Re: Greatest Scholar Javed Ghamdi : Salute
Peace Brother,
I understand your & Crescent points, but neither normal Muslim's have enough time, brain & will power to start going to the roots of Arabic language.
One question arose from this discussion, what will we call today's Islam then, because it is all translation & translation (ex. as i provide 17 different interpertation of one word), maybe if we go back to the roots, it will be totally something else. Its better to leave something, where it is right now.
Peace firenze
Precisely the question I asked myself. It is quite straight forward. Tafsir is essential but not for us ... for scholars. We as laymen approach shcolars of repute and solid tradition. This will help mitigate the risks in being wrong and will help shift some of the burden on those who have been chosen to lead us in such matters.
In their circles scholars will be looking in to many tafsir and they will look into the adab of the language, they will look at the sira of the verses revealed and they will look at how those verses were taken and implemented.
Some scholars will select the stringent interpretations others may select the less stringent ones, and other scholars further will apply both in different settings according to the maturity of the scoiety they have appointment over.
According to many scholars wajib for example is like a fard in that if it is not done then sin is gained for that. The covering of the face is not therefore accepted as wajib, because of the instance in the ihram for women. However, some scholars have gone further to say although the face cannot be touching cloth, it can still be covered, so some women are made to wear beaks over which the veil sits. This is an interpretation based on the reconciliation of niqab and ihram, but other scholars do not go to this extent.
Today's Islam although it resides as translation and interpretation it does not remove the need for us to learn Arabic at least to be able to recite it for prayer. Meaning and depth do come in time and they aught to. Some scholars do consider the learning of Arabic a necessary, because it leads to greater understanding and unites peoples of that language. Verily, in Shari'ah it is always legislated that in schooling environments Arabic is taught by mandate.
It is one of those languages that is easy to learn takes a life time to master, and when it comes to the Qur'an there is no level of mastery that can enable us to understand it for implementation, except that we utilise the Arabic tafsir unadulterated.
... oh and that we are blessed with the gifts of fear of Allah and guidance.