Analysis of Muslim World - Essay Example

As the Muslim World enters the twenty-first century, controversies over the meaning of the Quran and the methods for its interpretation grow in intensity. Many have claimed that the Quran needs to be interpreted from a novel, and modern perspective which is more consistent with the structure and pattern of lifestyles in modern world. This group has advocated the re-interpretation of the Quran for greater harmony with the twenty-first century. Others, however, have argued the impossibility of interpreting the Quran, the very heart and core of Islam, in any way intended to satisfy a predetermined objective. In other words, Muslims are not at liberty to re-interpret the meaning of the Quran in order to support a religious reformation which embraces the modernization dictated by the twenty-first century. Indeed, as Schuon stresses, the Quran is eternal and its meaning transcends time and space (45). Its meaning does not change subject to our lifestyles or trends but, is unchanged throughout time. The implication, therefore, is that the methodology for interpreting the Quran is consistent, irrespective of the century for which and in which it is being interpreted. Consequently, Muslims today, as in the past and the future, should not question the method by which they can interpret the Quran for greater consistency with a particular century but, the correct methodology for uncovering both the esoteric and exoteric meaning of the Quran, irrespective of any particular century. Moslems should not try to delude themselves into believing that the meaning of the Quran can be adapted to suit the demands of any specific time but should have faith in God and abide by the timelessness and eternity of His Message through an acceptance of the interpretations of religious scholars. The Quran is the basis of Islam and, as Schuon explicitly states, it is the Furqan (39). The implication here is, and as may be inferred from Schuon's discussion, the Quran is a book of Divine Laws and, as such establishes the difference between the moral and the immoral, the correct and the incorrect paths and, more so, differentiates between believers and non-believers. Indeed, as the Furqan, the Islamic laws and principles which it clearly communicates, and fully explicates, cannot be regarded as subject to flexible interpretations which are dictated by the lifestyles of a particular century. They are timeless and applicable to all ages. For greater emphasis on the virtual impossibility of justifying the modernization of Quranic interpretations for the establishment of greater harmony between the principles, lifestyles and believes particular to the Muslim and the Western worlds, Schuon emphasizes three points. Firstly, the Quran is eternal, written for all times and equally applicable to the past as it is to the present, and shall continue to be in the future. Secondly, the Quran is not subject to modernization, implying the imposition of new trends upon the Quran. Thirdly, given the first two, it is incumbent upon Moslems not to adopt practices that are un-Islamic and subsequently seek their religious legitimization through their supposed Islamicization. Such Islamicization efforts are dependant upon the re-interpretation of Islam in light of modernism and its demands (Schuon). The point that Schuon is making here is that the eternal and Divine nature of the Quran effectively de-legitimize any efforts to argue its irrelevancy to the twenty-first century or to re-interpret it in light of the values and practices that the Muslim world is constantly borrowing and adopting from the West. Largely agreeing with Schoen, Corbin adds his voice to the strictures against Quranic interpretations according to the whims and desires of a people and a particular time. It is, as Corbin emphasizes, the Word of God and, therefore, by the very nature of its Being, Eternal and timeless. It is the basis, the very heart and core of Islam and, more so, is the foundation upon which the unity of the Muslim people is built upon. Attempts to dispute the interpretation of religious scholars and ulema and replace these scholarly interpretations with modernistic ones will, ultimately create a rupture within the umma and undermine the solidarity of Moslems and the unity of the Quranic message. By arguing against the re-interpretation of the Quran in light of changing times, neither Schuon nor Corbin are claiming the closure of the door to ijtihad and, are most definitely, not claiming that the Quran has been fully interpreted and understood. The Quran, as both scholars explain, has an underlying esoteric meaning. Each word within the Divine Book, if not within each of its letters, contains countless of hidden, spiritual meanings. It is incumbent upon the ulema, the religious scholars, to explore the hidden meaning of the Quran and use the Prophet's sunna and ahadith masnouda to shed light on these meanings. The door to ijtihad and to interpretations, in other words, is still open but within the limits of religious scholarship and completely separate and distinct from efforts towards modernistic interpretations of the Quran. Both authors significantly contribute to one's understanding of the imperatives of rejecting arguments in favor of modernizing Islam, of imposing modernistic interpretations upon Quranic verse. Doing so implies the exploitation of radical strategies for the Islamic justification of our actions when no such justifications legitimately exist, either on the spiritual or the logical levels, culminating in the corruption of the holistic message of the Quran. Certainly, as both Corbin and Schuon concede, the Quran's Divine Message has not been fully uncovered and there remain many mysteries therein. Accordingly, the door to interpretation, investigation, scholarship and ijtihad are still open and, in fact, are a religious duty. However, this duty must unfold within the strict parameters established by the science and methodology of ijtihad and, more importantly, should be limited to the ulema. The original interpretations of the Quran remain as relevant to today's world as they were during the prophet's lifetime. The reason lies simply in the fact that the Quran, by its very nature, is a Divine Book, containing the Divine and Eternal World and as, such, is the Furqan. This is the meaning of the Quran and this is the role that it should play in the lives of Muslims, as both Schuon and Corbin emphasize. Read More