Open dialogue on 31st May from 9pm to 10pm (GMT+1)

My dear Professor,

Assalamu alaikom wa rahmat Allah wa barakatoh. I hope you are well and I pray that Allah lightens your path always and protects you with His grace… (this is part of my du’aa every day at Fajr 🙂 )

I have a question that has caused a bit of conflict inside me… It is with regards to not having a binary vision of this Us against Them’ mentality of Islam Vs the West’ as many Muslims tend to have nowadays. When considering the reformation of our Ummah from WITHIN, people, from within, come up to me daily and ask me things like ok we hear what you’re saying about not having this victim mentality and we try and we try and we try to maintain it and open up our minds but when you see what is happening to our people day in day out in this obvious war against us, how do you NOT have this mentality? If it is not a war against us, then what other explanation do you have for all of this happening?’ I’ve managed to get by with giving different answers depending on the situation and on the person asking and befadl Allah it has worked in that I’ve managed to convince people to keep their faith in Allah high, to not fall into any obvious traps and to continue to strive towards making a better person of themselves in every aspect of their lives (la yoghayar Allahu qawman hatta yoghayero ma be’anfosahom), but I am sure that you have been put in this position many times so ISA you will be able to give me the best answer.

Wa jazak Alah kol kheir – rabina yekremak ISA.

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Tariq Ramadan May 31, 2006 à 10:12 pm

Salam ‘alaykum wa rahmatuLLah wa barakatuhu,

Thank you for your prayers and du’â

Your response is already the good one, al-hamduliLLah.

It is important to remeber that death and life are, per se, a test as it is revealed in the Qur’an. A test must never transform you into a victim but instead into a “subject” aware of her/hir responsibilities and rights… No victim mentality, but only a deep sense of dignity nurtured by spiritual initiation and teachings. That is our life before God.

So if you are insulted, rejected, oppressed and even under threat… your behaviour should not me influenced by “their” behaviour but by your principle. Even though they forget that we are sisters and brothers in humanity , that justice is an imperative and forgivness an ideal… you should stick to them. Some want to become your teacher out of their domination … become their teacher out of your patience, forgiveness and committment.

They say ” you”, respond “us”… they call for war, call for peace. They forget, remind them. It is our role to create a new “us”, to reconcile without compromise. in shâ ar-Rahmân.

By the way “ISA” … is not good. Write the whole words, it takes time but it is a good reminder… in shâ al-Karîm.

Salaamon Alaykom Professor Ramadan,
I am human rights student and am so interested to learn about the question that whether the concept of human rights is universal or we should consider cultural relativism in this case, due to the fact that we believe in Islam.May I have your opinion.
We really looking foreward seeing you in our university (UBC,Vancouver)
With best regards.shiva olyaei

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Tariq Ramadan May 31, 2006 à 10:18 pm

Salam ‘alaykum,

I am just coming back from a lecture in Istanbul about Human rights and possible new perspectives.

We do not have problem with universal human rights and we must promote them and ask for their protection.

We may be interesting contributors in that field by adding the dimension of “responsibilities” as we promote the concept of “vice-gerency”. It is important to remember our duties towards the Creation, Nature, animals as well as tomwards our fellow human beings. It is not mutual exclusive, it is a complementary process. We need to build a clear understanding of what Islamic ethics is all about. Wa Allahu a’lam.

I hope that very soon I will be able to pay you a visit in Vancouver. Quite far but nice city. May the One protect you

Since i have full trust and belief on you on matters Islamic and the modern interpretation( rereading of text), i have few questions to clarify from you,they are as follows:
1.Few thinkers like Asma Barlas, Aziza al Hibri, Riffat Hassan etc argues that head covering is not required at present time, though few verses very clear on this subject, your comment
2.On riba and bank interest, though the islamic banking is becoming very popular among certain section, many scholar like Ashgar Ali Engineer views differently, that is, bank interest is ok, your comment
3.On Jews, muslims blame all their tragedies on Jews and they say that Allah and his Prophet has told that they can not be trusted and can not be friend, your comment
4.On halal meat, few of my Egyptian friends told me that they even used to break their Ramadan fast with McDonalds(meet burger) in Mosque in USA with Imam present, your comment

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Tariq Ramadan May 31, 2006 à 10:36 pm

Salam ‘alaykum,
Thank you for your trust. I pray God not to mislead you with my answers. Amîn.

