The dangers of unnecessary stretches: theological, political and personal implications

 Introduction (Political examples)

The entire world watched the debate between the leading presidential candidates (Kamala Harris and Donald Trump) that took place September 10th, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Among the issues discussed were economics, health care, various world conflicts, and a host of other issues important to American voters, yet arguably the most memorable (and widely ridiculed assertion) was that made by Mr. Trump in which he asserted that Haitian migrants were actually eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. 

Although broadly dismissed by local authorities see here, nonetheless the claim has generated a great deal of unwanted attention to the small Midwest town, even bomb threats ( Details here). This is not the first (nor- I fear- will it be the last) time that false or misleading claims were made for political benefit. Claims about child sex slavery involving Hillary Clinton and a Washington, D.C. restaurant led to an attack on the restaurant in question in Dec. 2016 See here. 

A bit of research revealed scattered rumors of migrants capturing pets, some of which were not even associated with Springfield, Ohio, seems to have started via a Facebook post with a short speculation (See NBC article here) by one person. 

                                            (An example of how Mr.Trump's claim was ridiculed)

The dangers of unnecessary stretches, leaps in judgement, are very apparent in the above examples. That such accounts are exploited for public viewing, to (as the Qur'an states) " seek a fleeting gain", is disgraceful and a sad commentary on the political culture prevalent in our society. As individuals, regardless of background or opinions, we should be willing to see everything in context and not allow ourselves to engage in what can possibly become self-defeating behavior and thinking.

Debate on the nature of Qur'an: another stretch

For about a year now, I have been asked questions about a very obscure theological matter that was debated and largely dealt with within Muslim ranks over a 1,000 years ago. That issue is the nature of the Qur'an. The question as to whether it is "created" (makhlooq ) or "uncreated" (ghayrul makhlooq). 

To summarize, a philosophical trend known as the Mu'taziliah  emerged among Muslim elites, beginning in the 8th century, which proposed a number of hermeneutical alterations, among them (relevant to this article) is the nature of the Qur'anic revelation. They still believed the Qur'an to be from God but argued that it is "entirely created". The stretch they were making on this issue is that if the Qur'an is seen as "eternal", this gets in the way of the concept of God being "eternal". This also influenced perceptions of Divine actions (Af'aal ) and the divine attributes (as given in Islam). The classical example to explain this perception is that of God's speech. "God speaks, but the attributes (of speaking) are not eternal, rather what is eternal (and from which God really communicates) is his essence."

This is a stretch and amounts to unnecessary confusion! It's simply playing with words. I admit that I have a great deal of respect for the historical trend of the Mu'tazilites. After all, no one can deny their impact on Quranic hermeneutics. The masterful Quranic commentary known as Tafseer Al Kashshaaf by Abul Qasim Mahmud b. Umar Az Zamakhshari (d. 1143 C.E..) examines the scripture largely through linguistics and has become the standard for the commentary literature employed by all the various movements within Muslim history. I also agree that many of the theological positions advanced by their thinkers have strength, but in the issue of the nature of the Qur'an, the stretch is just unneeded. 

The mainstream Sunni position is that the Qur'an is "uncreated", but even employing this terminology is simply a reaction to the theological stretch of the Mutazilites. Ultimately, the primary reason this became an issue is that of certain elites, with government backing, saw themselves as "enlightened", and advanced such rhetoric for political gain(ft.1). This is precisely what occurred with the examples from recent U.S. events cited above. 

Persecution, violence, and death occurred during the debates on this made-up issue, all of which was unnecessary, especially since the Mutazilites and the "traditionalists" all accept the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam)  as coming from Allah ta'alaa.  

In today's world, the Sunni position on this obscure question has become dominant, although the idea of the Qur'an as a "creation" does have resonance with the minority Ibadi sect(ft.2) and the majority of Shiites(ft.3), and while it would have been an issue confined to history, this old argument has been rehashed by Christian apologists, the latter with an agenda of undermining Islam and the faith of Muslims. 

The unnecessary stretches in everyday human issues

Increasingly we see people making mountains out of molehills. Families broken up, conflicts between friends and the like, over inflated mutual (mis)understandings. Of course, stubbornness also kicks in, and the modern culture (fueled by strangers on the internet) actually encourages disengaging (or worse, actual conflict) in the name of "attaining freedom" " peace of mind" "independence" and other such terms.  

Humans will always be humans. We all have strengths and weaknesses. We will not always agree on issues, even major ones. However, jumping to conclusions, leaps of judgement, emotional outbursts, bitterness, refusal for understanding the perspective of others, are very destructive. 

