i think one of the reasons why muslims are in the current sad state is an overwhelming reliance on ulemaa.
i come from a village in pakistan, and i have seen this first hand. People rely on the religious leaders for the most basic of islamic practices. For example, ppl need a molvi/hafiz etc for janaza prayer, imamat in the mosque, nikah, and aisaal-e-sawaab for the dead to name but a few.
This was in no way confined to the village though. The masses are so ignorant of the teachings of islam, that they believe wotever somone tells them to be islam and as a result the religion as a whole gets a bad name.
What do u educated folk think about this?
In grade school, you need a teacher to teach you arithematic too, right? Its basic, yes, but someone's gotta do it. That someone better be trained to do that as well.
^ i agree with the teaching part, but once u have learned the arithematic u can at least do some basic problems urself.
i m in no way trying to say that there is absolutely no need of the ulemaa. but relying on them for every minute detail is akin to not using ur brain while Allah repeatedly tells belivers to think and ponder.
Of course we can do basic problems ourselves. But if I can solve advanced calculus problems on my own without needing a teacher any more doesn't mean you can do that too. (Bad example I know, since I don't know calculus, but) point is what may be "basic" for you may not be so basic for another person, hence the need for a teacher.
But we rely on doctors for medical advice and lawyers for legal advice, so why not relying on ulema for spiritual advice? I came from a city but even there we relied on maulvis for nikaahs to nimaaz-e-janaza. Are you saying that our maulvis themselves are ignorant?
i thought i was clear in my previous post that i m not against a teacher. One should at least try to do the basic problems and then if one can't get em, then go to the teacher to help u. If one runs to the teacher everytime and on top of that asks the teacher to do the whole thing, then he/she will never learn.
And I think my point was that what is considered as "basic" may vary from a person to person.
If your point was about the overwhelming number of so-called "ulema" or "maulvis", especially in rural areas, whose own qualifications are dubious and limited and who attempt to teach others about Islam, I think you may have a good point. But when you say why do people go to an aalim to ask so-called basic questions, the answer is definitely not one-size-fits-all. It depends on the education level of the person asking the question and the complexity or perceived complexity of the answer.
People who dont rely on Ulema, are for sure to be misguiaded, anything done without the supervision of the experts, will lead you astray.
Prophet s.a.w said Ulemas are the inheretors of my Knowledge.
Most of the new fitnas today we see, occur when people move away from the experts and start following their own so called research and personal whims.
don't even compare these so-called ulemaas to doctors and laywers. There are laws that hang over the heads of doctors and lawyers, not to mention mass social persecution if they are irreponsible with their practice. Who's governing the ulemaas? Its assumed they govern themselves because they are gurus in their knowledge of Islam.
You stop regulating doctors, and there will be more fraud and scams. Likewise, don't regulate the ulemaas, and anyone with a penchant for telling others what to do with their lives, and maintaining unIslamic cultural status quo (ex. male-dominated society, jihaadi mentality, anything testosterone related) will come out and offer their religious advice to anyone willing to listen.
we have to be able to seperate real ulemas from the political goons, and the elementry school fail village mullahs. I have sat in the company of real scholars and man they can just be so enlightening...anyone who has had the benefit of learning from a real aalim will tell u that.
sadly we have too many jahil mullahs and too many power hungry verly politial hacks whose knowledge is zro when u sctatch the surface and they parrot everything thier similarly psychotic teachers.
PyariCgudia, I have a confession to make, I love reading what you write. Now, enough with my little romance...back to this stupid ulima business.
Scrap their funding. Bulldoze their schools. Burn their home made pulpits and turn them into god-fearing beggars. Give them five rupees to shut up when they offer prayers. You know they'll still come back for more.
As the state crumbled, the ulima rose to save us from some apocalyptic doom. They were never anything more than political tools. We've stepped in deep ****, and most of us cant smell it. Run for your life, and while you're at it, raise em a one finger salute.
Pakistan, if you're listening - secularize. Please. It'll make me a better muslim.
i come from a village in pakistan, and i have seen this first hand. People rely on the religious leaders for the most basic of islamic practices. For example, ppl need a molvi/hafiz etc for janaza prayer, imamat in the mosque, nikah, and aisaal-e-sawaab for the dead to name but a few.
This was in no way confined to the village though. The masses are so ignorant of the teachings of islam, that they believe wotever somone tells them to be islam and as a result the religion as a whole gets a bad name.
What do u educated folk think about this?
Actually it is bcz of modern people who thinks that Islam leads us towards the Past and we are so modern and want to have Development?
** Actually it,s the Law of Allah that I will success Who will follow Islam and I think today all the people even having a clear knowlegde of Islam are not Following Islam
** That is why and that is the Reason of bad name that Islam is v.GOOD Religion but when ppl see that what do the Islamic ppl They get frustated