Re: Insult of Islam is Muslims
WASK USR..., I again emphasize that Quran and Sunnah may seem straight forward (and to certain extent it is) but cannot be understood just by reading it. We don't read medical books and become a medical doctor. We go to schools and have teachers make us understand. Why such a resistance towards learning a Tafseer from a scholar. Today we have so many sects in Islam because someone, somewhere refused to learn it from a scholar of his time and insist on self learning, reulting in finding his own meanings of shariah and created a new sect. BTW, all those people were sincere (as mentoined by USRes.. " I think any of us who have sincerely tried to read and understand the Quran, Sirah and Sunnah realize religion is no mystery or difficult to understand") in their efforts but end up in dividing the ummah in more sects.
And with all due respect to hypnotix... is that not what quran says in second sura, 2nd and 3rd verse that "this is the book of guidance for those ..... (who) believe in the unseen .... (blind faith, isn't it). That is what I meant by "you belive first and learn later". Your guidance from Quran will not come if you dont have a faith (on unseen) first.
This is where I differ. It depends on what it is you are trying to ascertain. Islam is not a science, which requires experimentation or research oriented development as opposed to what is taught in schools, colleges and universities. This is the wrong parable for understanding Islam.
If I say Islam says pray to Allah SWT, what is so complicated about it that requires a scholar to teach you when you can learn how to pray just by reading the correct literature. If I say be honest, what is so complicated about it. The things that are complicated are when human interactions are involved and administrative tasks need to be setup and followed and quite frankly, Islam teaches us the principles we need to embody in those systems such as Zakat, witness testimonies etc and give high level guidelines on their purpose and practice. The rest depends on circumstance and your own wisdom, something scholars cannot teach you in a loose sense.
Its interesting that all sects are led and created by scholars not commoners. What is the sense of having read a tafsir if you need a scholar to teach it to you. The tafsir is supposed to be an explanation itself, if you need a scholar to give further explanation of an explanation then it is not a very good tafsir is it.
Most the sects are created by carrying out their political agendas for most part. Almost every sect I know of had a political motive that needed fulfilled if not fame or power, it was less of religion by itself.
I would be curious to see an example for which scholars are needed even when the literature for it is available.