Jonathan AC Brown's Latest Lecture

[Enlightened Follower]

 

[Enlightened Follower]

@Haydar Husayn@Gaius I. Caesar

[LinkZelda]

Salam

Regarding the hadiths about faith and disbelief, our Imams explained the official title of being Muslim in Shariah is witnessing by tongue irrelevant of what the heart testifies to, while faith is by the heart and is testified to by actions and increased by actions.

Of course, the traits of believers are in Quran, so if we lack any of those traits we are not believers. That refers to belief in heart.

This man is convinced he is a believer, but we know through ahadith of Ahlulbayt, he is not mustada'af, but a disbeliever of God's Ayat and is not humble enough to accept Wilayah of Ahlulbayt (as). Why do I say this? I know if I was a believer, a true believer, in heart, I would not miss Salah. I know every Muslim goes to Quran convinced he is a believer, but fatih in the heart is by manifest proof, and unfortunately, the mind is a tool for that, not it's staying staton of faith, so if the mind teaches the heart something but the heart is averse, we are not believers though are minds are constantly trying to convince our hearts.

 

However officially he is still a Muslim and is struggling between disbelief and belief. I am also officially a Muslim.

We know Quran doesn't allow desire of Dunya, and we know those believe will be guided to the straight path. God doesn't leave us in our state, he tests us and sees which side we pick.

The Quran says "do people think they will be left alone for saying they believe, and not be tested".

The Quran also says "if you believe in God and the last day", showing if those who believe in Islam outwardly, truly believe in it inwardly, would refer all disputes back to God and his Messenger. Have we done that? No.

The people who actually when they remember God their hearts are full of awe, and fear the day of judgement are not much.

Do you know how easy it is to enter paradise? The Quran says "and whoever fears him then there are two gardens".

The fact Sunnis if they feared God, would of realized Ahlulbayt's position in Quran and ahadith. They would of humbled their hearts to the truths and arguments of Quran.

Shias are also not automatically believers simply by outwardly testifying to Ahlulbayt.

There is also a people who are neither disbelievers or believers, but people traveling to faith. If they die while their intention is to accomplish faith and achieve the light, God will forgive them and reward them.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 30, 2016 by LinkZelda

[Haydar Husayn]

Coincidentally I was just watching this lecture earlier today, before seeing this post.

It's a very good lecture, as usual from Jonathan Brown, and much needed in this day and age.

[LinkZelda]

The flaw in his lecture, is making scholars the gateways to understanding both Quran and ahadith.  If we look at how Ahlulbayt explained the issue of faith and Islam, testification by tongue versus testification by heart, we see a different view. So now that he has explained the ahadith of Rasool in a way, yet Ahlulbayt (as) were more literal, but distinguished between official shariah social standing of Islam and inward Islam (submission by heart), then the question arises, is this the proper approach to ahadith?

If people can come to ahadith interpreting it freely how they want, with no guidance from God, then Islam becomes a game of desires in that hands of those who lead others regarding it.  If they think they solved a hadith and it makes sense to them according to their preconceived notions, then ultimately it is true and that is exactly what the Nabi meant, the preconceived nothing they came up with.

He is right ahadith are pieces of a puzzle. The same is true of verses of Quran. When you start putting it together, you realize that had we embraced the sword of God (Imam) and let him cause us an ounce of fear, we would not worship Satan and we would be free.

But for this identity we call "I", which is a lie created by Ibis, we aim at Iblis and pray to him heedlessly. Every time people associate with Wilayah of Ahlulbayt others, the Quran testifies they are praying to Iblis, valuing him and seeking his help, on level on par with how they value God or even more.

Our Imams with regards to determine ahadith, emphasized how they are light, and that for every light, there is illumination, while for what opposes it, there is nothing but darkness. This was the way to distinguish the truthful from liars, but it required intense trial of the heart, a heart that has been tested for faith by God to realize the truthful people passing on the truthful narrations.

That said, I don't buy this approach.  It makes people bias, extremely bias towards how they understand Islam.

If there are contradictions in ahadith, they will always be reconciled by this method, even if they do contradict, and one points to the right direction, while the other does not.

The problem when people come to simply confirm Bukhari and Muslim, is their love of their leaders blind them, because it's linked to the identity they have chosen for themselves or rather Satan has convinced them is praiseworthy and it's their trueself.

The only way to distinguish the uncleanness which takes the mantle of purity often in us, and that wants to be praised, is not through deciding through our fancy, nor will our dulls eyes see without help from God nor will we hear without help from God.

Often people go from one title to another. Sunni to Shia, Shia to Sunni, it doesn't matter.

If we can't recognize our true selves and the signs in ourselves, we are doomed. In the past, revelations got distorted, and they didn't even have among them an agreed upon reference like we have the Quran. They had to refute the false sayings attributed to Prophets. They had to. There was no other way.

But I'm sure even when the philosophy of the traditions attributed to the "oracles" or "shamans" or whatever name they gave Prophets, had some sort of reconciliated philosophy. They all became puzzles of a bigger picture.

But the signs of God in the souls, they are there. And each age has a Guide in which his light extends to them and calls them to the straigth path.

If we for one moment would fear how much we are ignoring God's light and embracing falsehood,  the path of guidance would open to us, and the seeds of repentance would be planted. But we don't care.

It's like Quran shows the supposed pious scholars of Jews and Christians were really those who took the religion as a play thing.

This play game will one day stop and revolution will happen. And when those enlightened people guided by the Guide and who came to the Guide, look back to us and our idols, they will be disgusted by all of us.

 

[Gaius I. Caesar]

Good stuff! @Enlightened Follower

It is the arrogance of scientism and modern man that leads a person to either forsake the hadiths and become a Qur'anist or be a Islamophobe and try to find meanings in the hadiths that aren't there. 

I think most people jump into the hadiths without any consideration of numerous versions of the same hadiths or the time, place or culture of where the hadiths were reported and recorded. 

@Enlightened Follower I am really fascinated to hear about the idiosyncrasies of the way that Muhammad (saws) spoke to the Arabs. Very interesting to see how people who are unaware of this fact misinterpret his words. If I could, I would definitely write a book about the unique way he (sawas) conversed and delivered his message to his contemporaries in 7th century Arabia. I'd be up and willing for the challenge, insha'Allah. What would I have to do? 

@zainabamy Check this out, interesting stuff. 

[LinkZelda]

*smiles*

I think we are all so concerned with non-Muslims think of Islam, we don't even care what God thinks of our Islam that is mixed with falsehood and truth.

The problem is people care too much about the identity of west vs Islam.

Forget that. You look at other religions in the world and remember they were once founded by a Prophet, and then over time,  none-sense got attributed to it.

How did that happen? 

It's good to not be over-critical to the point it blinds you, but the opposite is true as well. You have to seek to prove hadiths wrong, if you are going to find the wrong among them.

 

 

Edited October 31, 2016 by LinkZelda