Ten Percent Solutions  

It is a fact that when something is not right, people will try to fix it. If the solutions still do not work, they will continue trying to fix it. However logic and real life dictate that when something cannot be fixed permanently, we have to get rid of it and look for something better.

This is the case with the Islam of the ulema. It does not work. Over time many actors have appeared on the scene, trying to fix this Islam of the ulema. They too have not succeeded. This is because the Islam of the ulema is not based on the Prophet's true teaching which is none other than the Quran.

In the nineteenth century Muhammad Abduh and Rashid Rida tried to bring about intellectual reform in Islam.

But their movements eventually lost their momentum. Egypt and the Muslim world are worse off than before.

Mohamed Iqbal also made a brave attempt at reconstructing religious thought in India in the twentieth century. But Indian and Pakistani Muslims (the geographical domain of lqbal's intellect) are in no better shape spiritually or materially.

In Malaysia Kassim Ahmad wrote a book to reevaluate the hadith. He expanded on the idea originated by Dr Syed Abdul Wadud of Pakistan ("Conspiracies Against the Quran" by Dr Syed Abdul Wadud) that hadith which do not contradict the Quran are acceptable. This basic premise is incorrect.

Since it is the Quran that should not be contradicted, why waste time with secondary sources of reference? Go straight to the Quran and get straight to the point.

"What is the matter with you? How do you judge? Or have you (another) book through which you learn? That gives you anything you choose?" Surah 68: 36-38.

"Let them produce a hadith like this, if indeed they speak the truth" Surah 52:34.

Despite undertaking a revaluation of the hadith, Kassim Ahmad still holds the view that there are five daily prayers in a day. To date he has not been able to substantiate his claim with any evidence from the Quran. The strange thing is that even in the hadith the evidence for five daily prayers is at best sketchy.

It is obvious that such a view seeks to compromise with the "orthodox" preachers of falsehood otherwise known as the ulema.

"And their purpose was to tempt you away from that which We had revealed unto thee. to substitute in Our name something different. In that case they would have made you your friend. And had We not given you strength you would nearly have inclined to them a little" Surah 17:73-74

"When you do not produce a certain revelation that is acceptable to them, they say, "Make it up". Say, "I only follow what is revealed to me from My Lord. This Quran provides insight from your Lord, and guidance and mercy for those who believe". Surah 7:203.

Hence the information that was given to the Prophet is only that in the Quran. The Prophet could not have followed whims and fancies. And neither can we follow the whims and fancies of the ulema.

Otherwise it is an exercise in compromise and accommodation. An exercise that will yield more confusion than solutions.

Another group of reformers is the Sisters In Islam - a largely Malaysian outfit with an outpost in Virginia, USA. With a decidedly all female cast, this reform group seeks to put right what they consider a tradition of male dominated interpretation of Islam. They do not call for any rejection of the hadith, ijmak or qiyas etc. but merely a reinterpretation. Seeing that the hadith and ijmak are patently false, they have set themselves quite an uphill task.

Such quasi intellectual or semi accurate reform movements do not achieve success. There is no successful end to their "reforms". They provide only ten percent of the solution. Hence these reform movements keep on resurfacing again and again.

The one and only reason why they are not successful is because they seek to reinterpret, reevaluate or restructure teachings and beliefs that have nothing to do with the Prophet and the Quran.

They miss the point that the hadith and the writings of the imams, which, they seek to reform or reinterpret are products of mere intellectual violence; a maligned thought process which was forced on people without any good reason. A thought process that has been rude and destructive throughout its history.

How can any intelligent person hope to reconcile a rude and destructive thought process with the Truth?

"Do not confound the Truth with falsehood nor shall you conceal the Truth knowingly" Surah 2:42

KASSIM AHMED