large via 24/7 broadcast media and social media, and becomes uncritically accepted by it.

It is also true that challenges that Muslims face have emerged in the past century or two. Several have arisen as a result of external forces that impinged upon the Muslim world. The most important force was the advent of colonialism and the consequential policy of the complete separation of ‘Church’ and ‘State’. There are, in addition, some internal forces that have compounded the problems. The most pernicious is the propagation of Salafi–Wahhabi ideology, an exclusionist and puritanical version of Islam, and its main tenet of takfīr, pronouncement of the charge of disbelief upon mainstream Muslims.

However, the existence and problem, respectively, of misconceptions and challenges have greatly increased since the tail-end of the twentieth century. The primary forces behind this development are twofold. Firstly, the rise of Islamophobia and the policy of regime change led to the emergence of fringe terrorist groups in the Muslim lands who espouse extremist ideology and commit horrendous terrorist acts; suspicion and fear have consequently been instilled in the minds of people in the West. Secondly, the politicisation of sectarianism in the foreign policy of some Middle eastern countries that feed upon ethno-religious differences; the goal of rival countries is to advance their political agenda and gain regional power and dominance.

Given the above narrative of the origin and intensification of misconceptions and challenges in recent decades, it is my humble hope that this book serves to (a) dispel ten of the most common misconceptions with the goal of persuading their peddlers to re-examine their rhetoric with an open, unbiased mind, and (b) address ten of the most pressing challenges with the purpose of encouraging Muslims to adopt appropriate strategies and tactics at different levels to effectively contribute to their resolutions.

I am deeply grateful to Zeenat M. Datoo, a graphic designer residing in London, UK, for her professional preparation of all the illustrations included in this book.

All praise is due to Allah for his guidance and inspiration in helping me tackle issues that tarnish the image of Islam and perturb millions of Muslims across the globe.

Bashir A. Datoo

May 2019

Explanatory Notes

The Qur’anic verses cited in this book are generally from the English translation of M. H. Shakir (Holy Qur’an) or that of Ali Quli Qara’i (The Qur’an: With a Phrase-by-Phrase English Translation). For flow or clarification of the verses, words have been inserted in parenthesis as needed from the translations of two other authors, S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali (The Holy Qur’an: With English Translation of the Arabic Text and Commentary) and Abdullah Yusuf Ali (The Holy Qur’an: Text, Translation and Commentary).

References to the Qur’an are in the format of (xx:yy) – the number of the chapter is shown before the colon; the number of the verse is indicated after the colon.

The abbreviations shown after the mention of Prophet Muḥammad (S), the imams (A), and pre-Islamic prophets (A), are a Muslim’s way of glorifying those personalities and sending salutations to them.

Introduction

Part I: Misconceptions

‘Misconception’ is simply defined as a view or an idea that is wrong or inaccurate usually resulting from faulty thinking or flawed understanding. There are a fair number of such misconceptions about Islam and Muslims that are held by many people especially in Western countries.

The first part of the book deals with ten of the most common misconceptions. These can be categorised on the basis of the reason for their existence; essays which fall under each category are:

CONCEPTUAL MISUNDERSTANDING: Islam is an extreme religion, and the Qur’an is a repackaged scripture based on earlier revealed scriptures that is to be interpreted chronologically.

PRE-CONCEIVED NOTIONS: Islamic shariah is fossilised and harsh, and Islam is intolerant of other faiths.

FACTUAL MISCONCEPTION: Jihad is an offensive war, and polygamy is a prescription in Islam.

WESTERN DISINFORMATION: Islam violates human rights, and in particular, denies women their rights.

HISTORICAL IGNORANCE: Islam sanctions slavery, and the religion was spread by the sword.

The misconceptions are generally propagated by some leaders of those countries, in particular politicians and evangelicals, and filters down to the public at large via 24/7 broadcast media, as well as the all-pervasive social media, and is uncritically accepted by it. it must be acknowledged that the misconceptions gained currency in the wake of the emergence of Al-Qaeda and its offshoot organisation, the Islamic State (IS) or the Caliphate, and their horrendous terrorist attacks against Western targets and territorial conquests across a swath of the Middle east, coupled with their barbaric atrocities.

Politicians in the Western democratic countries have a history of raising the spectre of one or the other ‘enemy’, particularly during election campaigns, to instil fear in the general public. They seek to garner their votes by promising to act decisively against the alleged enemy to defend what has become a clarion call of ‘national security’. The identity of the enemy has changed from one time period to another, and has included a country that threatens their world dominance, or an ideology that is distinctively different from their own, or a faith whose values and lifestyle are alien to them, given that a significant number of its adherents have now settled among them.

