UI – Part 140 – Judgment is Allah’s Alone

Inconsistencies from the Quran

Sura 10

“But if thou are in doubt as to which We have revealed to thee, ask those who read the Book (the Bible) before thee.  Certainly the Truth has come to thee from thy Lord, so be not thou of the doubters.”  (10:94)

This suggests the Bible, the Book of the People, is to be relied upon.  Maybe this is why in so many places the Quran tells its readers to neither doubt nor question the Quran.  It also suggests Muslims should not be friends with non-Muslims, especially Christians, as those Muslims might hear the truth and actually believe it and become apostates. Allah Forbid! Kill the apostates.

Sura 22

“Those who believe and those who are Jews and…the Christians…and the polytheists – surely Allah will decide between them on the day of Resurrection.  Surely Allah is Witness over all things.” (22:17)

This suggests Judgment is Allah’s alone.  The hatred of Islamists towards non-Muslims should not be vented here on earth.

Reliance of the Traveller

There is a text, The Reliance of the Traveller[1] described as A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law, which I found most informative.  Many descriptions of persons in the history of Islam are identified.  The schools of information and interpretation of the Quran by the Sunni – 4 – are effectively summarized as to their teaching (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali).  The emphasis though is the Shafi’i school.  It is a choice for Islamic Law.  What it is in my reading is the work of men; call them scholars as they were aware of history and the compilation of words spoken by Muhammad and many Companions.  Time post Muhammad’s life and decisions made in judging others is reflected in summary positions towards treatment of persons.

Obligations Muslims are to meet about purification, prayer, fasting, marriage, and so forth are outlined.  Scholarship, thus authority, of those to judge (Qadi) as well as consensus of all scholars is “an imperative for someone who does not know…” (pg 17)  Not all the Companions of Muhammad (anyone who personally met him and died a believer) “were capable of giving legal opinion (fatwa)…nor was the religion taken from all of them.”  It was a small number.  Only 7 (Companions) were capable (pg 18): “Umar (2^nd Caliph), Ali, Ibn Mas’ud, Ibn Umar, Ibn ‘Abbas, Zayd ibn Thabit, and A’isha; and this were from thousands of the Companions.”  Note at Muhammad’s death in 632 A’isha was 28.

Those whose opinions were sought as to legal matters, the more scholarly (mujtahids), were not required to provide support or evidence for their responses.  Dissent came later and response to dissent has not been pleasant.  So what they said, their judgment was not subject to further review.  No appeal.

The book is as (1) a book on etiquette, (2) conduct between and man and a women, (3) treatment of non-Muslims, (4) rules of living, and (5) so much more.  Applying reason to this is not suggested as the scholars have already made the determination for the reader.

It suggests a relationship with God is not possible.  That is the objective of the Bible, but not the Quran or Islamic Law.  “Our Lord (Allah) is too exalted for anything to be joined with Him or for Him to be joined with anything.” (pg. 859)  Also consideration of issues, raising doubts or questions is taboo, “Any opinion that contradicts a well-known tenet of Islamic belief that there is scholarly consensus upon is unbelief (kufr), and is unlawful to learn or teach, except by way of explaining that it is unlawful. And Allah knows best.” (pg. 868)

Enter men in the determination of the lives of Muslims.  The decisions of men (classified as scholars by education and memorization) supersede that of anything else, all in the name of Allah.   The scholars appear as the Pharisees and Scribes at the time of Jesus.  They did/do not depend on God nor have concern for their needs, they know what they are and have already satisfied themselves in their knowledge of Islamic Law (if not they can re-write or write anew), they are proud and harsh, neither humble nor gentle, they may even feel they have attained righteousness.  Therefore they do not have a continual appetite or desire for the spiritual as all has been revealed.  They are clearly more concerned for the ‘legalities’ of Allah and their own laws (what they determine) than by showing mercy.

Righteous

If the current religious leaders/scholars could tell the Muslims the standards of righteousness, they themselves would need to be righteous.  And we all know that no man is righteous, otherwise he would be Allah.

The scholars are lacking those attributes put forth in the Beatitudes as noted in both Matthew and Luke in the New Testament.  They are not righteous.

The Essence of Islam

In providing background on Muhammad The Reliance of the Traveller discusses the religion of Islam: “The essence of the new religion was to proclaim that there was no god but the one living eternal God, Allah, who is without son, associate or partner; to call to the worship of Him alone, obedience of His laws alone, and the recognition that the only superiority men possess over one another is in their godfearingness (taqwa) and sincerity in servanthood to Him; and to warn men that they would be accountable for their actions on the Day of Judgment, whence they would enter paradise or hell.  In a word it enjoined high-mindedness and nobility and forbade all that was contemptible and base, ordering man to use every means to realize the right and eliminate the wrong.” (pg. 1073)(The italics are my own)

Obedience to His laws alone suggests that Allah is the judge.  The judge is not the scholar or the Companion.  By man’s own determination Muhammad and subsequently Companions provided the framework for control that scholarly men, as deemed so by society or other scholarly men, a self-fulfilling train of scholarly men, used as a means to establish standards.  It is not by faith alone but by obedience to the Laws made by Man.  Man substituted themselves as the judge.

The reference also notes the superiority of Muslims, those most god fearing superior to the less god fearing, as a ladder of god fearing men.  The highest rung occupied by the most god fearing.  Would that be Muhammad?

Finally from this book, the Reliance is on men. Men are to carry out the laws of men.  It is not Allah’s directive but man’s.  And thus the fatwa to eradicate the infidel – to use every means to realize the right and eliminate the wrong. The wrong are those as determined by many subsequent to the death of Muhammad.  The identity of the wrong is founded upon what followers of Muhammad said after his death.  They remembered what they experienced with Muhammad and subsequently what they continued on their own.  There is no peace in this structure.  The Muslim scholars have made Islam what they desired, not what Allah or any true God would want.  God wants you to have faith in God, first and foremost, doing what is right will follow, without a need for The Reliance of the Traveller and other doctrines or interpretations or expressions of Islamic Law constructed by scholars to be met without question.

Allow Judgment to be Allah’s  

Peace on earth is possible if Muslims let Allah decide and not the Ulema, Imams, Khomeini, Mullahs or whoever substitutes their own laws and punishment for Allah’s.  Impatience is the impetus, I guess, wanting Judgment Day to be now, on their terms, not Allah’s.  If Allah is the true God they know they will all suffer.  They are out for themselves.  They are not true believers, but false representatives of their made-up Ideology.  That is harsh I know, but practical when you consider all the facts.

Another Question Raised

Is there more than one Islam?

Grace and Peace,