The Nature of Knowing God

Science is a human exercise in making sense of that which exists through the use of reasoning and gathering evidence. The scientific process is generally agreed to be one of positing of a conjecture, gathering and analyzing evidence to test the conjecture, and then drawing a conclusion about the conjecture based upon that evidence. The nature of conclusion that can be drawn from this process has some limitations. Some limitations arise from the methods of gathering evidence. For example, if the evidence is gathered from a study on 100 people, there are limitations on how far any conclusions can be said to apply to other individuals outside those 100 people in the study. Yet, since testing every person is impossible and ridiculous, guidelines are developed from probability theory to make a prediction about how well the study results might apply to other individuals, and decisions are made based on that prediction. This prediction in reality is one that is rarely if ever testable - we do not have means to know if the prediction is right or wrong, but we must act on it anyway. Limitations arise due to the psychology of the scientific process as well - even scientists, trying to be objective, are more likely to report, publish and be swayed by evidence that conforms to their existing beliefs.

Limitations also arise due to the nature of evidence itself. Consider the example of planetary motion. Most people may laugh today at the idea that the Sun moves around the Earth instead of vice versa. Yet, it is not such an unreasonable idea given the evidence that most people understand and have access to even today let alone in the past. When a human looks to the sky, it certainly appears as if the Sun is rising in the East and setting in the West and thus moving around the Earth. And, if a person lives his life under such a belief, his quality of life or ability to function and thrive are unlikely to be affected. Yet today's world would not be as it is if we as a society still held such a belief. A person might think that the Sun's motion around the Earth is a "fact" because it seems so obviously true given the evidence. In reality, it is not a fact, but is instead a conception or explanation that humans constructed in order to make sense of that of which exists. At some point, people made some observations that are at dissonance with this "fact". Eventually, as more observations were made and more evidence was gathered, the preponderance of evidence no longer seemed to support the conception that the Sun moves around the Earth and so most people changed their conception to a new idea that does seem to be in accord with the evidence - the Earth revolves around the Sun. Yet, this construct is not conclusively proven "fact", either. That is, it is impossible to absolutely and completely be certain that there might not be some other explanation for what is observed or that some evidence in the future might not come to light that would again lead to a further revision of our conception of planetary motion. Even interplanetary travel and imaging is not 100% proof of our conception. One might say that it is extremely powerful evidence against the former conception, and the current conception is in accord with the evidence much better, but we do not know for sure that future evidence might not modify our conceptions even further.

Actually, we rather hope that there will be further revisions to our conceptions, because increased and refined sense-making of what exists tends to have benefits. As we learn more, we are able to do things such as send craft to other planets, treat diseases, and communicate with each other across vast distances nearly instantaneously. Science provides models, and models are very useful even if they might not ever be 100% correct, or even if we can never truly know just how correct they are. We do not prove things in science, per se. We make a decision to believe or adopt a certain model to explain things and operate by, given a preponderance of evidence one way or another.

Even outside of the realm of formal science, people constantly engage in the act of sense-making in order to function. If we see a shadow, we naturally seek an explanation for the shadow. Barring an "obvious" or "natural" explanation, we tend to make up explanations, such as an unseen person, or even a creature made of shadow, or a ghost. Once we adopt such a conception, whenever we see a similar shadow, we interpret it as evidence in support of what we believe, even if it might not really be evidence in favor. The shadow is just continuing to be whatever it is, but we are interpreting it as evidence in support of what we believe or have decided it is. This psychology extends well beyond the physical realm and plays into everything we do, such as politics. Once someone develops a political belief, such as "Obama is a good leader", he or she will interpret events as supporting that conception the vast majority of the time, while someone else with the belief "the Tea Party is right" will interpret the very same evidence in favor of his own belief. It will take extraordinary evidence to cause someone to change his established conception, and in some cases no matter the strength of evidence, he will not change. This kind of sense-making, although sometimes faulty, is key to our survival, because it allows us to make decisions such as avoiding something that sounds like the rattle of a rattlesnake even though we haven't actually seen the snake.

A skeptic is someone who demands a higher threshold of evidence than most people in order to firmly adopt a conception. A skeptic will look for alternative explanations for events, especially in cases when a "natural" explanation does not seem to be at hand. Just exactly what is "natural" and what isn't, however, is in itself a construct that is determined by many factors such as education, culture, history, personality, and more. Generally speaking, it is wise to be a skeptic and to demand a high threshold of evidence. This critical thinking improves the societal process of sense-making and can prevent victimization from intentional deception or misguidance. For example, skepticism and the scientific process has enabled us to learn that what people may be inclined to interpret as a paranormal ability for fortune-telling can be accomplished through skillful employment of flattery, double-headed statements, vagueness, interpreting body language and facial expressions, redirection, misdirection, and so on. Even someone who genuinely believes in his own ability to tell fortunes may subconsciously employ these techniques. Further, we have learned that so far, no tested example of fortune-telling could be shown to not be explainable by these means. Similarly, other paranormal phenomena such as out-of-body experiences, telekinesis, talking to the dead or spirits, seeing ghosts, hypnotism or mind control, and prophecy can be shown to have "natural" explanations, and no examples that could not be explained "naturally" have come to light in tested conditions. (If you have interest in this area, you might enjoy reading Paranormality by the famous British skeptic Richard Wiseman.)

Therefore, it seems perfectly reasonable to reject these phenomena as paranormal, but it must also be understood that science has no means of proving that every single instance of any of these phenomena can be explained "naturally". That is, just because 1000 instances of some type of event can be explained a certain way, one cannot know absolutely that the 1001st instance will be the same. However, we call it "likely" that the 1001st instance will be like the others and "reasonable" to adopt a construct or belief and behavior in accordance with the 1000 known instances.

As we have seen so far, all of our constructs, even those we typically consider "facts", are really things that we have simply decided to believe, usually based on interpretation of evidence of some kind. No construct or belief is proven or disproven by science or any other means, but its likeliness can in some cases be gauged and we are often comfortable saying evidence is so convincing as to enable us to reject certain ideas with a sense of "certainty". All of these constructs we develop constitute one kind of knowing. But, many people claim that there is another type of knowing, one that might be compared to one of recognition rather than one of learning. This second type of knowing, if it exists, is not so easily tested. This cognizance or recognition knowledge is cited in matters of religion such as the existence of God or the soul. Religious texts or scholars may say that people cognize God. But if one wants to test the existence of God or soul or life after death, no one has come up with a way to do so.

What we can do is test what people claim is evidence of any of these. If someone claims that an Out of Body Experience (OBE) is evidence of the soul, we can scientifically investigate OBEs to search for a "natural" explanation for them. And, we should not be surprised to find a "natural" explanation if we have the appropriate tools, conditions, and means to carry out appropriate tests. But, whatever results we get tell us nothing about the soul, but only about OBEs. If OBEs have a natural explanation, this does not prove or disprove the existence of the soul. And if OBEs do not have a natural explanation, this also does not prove or disprove the existence of the soul. Neither result provides any evidence either way about the soul, but may only serve to advise people that the phenomenon of OBEs does not prove the existence of soul (which could have been concluded without conducting the studies anyway.) But we must also say that the fact that OBEs may be naturally explained does not even prove that OBEs have nothing to do with the soul, either.

Muslims believe, according to the Qur'an, that God creates through His "wish" (mashiah). Some things or events are created directly, in which case the Qur'an uses first person singular "I" in describing the Conductor of the action. But generally, things or events are created through means or causes, and the Qur'an uses the plural "We" to indicate the Conductor. Thus, we expect what we observe in our existence to have explanations, to make sense, and to have natural causes, because that is the nature of their creation or existence. So, a Muslim should believe as skeptics do, that "paranormal" phenomena most likely have natural causes that we can gather evidence about and learn from and that can aid in our sense-making of the existence. We should not expect "paranormal" phenomena to prove the existence of things that fall into the realm of recognition knowledge rather than testable knowledge. Yet, the Qur'an is made of and speaks often of a large variety of ayahs, or signs, of things that fall into the recognition category. These signs aid in recognition and some people may interpret some of them as "evidence", but as we have already seen, science cannot speak to this one way or the other.

This is indeed a discomfiting situation for the particularly hard core skeptic, because his high standard of evidence that he prefers to operate by and which usually serves him exceedingly well is not functional or usable for decision making for recognition knowledge, if it is exists. Many atheists reject God and whatever else must be cognized rather than learned because they decide that if is untestable it cannot exist, or they mistakenly believe that tests involving "paranormal" phenomena disprove God if the results suggest "natural" explanations.

In conclusion, critical thinking and reasoning are essential tools of sense-making that advance society. The scientific process develops our understanding and level of functioning in this existence. However, not all types of questions can satisfactorily be answered through this method, even though many wish it were so. Every thing we think we "know" is really a decision to adopt a certain construct or belief. In every day life, people routinely adopt some constructs as "true" even though they are improbable in light of evidence, but skeptics tend to demand higher probability for certain constructs. In the case of the learning type of knowledge, scientific reasoning helps us choose useful constructs. In the case of recognition knowledge, ayahs or signs can guide what we believe but scientific process is of little use. If you believe in God, you know Him through recognition.

