A spiritual Ishmaelite

Category: Interfaith dialogue

  • VS Naipaul, Islam and Quran 14:4

    The divisive struggle between local traditional identity and universal spiritual identity in the Indian sub-continent will pave the way for modern secular imperial globalization so intra-subcontinental harmony is important. His critique about the effect of Islam on native cultural identity is based on ambivalent attitude in Islam to native Arab culture which has given rise to secular Arab nationalism in modern times and Hindu nationalism has many alliances with it because pious Muslim identity is seen as a threat to Hindu nationalism. For example, in Islam there is an ambivalence about the poetic tradition which is the literary basis of the musical tradition. Quran critcizes poets for lack of objectivity in seeking truth. Even western Kierkegaard commented on it that he identified himself more with poetry than Prophetic truth. But there are Prophetic aphorisms about wise forms of poetry which is of course exception rather than rule. Quality reduces quantity. So, the goal of these commandments is to evolve a higher ethical and more objective form of poetry which fulfills both intellectual and psychological needs of humanity. Iqbal tried to achieve that but of course he is not a personality of consensus. So, what is needed is more objective and philosophical form of literature in the sub-continent. Or at least modern forms of Sufi poetry and music, liked by many Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims alike, show that there are Muslims who feel the need to address the native cultural identity. But it also needs intellectual underpinning to make it a part of public Indian discourse. Quran 14:4 is an important verse which tells the faithful to keep in mind the psychological and linguistic background of the intended audience.

    https://tribune.com.pk/story/463810/in-defence-of-vs-naipaul/

  • Khushwant Singh and Islam

    I respected Khushwant but this comment has discouraged me. ‘ The answer to the problem of women out-numbering men is not polygamy, it is freedom to engage in extra-marital relation ‘ He claims to admire Muhammad(p) who never taught that. And, he does not have modern educated orthodox Muslim friends who love veil, he only has modernist Muslim friends, so modern educated Sikhs like him should seek modern educated orthodox Muslim friends to have an informed perspective.

     

  • Baghyan: Odium theologicum and Quran 42:14

    وما تفرَّقوا  إلا من بعد ما جاءهم العلم  بغياً بينهم

    (Asad) And [as for the followers of earlier revelation,] they broke up their unity, out of mutual jealousy, only after they had come to know [the truth]

    The latest revelation has also been afflicted with the example of earlier faith.

     

  • Regarding Zen Buddhist Frank Herbert

    • http://www.adherents.com/people/ph/Frank_Herbert.html

      In Islamic eschatology, Jesus peace be upon him is seen as a future King which accords with Jewish expectations of a unitarian King Messiah. Buddhism has ascetic ideals like Catholicism but Catholicism is focused on afterlife and Buddhism is about nirvana here. In Islam, we have both. Sufi mysticism ensures peace and ecstasy here, while ensuring salvation in the Hereafter, but like Jewish theology, it does not ignore ethical politics.

       

      Being a Pakistani Muslim, Buddhism influences our vocabulary through Hinduism. The Urdu word dheyan is derived from Zen Buddhism.

      Modern militant atheists hate mythology but why shouldn’t they hate science fiction with the same passion if supposed mythology has no edifying value.

  • To a western Bahai who admires Ahsai

    Both Wahhabis and Ahsais are heretics. Wahhabis are pharisaic heretics and Ahsais are antinomian heretics. Antinomian West would naturally like latter while Jewish convert Muhammad Asad saw the positive aspects of the former.

  • To American Jews: Is a modern Maimonides possible?

    To American Jews about the concept of a chosen race or community: The concept of a chosen community is based on spiritual responsibility. According to primogeniture this has now shifted to Ishmaelites due to their universal mission not based simply on a chosen DNA but special spiritual responsibility. So, the question is whether Judaism can tackle the intellectual challenge of modernity? Is a modern Maimonides possible. Islam has many modern Maimonides. If we do not employ our smartness to spiritual and ethical ends, then we contribute to a cruel and hedonistic Machiavellian world rather than a blessed 21st century Zion.

     

  • Are Tawhid and trinity supra-logical or illogical?

    Response to a pedantic query about the concept of supra-logical truths: If Tawhid/unitarianism had not been intelligible, prominent scientists like Isaac Newton and George Boole would not have been unitarians. But what is supra-logical is to encompass the full nature of divinity what Hawking called the mind of God while also asserting that science will always be progressing making encompassing even created nature an endless journey. Like the vision in the Night of Ascent was a vision of truth that factually happened but not an encompassing vision. The question of encompassing vision in Hereafter is open to curiosity and Scriptural dialogue in classical Muslim scholarship.

  • What have three scientists sharing the graveyard in common with Muslims?

    Darwin married his cousin like Muslims, Newton died a unitarian like Muslims and Hawking opposed Israel like Muslims. They are buried in the same graveyard.

     

  • Friendship with non-Muslims and the forbidden wilayah

    Forbidding Wilayah is not forbidding simple neighbourly friendship. It is about being a religious mentor or political ally. Muslims should not take western guidance in spirituality nor should they join murderous alliances like NATO. Quran 60:8 teaches being kind and just towards non-violent non-Muslims.

  • Protestant reformation, Muslim revivers and divisive traditionalists

    Ishmael Abraham

    To an apostate calling for ‘reform’ of Islam: Protestant reformation was actually a deformation because it led to both secularization and still clinging to Catholic trinitarian heresy so western idea of reform is to become a hypocrite. Islam has revivers in every century. For example, Afghani, Nadwi, Shariati, Azad and Iqbal who taught ummah to be honest in the face of hypocritical modernity as well as divisive traditionalism.

    Hussain Murtaza Azad and Shariati were more of corrupters than revivers, if at all they were revivers – a claim which I am.highly skeptical about.
    Ishmael Abraham Better than divisive sects leading to bloodshed of Syria and Yemen.
    Hussain Murtaza Ishmael Abraham Do you honestly believe that Abul Kalam Azad’s pro Congress liberalism was a viable solution to the sectarian problem. Such artificial solution never work. I would rather have a more authentic mainstream reformer like Shah Waliullah.
    Hussain Murtaza Ishmael Abraham And Ali Shariati was practically a communist, feigning Islamism to intrude into the mainstream of Islamic discourse.
    Ishmael Abraham Shah Waliullah’s son rejected Twelvers rather than embracing the Prophetic family.
    Martson Amjorn Both practices should be audited to make it fair. Some religious practictices are completely too radical for me to tolerate. Particularly things that limit free will. 
    Ishmael Abraham Mutazilah rationalists preferred freewill over determinism. Modern self-deification is too radical for the pious. To make both fair, we should criticize both fatalism and modern grandiose delusions.
    Alperovich Anatoly

    The dialogue with Muslim world , the sane majority , has crucial importance.
    It is not a fancy dream of peace of previous generations, but vital necessity of them today

    Ishmael Abraham We should reject the divisive traditionalism of previous generations and grandiose delusions of future generations for future of dialogue about God’s rights and human rights.