This book seeks to dispel these misconceptions. The assumptions and reasons that underlie the misconceptions are discussed as described below though not every one of them is relevant in every case.

1. Religious principles or practices are first set out in a broad context of their prevalence among other faiths during the pre-Islamic era.

2. The Qur’anic injunctions about them are compared or contrasted, as appropriate, with statements in Jewish and Christian scriptures.

3. Differing interpretations of the oft-quoted Qur’anic verses are critically evaluated to arrive at the true meaning.

4. The Qur’anic injunctions are buttressed, where relevant, with the traditions of Prophet Muḥammad (S) and his infallible successors.

5. Strategies that Islam adopted to address them are described together with the rationale behind them.

6. Examples set by the Prophet and his Ahl al-Bayt and/or historical evidence of compliance by Muslims are described.

7. Any deviations from Islamic injunctions after the demise of the Prophet are pointed out.

The rigorous process used to demonstrate the falsity of the misconceptions is intended to persuade their peddlers to re-examine their rhetoric with an open, unbiased mind. They would hopefully then:

• avoid making unfounded statements against Islam, the Qur’an, and Muslim history; and

• make a distinction, as called for, between Islam’s injunctions and any deviant behaviour by secular Muslim leaders or fringe terrorist groups.

Part II: Challenges

‘Challenge’ in the religious context is a difficult issue or problem which requires great effort and determination to address. Just as there are a number of misconceptions that non-Muslims have about Islam and Muslims, so too there are several challenges that Muslims themselves face in their day-to-day lives.

The second part of the book discusses ten of the most pressing challenges. These can be categorised based on their nature; essays which fall under each category are:

PROJECTION OF IDENTITY: Construction of a hierarchy of components of self-identity, and attempts at the formation of a unified Muslim community.

EROSION OF ISLAMIC PRINCIPLES AND VALUES: Degeneration in the application of the code of morality at the individual and collective levels, specifically it’s undermining of the social, economic, educational, and environmental domains of a Muslim’s life.

ISLAMIC GOVERNANCE: experimentation with different forms of governance and movement toward an ideal structure based on fundamental Islamic principles and Prophetic practice.

EXTERNAL CHARACTERISATIONS AND ASSAULTS: rise of the phenomenon of Islamophobia and its manifestation in discriminatory acts and hate crimes.

INTERNAL DISSENTIONS AND STRIFE: Menace of terrorism and the outgrowth of sectarianism.

FAITH-BASED RESEARCH: Derivation of guidance and inspiration from divine Islamic sources for scientific research.

Several of the challenges have arisen as a result of external forces that impinged upon the Muslim world. These range from the advent of colonialism which laid the foundation of secularism – the complete separation of Church and State – to the trend toward modernity – with the resultant spread of Western cultural customs and new moral norms that are alien to Islamic ideology and Muslim lifestyle. There are, in addition, some internal forces that have compounded the problems. The most pernicious is the propagation of Salafi–Wahhabi ideology – an exclusionist and puritanical version of Islam – and its main tenet of takfīr – pronouncement of the charge of disbelief upon mainstream Muslims, which some adherents take as a licence to kill.

The book attempts to highlight these challenges. This is done through a comprehensive discussion of different elements that elucidate the challenges, though the elements are somewhat different for one challenge versus another. The elements that are common across several of the challenges include the following.

1. Definition of the terms or components that relate to a challenge.

2. The Qur’anic pronouncements or admonitions in regard to a challenge.

3. Historical and contemporary causes of the emergence of a challenge.

4. Strategy and ideology of groups or countries that foment a challenge.

5. Varied manifestations of a challenge faced by Muslims.

6. Effects of the manifestations on Muslims.

The discussion is intended to underscore the seriousness of these challenges and the negative impact that they have had on Muslims so as to:

• sensitise Muslims to the underlying causes of the challenges and their varied manifestations; and

• encourage Muslims to adopt appropriate strategies and tactics at different levels to effectively contribute to the resolutions of the challenges.

PART I: MISCONCEP TIONS

1

ISLAM

Is it an Extreme or a Balanced Religion?