Circumcision

On July 1st, 17 U.S. states will drop Medicaid coverage of circumcision as part of budget-cutting measures. However, other forms of insurance may still cover the procedure, or families may opt to pay out-of-pocket to cover the expenses. Dropping circumcision coverage comes at a time when movements against the procedure are gaining steam.

A bill banning routine circumcision was introduced in Massachusetts last year, and some other states have similar bills in the works. Circumcision bans have been proposed in municipalities such as Santa Monica and San Francisco. In the November elections, these cities may make circumcision a crime.

Historically, the United States is one of the most circumcision-friendly nations in the world. According to the World Health Organization, circumcision is the most commonly performed medical procedure on American children. It estimates that 75% of men in the United States are circumcised, while only 30% of Canadian men and 6% of UK males are circumcised. Many Americans pursue circumcision as a matter of social custom and/or religious belief. There is a general cultural perception that uncircumcised boys and men face ridicule from peers and mates, and that being uncircumcised is less hygienic.

On the other hand, opponents to circumcision claim that it is a procedure with no real medical justification and that infants are not able to give informed consent for the procedure. At the least, they would have males wait until the age of consent. However, some doctors point out that adult circumcision is a more complicated, expensive, and trying process. Some studies have shown that circumcision slightly reduces incidence of urinary tract infections in infant boys, and that it slightly decreases HIV and other STD transmission in sub-Saharan Africa, but as with any medical procedure, complications such as bleeding and infection from circumcision can occur. The most extreme anti-circumcision activists tend to equate male circumcision with female genital mutilation (FGM), which is commonly illegal and culturally held as a heinous and repugnant practice.

The Jewish Anti-Defamation League (ADL) considers legislative efforts to ban circumcision a violation of free exercise of religion and considers the efforts to be a form of anti-Semitism. In Jewish tradition, the reasons for circumcision are stated in the Torah and relate to a covenant between Abraham and God. In Genesis 17:1-14 the covenant is mentioned, and Abraham is commanded to "circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, as a sign of the covenant between Me and you. At the age of eight days, you shall circumcise every male child born to you throughout the generations."

Circumcision is not mentioned in the Qur'an, but is mentioned in hadith, although rather sparsely. Some hadith indicate that all prophets were born circumcised. One tradition on circumcision mentioned in Shia sources is from Imam Ja'far Sadiq (as), with a nearly identical tradition related from the Prophet (saw): “Do the circumcision of your child on the seventh day of his birth. This is best for him. It is also beneficial for his proper growth and upbringing. Certainly, the earth abhors the urine of the person who has not been circumcised".(Wasail al-shiah, v15, p. 171) Another tradition, from Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (a.s.) has said: "I asked Abu Ja'far (a.s) about a bondwoman that was captured from the land of polytheism and there was no woman to circumcise her. The Imam said: "The Sunna recommended the circumcision of men and not of women." (quoted from fatwa of Sayyid Fadlullah) As for female circumcision, other hadith are more ambiguous or even apparently recommending it, but scholars have spoken out against female genital mutilation, referring to a saying attributed to the Prophet (saw) that if female circumcision is practiced, it is necessary not to wear out and do not mutilate. The general stance toward female circumcision is that if it does not cause harm and is not required by Shariah, then it is a matter of personal choice, but if it causes harm then it is prohibited. This general guideline applies to male circumcision also, but it is more commonly considered that male circumcision is required by Shariah, or at least strongly recommended.

Practices vary as to the age at which circumcision is usually performed and whether it is considered required. Among the four Sunni schools of thought, Shafis consider it wajib, Hanafis consider it mustahab, and Malikis and Hanbalis consider it ja'iz (allowed, but not recommended for or against). The reason for male circumcision in Muslim tradition is generally considered to be honoring of the covenant between Abraham and God and is thus related with the hajj rites. Many Muslim scholars consider circumcision a prerequisite for performance of hajj by an adult discerning male.

The matter of declining insurance coverage of circumcision likely cannot be construed as stemming from the anti-circumcision movement, but it may reflect a gradual change in cultural sentiment around circumcision in the United States that can be bolstered by declining budgets and vocal anti-circumcision activism. If bans of circumcision gain ground, Muslims may join Jews in concern over religious freedom and may question if motivations lie in anti-Muslim sentiment, just as the ADL is now crying anti-Semitism. At this time, anti-circumcision movements are generally motivated on opinion of cruelty to perform a painful and perhaps medically unnecessary procedure on a child who cannot consent, with anti-religion themes as prominent side-issues. However, people must constantly be alert to threats and erosions of freedoms regardless of their origins, and must educate themselves on the issues and make themselves prepared to self-advocate, because freedom has a way of disappearing when left untended.

Green Deen - review

In Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet, Ibrahim Abdul -Matin attempts to show how an environmentalist/conservationist belief system and lifestyle are “deeply imbedded in the Muslim tradition from a variety of perspectives.” Abdul-Matin is an American-born Muslim who attended Hamza Yusuf’s new Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California before returning to his native New York to further his education and pursue work in line with his family tradition as a community activist or policy advisor. His thesis is that six Islamic ethical principles or ideas form a framework of an environmentalist ethos. The six principles he addresses are tawhid, which he describes as the Oneness of God and which he often expounds in a sense of the interconnectedness of all subjects of Creation, ayat, or the idea of signs of God being everywhere including in humanity and nature, khalifah, which he views as the idea of humans as stewards of the Earth, amana, described as a divine trust for humanity to protect the planet, adl, interpreted in context as a call toward just use of resources and treatment of Creation, and mizan, explained as living in balance with the whole of Creation.

After a nice forward by Muslim Congressman Keith Ellison, Abdul-Matin divides his discussion into four main parts: waste, energy, water and food. For each, he briefly outlines the environmental issues and tries to show how American Muslims are working to solve these issues by highlighting certain individuals as examples. He also sometimes refers to hadith or Qur’anic verses or in some other way tries to connect one or more of the six principles (tawhid, ayat, amana, adl, khalifah, and mizan) to solutions.

As far as the quality of this item for someone interested in following a "Green Deen", a way of life that emphasizes responsible use of resources as part of and in line with Islamic teachings, his advice and outlines are mostly rather pedestrian. The historic and scientific background information in this book tends to be drastically oversimplified. The author fails to address any scientific debate over some claims made, and he makes sweeping gestures around history, at one point seemingly suggesting that there has been one smooth arc of progress from humanity as environmental devils toward fulfillment of the Islamic ideal of humans as proper stewards of the world’s resources. However, as an overview or introduction, these aspects are adequate.

The writer finally seems to catch his stride about 1/3 of the way into the book. He presents many solid, standard ideas for topics such as making a “Green Mosque” through energy audits, weatherizing, adding off-grid energy sources, avoiding use of disposable dishes and bottled water, incorporating ride-sharing plans, composting food waste, using low energy appliances, getting LEED certification on new construction, growing a community garden, and so on. He also does a fair job of describing a relationship between the modern political landscape and the unjust appropriation of natural resources by some governments and makes an impassioned argument against bottled water. He further succeeds at demonstrating through example that many American Muslims are working on environmental issues in a variety of contexts, although the book would’ve been well-served to have had even more such examples.

Abdul-Matin admits in his introduction to a few limitations that do affect the overall quality of the work. His attempts to tie his chosen six Islamic principles to his overall discussion are often weak. The connections are there, but insufficiently supported in the writing. He becomes extremely repetitive, beginning sections with nearly identical wording and retelling some facts and stories multiple times. The questions he ends chapters with often leave them feeling unfinished rather than bringing them to a satisfying conclusion. He excessively uses the phrase “Green Deen” as if it were a religion or mantra of its own, separate from Islam, in contradiction to his correct contention that Islam and a conversationist stance are already perfectly aligned. And, he presents some content that involves fiqh in ways that may be incorrect for some schools of thought. For example, while making a strong case for organic and free range zabiha meat, he nonetheless claims that eating meat slaughtered by People of the Book is religiously acceptable – a claim that is certainly not a unanimously held position.

As a whole, this work lacks in sophistication or nuance, but succeeds in filling a necessary niche in the available literature. A reader will find some content of worth in this effort, although may not be satisfied by the book as a whole. A youth group interested in leading its community toward more environmentally sound practices may find some inspiration and ideas in its pages and may benefit from the effort to employ an Islamic foundation, but will not find a clear, practical guide on how to accomplish its goals; the author leaves it to the reader to figure out how to put the ideals, ideas and examples into action in one's own particular context.

Sufi Comics - review

  40 Sufi Comics by Mohammed Ali Vakil and Mohammed Arif Vakil is an amazing collection of forty one-page comic strips that illustrate key spiritual teachings in fields such as ethics, prayer, existence of heaven and hell, and existence of God.  On the facing page of each comic are relevant excerpts from the Qur’an and traditions of Ahlul-bayt (as).  Some facing pages also include artist’s notes which serve to relay a personal application or further explanation of the lesson in the comic.