1. You won’t find one reliable scholar – before colonisation – who had said that the headscarf is not an Islamic prescription. Those who are saying that the Quranic verses are not clear and want to avoid referring to the ahâdîth are not relying on a consistent methodology : we have to rely on the ahâdîth to know how to pray and they do not discuss the reliance on ahâdîth on this matter while they refuse it on the “khimâr” issue. What we have to say is that it is an Islamic obligation but it cannot be imposed on anyone. We must stick to the principle of freedom : it is against Islam to impose on a woman to wear the headscarf, it is agains human rights to impose onto her to take it off.

2. Bank interest are ribâ and the consensus in total among the scholars. When money is making money with nothing (no risk, no trade) in return… it is ribâ and usury. We do not make the difference as it is done by specialists in the financial or econimic fields. Muslims must find solutions, ethical solutions, and stop playing with words and techniques.

3. Antisemitism is absolutely prohibited by the Islamic teachings. We must condemn it and act against it. To criticize the Israeli government is not antisemitism as to criticize the Saudi government is not islamophobia.

4. They are following one of the accepted fatwa saying that the meat of ahl al-kitâb is halâl. So they say the basmala (bismiLLah ar-Rahmân ar-Rahîm) on the meat and eat. This opinion exists and is accepted. If you can eat from the meat produced and sold by Muslim butchers is preferable anyway. And, please, please, avoid MacDonalds for God’s sake… the philosophy of this all fastfood business is against our values and against the slightest sense of good taste.

Wa Allahu ‘alam.

What’s the difference between ‘Dar-al-harb’ and ‘Dar-aschahada’?

Mona, Germany

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Tariq Ramadan May 31, 2006 à 10:43 pm

Salam ‘alaykum,

Thank you for your question. “Dâr al-harb” is an old concept produced by Muslim scholar to define a space where Muslims were not safe or where they were in monirity or where the rules or the power were not under a Muslim authority. This was understanble during the Middle Ages… today practising or committed Muslims may be in safer places in the West than under autocratic government in the Islamic majority countries.

Our situation has changed and I proposed to rethink the concept and to speak of the West – and even the world- as a global abode of testimony where every Muslim must strive to bear witness to her/his message before people (her/his fellow citizens in the West) as we find in the Qur’an : li takûnû shuhadâ’ ‘alâ an-nâs. The witness is at home in the West and not in a space of war and the world is not longer to be considered through the reality of two distinguished and opposed universes.

Wa Allahu a’lam

“God asks each conscience: who are you? What is the meaning of your life? Where are you going? Accepting the risk of such an exile, trusting the One, is to answer: through You, I return to myself and I am free”.

Dear Tariq,

I was at the conference held in Como on 27 May 2006. I had to leave immediately after, so I missed the chance to talk to you personally, which I truly regret. I visited your web site and read your piece “Exile:meaning and teachings”. I would share some comments with you.

God is knocking at our conscience with these questions (who are you? What is the meaning of your life? Where are you going?) every minute and the great point is how the answers to them develop through our conscience and thus how they become living practice.

Who am I? I am one with my Father who is the Father of everybody. So everybody and every creature are to me brothers and sisters in God.

Once we recognize that, it has still to become true and take form in our lives. Shaping life (thoughts, feelings, words and actions) coherently: this is the unique task we do have. This calls God back to us hundred, thousand times and make us closer and closer to Him and to each other.

When we accept God in our heart, in our being, we are leaving our exile forever…

Our present “forever” is in that time and space where time and space dissolve into eternity where we were and are One in Him.

Coherence to Him and to us is a point! Investigate every centimetre and millimetre of our conscience to purify everything that is not going to please Him. We do not need too many rules in order to do that.

The worst that may happen with rules and with ourselves in general is their/our becoming poor, empty habits. In order to recognize when and how we are tricking ourselves with those rules having become our “false” thoughts, actions, feelings etc. we should recall the deepest Seriousness we can, for God sake!!
The question is: “Am I true?”
Attempts are positive things and God is merciful, but facts remain facts. Seriousness asks us to recognize ourselves and leave space to Him, by giving up our ego. I believe that the real point is for most of us that sometimes we just do not see where we are, and how we can change. In order to deal with our “limited” ego, who is distorting principles and our views – which might be in part even unknown to ourselves – we absolutely need His aid and being humble enough to admit the possibility that this might still be, just remnants of ego and leave that to Him, in order to have Him transform and show us how to make this happen.

