|
submit
articles |
| Intellectual Stagnation Shehzad Saleem The last few centuries bear witness to a
sharp decline in the individual as well as the collective affairs of the
Muslims. All over the globe, they seem to have lost their identity. They
appear to be dispossessed of the real spirit of Islam, and have been
stripped of the position of esteem they once held in the comity of
nations. Though they have with them the last and final word of the Creator
of the Heavens and the Earth, yet it no longer plays a vibrant role in
their lives. One very significant reason for this sorry
state of affairs is the intellectual stagnation, which generally exists
about religion. Two root causes of this intellectual decadence and
backwardness are apparent to every keen eye: 1. The ailment of Taqlid (blind following),
both at the level of the religious scholars as well as at that of the
masses. 2. A complete disregard of the role of
human intellect in matters of religion. An elaboration of these two points, which
are actually the two sides of the same coin, follows: Our religious institutes all over the
Ummah, which produce religious scholars, are actually the source of this
Taqlid syndrome. Here, a student from the very first day is labeled as an
orthodox follower of a particular sect. His destiny seems to be carved out
beforehand as a devout denouncer of every other sect and an ardent
acclaimer of his own. He is made to believe that only his brand of beliefs
is in direct conformity with the Qur'an and Sunnah. He is brainwashed with
the notion that only his sect has been divinely blessed with the true
version of Islam. An inference attributed to a highly revered scholar of
his sect stands supreme until the Day of Judgment. That it can be
challenged by explicit reasoning derived from the Qur'an and Sunnah cannot
be dared thought of. On the contrary, it becomes part of his faith that
such a scholar cannot falter. It is this superhuman veneration that has
actually given rise to the menace of religious sectarianism. Differences
in opinion have often developed into severe conflicts. An atmosphere
charged with lightning and resounding with thunder prevails amongst the
religious circles. Every now and then, a new episode of defamation erupts
form our mosques, which are unfortunately being used for these malignant
offensives. The intense disregard the various sects have for one another
has led them to violate all norms of decency. Even unethical tactics are
employed to safeguard their own views and interests. Like nations at war,
they continue their crusades against each other -- while, very close to
them, the forces of evil mock at them and continue to flourish. With this concept of Taqlid prevailing
among the religious scholars, the common man also has been led to
associate himself with the scholars of a particular sect. Instead of
weighing the opinions of various scholars and accepting the one which is
the most convincing to their intellect they blindly follow an imam's
directive however much they may be convinced against it. The greatest ill
effect of this approach is that following religion becomes a mechanical
process; it does not flow out from one's heart and does not bring about a
change in one's character and behavior. Since using one's intellect in
understanding religion has long been done away with, the Qur'an is read
but not understood. Its greatest utility was providing guidance to
mankind; now it is mainly used for reciting for the dead. If the above mentioned thesis is correct,
then there is a need to bring about an intellectual awakening in the
Muslims. The most effective way to do this perhaps is to produce highly
competent scholars of Islam who are able to directly access and interpret
the sources of Islam and thus are able to break the shackles of Taqlid.
They should be groomed in a manner that they can face the challenge of the
modern era. Until and unless efforts are made to produce such scholars, there is a very little chance that the Ummah can come out of its current state of deterioration. Source: |