One of the great beauties of this work is its suitability for all audiences and ages.  An 8-year-old child, a 55-year-old adult, or an open-minded non-Muslim – indeed almost anyone – will enjoy and benefit from this material.  Some of the comics do have a bit of humor in them, but really they are perhaps better described as illustrated anecdotes, each revealing a principle or idea that one can live one’s life by.  For example, one comic shows Imam Baqir (as) being insulted by someone using a play of words on his name, calling him Baqara (cow), followed by the calm and polite response of the Imam (as), which brings about a change of heart in the insulter.   One of the Qur’anic verses accompanying it is 25:63 - “And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace…,” and an artist’s note explains how he thinks of this anecdote whenever someone is rude to him.  In no more than 5 minutes’ reading, a life lesson on how to deal with rude people is well taught in an insightful, succinct and entertaining way.

The graphic format of 40 Sufi Comics encourages reflection and application.  People who do not like to read, people who are very busy, or people who prefer to get straight to the point or take things in small chunks can all easily digest a short comic and a few short related verses and traditions and then put the book down for another day.  The lessons in each anecdote are simple enough for a small child but deep enough for a learned and pious religious scholar to both be able to transform their selves in application.  The format and nature of the content also makes it a prime candidate for regular re-reading because there is always something more to learn or improvement to be made in its application, and the comics are so brief and clever that they will not become mundane or boring when seen multiple times.

There is a potential for this to be used in a madressa or study-circle type format. It would certainly be more novel , engaging and have broader appeal than many other choices, while being no less in content or quality, and further could be used for almost any age group that is able to read or be read to.  One of the shortest comics at only three panels relays a saying of Imam Ali (as) about man being food for worms.  Some worms are at a grave and are saying “Yum!”  The Qur’anic verse and two traditions that go with it simply remind us of death  and the importance of remembering that it comes to all of us.  A topic that could be frightening or heavy-handed is well served by brevity and honesty.  There is no sugar-coating and yet the lesson is accessible to youth.

40 Sufi Comics can be read or previewed online (as well as a few comics published at Islamic Insights)and can be followed on Facebook .  The book is a delight and highly worth having in hard copy where its formatting can really be appreciated.  It would also serve as an excellent gift for young and old. It can be purchased currently for only $6 on Amazon where it is listed as "Volume 1". Let us hope there are many more volumes to come!
 

Believing Woman

Who is a believing woman that she should be yours?

What women are not existing merely for the comforts and elevation of others,
their humanity an inconvenience
but women with trust placed in God,
whose souls resist subjugation and dependence on people
and who know God is the only one on whom they can rely?

Women who give themselves freely
to the one who will not hurt them
- neither through ignorance or arrogance -
but rather one who is merciful
and honors their complex femininity
and does not cheapen it, sell it, abuse it, confuse it, or deride it.

Is a believing woman out of sight, out of mind, out of heart?
In the dark night she rises for communion with one whose heart can hold her
one who she can accept as guardian and leader without fear of error
for what greater misfortune befalls a believing woman but to be held
by a weak man or a prideful one or an angry one or a misguided one
or one who is farther from God than she is?

What man's heart can be entrusted with hers so that she is uplifted by it toward her Creator?

What sacrifice should a believing woman make?
Surely not the freedom of her soul to be real and complete
in order to disappear into the whims of a man's desires and conceits?
Is she a worldly comfort for the other gender or is she a fully-realized being
whose comforts are blessings not constrained by constructs of others nor
ever claimed to be possessed and traded by them as commodities
or leverage against her soul?

A believing woman is selling nothing and must fight being sold.
She struggles for education and enlightenment -
rather she is told her salvation is in servitude,
and some would have her serve them rather than God
and tell her that only by this indirect means can she draw near
to the one she seeks.

For she alone is not worthy or capable of approaching Him of herself
and she has no real value or piety unless she gives herself to one of them.
But what greater misfortune befalls a believing woman than to be held
by a weak man or a prideful one or an angry one or a misguided one
or one who is farther from God than she is?

Love in a Headscarf (Review)

Love in a Headscarf is a memoir written by award-winning UK Muslim blogger Shelina Zahra Janmohamed, light-heartedly depicting her decade-long spouse hunt. Her fantasy as a 13-year-old of marrying John Travolta (after he converts to Islam, of course) and of finding Prince Charming is juxtaposed with the difficult realities of modern young Muslims in the West trying to get married. All the lectures from the imam at the masjid about marriage notwithstanding, she reports that her community finds itself in a situation of large numbers of Muslim girls being unable to find spouses, with too many of the boys marrying “back home”, seeking marriage primarily for residency purposes, being uninterested in marriage, or being wholly unprepared to be husbands. The match-making Aunties fret over the possibly too-high education levels and aspirations of the girls while the girls fret over the contrast between the Islamic teachings on love and marriage and the cultural realities.

Her tales of potential matches gone wrong are humorous, candid, and disconcerting. From the brother who announces up front he will not consider marrying her because she is only 5’3” but wants to meet her for dinner anyway, to the one who agrees to meet her at 5 p.m. for introductions over coffee, only to show up at 7 because he was busy watching a soccer match on T.V., and who then proceeds to pocket her change from the Dutch-treat evening along with his, to the one who admits that he is only meeting her and her family because his mother insisted it was time for him to get married although he has no interest, Sister Shelina is left to wonder where the “good men” are and why aren’t they interested in her and her friends. Over time, she and her friends begin to contemplate the possibility of never getting married, a fate met with sad clucks, admonitions, and shakes of the head at the masjid.

She goes through a mild rebellion by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, traveling to Egypt with her girlfriends, and buying a fancy car – the kind of car boys, not “good girls”, get - all the while trying to balance her independence against the possibility of ruining her reputation with the match-making Aunties. Initially her searches are entirely traditional, but she gradually expands her methods to include online matchmaking sites and even disastrous Muslim “speed dating” events in London. Eventually, she does meet “Mr. Right” at an Islamic conference, but it appears only perseverance and good fortune or blessings from God, rather than any solution to the marriage problem of the Muslim community, gets the credit.

Love in a Headscarf is a fast, easy, almost frivolous read and would primarily appeal to young women. Janmohamed supposes a non-Muslim audience and addresses it with occasional, generally engaging monologues on why she wears hijab or about her post 9/11 experiences that do not quite fit seamlessly into her theme, but may nevertheless serve to educate. Her delineation of Islam vs. culture is perhaps not always clear enough for that non-Muslim or different cultural-background audience, particularly early in the story, and might create some confusion or monolithic interpretation of Islam and marriage that is not fully warranted. Some, like myself, may be a little uneasy with her implicit depiction of the marriage problem as primarily a male one, but perhaps others will claim she hits the nail on the head. If the Muslim women have some contribution to the problem, she seems unable to get a good grasp on it, aside from blaming general cultural matters. She does not come across as a male-bashing feminist, but all the failed matches in her tales have either fate or men to account for them, with the women merely victims- a fact which becomes wearisome and may even invoke pity or concern for the long list of potential matches whose private conversations with her during the matching process end up aired publicly in this book. Perhaps the men were made anonymous through name and/or detail changes or were fictionalized, but if so, this was not announced, and members of the community the author is part of could likely easily still determine who is being talked about. Although the stories are nothing out of the ordinary, the unflattering depiction of some men left me to wonder if they had been backbitten, which, if true, would be cause enough to avoid recommending this book.

Although this memoir contains humor and seems to be light-hearted, it is not uplifting. To the contrary, for those single Muslim men and women who are enduring the struggle to find mates or are preparing to embark on that journey, it is not helpful and is even rather despairing at times, although that was clearly not intended by the author. The unwounded in the modern Muslim marriage plight may miss that negative tenor, but the potential emotional drag for those with real-life experience in this arena may be enough to recommend passing over this book. Those with plenty of optimism and with time on their side may yet be able to thoroughly enjoy this energetic, youthful true tale.

Shi'ism in America - Liyakat Takim

I recently read Dr. Liyakat Takim’s Shi’ism in America, intending to write a review for an online Islamic magazine that I write for on a fairly regularly basis. However, the magazine editor, at the advice of a scholar, declined a review, due to the apparently contentious viewpoints that come across in the fourth chapter, Shi’i Leadership and America. I felt motivated to write something anyway, because the book represents a unique and necessary study that I find to be both interesting and informative. To be up front, I’ll say that I have met the author in person on several occasions. I find him to be an excellent lecturer with highly engaging, well-informed, and relevant topics, and I wish I had taken more advantage of the opportunity to learn from him while he lived within 100 miles of me. Dr. Takim is a religious studies scholar that has served in several universities, as well as a Shi’i community leader and scholar. What follows is largely summary but includes some personal reaction.

In the introduction, Takim provides a brief overview of Shi’i history and rationale for the study. I particularly found interesting the few paragraphs on history of the authority of Shi’i scholars. These tie-in with his fourth chapter which many conservative Shi’is judge overly critical of the current jurisprudential system and scholars. However, the introduction is entirely factual. The portion I am noting here briefly suggests the development of the authority of ‘ulama (scholars) over time. It describes the origins, “crystallization”, and some of the evolution of the concept of marji’ al-taqlid (imitation of a jurist deemed to be the most learned), including the invalidation of a believer’s actions who fails to follow a marji as a 19th/20th century development, and the use of the controversial concept of wilaya al-faqih (overarching authority of a jurist) for the establishment of a theocratic state in post-revolutionary Iran.

