Remnants of Muslim Jahilya

Women led prayers

Oppression of people and suppression of Ideas knocks off the balance in any given society and both go against the fiber of Islam; freedom and justice. Only Justice and fairness can restore peace and tranquility in any society.

Up until 611 AD, people in and around Mecca understood God in a physical form, there was a representation of God in iconic forms for every day, and for every act of nature there was an icon. Indeed it was their culture for thousands of years, as it was all over the world unbeknown to each other.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) brought a renewed message, as did Jesus, Krishna, Moses, Abraham and a countless spiritual masters and told the people about oneness of the Creator, he was preaching oneness of humanity (God produced) reducing conflicts and nurturing a sense of oneness, yet accepting the diversity in God’s creation. http://wisdomofreligion.blogspot.com/2008/07/religion-and-oneness-of-god.html.

He taught God is formless, shapeless, colorless, genderless, a non-being and an abstact concept of oneness of the creation, by that he was universalizing God to remove the conflict of my God v your God. God is beyond our imagination and beyond definition and we cannot capture him (or her) in words or limit him in images. I love the way the Jewish people write G_d, it is the idea of removing God from all man made limits.

Imagine how radical that idea was? It took decades for people to accept another reality, perhaps a parallel reality. The prophet knew that change always takes time and it has to be from within.

Now Dr. Amina Wadud, a Muslim woman has led the Friday congregational prayers for mixed genders, it is indeed a radical idea for those of us who are entrenched in thousands of years of traditions. We are shocked and are looking for a precedence, just as the tribes of Mecca around 611 AD. Fifty years from now or even in the year 2020, it is possible that the future Muslims will equate our shock to that of the Meccan tribes who opposed that radical idea. A few of them may even call you and I, the “Remnants of Muslim Jahilya (ignorance)” from the early 2000’s. It is time for us to think beyond the box and understand the full beauty of Islam; inclusiveness, equality, justness and openness to learning, the bigger Jihad to build a cushion for differences may become a reality for us.

Please remember that, the insecure men among us (all faiths) are afraid to lose control over the only thing left for them to control; religion. Muslim Men are no different in their insecurities than Jews, Christians, Americans, Arabs, Zulus, Mongolians or the Mayans. If your strip the dirt from the religion, it boils down to “a men thing” rather than a Religious issue. The first Female Rabbi was accepted just about thirty years ago in Dallas in reformed Judaism, and still many Churches are struggling to accept Female Ministers. I have heard extreme statements made by Men from every one of those religious masks. You are welcome to share “those words” in the comments below.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) understood the human nature; he knew no one can be compelled to do anything against his or her will and sustain it. He was a blessing for his followers, whom he freed from the slavery of Priesthoodism, and gave them complete freedom to learn and understand God’s book which he was leaving. He believed in individual responsibility, you are responsible for your deeds, he even said that to his daughter instead of giving her a free pass. He made sure that we recite “Malik-i-yom-iddin”, at least 17 times a day in the Fard (mandatory) prayers. Then some devotees add 20 or even 40 more times with their Sunna and Nafl prayers.

That is 57 times a day, we say God alone is the master of the Day of Judgment, do we mean it? If not, we need to mean it and not judge others in their deen (faith) as it would be pre-empting God himself, just as the Neocons want to speed up the Armageddon. It is his decision to grace us in our next life, reincaraned life or in the life after death. Let’s learn to respect God’s role as ” the master Judge” and not run over him, we cannot go far, we are bound to lose to God (that which caused life from an atheist’s perspective).

One of the reasons Muslims are losing out politically at this moment in history is because our time is spent on gossiping and ill-talking about women lead Friday prayers. If Dr. Amina Wadud and Asra Nomani want to pray, let them, it is between an individual and God, what is our problem? If we don’t want to join them, let’s stay away from harassing them, we have better things to do than protesting it. Let’s become goodwill Ambassadors.

We need to wake up to the new reality that Muslim women have truly realized Islam where, men and women are each other’s garments and each others’s protectors, none is superior or inferior in God’s presence, she is personally and individually responsible for her deeds on the day of judgment as men are. Muslim women in the 7th century Islam had freedom to own business, freedom to choose and divorce their spouse and by God let them have the freedom to lead the prayers. This is not just a Muslim struggle it is a Christian, Hindu, Jewish and other’s struggle as well.

Most Muslims want to shy away from controversies, as would most people from other faiths, that encourages the few to jump up and down and make hell for others. Please don’t let any one speak against this freedom.

Years ago, an Imam was telling a story in a small group that how they defeated the Jews in acquiring a Synagogue to use it as a Mosque, by passing it through different hands. I could not resist and jumped in and said it was wrong to make such a statement to cause hate towards others, in this case, the Jews. That was a business deal and there was no need to turn the Jews as villains. Prophet Muhammad would not have liked it nor would any tenet of Islam favors it.

There was a deadly pause, that was the most critical moment of the situation, that was the time, the killing time and the dreaded moment that seemed like an eternity. Finally after 3 seconds, another dare devil spoke up and the other sheep jumped in too, thanks God for that. The Imam apologized and agreed never to do that again and he has not, I have listend to his sermons a few times. Believe me, if a sychophant of the Imam at that had jumped in before the other man, I would have been attacked or talked about behind my back. Indeed, this is a common group behavior, even in your own office meetings, community center, church, synagogue, temple or prayer circles this thing happpens. The only one I care about is God and doing the right thing; and you must too. We have to please God (=Goodenss for all) and not any one else. Please know that I have Jewish friends who would do the same; speak out against non-sense and falsities agasint Muslim. We have to speak out against any untruths.

Note added on Monday, September 29th: There is a greater challenge for us Muslims to hear out and live with differences in theological interpretations. When the 4 Sunni and 2 Shia Schools of thoughts emerged, we had accepted the radical differences with great difficulty and have lived with it for over a thousand years. Not only that some of the enlightened Imams are sharing the differences with their congregation without putting down the other schools of thought. This is something Muslims ought to be proud of this acceptance tradition of Islam – that is what Ijtehad is all about, to openly discuss the difference, either reconcile them or live with them. “There is no compulsion in the matters of faith.” That is the wisdom and guidance from Qur’aan.

Please don’t demean, condemn or depreciate others if they celebrate Ramadan on a different day than you. Don’t encourage others to spend their time condemning each other; instead they can do something that is beneficial to all. God has not made a deal with your group behind others back, no one is right or wrong, let that be decided by God on the day of judgment and let’s not ruin each others happiness. Let this be a happy Eid, and I will attend as many Eid prayers as I can, you can do it too.