Laws in Islam
I remembered that few months ago a friend wanted to talk to me urgently through my messenger. So, I met her to see what the big deal is. She told me that a friend,, a non-Muslim friend challenging her in a case in Islam about "Dhimma" or "people of Dhimma". She asked me to help her,,, well, I'm not an expert to help her or to give her a sufficient answer that satisfy her friend. But, I tried my best to see and answer her as a Muslim a normal Muslim. Finally, I gave her an advice that if her friend seeking an answer just for knowledge, it will be fine, otherwise he will not be satisfied no matter what she did for him.
Anyway, I want here to talk first about rules/laws in Islam in my point of view of course.
As I see and as I studied in school that the source of our rules and legislation "Sharee'a" comes from different sources:
First: The Holy Quran ,
Second: The biography of Prophet Mohammed PBUH,
Third: AlQeyas (juristic reasoning "deduction"), which means trying to make new law or rule according to what we have in our Holy Koran and the biography of Prophet Mohammed PBUH.
Fourth: AlEjma (consensus "of Moslem legal scholars")
, which means if the scholars and scientists couldn't find a base for a new rule/law, they can get together and put a new one by unanimous vote.
Also, there are other categories under these, but these are the main ones.
This is establish and show that rules in Islam are flexible and not rigorous or can't be changed. Each time has its own rules and laws; each community can find and make what finds it necessary for their lives and their time and place. This can called Fatwa, and Fatwa is not to create mess and create extremists, it's to make life easy for ordinary people and organize the society to be in the right direction and find no problems in their lives.
, which means if the scholars and scientists couldn't find a base for a new rule/law, they can get together and put a new one by unanimous vote.
Also, there are other categories under these, but these are the main ones.
This is establish and show that rules in Islam are flexible and not rigorous or can't be changed. Each time has its own rules and laws; each community can find and make what finds it necessary for their lives and their time and place. This can called Fatwa, and Fatwa is not to create mess and create extremists, it's to make life easy for ordinary people and organize the society to be in the right direction and find no problems in their lives.
Yes, unfortunately, there are some irresponsible people who issue such ridiculous Fatwa which have no meanings or use except creating such mess for nothing and have no related to essence of Islam.
From the previous, I believe that some rules or "pacts" happened in the early time of Islam has no longer use. It is something can be discussed through different perspectives. Islam needed at that time to create pacts with other groups and non-Muslims, so each one will know his rights and duties as one community living together peacefully, but it should be clear to you that there was no aggression against anyone. It was so clear in Islam that it's not allowed to kill any person who is not a soldier or someone threats your life, it is not allowed to destroy buildings or houses, , it is not allowed to destroy a monastery or place of worship or hurt monks or priests, it is not allowed even to plucking out trees.
So, how can I believe in the opposite or something against this basic rule?
Besides, Omar prayed beside a church in Palestine and not inside it,,
WHY??
Just to not give other people a reason to touch or change that church and say: Omar prayed inside it, so it must turn into a mosque.
So, how can such person thinks in such way will made unfair pact????
I don't know that much about "pact of Omar", but I have great belief that he was strong man with great faith and just inside his heart. Yet, No one is perfect,,, and I can't tell that much about this story, it's a historical event, yes could be right, but with not fully true details.
Again, as I said to a dear one lately, I don't read that much now, I'm not following all news and stories,,, my new commitment makes me busy all the time, but I'm trying my best to keep in touch with all of my dear friends.
Sorry, if I didn't give you a clear idea about it,, it needs a very deep study first, but as I said there are some rules or events happened during specific time and not longer use,, it ended with the end of its situations and times.
Maybe if someone has better information than me can help us both and clarify this topic more.
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I forgot to add very important point about the idea of "Protection" or "The protected person". This term is very old one; it existed long before Islam in Arabic region. People at that time used to give their protection to anyone need their help, their powerful authority or tribe. This was so common thing in that time.