Even when those outbursts take place, there should still be internal mechanisms (backed by healthy social support and spiritual guidance) to calm things down. Sometimes, emotions would drive people away from God, (and from loved ones) denial of God's existence, as well as backing away from religious practices and precepts, forming extremely unhealthy religious conclusions(ft.4). 

This article has focused on theology, politics and the drives within a person. For all of those points, knowledge, patience, wisdom, forgiveness, dropping grudges, ability to see big picture, tolerance, love, are all needed. The more those qualities are present, the less we will see of discontentment. 

In conclusion, for all of these areas, the following is a relevant Quranic text, do recite and be impacted by it. "Allah is sufficient for me, none deserves worship except Him, upon Him I place my trust, He is the Lord of the magnificent throne." (Q 9:129)

Footnotes

(1) Hans Kung has given a very interesting summary of the political interests of the Caliph Al-Ma'mun, son of the famed Harun Ar Rasheed ( 833 C.E.), in backing the idea of a "created Qur'an" (as well as other theological developments). See Kung, H. (2007) Islam, Past, Present & Future Oneworld Oxford, pp.279-298.

(2) The Ibadi sect, an outgrowth of the Khawarij movement, today only exists in Oman. 

(3) Interestingly enough, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Al-Kho'ei (d.1992), one of the most influential leaders of modern Shiism, argued that the question of the Qur'an being created or not was "irrelevant to Islamic doctrine and that the intrusion of Greek philosophy caused divisions." See This link for more details

(4) Unhealthy religious conclusions include extremism, abandonment of faith and reaching wrong conclusions. Some religious movements are-for example- centered on race, breeding racism. This is totally antithetical to Islamic values (see Qur'an 30:21-22 and 49:13). Others may have "spiritual experiences" that lead them to wrong-headed and even destructive conclusions. On this, the famed spiritualist 'Abdul Qaadir Al Jilaani (d. 1166 C.E.) has stated that false spiritual experiences are among the ways that Satan will mislead even the pious. 

Rasoolullaah: some examples on how I benefit from Prophet Muhammad

 

Introduction.                                                                                                                     

In a theoretical sense, we read about the Prophet, his life and overall tradition (sunnah). We hear stories about him from the Imams during the Khutbatul Jumu'ah and are expected to recite Sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam whenever we hear his name said. 

Reference to his role is made every time the call to prayers (adhaan) is made, and every time a person accepts Islam. Muhammadar Rasoolullaah- Muhammad is the messenger of God. The Muslim literature, as well as oral tradition, actually carries a plethora of detail regarding his life, and as all Muslims know, the discussions on the details are enough to fill entire libraries. It is not my intention to rehash any of those points, rather, my aim is to share examples of how information regarding him and his teachings have impacted my personality and my actions. 

This does not imply sainthood on my part. I am very aware of my own human weaknesses and failings and am similarly aware that none can get to the level of the Prophet, let alone surpass it. Indeed, Allah says that the Prophet is a creature of magnificent standards (Q 68:4). I am sharing-in order to allow readers a glimpse of what impacts me (which of course would generate a better understanding of my thinking process) as well as generating an interest in the possibility that the readers can similarly be impacted. Ultimately, that was the role of the Prophet, upon whom we invoke Allah for the best of blessings, peace and reward.

Tolerance

"It is of God's mercy that you (O Muhammad) have had leniency with them. If you had been cruel or harsh hearted with them, they would have abandoned you, so do forgive (ft.1) them..." (Qur'an 3:159)

The Prophet had so much tolerance for people, even those who occasionally disregarded his orders or otherwise caused him annoyance. In Saheeh Al-Bukhari, we read a report attributed to his servant (Khaadim)(ft.2) Anas ibn Malik that states " I served (khadamtu) the Prophet for ten years, and he never said a disparaging word (uffin) to me, nor blamed me by saying "why did or didn't you do such and such" ( Saheeh Al Bukhari 68:78).  In addition to the above texts, a particular incident recorded in the biographical data has impacted how I deal with people. That famous incident is that of a Bedouin ('A'raabi)(ft.3) who comes to the mosque and publicly urinates in front of the entire congregation, including the Prophet. The crowd was ready to beat him, but the Prophet did not allow them. Rather, he (a) Allowed the man to continue. (b) Told the man afterwards that the mosque was not a place to do that (c) The Prophet himself cleaned up the urine with water. (Saheeh Muslim 30:285, also reported by Anas).