Chapter 1 attempts to outline a history of Shi’is in America. The earliest significant Shi’i communities were primarily working-class, Syrian and Lebanese in origin, arriving in the latter 19th and early 20th centuries and settling primarily in the Northeastern United States. Many members of these communities assimilated into the predominant culture to a greater extent than some of the later waves of immigrants. Changes in immigration law altered the make-up of the Shi’i immigrants toward the more highly-educated and religiously conservative, with some notable exceptions, by the end of the 20th century. Political and historical factors such as military drafting in the Ottoman Empire, the Iranian revolution, the reign of Idi Amin in Uganda, and the Gulf War influenced the number and origins of Shi’i immigrants at different times. In this chapter, the author touches on the Sufi movements in America and how some of them are related to Shi’ism. He gives particular attention to accounts involving interviews of members and descendants of the earliest Shi’i American communities, as well as an interlude on the origins of the Khoja Shi’is. Dr. Takim reasonably proposes that the number and diversity of Shi’i Muslims in America may be underestimated and largely ignored in the political and scholarly spheres of influence in America. This chapter and the next provided a relevant grounding that American Shi’is could benefit from by gaining a greater understanding and appreciation of diversity and development.

The second chapter continues the examination of Shi’i communities in the United States, focusing on ethnic diversity and the pattern of ethnicity-based religious centers. The reader learns why this phenomenon is more pronounced in the Shi’i communities than the Sunni communities in America. The consequences of the ethnic structure in many of the communities, such as those related to differences in certain rituals, dress, food, weddings and language are explored. This chapter includes some brief but fascinating descriptions of marriages customs in different ethnic groups, and also a discussion of variations in and importance of Muharram observances (related to the murder of Imam Husayn (as), grandson of the Prophet (saw)). Replicas or symbols used in Muharram observances in one community or the portraits of holy personages used in another community might be seen as borderline polytheistic representations by a different ethnic group. The pattern of lectures, or majlis, during Muharram also varies, with South Asian Shi’is have certain dates dedicated to certain historical figures and other cultural groups using different styles and patterns. The complexity of Shi’i American identity is first brought to point in this chapter. A Shi’i American is a minority within a minority often several layers deep. Shi’is are minorities in the Muslim faith, and Muslims are minorities in America. Certain ethnicities are minorities within the Shi’i communities, and so on. This minority role can feature importantly in the development of individual and community identity for American Shi’is, and coincides with the minority perspective that has been inherent in Shi’ism throughout most of its history. The ethnic nature of many Shi’i centers has often been an alienating factor for youth, who identify less with their cultural homelands than the immigrant generations. Youth are more likely to prefer and pursue de-ethnicitized ways to express and practice the faith. English-language programs, summer camps, and Internet forums that are multi-ethnic are some examples of this, that if absent or inadequate can lead to erosion of Shi’i identity.

As a personal reaction to this chapter, even though I may not technically fit the profile of a second-generation Shi’i youth, I related to their experiences as a revert (convert) of Western origin. The cultural representations and traditions in Shi’i centers are fine as such, but they do not always speak to or resonate with me and have at times accentuated my sense of being outside the community. Further, the conflicts that have at times arisen when different ethnic/cultural groups did not agree on various matters have prevented the community from achieving its full potential. No matter how much time I may spend in or with a community, it never becomes my community psychologically, and I always remain a guest at best. With some physical distance between me and the nearest center and a naturally somewhat introverted nature, the personal benefit of attendance at programs is often not compelling enough to get me to make the commute. Certainly there is merit in engaging with the community in person rather than just on-line, and many opportunities to learn and be of service, etc., that I miss out on by not making myself be more engaged with the nearest center. However, at some level, this chapter validated my personal experience, not in the sense of giving me an excuse, but in allowing me to feel that some of the ways in which I do choose to participate in the Shi’i community are acceptable and relevant and are also chosen by others.

Chapter three of Shi’ism in America addresses sectarian differences. Dr. Takim provides some evidence that until the 1970’s, Sunnis and Shi’is generally worked together in America with a Sunni lead due to majority. Then the revolution in Iran threatened the power and control of some Sunni governments, such as the House of Saud, and strengthened the presence of Shi’ism around the world. Many Muslims were inspired by the revolution and experienced a sense of rebirth. The rising of Shi’ism increased conflict between Sunnis and Shi’is in America and elsewhere, particularly through a Saudi-sponsored spread of a Salafi/Wahabi puritanical interpretation of Islam that is highly disparaging of Shi’ism. Shi’i organizations are late in forming and so far less impactful than Sunni organizations that have benefited from foreign state-sponsorship and a longer history of development in America, as well as majority status. Organizations that have pretended to represent all American Muslims such as CAIR, ISNA, ICNA, and MSA have in fact often excluded, ostracized, and misrepresented Shi’is. Shi’i Muslims in correctional facilities have faced enormous struggles obtaining rights granted to Sunni Muslims and have faced serious threats from Sunni inmates. Shi’is have faced the burden of terrorism committed by the Salafi Al-Qaeda and similar groups, while themselves being predominantly innocent of it, and also being the greatest victims of the same groups, a fact which goes largely unrecognized by an American majority that does not understand the heterogeneity of Muslims.

The next chapter apparently has rankled some people in the Shi’i community. It provides a fair explanation of the general workings of the system of marji’ al-taqlid and elucidates some of its extreme advantages over Sunni jurisprudence, including the superior ability to handle modern situations, and a general independence of religious jurisprudence from the political leadership. The controversy arises in what amounts to an expression of opinion about the responsiveness and understanding of the marji’ and the current hierarchical system of taqlid to matters of Western context. Although it is couched in the context of survey responses, the presentation is unbalanced toward what some might call a reformist position, leading to a claim that it is disrespectful of maraji’ and exaggerating the size and importance of a Western Shi’i community as well as the need for reform. Personally, I find that interpretation of this work to be overly sensitive and dramatic, as well as antithetical to productive dialogue. I think there needs to be an avenue through which possibility of reform can be entertained, and that squelching of “unorthodox” viewpoints tends to seem heavy-handed and alienating. On the other hand, if one supposes that the unorthodox opinion is incorrect and is a potential source of confusion and misguidance to a population that does not possess the base knowledge to weigh the matters properly, then one might conclude the existence of a responsibility to minimize the confusion or misguidance. I do not feel qualified to advocate a position, but it is certainly possible for me to envision a system of jurisprudence that might still meet all required religious constraints, whatever those might be, and yet would be more beneficial and accessible to me personally than what currently exists. Therefore, I did not find offense in this chapter as some others have. However, given the multifarious audience of this book that extends well beyond the Shi’i community itself, I can appreciate that the airing of intracommunity issues raised in this chapter and others can feel to some like the public airing of dirty laundry and thus potentially damaging, instead of the informative and constructive nature that is presumably intended.

The fifth and final chapter addresses Shi’i outreach in America. American Shi’i communities are often developing and insular in nature, and therefore outreach activities are mostly in their infancy or not considered high priority. Modern political and social context has, however, spurred some growth in this area. There is evidence that American Shi’is are becoming more civic-minded, taking greater roles in community service and leadership by organizing blood drives, running food banks, advocating for voter registration, and so on. Of particular note in this chapter is an examination of the African American Shi’i experience as juxtaposed with those of immigrants and African American Sunnis, and the general weakness, so far, of Shi’i communities in reaching out to and including native Muslims, Muslims of other ethnicities than their own communities, and non-Muslims.

In his conclusion, the author basically calls for the continued development of the American Shi’i identity in positive directions, with the results of his study as a valuable picture of where-we’ve-come-from and where-we-are-now. Interestingly, even though this book is recently published, the quickly changing human landscape of America and the world begs the question of how this snapshot is already becoming dated. As I read it, it was highly relevant and timely, yet I could already begin to see how certain current events would have potentially added to or changed some of what appears in this work. Also, I wish the footnotes had been included in context rather than in an appendix, because although most are citations, a few of them provide additional detail important enough that failure to read the note could be problematic. I personally found this book to be of great benefit as well as highly engaging, albeit slightly repetitive at times as it made similar inferences from a limited data set. It is unique and does indeed fill a true gap in the literature of its genre and thus comes highly recommended by this reader.

Spring of Quran

(Originally written last year for IslamicInsights.com)

In the month of Ramadan, Muslims the world over devote more time to reciting Qur'an. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) said, "Everything has a springtime, and the springtime of the Qur'an is the month of Ramadan," and "Whoever recites a verse from the Qur'an (in the month of Ramadan) will receive a similar reward as the one who recites the entire Qur'an in other months." Perhaps in zealousness for reward, or from misunderstanding of the saying about reciting the Qur'an, often during this month and even at all times, many Muslims have sadly adopted a practice of hastened recitation without understanding.

