Of surgeons and muftis...
Statement 1: "Why do you always have to listen to maulanas (or muftis)? Can't you read the Quran yourself and decide what's right?"
I guess many of us have heard that before! Now what about this:
Statement 2: "Why do you always have to go to a surgeon? Can't you read a surgery book yourself and operate?"
I'm pretty sure that we've all heard statement 1, but statement 2 sounds pretty stupid. But why is that? I think they're pretty similar. I'll draw the analogies, in case you miss out:
Maulana (or Mufti) = A person learned in religious matters
Surgeon = A person learned in surgical matters
Quran = An embodiment of all Islamic knowledge
Surgery book = An embodiment of all surgical knowledge
Deciding what's right = The resultant action
Operate = The resultant action
If a relative of ours has an appendix, we don't rush for a scalpel and anasthetic. We go to a surgeon for a professional opinion. This is because the surgeon has spent a considerable amount of his/her life studying and has amassed knowledge which we ourselves are incapable of using, since we do not possess it. Similarly, when faced with a religious problem, we should not rely on our own expertise. It is better to go and ask a Mufti. Of course it's also important that I also study up on the Quran, but what I mean to say is that it's not just a matter of me getting out the Quran and deciding for myself. A Mufti has spent a considerable amount of time reading and resaerching, and is in a better position to decide in the light of Islam.
The point I'm trying to make is that not everybody can be an expert in everything. It's definitely compulsory for all of us to have knowledge about Islam, but we all need an expert sometimes. Otherwise there would be no need for doctors, engineers, or muftis for that matter!
PS: I read statement number 1 in a forum somewhere, but it was very old, and was no use replying. But I couldn't resist writing this post.
I guess many of us have heard that before! Now what about this:
Statement 2: "Why do you always have to go to a surgeon? Can't you read a surgery book yourself and operate?"
I'm pretty sure that we've all heard statement 1, but statement 2 sounds pretty stupid. But why is that? I think they're pretty similar. I'll draw the analogies, in case you miss out:
Maulana (or Mufti) = A person learned in religious matters
Surgeon = A person learned in surgical matters
Quran = An embodiment of all Islamic knowledge
Surgery book = An embodiment of all surgical knowledge
Deciding what's right = The resultant action
Operate = The resultant action
If a relative of ours has an appendix, we don't rush for a scalpel and anasthetic. We go to a surgeon for a professional opinion. This is because the surgeon has spent a considerable amount of his/her life studying and has amassed knowledge which we ourselves are incapable of using, since we do not possess it. Similarly, when faced with a religious problem, we should not rely on our own expertise. It is better to go and ask a Mufti. Of course it's also important that I also study up on the Quran, but what I mean to say is that it's not just a matter of me getting out the Quran and deciding for myself. A Mufti has spent a considerable amount of time reading and resaerching, and is in a better position to decide in the light of Islam.
The point I'm trying to make is that not everybody can be an expert in everything. It's definitely compulsory for all of us to have knowledge about Islam, but we all need an expert sometimes. Otherwise there would be no need for doctors, engineers, or muftis for that matter!
PS: I read statement number 1 in a forum somewhere, but it was very old, and was no use replying. But I couldn't resist writing this post.
posted by Khurram at
Friday, October 22, 2004
2 Comments:
Lovely post and a good point. :)
By
Abez, at 1:04 AM
maulanas (or muftis)
so tell me this. how do you know a surgeon really is a surgeon? can you really believe his degrees n diplomas? what proof does he have that he really is a surgeon? or what if he really is surgeon but like he just went thru medical school, took the tests n all. so what if he was good at tests. bah that example's lame tho, if he's a proper surgeon, he must've gone thru specialization n crap.
anyhow. back to the point. a Surgeon is someone who is qualified to do a surgery. and yes, surgery is something you need qualification to. unlike these so called muftis n maulvis. the teach what they've been thought. n what they've been thought is what their teachers *thought* was right. what i mean to say is that their teaching are biased. they say what they think is right. its a matter of how they've interpreted the teachings of Islam. a brain surgeon wouldn't perform brain surgery on a patient whose heart needs surgery, just coz he's a brain surgeon. another lame example, so forgive me for that.
another thing. these days. the preaching of these muftis n maulanas, have become sorta political. it aint a matter of following Islam no more. its more of a following *Their* Islam. if u get what i mean. infact i've gotten into arguments with quite some people about this. n the end result has been that most of the mugtis have made people believe that there're more than one islams. may Allah forgive me. Islam is just one religion. all these fiqa'as are supposed to be just school of thoughts. but lately, they've created multiple islams. like in christianity; there're protestants n roman catholics. ours has become shia', sunni; the division of sunnis hanafi, wahabi, barailwi n what not. believe me you i've argued with both normal people n people with so called Islamic knowledge. n this was the conclusion i came to. if i'm a hanafi n u'r an Ahle Hadith, that would make you wrong. ugh.
this is what these muftis n molvis have been teaching us.
so what should a person choose? following these muftis or doing the surgery ourselves?
Islam is a simple religion. we can learn each n everything about the righteous way by just consulting the Quran and the Hadiths. Allah Himself has given some gooey stuff inside our skulls called brain. n guess what its supposed to do? u got that right. Allah has given us the power to think, to judge between right n wrong, and He has given us free will. i see that common sense isn't that common anymore. but like its really sad.
anyhow. 'nuff said. need to get back to work. Allah hafiz.
By
Anonymous, at 8:29 PM
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