For The Record: A sojourner in the footsteps of Muhammad (SAW) at the crossroad between virtuality & humanity, By Taofiq AbdulAzeez

A Ramadhan Lecture “virtually” Delivered to the University of Ibadan Muslim Graduate Association, (Lagos Chapter) on the 24th Ramadhan, 1441/ May 17, 2020

By Taofiq AbdulAzeez

Protocol

Bismillah

Thesis

I understand the topic of this lecture to be one of the most pressing concerns of Muslims globally. A Muslim is, like any other human being, a Sojourner in the jungle of excruciating complexity and confusion and must be extra careful with the compass and other navigating devices he may be compelled to use as he navigates the turbulent world.
As a Muslim, however, he has a two-in-one compass. The Risallah and the Rasul which are also referred to as Kitab and Sunnah.
In my view, the Rasul is the Risallah in action based on the popular Hadith of our mother A’isha. He is the interpreter of the Qur’an and implementer of its ordinances. The Sunnah is, therefore, the short cut to the Qur’an and therefore not OPTIONAL.
The key issue today is globalization of everything including the knowledge base and worldview. This has created a virtual single and simple world in which global/virtual brotherhood, mindsets and stereotyping have been imposed on an unimaginable scale such that reality and humanity do no longer count in the compelling presence of virtuality. The virtual class and teachers have replaced the real human teachers and everyone is now a Sheikh qouting virtual sources and fanatically defending (sometimes) non-existent authorities.

My understanding is the problem associated with how a Muslim will survive this crazy onslaught of virtuality and retain the fundamental Sunnah in peace and confidence.
I will speak simply and plainly from the Qur’an as I blame ignorance of the Qur’anic concepts of learning, teaching and teachers’ characteristics for this tragic situation.

I will not lament because there’s no need for it. But I will call you back to the Qur’an and the Qur’anic method of knowing and benefitting from the Qur’an itself while I highlight the fundamental requirements for the successful navigation of the virtual world in the midst of humanity.

Preliminary Remarks
1 ?Islam is impossible without knowledge.

2? Knowledge is available only in the Qur’an
3? Knowledge of the Qur’an is impossible without the Sunnah
4? Sunnah is impossible without a teacher (living or dead)
5?A FOREIGNER CANNOT BE YOUR TEACHER
6? Virtual TEACHERS are DANGEROUS to the faith and practice of the Muslim
7?Fussilat 41:33

وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ قَوْلًا مِّمَّن دَعَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَٰلِحًا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِى مِنَ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ

And who is better in speech than one who invites to Allah and does righteousness and says, “Indeed, I am of the Muslims.”

LEARNING is IMITATION.
How did we get here?

There are three categories of virtual scholars who have put ordinary Muslims into the conundrum of disunity and confusion. They are:

1. The random internet addicts who have taken Google as a god and whatever is posted and read on it as the gospel truth. One of them argued with me and sympathised with my ignorance when I said the lunar calendar is 12 months like the solar according to the Qur’an. He would not hear anything contrary to the Google’s view that the lunar calendar is 13 months. He quickly googled it and showed it to me while I showed him :
   At-Taubah 9:36

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّهُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِى كِتَٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ مِنْهَآ أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُۚ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا۟ فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْۚ وَقَٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ كَآفَّةً كَمَا يُقَٰتِلُونَكُمْ كَآفَّةًۚ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ

Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them. And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively. And know that Allah is with the righteous [who fear Him].

The young man shrugged his shoulders and left the mosque. He could not tolerate a Qur’an addict who is neither current nor internet compliant and can therefore not address the digital generation.

2. The parrots of the programmed Saudi Scholars and Shuyukh. These are pseudo salafi students of internet Shuyukh. They do not interrogate anything as long as it is attributed to an internet Sheikh.
   One of them argued with me about women bearing their husbands’ names. When I asked who declared it Haram? He quickly quoted a Sheikh, an ayah of the Qur’an (Q33:5) and a common Hadith on the prohibition of anyone calling another his father apart from his biological father. I asked him if he knew a little Arabic and he became crest fallen. I asked him whether the Sheikh felt Allaah does not understand Arabic and he became livid. I tried to calm him down and made him read the ayah even in English to know that it does not refer to women. I highlighted the message thus:
   Al-Ahzab 33:5

ٱدْعُوهُمْ لِءَابَآئِهِمْ هُوَ أَقْسَطُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِۚ فَإِن لَّمْ تَعْلَمُوٓا۟ ءَابَآءَهُمْ فَإِخْوَٰنُكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَمَوَٰلِيكُمْۚ وَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ جُنَاحٌ فِيمَآ أَخْطَأْتُم بِهِۦ وَلَٰكِن مَّا تَعَمَّدَتْ قُلُوبُكُمْۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا

Call them by [the names of] their fathers; it is more just in the sight of Allah . But if you do not know their fathers – then they are [still] your BROTHERS in religion and THOSE ENTRUSTED TO YOU. And there is no blame upon you for that in which you have erred but [only for] what your hearts intended. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.
I asked him whether after reading the ayah he referenced whether he still felt it was referring to women and not adopted sons who become brothers if their father’s name with which to call them is not known.

