A Reader Is A Traveler


It's another beautiful Wednesday for me on the path to becoming a scholar. I eagerly anticipate continuing my reading journey, so I visited my library to retrieve the book I'm currently engrossed in. I resumed where I left off yesterday, delving into "THE ETHICS OF DISAGREEMENT IN ISLAM" by Taha Jabir al'Alwani, starting from chapter two. In the second paragraph of this chapter, the author cited a verse that piqued my interest. Quickly, I reached for my favorite tafseer (Ibnu Katheer) as a student to delve deeper into the verse's meaning. Opening the tafseer to Quran 19:37, I read the verse but found it challenging to comprehend, mainly because there were preceding verses that provided context and elaborated on the subject. In these verses, Allah explains that Prophet Isa Alayhi Salam is "the Servant of Allah but not His son." I was initially perplexed by what led me to consult the tafseer, but my confusion dissipated as I continued reading from verse 34 of the chapter.


One crucial lesson I gleaned from this experience is that sometimes we seek profound insights, and without patience, perseverance, wide-ranging thinking, and extensive reading, we might miss what's even more significant than our initial quest.

As an aspiring scholar, I've learned from my colleagues and mentors, who possess more knowledge than I do, that to travel far in life, one must read extensively to acquire what others may lack.
Lastly, the verses I encountered in the tafseer offer a valuable piece of advice to students like myself who are interested in studying their religion and other faiths comprehensively. Seeking guidance from elders and ensuring broad reading is essential because individual differences can lead to conflicts if not understood and studied.

In Shakhy Taha Jabir's book, "The Ethics of Disagreement in Islam," he eloquently states, "Violent disagreement (ikhtilāf) and selfish, egotistic motivations (hawā) have a tendency to develop and grow larger and larger. They penetrate deep into a person's psyche, taking hold of their mind, attitudes, and feelings. Eventually, such a person loses sight of the overall, total view of things, ignoring the common, lofty goals and objectives of Islam and its basic principles. Such individuals lack vision and insight and forget the elementary requirements of Islamic behavior. They lose all sense of balance and priorities. Speech not based on knowledge becomes effortless, as do verdicts without enlightenment and practice without supporting evidence. With people like these around, accusations proliferate, people are branded as deviant and sinful, and others are declared unbelievers (Kuffar; singular: Kāfir)."
(Page 6)

I believe this advice applies to anyone engaging in arguments or discussions, regardless of their beliefs. It's essential to understand one another before engaging, and those well-versed in knowledge should study those they wish to engage with, exercising patience and empathy in the process.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tribute to Dr. Rasheed Buwaeb By: Kamoru Sodiq kamorusodiq92@gmail.com

Image
  It has been more than a week since we lost a gem. Tuesday, July 2, 2024 will forever remain a black day in the hearts and minds of lovers, children, friends, students, mentees, admirers, beneficiaries and well-wishers of Dr. Rasheed Abdul-Jabaar Salman Al-Buwaeb. History should record it in its negative book because one of our beautiful ones passed to the world beyond. Haji Buwaeb as he is fondly called by many was born to the great "Elemo Compound" in Iwo, Osun State, Nigeria. He started out as a young Islamic scholar and cut his educational (Arabic) teeth from His Eminence, Late Sheikh Abdul-Baaqi (A.B) Muhammad in Iwo. The late Sheikh A.B Muhammad is one of the foremost and respected Islamic figures in Yorubaland. Haji Buwaeb is a graduate of the prestigious Islahudeen Arabic School, Oye-Ode, Iwo and came out as one of the toppers. Due to his proficiency and gifted qualities at a tender age, he was named "Buwaeb" (which we might translate to mean do...
Read more

Golden Gloss: A Heart Of Gold Revealed by Munirah Abdulhamid

Image
A glimmer of gold in the dunes' vast expanse appeared. As I searched, the sands shifted, revealing a path unclear. With every step, and each passing moment, thoughtful reflection leads the way. Upon delving deep, I unearthed a treasure bright, and then I examined the price, to see if it gleamed with hidden worth. And so I discovered it was merely glitter in sight. A lesson learned, I realized with conviction true: not all that glitters is gold, and glitter can deceive anew. As I ventured, forlorn, into the desert's endless space, in search of ancient gold, a treasure to adorn, Sorrow's velvet cloak enveloped me in its gentle grasp. I lamented, a melancholy heart, both day and starry dawn. My spirit worn, like a tapestry, with threads of pain and age. Inspired by spiritual grounding and joyful expectation, I had eagerly awaited the chance to behold my treasured gold, to gaze upon the radiant jewel, and feast my eyes on the wondrous fortune to hold. To revel in it...
Read more

A Letter To The Newly Appointed MSSN OAU Executives by Abdulhamid Mutohhir Olanrewaju ( A final year student )

Image
Once again, the mantle of leadership has been passed on. Alhamdulillah Rabbil Alamin. We give praise and thanks to Almighty Allah for making us witness that day. We thank Him for guiding the Shurah committee, and we thank Him for His choice of leaders. For those of us who attended the programme, we would all agree that that day is a memorable one. It's not every day you see your leaders breaking down at the moment of appointment. And if there's a lesson to be learnt from that, and from the fact that Great men like Umar and Uthman cried as well, it's the fact that crying is not always a sign of weakness. Sometimes, it's a sign of inner strength. To our dear newly appointed excos, with our congratulations and prayers for Barakah comes our suggestions and advice. Of course, not all of us have been class reps, not to talk of attaining positions like an Ameer and an Ameerah, so we can't exactly tell you what to do and how to do it. However, being at the grass...
Read more