Moon Sighting to Moon Fighting

Some time ago when the Sultan of Turkey decided to introduce electricity in the Mosque of the Prophet, the religious scholars and leaders opposed it on the ground that something created artificially cannot occupy a sacred place. It was not different than the opposition, the scholars raised to the printing press when it was first introduced. They, in fact, banned the printing of the Quran and declared it haram (not permissible). Then the loudspeaker was introduced and the religious scholars opposed its use in Masajid saying that the voice radiating from it is artificial. Then the television was introduced and Muslim scholars called it the daughter of Satan and then the internet also met the same fate.

At every turn of human progress, the so-called Muslim religious scholars have always created major obstacles causing immense loss to people who followed them. The irony is that when the progress bulldozes them and make them irrelevant, they succumb to the changes and shamelessly accept them denying vehemently their own earlier stance. For instance, the traditional religious scholars of Islam in India were opposed to the learning of English language and they even called it an act of disobedience to Allah, yet their descendants are not only living in English speaking countries but also making appeals for funds in the English language. In fact, their sustenance is dependent upon their knowledge of English. 

There is only one word that describes their attitude: hypocritical. Our community is led in religious matters, by and large, by those who are hypocritical in their attitudes. A hypocrite is the one who acts on the basis of self-interest in matters involving people and changes his or her position accordingly.

As long as the leadership of the community is in their hands, Islam would remain a stranger for Muslims and an irrelevant faith to people in general. 

They and people like them are the ones responsible for the current sorry state of affairs of Muslims in the world. They are the ones who get the podium week after week and they are the ones who run our Islamic centers and masjid. In the words of the Quran, "Deaf, dumb, and blind, they will not return (to the path). (2:18) 
Their attitude to change is best described in the Quran in the following verse when it says "

"When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has revealed:" They say: "Nay! We shall follow the ways of our fathers." What! Even though their fathers Were void of wisdom and guidance? (2:170)

Their attitude is based on their defiance of the Quran and the Uswa (example) of the Prophet

They are still adamant in their refusal to acknowledge the supremacy of the Quran and the way the Prophet implemented it. Moon sighting is one such issue that has become a moon fighting issue. A few years ago, a scholar of Islam refused to lead the Taraweeh prayer on the first night of Ramadan, saying that according to his school of thought, the moon has not been sighted and the method of calculation to determine the new month is haram (prohibited).

A simple act of determining the birth of the new moon has been presented in such a complicated manner by these scholars, that the entire Muslim world has been living under its curse for ages. The purpose of moon sighting as explained by the Prophet was not moon sighting itself, but it was to determine the birth of new moon to begin the new month in a scientific and calculated manner according to the tools of the time of the Prophet. The prophet knew the Quranic verse that says clearly: “It is He Who made the sun to be a shining glory and the moon to be a light, and measured out stages for it (moon); that you might know the number of years and the calculations. (10:5) and his main objective was to ensure that unlike his tribal practices, Muslims should not fall to the trap of arbitrarily deciding the number of months or days of months.  In order to make his point clear about the purpose of moon sighting, the Prophet further elaborated that if you don't see the new moon on the 30th of the month, start the new month the following day. So simple and so pragmatic. In other words, determine the beginning of the month with accuracy. 
In our time, Allah has given us tools in astronomical science to determine the birth and sighting of the new moon. If we do not use it, we are not only denying the laws of Allah but also defying Him. And this is what is precisely happening in the Muslim world for centuries. No one is willing to take a stand on this issue because of the culture of intimidation these leaders have created. Any challenge to their position is easily turned into a challenge to God and anyone who challenges God is either ex-communicated or killed. The profanity of these so-called scholars has contaminated the mind of our youth who have been given a false understanding of faith.

Yet the so-called protectors of Islam, i.e., scholars have turned this simple act into a major conflict on moon sighting. Now every year, thousands of hours are wasted in deciding something that can easily be calculated according to the laws of Allah and about the laws of Allah in a disciplined manner. Nothing that is happening in the physical universe is happening without his laws and knowledge. We human beings are discovering his laws, according to our level of understanding. For almost 8,000 years we believed that the earth was flat, but we never longer now, because we have acquired the knowledge that was already in existence in the universe.

But our religious scholars say no to this knowledge and defies Allah and his laws by saying one does not need to understand these laws and use them for the purpose of improving one's life. Unfortunately, we have given them the responsibility of raising our younger generations. Our youth has been handed over to them like sheep and the future of Islam has become tied to their status and position. Their magical spell on people is as such that despite being rational in all matters of life, people refuse to see the absurdity of these scholars in their arguments.

In our world today, the so called religious scholars are the biggest impediment in developing a simple and accurate understanding of the Quran. They are defying God by reciting his words and they claim they are the protectors of religion. The Quran describes them aptly when it says: "The similitude of those who were charged with the (obligations of the) Mosaic Law, but who subsequently failed in those (obligations), is that of a donkey which carries huge tomes (but understands them not). Evil is the similitude of people who falsify the Signs of Allah. and Allah guides not people who do wrong."(62:5)