Islam is alleged by many Western commentators to be an extreme religion as it is perceived to condone terrorism, violate human rights, enforce a cruel shariah, or show intolerance of other faiths. These allegations are totally baseless as will be demonstrated in separate essays devoted to each one of these issues. hence, this essay is not about these specific issues that have been singled out for criticism. rather, it is about Islam’s advocacy of equipoise between contrasting or interacting aspects of its system of beliefs and practices, as well as its code of law and development of ethical traits.¹

The Qur’an makes a declarative statement: We have made you a middle nation (ummatan wasaṭan) (2:143).² Wasaṭan has evidently been used to mean medium or balanced. The religion of Islam thus advocates moderation in the conduct of oneself, a via media, or a middle course. Within the broad principles of Islam that are intended to guide humankind, there are no extreme positions. Since Islam is a complete way of life believers are enjoined to strike a balance not only in their own lives but also in their interaction with the larger community of which they are a part. The essay discusses some examples of the balance that believers are advised to strive to achieve in both these areas.

Classification of actions

First and foremost, it is important to recognise that embedded within the divine code of law derived from the broad principles of the shariah, is a classification system that categorises all possible acts a believer may perform.³ These acts range from the full array of religious practices, through the foods they consume and the clothes they wear, to the full spectrum of moral and ethical behaviours. The system has five categories (see also Fig. 1):

• on one extreme is a wājib (obligatory) act; if a person performs the act they will be rewarded for it, and if they neglect it they will be punished;

• the second category is a mustaḥabb (recommended) act; a person will be rewarded for performing the act but will not be punished for not performing it;

• right in the middle is a jāʾiz (permissible) act; a person is neither rewarded for performing the act nor punished for not performing it;

• the fourth category is a makrūh (disapproved) act; a person will be rewarded for avoiding the act but will not be punished for performing it;

• on the other extreme is a ḥarām (unlawful) act; if a person performs the act they will be punished.

Fig. 1: Classification of actions according to divine laws.

With five categories that include the middle one of permissible acts, the classification constitutes a perfectly balanced scheme. Furthermore, only a relatively small number of acts fall in the two extreme categories of obligatory and unlawful. Most of the acts belong in the three middle categories which give a wide berth to individuals in their decision-making with respect to these acts.

Part I: Balance within Self³

A. This World versus the Next World

Allah states in the Qur’an that he has endowed the earth with bounties for the benefit of humankind: He it is who created for you all that is in the earth (2:29). Consequently, Islam does not discourage human beings from acquiring things that are essential for their lives nor things that conform to the reasonable expectations of society. it is perfectly legitimate to acquire an expensive automobile if, say, the sturdiness and reliability of the vehicle is necessary for a person’s peace of mind, just as it is absolutely lawful to purchase a beautiful home in an affluent neighbourhood if, say, a person’s profession requires that he maintains a certain status in the society. however, such a luxurious lifestyle is conditional upon human beings earning their livelihood in legitimate ways, paying their obligatory religious dues, and being socially responsible to the needs of the poor and the needy, both at local and global levels. Furthermore, to paraphrase Imam ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (A), the first Imam in the line of succession to Prophet Muḥammad (S), it is fine to possess things so long as the things do not possess the person. hence, that reliable automobile or that beautiful home should not be the means of showing off one’s wealth or position, especially when the rest of society can ill afford them.

As a person partakes of the bounties of this world, they have to be mindful of the provisions they require in the next world. These provisions have to be ‘paid for’ here, and only then can they be ‘received’ in the hereafter. Prophet Muḥammad (S) described the life of this world as farming that yields its fruit in the hereafter. Islam stresses that the acquisition of the provisions or fruits requires the fulfilment of Allah’s commandments and the performance of good deeds. Since a person has an unknown, finite time in the world, they have to carefully balance the effort and wealth that they expend for this life versus what they invest for the afterlife. Imam Mūsā al-Kāẓim (A), the seventh Imam in the line of succession to the Prophet, described the relationship of a believer to the here and the hereafter in this way: ‘Work for your world as if you are to live forever, and work for your hereafter as if you are to die tomorrow.’⁴

B. Physical versus Spiritual Well-being

Islam maintains that a person has a body and a soul. Furthermore, the soul is considered to be the essence of a person, while the body is just a receptacle that the soul intimately coordinates with in the performance of different tasks. nevertheless, it is important to ensure the well-being of both, and not just one or the other. Sole emphasis on the body at the expense of the soul can lead to moral degeneration; similarly, exclusive focus on the soul with no regard to the body can result in physical deterioration. Both the body and the soul have their own sets of pleasures. The pleasures of the body lie in its perfect ability to use all of its parts in the performance of activities from which a given person derives enjoyment. The pleasures of the soul emanate from the attainment of moral and ethical virtues which enable a person to move closer to the goal of perfection and become an embodiment and manifestation of divine attributes. Thus, there needs to be a balance if both sets of pleasures are to be experienced.