Being happy in putting rules in practise is what we should also achieve, in order not to loose the true communication with Him. Sometimes we just need to be inspired with creativeness in order to overcome bad things and transform evil into Good.

For example, if I meet a person who does not like me or if I happen not to like a person, I should ask myself why, what there is behind. If I ask God and if I am serious enough to recognize His help I shall see that in the other I just saw myself, or something I just fear. In His answer I may experience myself in this or that moment of my life when I was/am bad or when I fear something or I feel not self confident enough to undertake changes or anything else. By so doing I may get a truer vision and “work” in order to correct and improve my behaviour. That person and my thinking of his/her in that way were my false thinking… and I can now transform it in a chance of becoming better, for example more generous, or more skilled in my job, overcoming fear. Nothing into us has to remain unsolved.

What I truly love is the enchanting “miracle” we may experience using the intelligence we are endowed with, in order to decode life and ourselves, making things work. When feelings and thoughts are full of light and understanding, instead of judgement you have pure comprehension.

The form (word, action, etc.) shall never be deprived of the meaning. And the meaning is the Ethical Behaviour: its supreme manifestation is also aesthetically meaningful to eyes that see.

Sincerely,
Letizia

[email protected]

Répondre

“God asks each conscience : who are you ? What is the meaning of your life ? Where are you going ? Accepting the risk of such an exile, trusting the One, is to answer : through You, I return to myself and I am free”.

Dear Tariq,

I was at the conference held in Como on 27 May 2006. I had to leave immediately after, so I missed the chance to talk to you personally, which I truly regret. I visited your web site and read your piece “Exile :meaning and teachings”. I would share some comments with you.

God is knocking at our conscience with these questions (who are you ? What is the meaning of your life ? Where are you going ?) every minute and the great point is how the answers to them develop through our conscience and thus how they become living practice.

Who am I ? I am one with my Father who is the Father of everybody. So everybody and every creature are to me brothers and sisters in God.

Once we recognize that, it has still to become true and take form in our lives. Shaping life (thoughts, feelings, words and actions) coherently : this is the unique task we do have. This calls God back to us hundred, thousand times and make us closer and closer to Him and to each other.

When we accept God in our heart, in our being, we are leaving our exile forever…

Our present “forever” is in that time and space where time and space dissolve into eternity where we were and are One in Him.

Coherence to Him and to us is a point ! Investigate every centimetre and millimetre of our conscience to purify everything that is not going to please Him. We do not need too many rules in order to do that.

The worst that may happen with rules and with ourselves in general is their/our becoming poor, empty habits. In order to recognize when and how we are tricking ourselves with those rules having become our “false” thoughts, actions, feelings etc. we should recall the deepest Seriousness we can, for God sake !! The question is : “Am I true ?” Attempts are positive things and God is merciful, but facts remain facts. Seriousness asks us to recognize ourselves and leave space to Him, by giving up our ego. I believe that the real point is for most of us that sometimes we just do not see where we are, and how we can change. In order to deal with our “limited” ego, who is distorting principles and our views – which might be in part even unknown to ourselves – we absolutely need His aid and being humble enough to admit the possibility that this might still be, just remnants of ego and leave that to Him, in order to have Him transform and show us how to make this happen.

Being happy in putting rules in practise is what we should also achieve, in order not to loose the true communication with Him. Sometimes we just need to be inspired with creativeness in order to overcome bad things and transform evil into Good.

For example, if I meet a person who does not like me or if I happen not to like a person, I should ask myself why, what there is behind. If I ask God and if I am serious enough to recognize His help I shall see that in the other I just saw myself, or something I just fear. In His answer I may experience myself in this or that moment of my life when I was/am bad or when I fear something or I feel not self confident enough to undertake changes or anything else. By so doing I may get a truer vision and “work” in order to correct and improve my behaviour. That person and my thinking of his/her in that way were my false thinking… and I can now transform it in a chance of becoming better, for example more generous, or more skilled in my job, overcoming fear. Nothing into us has to remain unsolved.

What I truly love is the enchanting “miracle” we may experience using the intelligence we are endowed with, in order to decode life and ourselves, making things work. When feelings and thoughts are full of light and understanding, instead of judgement you have pure comprehension.

The form (word, action, etc.) shall never be deprived of the meaning. And the meaning is the Ethical Behaviour : its supreme manifestation is also aesthetically meaningful to eyes that see.

Sincerely, Letizia