Re: The raging controversy in Islam
Pinks, I think the point was missed. The things that you purport to be forbidden really are not forbidden in the Quran - rather they are forbidden by interpretations of the Quran I think.
The purpose of Islaam should bring peace and serenity to its followers and allow them to spread this peace and serenity. I am SO impressed when I meet these "peaceful people" as I like to call them. They have something that is beyond measure and something that every human should strive towards. When you take Islaam to the extremes that have been mentioned in this thread, it spreads nothing but negativeness and does nothing good for the religion. You'd call these peaceful people moderates but they're the ones that are helping to educate the western world that Islaam is a good and peaceful religion. Those who are NOT moderate always seem agressive and looking for a fight, always seem to be on the hunt for jews and westerners. Thats not the purpose of Islaam. IMHO.
Peace Mamaof3
The Qur'an is an interesting entity and when it is understood by others and also the role of Muhammad (SAW) is understood by others only then can some meaning be put behind such conversations.
Primarily, the Qur'an itself acknowledges that people will read it making different interpretations. When it tells us that through it Allah (SWT) gives guidance and misguidance we can see this to be the case. We therefore have to stress the importance of the understanding behind the Qur'an. It is the interpretation the way it is intended to be interpreted.
Hamza Yusuf explains this matter that the Qur'an is utter knowledge that condescends upon humanity. Our minds are like prisms which refract the Word in different ways and each one of us can find something in the Qur'an that we understand fully, get confused about, emotional about and so on. It is the way Muhammad (SAW) had taught the application of the Qur'an in his life is how we must understand it.
There are parts in the Qur'an which do not address directly certain issues, such as music, and the words more generally relate to 'idle talk' ... the scholars point to this as inherent to music, no, they swear by it. Why? If we look at the essence behind music and no matter how much we claim it to have healing powers and this and that, ultimately music serves no purpose other than fuelling ones ego and desires. It is a 'feel-good' tincture a magical potion that sets minds in wander. What benefir in history can we say that music has brought?
Anyway ... Muhammad (SAW) had the ability to understand the Qur'an ... this sounds like an obvious statement, but it is a paramount one. Islam is about a middle path way, and it was his (SAW) understanding that was middle path. It is through his life that we can gauge what middle path is.
Yes ... there are many interpretations, but that is mainly because people today have become less afraid of voicing their opinions and more blaze with the rule and etiquettes of Islam. Note: even when the companions were given a chance to coice their opinions about a matter they we humble themselves and say when asked what such and such means, "Allah (SWT) and His Rasool know best", they would rather hear what it means from the authority rather than chance a try at understanding.
Early Muslims collected parchments of Qur'an and compiled it to preserve the Deen, later Muslims collected hadith to preserve the Deen, later people developed exegesis and creedal formulations to preserve the Deen, today what is being done?
Today there is a need to standardise translation and meaning of translation. This does not mean voicing one opinion, but setting the full array of the opinions and classifying them. That is the responsibility over the Muslims today for preserving the Deen ... I wonder what is being done about this?