What are the lessons from the above report? The man, being a Bedouin, was used to relieving himself wherever he had to as the need arose. After all, the Bedouins are nomads, in constant move through the desert. In other words, the Prophet understood the man's cultural background, and that understanding allowed him to teach the man, to protect him. This report impacts me to the extent that I strive to understand the family, cultural dynamics of those I encounter. Thus, I am a student of the social sciences, of phycology, sociology, and other related fields. I strive to understand people, to get where they are coming from.  

People in the time of Prophet Muhammad knew his tolerant nature. They would even call him "an ear", meaning he was used to hearing out people, rich or poor, to the point where his opponents deemed this a weakness. It is not a weakness to hear people out, it is a strength, and a blessing to those whom the Prophet would entertain to at least hear them out. This has impacted how I deal with people.

Humility and self-reliance

When the Prophet made the migration (hijrah) along with Abu Bakr from Makkah to Madinah, his arrival was highly anticipated. Upon arrival, the Madinans celebrated, however- because most had never seen the Prophet, they mistook Abu Bakr (Radee Allahu 'anhu) to be the Prophet, because Abu Bakr was wearing nicer, more distinct clothing. Similarly. the Prophet would fix his own shoes, repair his own clothes, even engage in shopping and milking his own goats. He would be in the battlefield, at least sometimes, he was digging the ditch around Madinah along with his men. In short, he would do what he commands others to do. He was a messenger of God, but he acted just like everyone else.  These sentiments have impacted me insofar as being largely self-reliant & avoiding snobbish behavior. I dress and have the appearance of "everyone else". I do own nice clothing and wear apparel I deem appropriate for the situation, but I don't go out of my way to boss people around or to strut as a model. I also don't engage in spouting fatawaa or engaging in unnecessary polemics.  In past times, brothers would be a bit critical of seeing me doing things such as cleaning or food preparation at communal events, they view it as low for my status in the community. I appreciate the love and support in those regards, however in general the above reports from the behavior of Allah's messenger, Sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam, has impacted me to act as described. 

Attempting to see the big picture-long term

The Prophet had enemies in both the Makkan and Madinan period. Among them was figures such as 'Umar ibn Al-Khattab and Khalid ibn al Waleed. They felt that the Prophet was undermining Arabian society, yet the Prophet prayed for 'Umar to embrace Islam. Ultimately, he did, even though it was initiated through an act of domestic violence(ft.4). Similarly, Khalid b. Al-Waleed even was on the battlefield against the Muslims, the battle of Uhud-where the Muslims faced great losses. Yet, Allah guided Khalid to Islam, to the extent that Khalid himself takes his shahadah with the Prophet in Madinah, removing his expensive jewelry to be given in charity. 

'Umar ibn Al-Khattab eventually becomes the second leader (khalifah) of the Muslims after the death of the Prophet, and Khalid b. Al-Waleed becomes a great military commander for the Muslim forces, showing that the title given to him by the Prophet- Sayfullah (the sword of God) was indeed an appropriate appellation, May God be pleased with them both. 

I try to see the big picture, even in those with whom I disagree on some points, be it theological or otherwise. I try to see the big picture of growth, goodness and benefit. This impacts how I interact and deal with them, even when differences are present. This is a lesson from the Rasool.  I am almost always hopeful for Divine guidance, for myself and others, in particular that others can see what I see as big picture priorities. 

Spiritual benefit

There are things that I do that imitate the Prophet's own actions, even if I view them under the lense of personal or cultural traditions and not that necessarily associated with religious mandates(ft.5). One such action of the Prophet is that he would use the miswak (a piece of wood used to clean teeth) often, particularly before offering prayers.  My imitation of this is to brush my teeth (with toothbrush and toothpaste) before making wudoo (ablution), at least five times daily. There are times when I don't do this, but in general I am cognizant of this because it was reported from the Prophet's practices (Saheeh Al Bukhari 72:40).

Cleanliness is a part of faith, says our Prophet( Saheeh Muslim 223), this is for body, mind and general environment. It is needed for prayers, and inside the prayers (salaah) I follow the Prophet not only in those parts of the prayer that are deemed essential, but in choosing what to do in the prayers. I make du'aa (supplication) in the prostration (sajdah) because the Prophet did that. In the post-salaah du'aa, I also invoke God, in my own words, for my own particular needs, but also, I ask Allah often using the teachings of the Prophet and even in the very words he would ask Allah. 