One example is the form of Taraweeh prayers in many Sunni communities today – the community is so focused on achieving a certain quantity of recitation in their prayers, one-thirtieth each evening, that they may be tempted to rush through the recitation without any reflection or understanding. The origins of dividing the Qur'an into 30 parts and reciting one part each night in the month of Ramadan is in some writings attributed to Uthman for the purpose of use in the taraweeh prayers. The goal of reciting the whole Qur'an in the month of Ramadan is admirable, but not at the expense of quality over quantity.

The purposes of Qur'an might be described as to remove rust from our hearts, to guide us, to purify us, and to educate us. While there is reward in reciting the Qur'an even without understanding, the true benefit of such a recitation is extremely limited and completely leaves aside the benefits of the Holy Book as a reformer and guider for one's soul.

"A book We have sent down to you, blessed, that men possessed of mind may ponder its signs and so remember." (38:29)

"What, do they not ponder the Qur'an? Or is it that there are locks upon their hearts?" (47:24)

Qur'an recitation should really be slow, contemplative, and reflective. A person hearing, reading, or reciting the Qur'an should be engaged with the text: they should have an emotional response and a rational response to its words, not just a response to the voice of the reciter. The Fourth Imam (peace be upon him), "The Qur'anic verses are treasures of knowledge, and whenever a treasure is opened, you have to see what lies therein. Ponder over the verses of the Qur'an, and learn from them, for they are the best of lessons."

The aim of the many deeds we perform in the month of Ramadan is not reward as much as it is reform or purification. In the springtime of the Qur'an, it should be flowering in our hearts, in order to bear fruit. This cannot be accomplished if the meanings of the words never enter our hearts and minds in the first place, nor if the meanings are not allowed to linger with us, occupying our attention beyond a few passing moments. Understanding the Qur'an can be achieved by reading through translation if needed, reading slowly, and in as small a quantity as necessary to allow the time for processing, responding, and applying what one has read. One verse of Qur'an in translation that is understood and taken to heart and used to reform a person may be of more value than a lifetime of chanting the sacred Arabic text but knowing it only as sound.

Most mosque functions rightly begin with recitation of Qur'an, but sadly, we often find that for many of the reciters and listeners, it is only a beautiful noise and an honored ritual. It is a shell of Qur'an that falls like dried leaves rather than taking root in the hearts. Perhaps if there are people in the audience who do not understand the Qur'anic Arabic, a recitation of Qur'an should never be concluded without a translation, so that understanding might bless the hearts of the congregants. Indeed, perhaps the aforementioned saying of the Prophet – "Whoever recites a verse from the Qur'an (in the month of Ramadan) will receive a similar reward as the one who recites the entire Qur'an in other months." – was really meant to make us focus on each verse more slowly and more contemplatively in this month, not to recite more for more's sake. If that means that fewer verses are recited as a result, then so be it. If that means that the whole Qur'an is not read in the month of Ramadan, but only a portion, there is no sin in that. Is it not better for a community of believers to come together and reflect on the Qur'an than to merely parrot it?

I'm not an expert when it comes to Qur'an reciters, but here is my favorite Surah Yaseen recitation - with transliteration and translation.

Easter

Jesus Saves! About this, Muslims and Christians agree.

This weekend, many Christians and even non-Christians observe Easter, either as a religious or secular/traditional event. To Christians, Easter is a remembrance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (as) after his execution by crucifixion. The most commonly held date according to some Christian sources for the execution of Jesus is Friday, April 7, 30 CE, which would put the date associated with his resurrection as April 9. But, even the four gospels in the New Testament do not agree entirely on the events of the crucifixion and resurrection and their timings, with the Gospel of John account differing significantly from the other three in many respects. So far, nothing has been found in historic sources or through archaeological research that clearly indicates much about the life or death of Jesus.

The date of Easter observance was set by the Council of Nicaea in 325 CE as the first Sunday after the first Paschal full moon after March 20. March 20 was the date of the Spring Equinox in 325 CE. Orthodox Christians modify this rule slightly compared to other Christians by using the Julian instead of the Gregorian calendar, and using the Nicaea calculation only if the date comes after Passover (14 Nisan on the Jewish calendar). The date of the execution is believed to have occurred after Passover, which Christians consider as a symbol of the blood sacrifice of Jesus. Passover is the observance of an event mentioned in Exodus, when God visited plagues on Egypt, including the killing of firstborn sons. Hebrew followers of Moses (as) who marked their doorsteps with lamb's blood were passed-over for this plague.

There are a few opinions about the origin of the term "Easter", most of which address ancient pagan religious observances. "Easter" is said to come from the name of the goddess of fertility Ishtar/Eostre/Austron. This pagan connection shows up in many modern Easter practices - both secular and religious - such as eating hot cross buns, the symbols of rabbits and eggs, Easter lilies, sunrise services, and Easter candles, traditions that appear to have origins in the worship of Ishtar in the season of the Spring Equinox. Some people do make a connection between the figure of Isthar Ishtar and Biblical figures - she speculated in some sources to be the Queen Semiramis, the wife of Nimrud, great-grandson of Prophet Noah (as).

Nimrud (or Nimrod)  - whose name means "the rebel", according to the Bible and legend gathered from many sources, was a disbelieving powerful tyrant, head of an occult mystery religion, and founder of great but corrupt cities like Babel and Nineveh. When he died, his wife deified him as a Sun-God,  later known by such names as Baal and Molech. She later had an illegitimate son, Tammuz, whom she claimed was the resurrected Nimrud supernaturally conceived.

Since pagans associated this resurrection story with the Ishtar festivals around the Spring Equinox, and Spring is the season in which the execution and resurrection of Jesus (as) are purported to have occurred, it was a natural fit for the two resurrection observances to comingle as pagans became Christians, leading to the Easter we know today.

Easter is largely considered the most important observance on the Christian calendar today, because it is associated with the belief in Jesus's (as) role as savior. Generally speaking, many Christians believe that no human being can live a good enough life to warrant entry into God's presence in heaven. Further, God is Just, so every sin must be paid for or punished. In order that humans have access to Heaven and aren't all doomed to Hell by their sinful natures, through His Mercy, God wills and accepts the death of Jesus, the only sinless person ever to live (a proof of his divine nature), as payment for the sins of all those who believe and acknowledge this "Gospel Truth." Therefore, they celebrate his (as) rising from the dead as the completion and acceptance by God of this sacrifice, and thus as the guarantee of their after-lives in Heaven rather than Hell.

While Christians generally cite the divinity of Jesus (as) as key to the way he saves, Muslims consider deification of Jesus (as) as an obstacle to knowing God and His true salvation Good News. Muslims, like Christians, regard Jesus (as) as savior, but not through a redemptive sacrifice. Islam rejects a few essential notions in the Christian salvation concept:

1. According to some Islamic sources, all prophets (as), and not just Jesus (as), lived sinless lives, and this trait is an indication of a messenger or guide of God, but not of divinity or godhood. The purpose of all these messengers and guides is to demonstrate and teach how to live a good life via example and delivery of God's guidance, and sinlessness is an important trait in being able to serve as a proper guide and example.  Sinlessness does not mean absolute perfection or super-humanness, however.  Most people admit they could commit and succeed at getting through one day without committing anything they understood to be sin.  Many Muslims believe that the best among us can do so day after day.

2. Muslims believe God can forgive sins by simply doing so, and has not chosen to constrict His forgiveness to the method of a blood sacrifice of a sinless or divine person. Salvation is in essence a meeting between a human's approaching God by trying to live a sinless and ideal life according to God's guidance, and the Love and Mercy of God turning to His Creation with forgiveness. No one is guaranteed salvation by claiming a certain set of beliefs, but people's actions, beliefs and intentions will all be weighed with both Justice and Mercy.

3. According to the orthodox interpretations of Qur'an and other Islamic sources, Jesus (as) was not crucified, and did not die for anyone's sins. He has not died yet, and was raised alive and will return. There is some suggestion that a crucifixion or attempt did take place, but it was a case of a scapegoat or mistaken identity - some have said this person was Judas.  However, the matter is not clear, and the Qur'an indicates that people have speculated about what happened and built a house of cards on speculation.

On these latter points of being raised alive and returning, as well as many other awesome aspects of Jesus' (as) nature, such as virgin birth and performance of miracles, Muslims and Christians tend to agree or at least have a lot of similarity/commonality in belief. Thus, the primary differences between Muslims and Christians about the historical Jesus (as) are only his divinity and his death - but these differences contribute to considerably different conclusions about salvation.

Christians claim Jesus (as) as their savior, and Muslims do, too. In that sense, Muslims are Christians. But in the same sense, Muslims could also be called 'Abrahamans', 'Mosans', 'Noahans, and even the politically incorrect 'Mohamedans'. Muslims claim all the sinless prophets and guides as saviors, through their deliverance of God's message to mankind, as well as perhaps through intercession. Therefore, applying the name of any one of them alone is incomplete as a reference to Muslims. The universal message that all the prophets delivered and which instructs mankind about knowing and approaching God, distinguishing truth from falsehood, and distinguishing right from wrong actions, is what Muslims consider as the "Gospel" that Jesus (as) delivered and that saves.

