Comments on: Towards A Fiqh Al Nisa (Legal Framework on Women’s Issues)

By: M. Bakri Musa

M. Bakri Musa — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 16:48:06 +0000

Dear Stephen and Al Jihad:

Thank you for taking your time to comment on my essay.

To me, the beauty of Islam is precisely this lack of a central authority a la the Pope or a formal clergy class to decide for us; we are to use our own judgment. There is a beautiful verse in the Quran to the effect (approximately translated) that on the Day of Judgement, we would be judged soley on our deeds, and we cannot excuse them based on the fact that we were following this ulama or that scholar. Yes, we should learn and seek enlightenment from them, but ultimately we all have to make our own decision. In short, there is no “good German!” defence for Muslims!

Islam is akin to modern medicine. You seek advice and second opinions from all the specialists, and they all have their expert views, but in the end you as the patient have to choose what is best for you using those opinions as your guide. You cannot and should not absovle yourself of that ultimate responsibility.

My examples of female infanticide and wife burning were meant to be illustrative examples, not an exhaustive list of misogynist practices of the various cultures, religions, and traditions.

Again, thank you for your comments.

M. Bakri Musa

By: Al Jihad 2

Al Jihad 2 — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 08:19:59 +0000

Steven, you brought up a very pertinent question. Who has the final authoritative power to interpret the Quran and formulate figh? Honestly, there is none. That is way Islam is in such a fix not knowing whether to go forward or backward. In fact, the word ulamak is so ambigious as anyone who has a good grounding in the religion can claim himself to be one. And if he or she is real good (can recite the Quran blindfolded) rest assured he/she will have a following. The muftis in the states are supposed to advise the sultans on religious matters but most of the time they are involved in their own intrigues by sucking up to the Mentri Besar for favours so as to remain relevant in their post. This is the sad state of affairs in Malaysia.

By: Stephen Voon

Stephen Voon — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 07:44:02 +0000

As usual, your article made fascinating reading and reflected a thoroughly balanced pen-manship. There are just a couple of points that require clarification. Firstly, you mentioned “the Muslim world has been spared such gruesome practices as wife burning (satee) and female infanticide”. I recall that muslim women in Africa and also in Pakistan and Bangladesh go through genital mutilation as well as documented cases from Amnesty International about women being stoned in Saudi Arabia, Iran and other muslim countries. Wife burning and infanticide were more cultural than religious but stoning and genital mutilation have their basis strictly from the Hadith and protected by various clerics and ulamaks. Secondly, with all respect to enlightened muslim leaders like Abdullahi An Naim, Syafiq Hasyim and yourself, how much authoritative weight does your scholastic opinions carry? The Catholics have the Pope and the Vatican as the final arbiter. The global community is under the watchful eyes of the United Nations. Even muslim apostates, the Bahais, have a international governing council, the Universal House of Justice to set out final doctrine. At the end of the day, with so many acclaimed religious clerics in the Islamic world, who has the final authoritative power to interpret the Quran and formulate figh? Again, thank you for your fearless and incisive journalism.

By: Towards A Fiqh Al Nisa (Legal Framework on Women’s Issues) - Web Directory

Towards A Fiqh Al Nisa (Legal Framework on Women’s Issues) - Web Directory — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 18:20:20 +0000

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