The words he -upon whom be peace- would use are pregnant with meaning. After Fajr and Maghrib, the report goes, he would invoke God:  "O Allah: I ask you for useful knowledge, and a halal, wholesome provision, and that my deeds are acceptable". Fajr (dawn) and Maghrib
(sunset) are the traditional beginning and ending of the workday. Thus, it's appropriate to ask God for knowledge that would help you (and not useless knowledge such as that of gossip etc.), that one's food and income are blessed through the beginning and end of the day, and that God accepts all of our efforts. 

Another of his prayers which has impacted my thinking is known as the sayyidul Istighfaar, the line "I am faithful to my covenant and promise to you as much as I can" (wa anaa 'ala 'ahdika wa wa'dika maas'ta'ta'tu). This line shows that even when seeking God's forgiveness, we are acknowledging our limitations. If we-as individuals- can do that in the presence of Allah, can't we do that with each other? Can't we do that within ourselves, as in self-forgiveness? 

Conclusion

There are many other examples, but I hope the above has provided some glimpses into how the Prophet Muhammad has impacted me-as it is reported from the hadeeth and seerah literature. These words should not be seen as limiting the Qur'an on me, not at all. The Qur'an is my primary source, and it is largely through the Divine Book that we get pointed to the gems that exist in the actions of the Messenger of Allah. 

The Prophet exemplified the scripture, and I cannot begin to exhaust the examples of how all of that impacts my thinking, my actions, my life. I don't claim perfection, sainthood or infinite knowledge. I am imperfect like everyone else. God alone is perfect (Al Kamaalu Lillaahi Wahdah). 

The Prophet functions as a role model for those who have hope in God and the final day (Liman Kaana Yarjoo LLaaha wal yawmil Aakhir Qur'an 33:21). Thus, whatever our faults, we have that hope. Hope in God and the final day. Hope - nay- an assurance that at the conclusion of it all, the efforts of those who have faith will not be wasted, hope that life will be better both in dunya and akhirah, and that those with any good within them will be guided aright, and those with NO good in them, who exercise tryanny and conceit,  will be dealt with appropriately in the Divine court. Wa Billaahit Tawfeeq.

Footnotes

(1) The term Faa'fu  conveys the sense of erasing. In other words, the Prophet is told to, as said in American colloquial English, "just forget it". God seems to be telling his messenger to look at the big picture. Isn't that what good parents do? Parents aren't expected to hold grudges against their children for their mistakes. It is healthier to move on, and that is what the Prophet is told to do. Throughout the Qur'an and hadeeth literature we find examples of similar wordings and teachings, in particular the du'aa associated with Laylatul Qadr, for which see Shamsuddin Waheed: Ramadan reflections: towards new beginnings

(2) Khaadim is wrongly translated as "slave". It does, however, denote someone tasked with chores, in much the same way we see housekeeping and maintenance in hotels etc. In Saheeh Muslim 2727, we have a report that states the Prophet's daughter asked for a khaadim for her home, for which he replied he would give her something better, i.e. the sentence "Soobhaan-Allah, Wal Hamdulillaah, wa laa elaaha ill-Allah, wa Allahu akbar" (Glorified is God, praise belongs to Allah, none deserves worship except Allah, Allah is the greatest). This shows that the Prophet was not someone who was materialistic, and taught avoidance of material gain as being the primary goal of life. This has also impacted me in a general sense, and the expression above is also one I recite often and occasionally use it within the Friday sermons. 

(3) A'raab is different from 'Arab. The latter denotes Arabians of the cities, while the former is the name of nomadic Arabs who are constantly moving from water source to water source. The nature of nomadic life is different from settled life, thus, there will be naturally differences between behavior accepted in the isolated deserts and actions acceptable in city life.

(4) The report is that 'Umar b.Al-Khattab was on his way to kill the Prophet when he heard the news his own sister and brother-in-law had accepted Islam. He went to their home, finding them reading a manuscript of Quranic revelation, proceeds to physically assault them both. However, on calming down, he reads the manuscript and becomes convinced of the veracity of the Islamic message. 

(5) Some do view miswak under the realm of religious necessities, to the extent that because the Prophet used it, any ridicule of the miswak's use would constitute rejection of Islam. (see Kitaabul Imaan by Mujlisul Ulama of South Africa, pg. 72, Bilal Books publishers, Bombay, India)  In any case, we view it, at best, as from the traditions and taste of the Prophet as an Arabian man, a product of his society, the technical term being "the cultural sunnah" (sunnat al 'aadaa), whereas actions associated with religion and spirituality fall under the title "The guided sunnah" (Sunnat al hudaa).