In the Qur'an, Christians are mentioned as the closest in faith to the Muslims because of the shared lineage of guidance both faiths recognize from Adam to Jesus.  The Qur'an makes examples of Jesus (as) and other prophets extensively. We learn and apply the teachings from all of them and not Mohamed (saw) alone. However, we are not limited to the Bible or Qur'an for knowing and following Jesus (as). Shia hadith collections and surviving apocryphal texts are other sources on Jesus (as) worthy of study for Muslims and Christians alike, each to be understood within the context of their individual limitations. Some of the sayings in Shia sources attributed to or about Jesus (as) are also contained in the Gospels of the Christians, while others would be found as relatively unique to a Christian reader, related from Ahlul-bayt (as), but not commonly found in Christian sources, if at all. Al-Hajj Muhammad Legenhausen translated the most comprehensive collection available in English, Jesus (as) Through the Qur'an and Shi'ite Narrations. In the Easter season, Muslims and Christians can expand their understandings of Jesus(as) and better apply his universal message by delving into more than just the Qur'an or the New Testament for his teachings, or by seeking to extend open hands to each other in solidarity, acknowledging that our love and connection to God by way of Jesus (as) is something we share, regardless of some differences in the details.

Christmas and Ashura

"When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings with toys at Christmas, why are we not grateful to God for filling our stocking with legs?" G K Chesterton

And today, many are not even grateful for their gifts from others, but instead evaluate and compare those gifts against some sense of entitlement. But what are we truly entitled to in this world? Has God promised us even another breath? And even if He did, is it because we are entitled to that breath, or because it is a gift?

While I have not been making the longer drive to the north Denver area for Muharram services, I of course have not failed to notice that it is Muharram, and that Christmas and Ashura are two days apart this year. I know many far surpass me in their piety and their religious observance, but for whatever reasons I have needed seclusion and do not feel up to the nearly four-hour daily commute going to Denver would entail.

I have written about Muharram and what it means to us, what it enjoins on us, etc., many times. And I still feel I don't know hardly anything about that topic. I cannot weigh or measure the sacrifice of Imam Hussain (as), and therefore I cannot weigh or measure my debt. But I feel I have a great debt, for my personal benefit at the price of that sacrifice is potentially exceedingly great. The least I can do is acknowledge the debt and to try not to waste the gift of sacrifice for truth.

Many Christians believe that al-Masih, Jesus Christ (as), made a great sacrifice for humanity, but now they acknowledge his birth, albeit in largely pre-Christian traditions, consumerism, and more consumerism. While Muslims do not believe Jesus (as) was crucified, we do believe he lived his life in complete submission to God, annihilating his own personal will and whims within the will of God. He was and remains a supreme, immaculate instrument of God, like Imam Husain (as), and all the Imams and Prophets (sa). We are all indebted to him, as well, for his struggle in the way of truth.

Every godly person who struggles for truth and preserves a measure of it does a noble thing, a thing that may help countless others. What is Christmas Spirit? What are the lessons of Karbala? Isn't there a call to self-sacrifice, to become more than a taker, a user? I go to work and listen to teenagers speak day after day and go home and hear more people speak on television or Internet, and most of us are all about ourselves. We feel entitled. We feel we know more than others. We feel we should be special. We feel we should have easy lives and abundance. If some misfortune befalls us, we feel personally affronted or wronged. If all we are is a sea of people, each obsessed with himself, what a waste! Is there no more point to life than personal gratification? Who cares if I am gratified or he is gratified or she is? Especially when most gratification comes with a cost, paid by others.

I don't know what self-sacrifice for truth, for right, looks like for you or me, but we've seen it in our prophets and guides. But one thing I understand is that we should be grateful. To God. To our families. To the Prophets (sa). To the Imams (sa). To Jesus (as), to Imam Husain (as). To people who smile at us, to people who try to teach us, to people who pick up our garbage, to people who try to cure us,to almost anyone we meet.

In wishing all who would want it a Merry Christmas, what I really wish is well-being, peace, guidance, and appreciation. And in condoling the mourners over the disgusting murder of holy and sincere servants of God, what I really wish is for none of us to oppress another, to cause another to shed tears, or to take another for granted.

Eid Ghadeer Mubarak

Eid Ghadeer

As a revert to Islam, Eid Ghadeer is the one Eid that always has made the most sense to me and been the most significant in my worldview. Part of me has found Eid ul Fitr tempered by the loss of the holy days of the month of Ramadhan, and Eid ul Adha significant if you or a loved one is performing the hajj, but otherwise less so. But the Eid al-Ghadeer has always been special to me because it is a celebration of the culmination of Islam - a celebration of the very events that first enabled me to know the status of Imam ‘Ali (as) and the crucial role of Ahlulbayt (as) in the preservation of the True Religion so that I, in 1994, had the blessed chance to discover true Islam for myself. It is only because of Ahlulbayt (as) that I had that chance – without them, the True Religion would have long ago been lost in corruption and time.

I remember feeling exhausted after becoming Muslim. I had spent a year in intensive research, questioning the entire framework of my existence, engaging in deep self-evaluation so that in the end I had turned my life upside down and accepted all the conflict and challenges that would bring my way. But I had yet to scratch the surface of Islamic knowledge and had so far yet to go. I had become aware of the sects and divisions between Muslims, much to my sadness. As a Christian, I had been dismayed by all the man-made churches, none of them holding God’s Truth more than any other. I regretted that I might again find nothing in Islam that provided complete access to Reality.

But then, I read about Ghadeer Khum. The more I read, the lighter my burden became. Here was what I had known must exist – the evidence that God had protected His message from corruption. Every time a revelation from God has come down, man has corrupted it. But the Qur’an has survived because God has protected it, and in Ghadeer Khum I found the means. I felt tears of deep joy and gratitude to find the protectors of the Qur’an, the ones who have lived the real Islam; for without them, I would have no chance of ever finding the truth, I would have remained a deprived wayfarer, unsatisfied with the religions of man’s making.

If I had not been blessed to know about Ghadeer and appreciate the status and role of Ahlulbayt (as), I would have been left very disappointed after my struggle to find the Truth. While I would have gained the clarity of Tawhid that is in Islam, I would yet know I was stuck in a quagmire of man-made distortions that rip apart the Truth and replace it with ignorance and oppression.

In the Qur’an it is written, "And hold fast, all together, by the Rope which God (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude God's favor on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, you became brethren; and you were on the brink of the Pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does God make His Signs clear to you, that you may be guided." (3:103)
Numerous hadith inform us that the Rope is none other than the blessed Ahlulbayt (as).

I feel this ayah resonating deep in the very fiber of my existence. Without the rope, I would have nothing to hold to, no hope for access to God’s Truth. It is a great favor from God for which I owe immeasurable gratitude that I was able to find this rope and try with my best effort to cling to it. I cling to this rope with the love of Ahlulbayt (as) who made my journey to Islam possible, and who have provided me the means to hope for progress on the journey of Truth and salvation from the Fire of Hell. For without Ahlulbayt (as), I could only be on the brink of the Pit of Fire, but by clinging to their Rope I might be pulled away from it.

The Ahlulbayt (as) have given me, and have given all of us, the chance to realize our potentials, the ability to hope, and the opportunity for the complete peace that can only be found in one who has glimpsed the Truth. Therefore, the Eid of Ghadeer is the most joyous and meaningful Eid to me, It is the Eid of hope and opportunity for all of us. May Allah swt bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad with His greatest blessings and grant them the most fulfilling peace, and may more and more of humanity come to realize the great gift given to all of us when Allah swt perfected religion by securing the role of Ahlulbayt (as).

originally written for Islamic Insights last year

For Thanksgiving

An article I wrote for II a little while ago....

One of the best gifts Allah swt has granted mankind is the ability to feel and express gratitude. Being grateful at the most basic level is very simple and very beneficial. It is simple because it requires no special knowledge, skill, equipment, or preparation - anyone can access the gift of thankfulness. Yet most of us fall short of the mark in expressing due thanks for what others do, and probably all of us owe far more thanks to Allah swt than we even understand. However, improvement is also simple: just make it a practice to notice blessings and kindnesses, to think about them, and to honor them.

One reason gratitude is beneficial is because it improves relationships, - whether interpersonal or with our Creator. When we can feel and express appreciation for God's blessings or other's kindnesses, affection grows. But the personal benefits are also great; a thankful heart is a content and awed heart. Even in times and circumstances of hardship, we always have much to appreciate. When we acknowledge this, our burdens are easier to bear.

Imam Sadiq (as) wrote in Lantern of the Path, "With every breath you take, a thanksgiving is incumbent upon you, indeed, a thousand thanks or more. The lowest level of gratitude is to see that the blessing comes from Allah irrespective of the cause for it, and without the heart being attached to that cause. It consists of being satisfied with what is given; it means not disobeying Him with regard to His blessing, or opposing Him in any of His commands and prohibitions because of His blessing."

