Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World - Literature review Example

“Comparative Book review: Mona Siddiqui and Carl W. Ernst” Religions of the world have had a significant influence on all aspects of the human society ranging from politics, warfare, academics, philosophy, social systems, class divisions, geographic conquests to economic growth and development as far as human history can recall. It is unfortunate that even today in the age of open communication and media advancement there is still a lot of hostility between the major religious groups. The average person holds a lot of misconceptions about other religions and that creates chances for discrimination and prejudice. Islam is one of the world’s leading religions, with followers belonging to many different ethnicities, geographic regions and histories. Prominent Muslim communities exist in the western world with the followers of the religion participating in the normal social and economic life of their respective countries. Unfortunately the majority of the people belonging to other faiths are unaware and even suspicious of the Muslim individuals and community due to ignorance about what Islam really is and the perpetuation of an exaggerated image by the mass media. In the past decade some unpleasant incidents have occurred that have tarnished the image of the religion and its followers in the western world leading to derogatory labels of terrorism being attached to the religion which is followed peacefully by millions. However, scholars and academic leaders have tried to combat this backlash by introducing and educating about Islam in a manner which is relatable to the average person. A lot of the hostility against Muslims exists because people are generally afraid of things or ideologies that they do not fully understand; this comparative review will discuss two books which seek to remove this ignorance. “Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World” is the title written by Carl W. Ernst, published in 2003 just two years after the world’s attention was caught by the terrorist act of 9/11. A distinguished professor at the University of North Carolina, Carl W. Ernst is a highly regarded scholar of Islamic studies with a focus on researching the Arabic, Persian, and Urdu literature on the topic. He has published a number of books on the general themes of issues of Islamic studies, premodern and contemporary Sufism, and Indo-Muslim culture. In this book he attempts to create awareness about the diversity that exists in the Muslim world and the cultural, historical and intellectual influences that have shaped the modern Islamic ideologies. “how to Read the Quran” published in 2008 is Mona Siddiqui’s guide for understanding the Holy book and main instruction source of Islam. Mona Siddiqui is the Professor of Islamic Studies and Public Understanding at the University of Glasgow and has published volumes on classical Islamic law and Muslim theology. The author also attempts to address the modern controversies regarding Islam and the interpretation of Islam in her book, but instead of providing a detailed analysis of the various influences and nuances of the religion her main focus is to answer questions regarding the Holy Quran and its various injunctions. The first similarity between the books are their respective audiences, both the volumes are written as an exploration of modern Muslim identify and spirituality but they are addressed to the majority non Muslim population. Both authors attempt to remove some of the misconceptions that exist about Islam and its followers, placing the religion away from the allegations of extremism and in the same light as the other main religions of the world , that is, Christianity and Judaism. Siddique’s work is divided into ten chapters that each deal with some of the biggest debates about Islam in the western media including, law, sin and salvation, gender, jihad, and about rituals in Islam; she discusses each of these points with reference to Quranic verses and scriptures. Ernst takes a more over arching approach, focusing instead on comparisons of Islam with other religions and ideologies, drawing the reader’s eye to the many similarities that exist even as he sketches Islam’s unique history. The main focus is on refuting the idea that ‘fundamentalists’ represent true Islam or the average Muslim. In this one regard, I feel both authors are convincing enough in their arguments even though their mode of evidence is different. The books are also written in different styles, with Mona Siddiqui taking a lighter tone to make the book easier to approach for anyone looking for a starting point to understand Islam. It is not intended as a thorough exploration of Islam and its intricacies but as a basic introduction which will answer the main concerns of any lay person, an extensive bibliography is given at the end for those readers who wish to pursue their research. However, her main thesis that Quran is a reflection of God’s mercy and kindness and Muslims need to reach back into these ideas to re-interpret Islam for the modern times is discussed masterfully. It is a bit disappointing to see that Siddiqui doesn’t venture deeply into the heated debates regarding some of the perceived harsh laws and injunctions present in Islamic law (such as the inequality between men and women) instead focusing mostly on the Quranic verses that focus on concepts like mercy, brotherhood etc. Siddiqui argues that the Islam that is being depicted in the mainstream media is a version of Islam that only a few people agree with. She tries to show through the use of selected Quanic verses and their social context the balanced side of the religion; stating that a proper understanding of the text can actually help remove the hostility between Muslims and Non-Muslims. The author also stresses that the holy Text and its supporting Prophet’s saying are intended to be understood and read in the social context they were revealed in, in order that they may be applied correctly to modern societies. She gives the line of reasoning that Islam needs to be re-interpreted and perceived through the Holy Quran and the texts should provide enough guidance about the religion for anyone. Following Muhammad on the other hand is a more encompassing read, written as a scholarly examination of Islam’s heritage and modern Muslim communities not just in the light of the Quran and the Hadith (the sayings of the Muslim Prophet, considered