The logical corollary of this balance is that there has to be a proportionate level of care for the physical health of the body and for the spirituality of the soul. Just as the combination of healthy diet and regular exercise is necessary for the maintenance of physical health, so too, the combination of spiritual nutrition and rigorous training is essential for the purification of the soul. human beings have increasingly learned to take care of their bodies partly because of the stress of modern lives and partly because of the advocacy of medical professionals in preventing or combating diseases. Unfortunately, human beings have not given the same level of consideration to nurturing the soul despite the ever increasing temptations that engulf them, and despite the peer pressure to conform to the norms of the so-called modern lifestyle.

C. Excessive versus Deficient Development of Ethical Traits

There is a unique science in Islam known as the science of akhlāq (ethics) that is designed to precisely help human beings correct any imbalance between the development of the soul and the body. The soul itself is endowed with four powers: the powers of intellect, anger, desire, and imagination. As a person progresses through life, his thoughts, speech, and actions when repeated over a period of time lead to a lasting effect on the soul that transforms the power into what is referred to as a ‘faculty’. it is the faculty which determines a person’s direction in accordance with its dictates. The faculty of reason acts as a guiding angel for humankind; if it is in control of the other faculties, it will moderate their development. Imam ʿAlī (A) has related:

Surely, God has characterised angels by intellect without sexual desire and anger, and animals with anger and desire without reason. he exalted human beings by bestowing upon them all of these qualities. Accordingly, if human beings’ reason dominates their desire and ferocity, they rise to a station above that of the angels because this station is attained by human beings in spite of the existence of hurdles which do not vex angels.⁵

For each one of these faculties, Islam recognises an ideal middle zone of moderation; it is a zone rather than a point, since human beings achieve varying levels of moderation in their ethical development. Deviation from the middle zone in one direction can lead to an excessive development of the faculties, and in the opposite direction can result in a deficient development of the faculties. The traits or virtues of the medium position, and the attributes or vices of the extreme positions of the four faculties, are shown in Table. 1. As can be seen, movement toward either extreme gives rise to diseases of the soul, and a series of corrective steps have been prescribed for overcoming those diseases.⁶

Part II: Balance between Self and Others

A. ʿIbādāt versus Muʿāmalāt

Prophet Muḥammad (S) was a shepherd and a merchant in his early life; he guided a small community of believers in Mecca in Arabia; he had to deal with all manner of persecution that he and his followers suffered because of his mission; he later founded and ruled over the city-state of Medina; and he defended it from external aggression and internal opposition and regulated all of its affairs. he married several times and raised his biological and adopted children. Thus, the Prophet integrated the spiritual with the day-to-day, balanced the obligations of the worship of Allah and the spread of his message, with the responsibilities of involvement in family life and the management of the functions of the state.

The Prophet’s life was thus a model par excellence for all believers. it is reported that a companion once spoke highly of a person who devoted all of his time to worshipping and glorifying Allah. The Prophet severely admonished him for not working to earn a living and supporting his family as well. As he has declared: ‘A person who avoids his responsibility to those whom he must feed is…very much cursed.’⁷ it is this balance between ʿibādāt and muʿāmalāt that Islam advocates.

B. Acquisition versus Exploitation

Believers are free to engage in any profession or business so long as these do not harm the moral fabric of the society as a whole and believer’s own morality. They may derive any amount of income or profit in the conduct of activities associated with their occupation, provided they refrain from any unethical practices like lying or cheating. They may also own multiple homes and automobiles on condition that they utilise them for a felt need and not for reason of vanity; otherwise, it would be considered waste and extravagance (isrāf) in the use of wealth.

Islam accepts the resultant social stratification of society. indeed, its system of obligatory levy on savings rather than income presupposes an upper socio-economic class that can save money to be liable to tax. And its scheme of disbursement of obligatory levy (zakat) and optional alms (ṣadaqah) to a lower socio-economic class ensures that the basic needs of all members of the society are met.

The overriding injunction in the conduct of economic activities is that it should not lead to any form of exploitation whereby one individual or group unduly benefits at the expense of another individual or group. hence, certain practices are banned under the divine law. one such practice is hoarding – when businesses stockpile commodities during periods of shortages with a view to making a bigger profit on them later. it is forbidden simply because it takes unfair advantage especially of the less affluent who can ill afford to pay inflated prices. The Prophet declared: ‘none hoards the food items except the sinner.’ This includes all those things that are used for their preparation such as fuel and ingredients. Some Muslim jurists, as a recommended precautionary measure, extend the refrain to non-food commodities that are considered necessities in the lives of the people such as clothes and medicines.

Another such practice is fraud that