Our breathing comes without thought, and yet each breath is a blessing. The struggle for breath is an agony that we are usually spared thousands upon thousands of times without thanking for it. If the gift of breath is taken from us, we will die; breath is life. It is but one of countless examples of blessings from God we owe thanks for. At the very least, we should appreciate that it is a gift from God, be satisfied with the gift, and never use the gift of breath for anything opposing Allah swt. One could possibly say that if we truly wish to express gratitude for the gift of breath, we must never allow ourselves to purposely breathe in any haram substances and we must never use our breath to utter any lies, backbiting, or other haram speech. For even if we claim to feel gratitude, the proof of real thankfulness comes in our actions. If we are thankful for a gift, we will not be careless with it. If someone gave you a birthday present you really loved, you would use it with caution in order to protect it. Similarly, if we are truly grateful for the blessing of breath, we will use it with caution, too.

Imam Sadiq (as) continues:
"Be a grateful bondsman to Allah in every way, and you will find that Allah is a generous Lord in every way. If there were a way of worshipping Allah for His sincerest bondsman to follow more excellent than giving thanks at every instance, He would have ascribed to them the name of this worship above the rest of creation. Since there is no form of worship better than that, He has singled out this kind of worship from other kinds of worship, and has singled out those who practice this kind of worship, saying,

‎وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ

Very few of my servants are grateful. (34:13)"

Expressing thanks to God is a great form of worship, and at the minimum is part of our daily prayers. Allah swt has taught us that when we give thanks, blessings increase. Not only is this true about the blessings directly from God, but it applies for gratitude to the blessings of Allah swt that come from people as well. For example, a child who demonstrates true appreciation for Eid gifts or quality time spent with daddy inspires the giver to happily continue to give to that child, while a child who seems to take a gift for granted or does not seem to like or appreciate it may find the giver less generous in the future. God is not in need of our thanks and is not hurt in the least by our ingratitude, but gratitude enriches us immeasurably. "Allah is not in need of the obedience of His bondsmen, for He has the power to increase blessings forever. Therefore be a grateful bondsman to Allah, and in this manner you will see wonders." (Ibid.)

Even feeling and expressing gratitude is itself a merciful blessing from God.
"Complete thankfulness is to sincerely repent your inability to convey the least amount of gratitude, and expressing this by means of your sincere glorification of Allah. This is because fitting thanks is itself a blessing bestowed upon the bondsman for which he must also give thanks; it is of greater merit and of a higher state than the original blessing which caused him to respond with thanks in the first place. Therefore, every time one gives thanks one is obliged to give yet greater thanks, and so on ad infinitum, and this while absorbed in His blessings and unable to achieve the ultimate state of gratitude. For how can the bondsman match with gratitude the blessings of Allah, and when will he match his own action with Allah's while all along the bondsman is weak and has no power whatsoever, except from Allah?" (Ibid.)

The world would be a better place if we were more grateful to Allah swt and to others. Therefore, I would like to publicly thank God for His continued mercy toward me, and to thank my parents for their love. Those few words are not adequate at all, but should not be left unsaid. I invite readers to use the comments section to thank Allah swt and/or any person.

The Power of Belief

Knowing the importance of faith and being curious what science might have to say about it, I came across the book The Biology of Belief by cell biologist Dr. Bruce Lipton. While this book has some science in it, I wouldn’t say it qualifies as a science book. Rather, it is Lipton explaining a process of personal transformation of his world view. Because of that, the book came across to me as a bit egocentric until the science became the focus of the story about 50 pages in. Also, in the early pages I was mildly annoyed by references to Gaia and Mother Nature, typical leftist anthropomorphism for explaining what science alone cannot explain, a pseudo-deity of science.

However, there was some scientific content in the book with interesting possible implications. First, Lipton gradually develops some of the ideas of the currently burgeoning field of epigenetics. Epigenetics is rewriting much of the theory of evolution and ideas of heredity. Many scientists and much of the public has come to believe over time that it is our DNA that determines much about us - from eye color, whether we will get a certain type of cancer, to propensity for depression and much more. What epigenetics tells us is that DNA is only a blueprint, but it is not the brain of a cell. You can take the nucleus that contains the DNA out of a cell and it still functions just fine for quite some time. It turns out that the real brain of a cell that it can’t live without at all is the cellular membrane. The cellular membrane is essentially the nervous system of the cell that acts as its senses of what is going on internally and externally to the cell and determines how the cell will respond to its environment. This process and some others determines what parts of the DNA are read, that is, which parts of the blueprint are activated and which are not. So, in the debate between nature vs. nurture, the pendulum has swung away from nature and predetermination back to nurture - that your environment has more to do with what happens to you than long believed. Amazingly, science is showing that it isn’t just your environment day-to-day, but the environment of your parents when you were conceived and carried in the womb, and even the environment of your parents and your parents’ parents back generations that can affect your life. As a simple example, a mouse containing a gene that makes her yellow colored, diabetic and obese will have offspring that also carry that gene and have the same traits. However, if the mouse is given vitamins and methyl during her lifetime, her offspring will be dark colored, not diabetic, and normal weight, even though they still carry the gene. The vitamins of the mother prevented the gene from being activated in her children. This can be true for humans, too. What your mother was doing before you were even thought of can influence whether you end up with certain cancers or other health problems, because the actions of your parents during their lives can influence whether certain genes you carry become activated in you during your life. On a similar note, stress in your environment and response to your environment can also influence the activation of genes. In other words, how you live and how you respond to stress trumps your genetic destiny in many cases.

The second major scientific concept that Lipton addresses is quantum physics. Some ideas from quantum mechanics tell us that at the inner atomic level, matter and energy are interchangeable. In reality, matter doesn’t quite really exist, it only seems to. At the tiniest levels we can measure, matter is really just a waving of energy, a wave with no substance. Atoms are empty space with vortices of energy that sometimes behave like particles, but that is simply a manifestation of the energy. Material substance does not really seem to exist, and what’s more, the energy that makes up everything often exists in indeterminate states - only observations force them into one state or another. So, things that behave like particles often do so simply because they are being observed (measured). There is really, in one manner of thinking, no substance to you at all - you are just empty space, but perhaps because you are being measured or observed, your atoms exist in a quantum state that behaves in a way that we sense as matter. Really, though, you are energy waves, as is every known thing in the universe. Quantum physics shows that energy interactions alone can have biological effects, giving possible credence to many ideas in eastern medicines about influencing the energy fields of the body for healing. Scientific studies have shown that much of our personality is not limited to the brain alone, but is actually in all the cells in our body. For example, emotions involve total body chemistry - in essence, all of your body’s cells can be said to “feel”, or chemically respond in some way, to what we call an emotion, not just your brain.

Single-celled organisms at times work together in communities for survival, and multi-cellular organisms are many cells working together for survival of the whole, with cells taking on specialized functions just like people living in cities do. Quantum physics tells us that even without touching, everything is interconnected - every cell, every atom, is all just waving energy of the same nothingness, and the waves all interact with each other to varying degree. So what happens in one part of your body can effect another part in unexpected ways, what happens to you can effect someone else, and so on. We are really all part of the same energy, we are all one, and our energies are not confined to our bodies.

The third major scientific idea is about how the body heals itself versus how pharmaceuticals affect the body. One of the miracles of life is that the same chemicals do different things in different places. Histamine in your body activates an inflammatory response to a poison, but only at the site of the poison. Histamine in your brain increases blood flow to the nervous tissue, enhancing your thinking and processing in a time of emergency. When your body needs something, it produces it where it is needed and nowhere else. But most drugs act all over your body, not in one place only. Antihistamines used to quell allergic reactions do not only act where the poison is in your body, but everywhere, including in your brain, dulling your senses and often making you drowsy. Most of the side effects of drugs occur because of this phenomenon of acting all over your body rather than in localized regions where they are needed. This is also a major cause of death - in fact a 2003 study concluded that such drug reactions and similar medical treatment complications were the leading cause of death in the United States, with drug reactions causing 300,000 U.S. deaths per year.

But, on the flip side of this story is how often no treatment ends up being a very good treatment - the story of the placebo effect. Drugs for treating depression (and all others) go through clinical trials before being approved for the general public. In these trials, some patients typically receive a placebo, that is, a pill that contains no medicine, while others receive the medicine. This is done so that the difference between no medicine and the medicine can be properly determined. However, in every trial, some of the people receiving the placebo get better even though they got no medicine. Many often report side effects the same as those known to be associated with the medicine, too. For the depression drugs, about half the studies studies have shown that the placebos actually performed as well as the drugs in terms of people reporting feeling better! This effect does not apply to drugs only - but to all medical treatment. One doctor did a study about knee surgery for osteoarthritis pain. Some of his patients had some material cut out of the knee, others had the knee washed out, and others had opening incisions but nothing done to the knee. The patients who had nothing done to the knee but thought they had, recovered just as well as the other patients. The actual surgical procedures in this study did nothing more for the patients than for those who had nothing done to them at all. People who were immobile before the surgery a year later were playing basketball and going skiing, when all that had been done to them is that a few incisions were made on the side of the knee to simulate that surgery was going to take place.

What this tells us is that people’s beliefs and expectations can be more important than actual treatment, (but it doesn’t negate the need for medicine and doctors altogether). If a person believes a procedure will cure him, in some cases that incontrovertible belief actually causes the cure. Similarly, the doctor’s expectations can matter more than the actual treatment, as well. One example of this was of a doctor who used hypnotic suggestion to cure warts. He was very confident that his procedure would work, and it did. But then he learned that his patient that he had treated for warts all over his chest actually didn’t have warts, but had a serious genetic condition. His confidence waned, and he was unable to get identical results for the sores on the rest of the patient’s body using the exact same procedures. He was eventually able to show that it was his confidence in the outcome that affected the results.

