The Muslim Dilemma Part 1
Our present general dilemma is caused by:
1. 1. 1.Confusion and error in knowledge, creating the condition for:
2. 2. 2. The loss of adab within the Community. Point no. 1 and no. 2 then leads to:
3. 3. 3. The rise of leaders who are not qualified for valid leadership of the Muslim Community, who do not possess the high moral, intellectual and spiritual standards required for Islamic leadership, who perpetuate the confusion and error in knowledge mentioned above and ensure the continued control of the affairs of the Community by leaders like them who dominate in all fields.
Of adab and knowledge
Knowledge must be approached reverently and in humility, and it cannot be possessed simply as if it were available to everyone irrespective of intention and purpose and capacity. Where knowledge of Islam and the Islamic worldview is concerned, it is based on authority. Since Islam is already established in perfection from the very beginning, requiring no further developmental change nor evolution towards perfection, we say again that adequate knowledge about Islam is always possible for all Muslims. There can be no relativism in the historical interpretation of Islam, so that knowledge about is either right or wrong, or true or false, where wrong and false means contradiction with the already established and clear truth, and right and true means conformity with it (already established and clear truth). Confusion about such truth means simply ignorance of it, and this is due not to any inherent vagueness or ambiguity on the part of the truth.
The interpretation and clarification of knowledge about Islam and the Islamic worldview is accomplished by authority, and legitimate authority recognizes and acknowledges a hierarchy of authorities culminating in the Holy Prophet, upon Whom be Peace! It is incumbent upon us to have a proper attitude towards legitimate authority, and that is reverence, love, respect, humility and intelligent trust can only be realized in one when one recognizes and acknowledges the fact that there is a hierarchy in the human order and in authority within that hierarchy in point of intelligence, spiritual knowledge and virtue.
In respect of the human order in society, we do not in the least mean by ‘hierarchy’ that semblance of it wherin oppression and exploitation and domination are legitimized as if they were an established principle ordained by God. Any kind of “hierarchy” and “order” is not necessarily legitimate, for such an order is not order at all- it is disorder; and adab is not resignation to disorder as that would be contrary to justice. Disorder is the manifestation of the occurrence of injustice. The fact that hierarchical disorders have prevailed in human society does not mean that hierarchy in the human order is not valid, for there is, in point of fact, legitimate hierarchy in the order of creation, and this is Divine Order pervading all Creation and manifesting the occurrence of justice. God is the Just, and he fashions and deploys all Creation in justice. In order that mankind generally might recognize and acknowledge the just order, He has bestowed upon His Prophets, Messengers and men of piety and spiritual discernment the wisdom and knowledge of it so that they in turn might convey it to mankind who ought to conform with it as individual and as society.
And this conformity with that order is the occurrence of adab; the resulting condition of that conformity is justice.
(Islam and Secularism pg 100-102)
