In the majority of Muslim families, one issue that is emphasized and enforced very strictly is the blind faith. Its enforcement starts from the early childhood and continues to the rest of the life. In a Muslim family almost all persons involved from any aspect and at any stage in the growth of a Muslim child including parents, relatives, Islamic school teacher to the Imam of the mosque, teach and preach strongly to ensure that the notion of blindly following the religion should be permanently stamped into child’s mind. Some argue that the word “faith” or “Eman” implies that it should be followed blindly. Blind faith is an ideology that whatever is presented as a part of the faith must be followed without asking the reason, logic or rationale. Questioning any part of the faith is on one side, even a question about its rationality is strictly forbidden. In some cases even thinking about the logic or reason is considered to be a sin and devil’s thought.
This issue of blind following does not stop at the faith level. It is almost equally enforced in all aspects of life related to Islam and even goes beyond to the Muslim history. That is, whatever is present today as Islamic faith, Islamic way of life or even Muslim history, we have to accept it blindly without any argument. Many issues related to Islam from laws, rules, instructions and daily life had been defined and written in the thick manuals of Shariah more than a thousand years ago. A big portion of Shariah is comprised of Fiqha which are the laws and rules described as being prepared in accordance with Quran and Hadith. Now the situation is that we are forced to obey every thing in Shariah (including the Fiqha), blindly without asking a question.
Any Muslim, especially young Muslims growing up in the West who are generally more open minded and reasonable, when ask questions about fundamentals of Islam based on logic or reasoning, usually receive a very strong response from parents, religious teacher or Imam that do not ask questions. Their main argument usually is that, this is what has been taught to us, we are following it and you should follow it without questions and arguments. As a result, either these young Muslims follow the instructions and stop questioning and become fundamentalists or they move themselves away from Islam.
So the big question is does Islam based on blind faith, does Islam forbids questioning and arguments? Do we have to follow what our forefathers were following, blindly without asking a question? The source that can provide the answers to these questions is the Quran.
In the present day practice, even questioning or arguing any act of Fiqha, which was written long after Prophet Mohammad’s death and which is not the divine message, is strictly forbid and is considered as an act of rebellion against Islam. Now imagine what would be the situation if someone argues about the reason or rationale for the laws, rules and other instructions given in the Quranic verses. In the present day circumstances, this person would probably be declared apostate for being asking the rationale or logic behind Quranic verses and hence deserves lynching. Some extremists may take this issue to a point as a challenge to Allah. Now read what Quran says about the blind faith. It describes one of the qualities of Momins as,
“And those who when they are reminded of the revelations of their Sustainer, they do not fall on them deaf and blind” (25:73)
That is, the Momins are those who do not even accept and follow Allah’s divine message blindly but they accept it based on logic and reason. This is the standard set by the Quran. It means that even Quran does not demand its followers to accept its verses blindly and therefore, there is no reason to accept Hadith and Fiqah blindly.
The reason for not following the Quran’s message blindly is very clear if you think from logical aspect. A firm belief on any law or principle would only be achieved if you know the logic behind its implementation and the possible consequences of obeying or disobeying it, on an individual level as well as collectively at the level of society. If you are forced to obey a law without knowing the rationale and its consequences, without being convinced, you will not have a firm belief or trust on that law and you will obey it under compulsion. Quran declared, “There is no compulsion in Islam” (2:256). No one can force anyone to obey Islam.
A person follows Islam after understanding the benefit of Islam based on the logic and reasoning provided by the Quran for its principles. That is why, throughout the Quran it has been emphasized to accept it based on logic and reason without blind acceptance. There are several verses in the Quran that have put significant emphasis on understanding Allah’s message and other signs in nature that clarify Allah’s message and its rationale. It declares those who do not think and understand, and just follow instructions blindly are even worse than animals.
“And most certainly have We destined for hell many of the Jinn and humans who have hearts but do not use it to think, and eyes but do not use them to see, and ears but do not use them to hear. They are like cattle – nay, they are even less conscious” (7:179).
“Means of insight have now come unto you from your Sustainer. Whoever, therefore, chooses to see, does so for his own good; and whoever chooses to remain blind, does so to his own hurt” (6:104).
Quran nullifies the argument that one should follow a path blindly because it is the same path followed by their forefathers
And if they are told: “Follow what Allah has sent down,” they say: “No, we will follow what we found our fathers doing!” What if their fathers did not comprehend anything and were not guided? (2:170). Also see 2/170-171, 5/104, 31/21-22, 34/43, 43/21-24).
It is irony that these same arguments that kuffar used at the time of Prophet Muhammad are now used by our religious class, which was nullified by the Quran.
While there is a general consensus on Quran being preserved from the time of Prophet, no such consensus or evidence is available for Hadiths. All six books of Hadiths considered as the most authentic or “Sihah-e-Sittah” were written within a period of approximately 50 years, more than 200 years after Prophet’s death. All Hadiths documented in these books are purely based on oral narrations. The Fiqah comes even at a later stage. Our situation today is that the religious aspects of our lives are based on Hadith and Fiqah. These are two sources we refer to when we look for an answer to religious issues. Even when you take the issue to a Mullah, he provides you the answer based on these two sources. Quran seldom comes into the picture as the guiding source.
Blindly following something that is presented as Islam through generations and based on this blind faith, believing that we are on the right path is not enough to prevent one from the Hell. Living on an assumption that whatever conveyed to us as Islam is right without confirming it from the Quran, is not a valid excuse from Allah’s punishment. Quran has a clear verdict on it.
And whoever turns away from the remembrance of the Almighty, We appoint a devil to be his associate. And they hinder from the path, but they think they are guided. Until he comes to Us, he will say, “Oh, I wish that between you and me was the distance of the two easts. What a miserable associate!” It would not benefit you this Day, for you have transgressed; you are partners in the retribution. Can you make the deaf hear, or can you guide the blind and those who are far astray? (43:36-40).
Read carefully the underlined text. It is the responsibility of every single person who claims to be a Muslim to verify from Quran whether he/she is following the right path provided in the Quran. Living under a self-delusion as being guided has no validity.
The jurisprudence of Muslim Shariah does not give the right to challenge the verdict of those who it declares as authority, on rational and logical basis. As a result, the life of a common Muslim is held hostage at the mercy of Mullah who himself is a blind follower of his forefather’s religion and an arch enemy of thinking and reasoning. It is important to note that questioning something does not imply its denial but rather an attempt to seek the truth. Thinking is like a flow of stream that navigates through ups and downs, interacts with different landscapes and finds its way to move forward while maintaining its freshness. Thinking brings fresh ideas through curiosity and provides tools to safely navigate through the uncharted waters of the changing world.
The forbiddance of thinking in the Muslim world has confined the supposed to be flowing stream of curiosity, rationality and logic into a pool of stagnant water that being in that state for more than a millennium has become filthy and stinky. Such stinky pool only produces hate, brutality, narcissism and irrationality. Any fresh water added to this pool eventually becomes filthy and stinky. It is time now to break the barriers and let the water start flowing again. It is time now to open the debate on religion and let new ideas and fresh interpretations flow into the domain of the religion that will assist in the integration and adaptation of Islam into the changing modern world.
Author: Kamran Siddiqui
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