FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’S DESK
Prof Farida Khanam is an author, editor, translator, public speaker and former professor of Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Among her books are ‘A Simple Guide to Sufism’ and ‘A Study of World’s Major Religions’. She has translated into English many books authored by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Currently the chairperson of CPS International, she is a regular contributor of articles to various publications. Dr Khanam has edited Maulana’s English translation of the Quran and has also translated his Urdu commentary on the Quran into English. She can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
THE AUTHORITY OVER RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS
DURING interfaith programmes, these questions are often posed by our Christian brothers and sisters: What is the hierarchical order followed by Islam? How the faith and principles are taken care of or explained to the believers? They ask this question in the context of the church acting as the Magisterium. The Magisterium of the church is the custodian of the faith and teachings of Catholic Christians. This arrangement holds good for most religious communities and institutions. In this article, we shall see where Islam stands in this regard. A question is often asked to this effect: What is the hierarchical order of Islam?
In Islam, the Quran and the practical model of conduct established by the Prophet Muhammad (known as Sunnah in Arabic) serve as the fountainhead of religious guidance. There is no centralized authority that governs or decides such matters. There is no vertical chain of command in Islam. The believers are encouraged to study these two sources and apply the teachings to their lives. It must be kept in mind that Islam is a religion of nature. Its teachings are quite simple. The teachings contained in the Quran and the corpus of Hadith (a record of the sayings and the deeds of the Prophet Muhammad) are not esoteric. The Quran has this to say:
Indeed, We have made the Quran easy to learn lessons from. Is there anyone who would receive admonition? (54: 32)
The religion of Islam is easy, beautiful and simple. The Quran says: God desires ease for you, not hardship. (2: 185)
This verse explains that Islam is easy to follow and rather encourages us to create ease in religion. Unfortunately, some Muslims are under the misconception that the more stringent they are in following religion, the more pious they become. This is totally in contradiction to what Islam teaches us. The misconception is a result of a lack of understanding of religion and at times drives some people away from religion, mainly because of the way it is presented to them.
One of the main features of Islam is that it is a balanced religion. Whenever the Prophet had to choose between two options, he always chose the easier.
The Quran is present in exactly the same form as it was revealed fourteen centuries ago. Therefore, one can, with full conviction, derive lessons and guidance from it.
Moreover, the language of the Quran has been made easy and free from ambiguity. A point is brought home by making use of references to phenomena from nature and history. A verse from the Quran says:
We have set forth to men all kinds of parables in this Quran so that they may take heed: a Quran in Arabic, free from any ambiguity—so that people may be mindful. (39: 27-28)
One very important point that must be considered here is that the religious text of the Quran as revealed by God to the Prophet is preserved in its original form. Higher Criticism has proved beyond any doubt that the Quran indeed is present in exactly the same form as it was revealed fourteen centuries ago. Therefore, one can, with full conviction, derive lessons and guidance from it. This preservation of the original text of the Quran is no ordinary matter. It is God-ordained. The Quran says:
It is We Who have sent down the Reminder and We will, most surely, safeguard it. (15: 9)
There are competent religious scholars (or ulema) who after spending a lifetime studying these texts in original Arabic, present the pristine teachings of Islam for the common man. Any Muslim can become a religious scholar after undergoing the due process of learning the Islamic texts.
However, the disagreements that arise among religious scholars on any given injunction is that of interpretation. This means the scholars do not disagree over the veracity of the source material but on its interpretation. Such disagreements over interpretation are considered a blessing for the Muslims as they prevent the community from plunging into intellectual stagnation. A common person can follow the interpretation of any religious scholar.
The Prophet Muhammad described the simple and straightforward nature of Islam thus:
The Prophet was once asked, “Which religion does God Almighty love the most? He replied, ‘The simple God-oriented one.’”
Prof. Farida Khanam
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.