A New Quran Center in Delhi

In the Zakir Nagar colony of New Delhi, a new Quran center has made a very humble beginning. Started by the sitting principal of Delhi's oldest college, the Delhi College, the Center offers free coaching classes to class six and class ninth and tenth students in mathematics, science, vernacular language, and social studies. There is nothing unusual about teaching these subjects, but what is unusual is that students would also have to spend one hour learning the meaning and message of the Quran. They would be required to take tests, if they fail in the Quran test, the privilege of tuition-free coaching would be withdrawn.
The new center is run by the Yumna Quranic Education Trust. This is the first effort of its kind anywhere in the world where students are encouraged to study the Quran with meanings combined with modern education curricula. There are several unique features of this center.
1. The money was not raised through fundraising appeals. Dr. Mohammad Aslam Pervaiz donated his hard-earned money to purchase the building and he assumed the responsibility of taking care of its running expenses.
2. Not a single dime was taken from any of the existing religious institutions or government agencies or foreign organizations. No Qatar, no United Arab Emirates, no Kuwait, and no Saudi Arabian money are involved in running this center.
3. The Quran Center does not belong to any school of thought or ideology. It has no loyalties other than the loyalty to serve Allah and His prophet and the people.
4. Its emphasis is on the understanding of the message of the Quran in a language that is understood by the students easily.
5. It is not dependent upon its survival on anyone other than on the one in whose name it is initiated, i.e. God Almighty.
6. It is not an intellectual exercise on the part of a few individuals, but a bold effort to impart the meanings to those who are sure to play effective roles in the upcoming generations of Muslims.
7. The idea is to duplicate this type of center to different parts of India depending on the need.
8. It is meant to help students improve their life on the basis of the teachings of the Quran.
The center is the logical culmination of two annual Quran conferences that took place in Delhi in 2011 and 2013 under the leadership of Dr. Pervaiz.The Center would ensure that these conferences are organized regularly not only in Delhi but in different parts of India as well.

In the Muslim world where the Quran has been reduced to the level of memorization, recitation, and reading without understanding, there is this bold effort to communicate the message to the younger generation of the grassroots. While memorization, recitation and reading are good, they are not the main purpose of the Quran. If this was the case, Allah would have revealed the rules of Tajweed along with the Quran. The rules of tajweed were developed by people who later came to be known as a scholar. They were based on the linguistic and sound notation rules to ensure that their recitation creates an impact on the heart. The main purpose of the Quran was and is to understand divine guidance and live one's life accordingly.
This is the purpose that one finds missing in most institutions created to teach the Quran. Recently, in fundraising, the director of a Quran Institute boasted that his school has produced 100 plus huffaz (those who memorize the Quran) in the last 15 years. How many of them really understand the Quran and grasp its meaning. He did not like the question and even memorization brings huge rewards. When you have a culture in established Islamic schools, that the Quran is not a book to be understood, how can you extract any guidance from it?
The ideal situation is that people understand the Quran in the language in which it is initially revealed. Yet in the last 1400 year history of Muslims, it did not happen. But until that happens the guidance cannot be postponed or understood through secondary or third sources. It has to be understood directly from the Quran and from the Prophet. This Center is making this task easier for our younger generation, at least in India.
The Center is also establishing the example that knowledge cannot be split into secular and religious. All knowledge is created by the Creator and hence without the one, the other is incomplete. Let us hope that this new effort succeeds and help our younger generation, at least in India to grow under the shade of the Quran to live a life that is meaningful and worthy of living.
The address of the Center is:
The Quran Center
244/5 Zakir Nagar, New Delhi 110025

Where are they? The Shia and Sunni leaders

The debate about the events some 1400 years ago that resulted in the martyrdom of Imam Hussain is still on in Muslim leadership circles all over the world. Each describes the other as deviant, unworthy of Islam and a violator of Islam's fundamental principles. Each justifies violence against the other to please God, they both believe in and each denounces the other as the worst enemy of Islam. Extremists on both sides are not tired of accusing each others' most revered personalities of crimes against them.
Yet, the religious leaders of both communities constantly engage in rhetoric reminding its followers that the Islam they preach is the most tolerant and the most peaceful religion.
Majority of Muslims that are not involved in this conflict among leaders is bewildered and often tends to believe that all these acts of violence are engineered by some hidden powers, including the not so hidden US, Israel, India, and Great Britain and many others. A few are willing to admit that there is a serious theological, political and social problem in relations between Shias and Sunnis.and those committing acts of violence are Muslims belong to either of the two communities.
The debate about Caliphate as championed by many Sunnis and Imamate as promoted by the Shias is irrelevant in our times. Even in places like Saudi Arabia, a 100 percent Muslim majority country with Sharia laws does not claim itself to be a Caliphate and the Shia Iran still waits for the arrival of its hidden Imam to return. Yet, in the name of their sects, both have been killing each other for long.
Non-Muslims have a right to ask this: "If Muslims cannot tolerate their internal differences and do not know how to handle them peacefully, how can we be assured that they would not act violently against others with whom they might have fundamental theological and religious differences?"
No one can resolve the differences that have existed among Shias and Sunnis forever. Even those who are considered the most pious among Muslims, i.e., the companions of the Prophet or their followers were engaged in these differences. So what can be expected from those who are living the legacy of their predecessors?
So what can be done?
Differences cannot be resolved, but the violence can be controlled. Rather than resorting to violence, the leadership of the two communities can engage in a serious, peaceful dialogue built on the fundamental divine principle that human life is sacred and it cannot be harmed. This is possible when those who are considered great spiritual leaders of the two communities instruct their followers that violence is not permitted in Islam and human beings cannot be killed for their theological differences.
The leadership has to repeat this message from every pulpit and vow to protect human life. It is possible to achieve peace between the two communities, but it requires a new style of leadership. This new style demands that leaders stop playing God and act as servants of God, whose obligation is to ensure the sanctity of human life of not only Muslims but of all others.
Without that, it is almost impossible to control the forces of violence unleashed by the hatred that has been nurtured for centuries in the name of Islam.
At people's level, we can stop promoting those leaders who talk the divisive language and incite them against the others. It is a difficult task, nevertheless, it is doable. At least in the US, those who are Shias and Sunnis can prevail upon their religious leaders to refrain from using a language of hatred and violence against each other.