I , also , took him through a translated Tafsir of the ayah in the Tafsir of Ibn Kathir and went through the following with him:
At-Tahrim 66:10

ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱمْرَأَتَ نُوحٍ وَٱمْرَأَتَ لُوطٍۖ كَانَتَا تَحْتَ عَبْدَيْنِ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا صَٰلِحَيْنِ فَخَانَتَاهُمَا فَلَمْ يُغْنِيَا عَنْهُمَا مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًٔا وَقِيلَ ٱدْخُلَا ٱلنَّارَ مَعَ ٱلدَّٰخِلِينَ

Allah presents an example of those who disbelieved: the WIFE OF NOAH and the WIFE OF LOT. They were under two of Our righteous servants but betrayed them, so those prophets did not avail them from Allah at all, and it was said, “Enter the Fire with those who enter.”

At-Tahrim 66:11

وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱمْرَأَتَ فِرْعَوْنَ إِذْ قَالَتْ رَبِّ ٱبْنِ لِى عِندَكَ بَيْتًا فِى ٱلْجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِى مِن فِرْعَوْنَ وَعَمَلِهِۦ وَنَجِّنِى مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

And Allah presents an example of those who believed: the WIFE OF PHARAOH, when she said, “My Lord, build for me near You a house in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds and save me from the wrongdoing people.”

At-Tahrim 66:12

وَمَرْيَمَ ٱبْنَتَ عِمْرَٰنَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِنَا وَصَدَّقَتْ بِكَلِمَٰتِ رَبِّهَا وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَكَانَتْ مِنَ ٱلْقَٰنِتِينَ

And [the example of] MARY, THE DAUGHTER of ‘IMRAN, who guarded her chastity, so We blew into [her garment] through Our angel, and she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures and was of the devoutly obedient.

I then asked him the meaning of Mrs and Miss. He quickly answered correctly that they mean ‘wife of’ and ‘daughter of’ respectively. I then called his attention to the highlighted forms of address in the ayaats. What do you expect brothers and sisters? He exploded: ‘It is either these ayaats have been abrogated and you don’t know or that your knowledge is from shaytan. The great Shuyukh cannot be wrong. Aisha was never addressed as wife of Muhammad but as bint Abubakar. The Shuyukh cannot be wrong’.

What do we have in this category of internet students of virtual Shuyukh? A generation of zombies being manipulated by other machines to cause confusion and live miserable and exclusionist live. They live in perpetual conflicts and misery due to the contradiction between the reality of their human world and the fantastic virtual world applicable by force in the police state Arab world. They no longer believe in Allaah through His Book and the Messenger. They believe in the virtual Shuyukh whether the material attributed to them is known to them or not or whether they believe, indeed, in the Fataawah that they MUST dole out to protect the tyrannical authorities or not.
The tragedy is these are the foot soldiers of the regional Generals of the entrapments and seductive destruction of Islam worldwide. The Generals are the third group IS

3. This is the group of the”Scholars of Sunnah”. They are graduates from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who benefited from the government of KSA in two ways. Most of them got all their Degrees absolutely free of charge with regular stipends. They were on scholarship and also continue to enjoy financial benefits post-graduation upon willingness to do Da’wah which must promote Arab culture, promote and protect Saudi State Policies and promote/impose the Saudi and other Arab/arabised Senior Scholars of Sunnah. They are usually proprietors of schools and Da’wah outfits and they are quite ACTIVE, strong and tireless on the field taking advantage of the LACUNA created by the distraction suffered by the true selfless Du’at.
   This group MUST do all that is pertinent to misinform, distract and disunite the Muslim Ummah wherever they are. It is a mandate and the strategy is quite simple. It is just a simple condemnation of all other Muslims as inmates of hell because of their bid’a and offer of Saudi version of Islam as the only way to Al-Janah. Should they fail, they would lose all except a few who have dared and they are being constantly harassed.

The viable option

There is only ONE universal teacher of the muslims because he was sent to the whole world:
Saba’ 34:28

وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَٰكَ إِلَّا كَآفَّةً لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

And We have not sent you except comprehensively to mankind as a bringer of good tidings and a warner. But most of the people do not know.