So what does all this, taken together, suggest? It suggests that our beliefs and our thought patterns most likely determine what happens to us more than anything else. Our beliefs can manipulate our response to the environment, and it is our response to the environment that has the most to do with determining our fates. It also tells us that we are all interconnected to everything and everyone and can thus influence and be influenced by anything and anyone, perhaps in ways we do not yet grasp scientifically. It further supports the supposition that a living body is just a manifestation of energy in a particular form, but is not necessarily the seat of consciousness or soul itself. Some people see at the heart of quantum mechanics and cellular biology incontrovertible evidence of God.

And what’s more, they see evidence of the potential power of belief and certainty. For example, when someone questioned the Imam (as) about why he did not rise up at that time. Later, a companion of the Imam (as) entered, and the Imam (as) told him to go enter the fire, and he did. After a time, the furnace was opened, and the man was sitting in the fire, totally unhurt. The questioner then realized he did not have the belief necessary to do what the companion had done, and neither did most people, and this is why the Imam (as) would not rise at that time. But if we think about that companion in the scientific context above, we might suggest that his power of belief that he would not be harmed or that he should trust his Imam (as) was strong enough to protect him, just as some people are cured by belief in medical procedures every day that should do nothing for them. Similarly, we might even suggest that if someone truly could understand and manipulate the energy that constitutes all of us at a quantum level, he could make the fire harmless. Indeed, at the ultimate level, the manipulation of the nothingness that somehow waves as energy could produce matter out of nothing or transform something completely, just as Qur’an says that ‘God says, Be, and it is (Kun faya kun)’, or as the Qur’an describes many miracles of transformation such as of Musa (as)’s staff. While science does not suggest to us how such things can be accomplished, it does suggest that they are indeed possible through mechanisms obeying the “natural laws”. Science is suggesting that through belief and our response to environment, we can change what happens to us and our offspring - our health, our happiness, even perhaps our afterlives.

A Return to Modesty

Several months ago I happened upon a book title that caught my eye as I browsed online: A Return to Modesty - Discovering the Lost Virtue by Wendy Shalit. A non-Muslim young woman writing a whole book promoting modesty? I was curious what she had to say. So, I added it to my Paperbackswap.com wish list and received a copy just recently.

Shalit, writing this book nearly a decade ago now, referencing historical philosophical works, poetry and romance novels, personal experience, Jewish law, and countless stories comprising anecdotal evidence, dramatically presents a case that the sexual liberation of women (read: societal permission and encouragement for women and men to dress and behave promiscuously), rather than creating equality between the sexes, actually serves to victimize women by removing a system of modesty and honor that could protect them from wolfish men. She argues that the “independent” modern woman is really a woman who has been abandoned by her culture and family, especially her father, and left without guidance and protection in a dangerous world.

I, a Muslim woman of the West, am prepared to agree with her on many points and express a little gratitude for someone willing to make the case for modesty, but there are so many problems in her presentation that they seriously detract from her argument. The book is rife with unsupported and unfounded generalizations and conclusions. For example, a basic premise throughout the entire work is that the modesty of women and honor of men existed throughout history across time and space universally basically until the 1960’s sexual liberation movement. She operationally uses overly dramatic and generalized definitions of feminism and conservatism. Further, she fails to provide any evidence to support very strong claims that sex education in schools leads to sexual violence against girls, and that eating disorders and self-mutilation behavior of young women today is caused by girls’ inability to say “no” to boys about sex when they really want to, because they desire to please, and because their parents, rather than discouraging or prohibiting premarital sex, instead take them to Planned Parenthood to get birth control and let them go to hotels after prom with their boyfriends. Whether one wants to agree with her or not, she utterly fails to support her views.

Another major flaw of this work is that Shalit never defines modesty. It remains some vague, nebulous romantic novel ideal, but she neglects to address what actually constitutes modest dress and modest behavior. For a few pages, she brushes over the topic of different religious and cultural interpretations of modesty, such as how certain indigenous tribes that wear very little clothing still have manifestations of modesty, but she didn’t do her research well enough at least in the case of Islam, as she presents the impression that female modesty in Islam means covering the face and annihilating the physical identity of women, negating the female body. So a book supposedly all about the virtue of modesty never identifies what is modest and what isn’t. Rather, it seems the book is misnamed and isn’t so much about modesty as about sexual abstinence and innocence before marriage as the proposed solution to many of society’s ills, with “modesty” and “honor” as means to attain that goal.

The final problem with this work I want to address is that for a book about modesty, one that proposes that blushing embarrassment is a natural biological sexual morality warning signal that women (and men, too, to a lesser extent) ought not to ignore nor be encouraged to overcome, it is at times very explicit and unabashed in its language and anecdotal detail - enough to make one, well, ... blush. Whether that is truly necessary to properly support the thesis or not I’ll leave for others to decide, but it does create a dilemma. The people who are presumably the primary intended recipients of the message of Shalit’s book, the unmarried youth of teens and early adulthood, maybe should not be reading it. That means that her message is left to parents to pass to their children, if even they can get through it, or to the “already experienced” to reform themselves with, or simply that she contradicts her views that sex education promotes immorality by writing a book that does analogously the same thing - promotes modesty but is itself rather immodest. She begs the question if the only way to preserve innocence in youth is to first rob children of innocence through “education” doubly so: in her views and in writing the book itself.

Yet, the book is certainly not all bad. Much of her project is admirable and appealing, from a Muslim viewpoint. She successfully, at least in my opinion, demonstrates that men and women are indeed different and that ingraining in Western children from earliest ages that there are no differences between genders has had two disastrous effects: 1. the destruction of femininity, and 2. the cheapening of male-female relationships.

It seems every American girl these days is raised to believe that she can be anything - a doctor, a lawyer, an astronaut, a wrestler, a boxer - anything, that is, as long as she is willing to behave and be treated just like a man. The movement to deny any special respect or dignity to the feminine is so extreme that even “ladies nights” at oil-changing stations that provided special discounts for women were deemed sexist and illegal. Many men fear to hold a door open for a woman because they might be chastised. And, over time, penalties for crimes against women have become increasingly less harsh as the idea of a special feminine right to sexual honor, dignity and privacy has eroded. Rape just doesn’t seem to be such an unthinkable crime as it perhaps once was, because there is a message that women are supposed to view sex in exactly the same ways as men living by their animalistic nature (as opposed to those men who live as true human beings), being able to avoid any special emotional attachment with partners and not viewing intimacy as something sacred and special. While many women at their cores have only one desire in this arena: a single, loving, devoted lifetime mate - they are often taught that such hopes are unliberated and unrealistic. Aside from pregnancy, then, is there nothing left to woman as uniquely hers? Is a woman supposed to be nothing but a man who can give birth? Is it really so wonderful for modern woman to be expected to do everything men do, or is it instead archaic and wrong if a woman still survives today who would rather not have to deal with the construction workers or fixing the car?

And what if a man (or even woman, for that matter) would rather not be bombarded with TV commercials about feminine products? These days, the erosion of anything sacred or mysterious about women, the ideal that men and women are “equal” being interpreted to mean they are the “same”, has also taken much of the anticipation and pleasure out of male-female relationships. Some colleges are so “coed” that men and women share the same bathrooms. To many people, there is nothing sexual about boys and girls wrestling against each other as a sanctioned school sport. Teenage boys and girls going camping together, sleeping in the same tents is mundane, as is cohabitating. Seeing, knowing, and touching the opposite sex is not special, it is normal, and as a result, we become desensitized. Sadly, this means the pleasure of marriage is diminished, and we - both men and women - are robbed of something wonderful. Numerous studies have repeatedly shown that people having the greatest pleasure are those who married young and stayed married to one person only, not those who have had serial relationships or hookups, yet those same people are often looked at as out of touch.

Shalit proposes a return to modest dress, to the idea of something mysterious and honored about femininity, and to true manliness as being protecting, supporting, honoring, and loving the feminine. In that, much of what she says is entirely in line with Islamic teachings, and the teachings of her Jewish roots. She gives women the suggestion that it is okay and even natural to hold out for a man who will really respect her and commit to her, and that this feminine restraint can promote commitment and honor in men.

This is apparently a radical idea, as are modesty and restraint in general, given the hostility she has received from some in response to this message, and the hostility that women who try to live modestly are regularly subjected to. Indeed, for a hijabi or any woman who chooses to conceal something of herself, she faces outrage from some, shaming from others, and a constant affront against her right to do so - hijab bans in France, Germany, Turkey, and Tunisia, restrictions or attempts at restrictions on hijab in sports in Canada, public schools in Oregon, courts in Georgia, etc. These affronts are not just attacks on Islam or Muslims, they are attacks on the female right to control access to her body and to control her interactions with men. A woman who wants modesty is belittled as unliberated, abused, unintelligent or confused. But I’m with Wendy. I think it is the other way around.