Project Jihad

al-Hasan al-Basri

Originally found on: poeticislam

Why do there seem to be exaggerated debates and laws regarding how a woman should or should not dress? I understand the apprehensiveness that people may suffer from when they observe a fully covered, ghostly woman walk by (in the niqab, or complete veiling of face). Especially due to terrorism precautions, for all anyone knows there could be a man behind the veil. The necessity of facial identity is absolutely essential, chiefly in the west for if there is no facial recognition than one of the reigning individuals of the Most Wanted catalog could be the veiled “woman” sitting next to you on the bus. Muslims must be considerate to the changing dynamics of society due to terrorists and criminals, not to mention most of whom claim affiliation (however incorrectly) to Islam. Hence, abolition of the face veil makes complete sense; nevertheless, a ban on the hijab is outrageous! 

Islam, by Arabic definition means the “submission to God”. Muslim by Arabic definition is one who has “surrendered or submitted to God”. Either one submits or one doesn’t, there is no middle grounds. In contemporary rhetoric too often will you hear the terms “Radical Islam”, “Conservative Muslim”, “Moderate Islam”, or “Modern Muslim”. First and foremost, it is absolutely crucial to realize that these terms have no significance within the boundaries of Islam.  Essentially, you are a Muslim- without any additions of descriptive designations that limit or create a new category within Islam- or you are not Muslim. Incorporating terms such as the ones mentioned is creating an allusion that Islam has 3 facets, one  ”entree” to cater to the conservatives, and one each for the moderate and extreme. 

Truth is, Islam has only ONE FACET! There is ONE form of Islam, how you approach the liturgical text is what creates the diverse sects, however the rudiments remain the same. Terminology is imperative and it is just this lack of knowledge that has created a void between reality and false claims regarding Islam. The term “Radical Islam” is inherently inaccurate, because no aspect of Islam condones the actions of those factions that are labeled as such. Where force was not applied upon non-Muslims in the time of the Prophet Muhammad, the Golden age of the first four Caliphs, and majority of the subsequent dynasties- then how could it be permitted today? 

One simple explanation; misinterpretation. Whether we attribute actions of terrorists to political objectives, personal, or pure criminal- terror has no religion, terror is its own religion. 

Why then do such events occur you may ask? Whereby the fundamental human rights of individuals are violated on the basis of creed? Well, take into consideration where these violations are occurring. You can rest assured, that those regions probably witness numerous other violations. In essence, the cause of such violations is a result of lack of education; in which contrary to popular knowledge, the most paramount deficiency is the amount of knowledge that Muslims have about Islam. 

Islam, upon its advent, was a progressive, modern, and a proponent of the quest for knowledge (other than religious). Unfortunately for “Islamic nations”, the religion is taught “religiously” and not historically- which is the root of the issue. In madrassa’s or in general public schools in an Islamic state, Islam is taught as bullet-points of the most essential periods of Islamic history….when the Prophet was born, when he passed, the dates of the battles, which battle did the angels help in etc. Upon research one will find that Islam in its truest form only existed briefly, which was during the entire life of the Prophet. After his death, Islam has been divided among three main contributing factors: theory, discourse, and practice. The theory of Islam has always remained the same from the the religions birth, however, the discourse and practice have not only constantly changed but have also remained at a distance. The discourse has been channeled and motivated by the rulers of each given time, and hence one notices the difference in the implementation of Islamic law. Because each ruler came with a different agenda, and gave precedents to the aspect of Islam that favored his preferences. 

Conclusively, Islam as we know it today is 1432 years away from its true and original spirit. It isn’t moderate, radical, or conservation…it is simply Islam. 

Let the woman be. Allow for her to freely dress as she pleases. Be it a bikini or Burqa, let her be free to decide. 

Lyricist: S. M. Sadiq

"Let me offer a prayer (salah) of the Lover, Then you may inform me of the shari’a”

This punjabi qawwali that incorporates works of Bulleh Shah, is a Sufi devotional piece that  carries the inner, baatin, on the outer, zahir. The pinnacle, that is often misplaced, of the lyrical is giving precedence to the meaning, or intentions of ones actions as a devotee, servant of God, or believer. The question posed is, what use is your ritual prayer during which your heart and mind lay elsewhere? Sadiq’s collaboration with Bulleh Shah explains how rules or laws are to be followed by holding to mind the meaning and soul of it. For instance, the main lyric refers to God as ones Lover- adding the ingredient of love to ones daily prayers and subtracting the monotonous, meaningless, robotic, ritual aspect of what our devotion to God has come to being. Most of us have lost our path in expectorating Islamic law’s i.e. correcting one another on prayer positions, where the hands should be, how the head must be covered, if a woman’s single strand of hair shows her salah is invalidated, or if she wears nail polish etc. Having become raptured by the laws (form), we robotically perform our daily prayers as a law, a rule, because Allah has commanded so. While we fail to grasp the core, or meaning of the command- to pray 5 times, to remember Him and become reminded, for gratitude and humility, and most importantly, for love! We reserve love for our lovers, friends and families, what about love for Him? What is the value of your prayer when you pray because it is a commandment, in collation with when you pray because you love. Only He is worthy to be loved, He is Love, the Lover, the Loved, the sole King and Ruler of every heart. 

Without form* the meaning cannot exist, and without meaning* the form remains hollow. 

*Form- zahir, shari’a, law, outer, rule, command, the form of prayer

*Meaning- baatin, love, core, essence, inner

The exegesis of only a single verse being so extensive, envisage and relish the extent of this qawwali’s depths. 

"A picture says a thousand words", indeed. Do any of these images even begin to denote the true meaning of "Jihad"? Blood, ammunition, carnage, hate, fire…