He is, also , the ONLY teacher because he is the interpreter and interpretation of the Qur’an. The Qur’an and the Messenger cannot be separated because they bear the same name. Allaah calls the Qur’an Huddah(Guidance) and Bayyinat(Proofs of Guidance) in :
Al-Baqarah 2:185

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَٰتٍ مِّنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْفُرْقَانِۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمُ ٱلْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ ٱلْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey – then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.

Similarly, Allaah calls the Messenger Hudah/ Hadi(one that Guides):

Ash-Shura 42:52

وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ رُوحًا مِّنْ أَمْرِنَاۚ مَا كُنتَ تَدْرِى مَا ٱلْكِتَٰبُ وَلَا ٱلْإِيمَٰنُ وَلَٰكِن جَعَلْنَٰهُ نُورًا نَّهْدِى بِهِۦ مَن نَّشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَاۚ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِىٓ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

And thus We have revealed to you an inspiration of Our command. You did not know what is the Book or [what is] faith, but We have made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants. And indeed, [O Muhammad], you GUIDE to a straight path –

Allaah ,also, calls the Messenger Bayyinah:
Al-Bayyinah 98:1

لَمْ يَكُنِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ مُنفَكِّينَ حَتَّىٰ تَأْتِيَهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَةُ

Those who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists were not to be parted [from misbelief] until there came to them clear evidence –

Al-Bayyinah 98:2

رَسُولٌ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ يَتْلُوا۟ صُحُفًا مُّطَهَّرَةً

A Messenger from Allah, reciting purified scriptures

Al-Bayyinah 98:4

وَمَا تَفَرَّقَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَةُ

Nor did those who were given the Scripture become divided until after there had come to them clear evidence.

We therefore stick to the Messenger as the ONLY universal teacher.

2. We take the Sahabah as Resource Persons and Role Models because the Messenger recommended them and because virtually all the events of Revelation of the Qur’an apart from the historical contents are about them. They, therefore , provide the most reliable data on the linguistic contents, the historical (sababu nusul) and the Laws/worship contents of the Qur’an.
3. We take the Tabi’n also as Resource Persons just like other great Scholars of Islam.
4. Our direct Teachers are , however, HUMAN BEINGS who we know and can directly relate with in tongues, culture, environment, time and experience.
   No Messenger, apart from Muhammad, was sent to any group of people who did not speak their language and who were not their brothers.

Fundamental Issue of Spiritual Teaching

All MESSENGERS and therefore Teachers were of the same tongue, culture and experience with their people to whom they were sent:

Ibrahim 14:4

وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوْمِهِۦ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْۖ فَيُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ

And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the LANGUAGE OF HIS PEOPLE TO STATE CLEARLY FOR THEM, and Allah sends astray [thereby] whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
That is why Allaah teaches us this Methodology through several MESSENGERS in Suratul Shuara. They said the same thing bordering on the familiarity between Teachers and students, similarities of culture and experience, proven and provable integrity of the teachers and selflessness of the work.
All Messengers were of the same tongue and culture. Indeed, they were brothers to those they were sent and were not commercial Du’at.
Q26:105-191
Ash-Shu’ara’ 26:105

كَذَّبَتْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ

The people of Noah denied the messengers

Ash-Shu’ara’ 26:106

إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ نُوحٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ

When their brother Noah said to them, “Will you not fear Allah ?

Ash-Shu’ara’ 26:107

إِنِّى لَكُمْ رَسُولٌ أَمِينٌ

Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger.

Ash-Shu’ara’ 26:108

فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ

So fear Allah and obey me.

Ash-Shu’ara’ 26:109

وَمَآ أَسْـَٔلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍۖ إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ رَبِّ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ

And I do not ask you for it any payment. My payment is only from the Lord of the worlds.
Ash-Shu’ara’ 26:110

فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ

So fear Allah and obey me.”

Learning is IMITATION. We cannot imitate a stranger who we do not know, who does not share our environment and experience and who cannot, therefore, explain our world to us by living in it like us.
I conclude that it is dangerous to leave our children alone in this wilderness. But it is more dangerous to follow them as it is already happening. It seems that our Teachers are overwhelmed and exhausted from the stress of everyday living and the pressure of poverty and Politics. All hope is not lost as we continue to count losses from the wrong investment of our time. We can still come back to the basis and rescue our children and by extension ourselves from the tragic world of virtuality ravaging all values.
I thank you for your patience.

As Salaam Alaykum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh

Monday 25th Ramadhan, 1441
18th May, 2020

Taofik AbdulAzeez, is a Professor of English & Chief Imam, University of Abuja