I remember once in a story about Muslims in their early time when they were few, weak and powerless, many of them were poor people or slaves who had no power or tribe to protect them from wronging of others. One of them "I can't remember who" was poor and powerless, so he went to a well-known man at that time who had power and authority and asked him to protect him. So, that rich man went out and declared that this Muslim under his protection, so no one has the right to hurt him in any way. The poor Muslim became in the safe side, he can go out and fear no wrong or aggression from others. He wasn't happy though, he saw other helpless Muslims being insult and beat by non-Muslims,, he felt so bad that he asked a human being to protect him and didn't ask GOD first. So, he made up his mind and went to that rich man and thanked him for the protection and said: thank you for your hospitality and protection, but I don't need any protection from anyone,, so please announce this. The rich man wasn't really convinced that someone in this Muslim position will think to face such hostility by himself without protection. Anyhow, he did announce to others that this Muslim man is not under his protection. The Muslim was happy that he is not under any human protection and only seek God protection and care. So, when he went out in the street, he was a new target and someone hit him and injured his eye. When the rich man knew that, he said: see what happened to you now? If you were under my protection, nothing of this will happen,,, the Muslim replied confidently: no, I'm more happy now, my other eye truly wishes to face same thing in the sake of God.
{Although I can't remember the names, but I loved his way of thinking to what happened to him. His faith and love to God is such pure and true and higher than anything. I think if we look to all what happens to us positively, will make us more satisfied and content.}
posted by Noor Al-Amal at 4:21 AM
4 Comments:
Thank you so much for sharing and for explaining all those concepts!!
I really appreciated it!
Always a pleasure to read your interpretations: your views are so very "Arab", I learn a lot each time.
The Pact of Omar - as I understand it- was a great progress at the time. People who had been conquered in war were mostly at the mercy of the conquerors. But Dhimmis actually had rights, and al-Andaluz being the shining example. Not that these rights look like much by today's standards. I doubt Muslims in Europe would put up with discrimination of that kind.
But, as you say, "some rules or "pacts" happened in the early time of Islam has no longer use ".
I believe some Muslims would disagree: if the Qu'ran is the final Message to mankind, all evolution ends there. The Taleban tried to turn back time 1400 years with disastrous results.
But it's a very important Q: if some parts of the Qu'ran were specifically about the time of the Prophet, then those days are gone. The world is different now, and Muslims have to deal with it as did Christian Europe some hundred years ago.
What do you think ? Is it possible to see the "Kill them where you find them" verses as belonging to a specific time and place and people, and not to mean "Kill every Jew everywhere every time" ?
Leandra,,, Thank u dear. Hope I can help other to see what the essence of Islam even in simple view by normal people who have no hidden purposes or use religions to achieve self-interests.
HalaHippie,,, I think my view is a reflection of same view of my "ordinary" Muslims around the world.
Time changed and world changed as well,, in the past, they barely knew each other or knew the whole world or what is going on in different parts of world, while nowadays,,, within minutes we can know and "watch" what is going on in the whole world. Technology helps us a lot to know other people with different cultures and traditions,, we now know lots of things about many nations and countries while we are sitting here in our house and never met them,,, with one click we can be in any place and meet different people.
We can't impose rules which are suitable in certain time to be used in another time,,, this is unpractical and in Islam we can innovate and develop rules to be suitable to a certain time, place and people.
Here I'm talking about Islam only not Muslims, I really feel mad at some Muslims who live in Europe or foreign countries, they isolate themselves from the society and people,,, while they can be a good factor to give the real image of Islam. With their isolation, they create vagueness and dubiosity,,, In each community we can find the good and the bad, even here in our Arab world and Gulf area, no one is perfect,, we have to use our minds to involve in the good and suitable activities and leave what are not suitable for us,, it is better than isolate ourselves. We can step forward and take the initiative.
Again, Holy Quran didn't descend from heaven in one time as one complete book, it took years and each time there was a reason for it, to clear issues or to expose things ,,,etc. so, there are verses about certain incident or event, or has a certain story behind it.
For instance, the verse you quote came about certain incident {which has nothing to do with Jews by the way},,,
We can't take only the first words and leave the rest of the verses,, this is a horrible mistake done by many and some do it in purpose to give false idea about Holy Koran.
Anyway, even me -a Muslim- discover many things and don't know everything about the stories behind many verses, but I really enjoy reading and knowing as much as I can, more than that, the language of Holy Koran is so unique, even we as native speakers of Arabic can't understand some words and misunderstand some,,, so how can a person who is not native speaker or know the stories behind the verses explain it right!!!
hey iam learning about islam so thanx alot.
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