to be the last apostle) but also through the perspective of the cultural and philosophical influences over the centuries. Western prejudices about Islam are challenged through sympathetic comparisons with other religions as well as historical legacies such as the Greek philosophies and impact of colonialism. The six chapters of the book are divided thematically, discussing a pertinent topic in each. The first chapter discusses the biases that have existed in the historic as well as the modern world about Islam and how various mass media have contributed to spreading these unsubstantial biases. This chapter is then followed by a discourse on the term ‘religion’ and how it is understood in the western world and the impact this understanding has had on the perception of Islam, for example, the idea of religion in the West has now emerged as a very individualistic choice that should be available to all individuals but not forced on any- under such a definition many westerners would not be able to grasp the importance of concepts such as ‘brotherhood’ and religious unity which hare important pillars of Islam. Instead these strong bonds may be seen as being enforced and a sign of extremism. In this context, Ernst then moves on to spend three chapters studying the sources of Muslim Identity and Islamic laws. He introduces the personality of the Last Prophet Muhammad not as a simple biography but as an evaluation of his action and words and how they provide guidance in Islam. He provides references for Non Muslim readers through the use of known figures like the Bhudda and Jesus Christ to paint the position of reverence that Muhammad holds for Muslims. The discussion then moves to the sources of Islamic law including the Quran and Hadith as well as the various interpretations that have emerged over the ages. He takes care to divert the study towards divergent themes of modern Islam such as “Sufism” and the two different sects of “Shiaa” and “Sunni”. The idea behind discussing these groups and influences is to present a multi dimensional sketch of the Muslim identity as it has come to surface over the past ages and to refute the monolithic assumptions that most people have about the religion. In this regard, both books challenge not only the perceptions of Non-Muslims but also of the Muslims groups themselves who may be unaware of the dichotomies in their own religion. While neither book outright states this, there is the idea running behind their thesis that Muslims also need to be realize the diversity of opinion that exists in modern Islam and they should openly talk about it to avoid being stereotyped. Siddiqui and Ernst slightly differ, however, in their individual belief about how Muslims should carry on with this diversity. Ernst throughout calls for not just acceptance but celebration of the various themes that exist in Islam, declaring that there is no one single version of the religion but just like the with other ideologies, philosophies and religions there are discrepancies and different forms of worship, beliefs and spirituality in Islam as well. Siddiqui also talks about the need to ‘re-think’ Islam for the modern world. She believes that though the Quran is the undisputed sole authority for all Muslims, it should still be read as an open and flexible text which is focused on humane mercy and compassion. Siddiqui and Ernst both point out that Islam is not just a one dimensional religion. However, where Ernst accepts divergent views as being a part of modern Islam, even including the fundamental believers, Siddiqui speaks against the influences of various scholars and interpreters who have influenced modern Muslims (especially towards extremism), not considering them to be representatives of Islam in any form. She argues for the Quran to be the main source of instruction, above that of the “Hadith” or any other influences such as a patriarchal culture. She openly admits that taken in the historical context even the Quran can point towards plural answers for the challenges modern Muslims face and there is no need to consider any other source of law or instruction. But considering that she does not discuss in depth the fundamental beliefs which are also said to arise out of authentic Quranic verses, her argument seems a bit weak. While both authors make strong cases against the fundamental notion of Islam as the being the true or the sole representation of the religion, Ernst delivers a stronger point simply because he is more accepting of the true diversity that exists. Siddiqui tries to paint a more unified picture of the Muslim community where the fundamentalists or the extremists are ‘misguided’ outliers. I think that these two books were intended for the same kind of audience but with very different objectives in mind, “Following Muhammad” does not bring any ground breaking original research about the religion but it is a much more ambitious project than the “How to Read the Qur’an”. It created an interesting background for Islam, and the idea of religion in general, and it seemed like the author had a personal commitment to the work. Also considering that he himself does not practice the religion it provides him with a more objective outsiders view of the religion including some of the more controversial parts which were avoided by Siddiqui. But Siddiqui’s book may be an easier read for someone who just wants a quick introduction to the basic and common aspects of the religion as it is practiced by the average Muslim today. Personally, I would recommend someone to read Siddiqui’s book first to get an idea about Islam and read evidence that breaks a lot of stereotypes held by Westerners about Muslims today; the small size of the book is also suitable for this purpose. “Following Muhammad” is a better read for people who are already interested in discussions about sociology, philosophy and diversity of ideas in religion. This book provides not just an understanding about Islam, but introduces a lot of new perspectives for the readers relating to religious ideologies. Works Cited Siddiqui, Mona. 2008. ‘How to Read the Quran.’ Simon Critchley (Eds). W. W. Norton & Company. Ernst, Carl W. 2003. “Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World Islamic Civilization and Muslim”. The University of North Carolina Press. Amnesty International. Muslims discriminated against for demonstrating their faith, 23 April 2012. Web. 23 Sep 2014. Carl W. Ernst Website. 2014. Web. 23 Sep 2014. Read More