The objective of this post is to be an example and case study to show how knowledge of the Qur'an is the best guidance to make sound judgment and fair assessment according to God's laws.
The Event...
The imam used pressure tactics to raise funds in the name of God. He stated (paraphrased)...'On the Day of Resurrection there will be a long waiting period...while we await God's judgement. We will be burdened with overbearing heat during the waiting period and the charity we give in this life will be like a shade against the heat.' The imam used this astounding prologue, none of which is even remotely supported by any verse anywhere in the Qur'an, and pressed for:
- $10,000 individual donations on the first round of requests. The second round bid price was $5,000 followed by $2500, $1000 and finally $500. At the end of each round he would say "last chance for this opportunity...okay, you've now missed your opportunity". If anyone committed the funds, he would personally bless the individual. In one case two people gave from the same table, so he blessed the entire table.
- Singled out someone on our table, identified him specifically, to donate $1000. Talk about pressure.
- Throughout the 'rounds' he would make statements such as "who would like to have their sins forgiven on the Day of Judgement". I found this particularly appalling.
Needless to say, it was quite a spectacle. This reminded me, and in my opinion was no different than the clergy, during the medieval ages, asking for payments to reduce people's time in purgatory (in Christianity, the waiting place between heaven and hell until God's judgement arrives - apparently, not a very pleasant place to hang out). The idea of the imam having the authority to bless an individual, or worse yet an entire table in one go, seems to me a Qur'anic anathema. The definition of 'blessed' is to have God's grace or favour. How did the imam attain the authority to grace someone on behalf of God?
After this, the head shaykh of this particular 'sect within Sunni Islam' with chapters in over 100 countries, arrived at the hall and soon thereafter made a five minute dua in Urdu. He never made a speech, or gave an enlightening lecture, but we were all 'blessed' by his presence nonetheless...especially since he offered a dua on our behalf.
There was a buffet dinner, a silent auction and get this...raffle tickets. Yes, that's right...raffle tickets. What a mockery...last time I checked, gambling was against Islam.
Finally, as the evening wound down, I noticed the shaykh was sitting on a highly decorative and throne like chair, as opposed to the rest of us plebeians. Ironically, the prophet Muhammad, pbuh, would never himself be caught sitting on such a chair; he was far too humble and far too fearful of Allah.
This was followed up by the Shaykh extending his majestic hands and offered all individuals the opportunity and honour to kiss them...for which, judging by the line-up, there was no shortage. I think this is what disturbed me most. It was readily apparent people have stopped using their minds...they are lazy, they are sheep, and they are easily manipulated.
My stomach began to turn.
Guidance from the Qur'an...
It is clear the Qur'an is needed more than ever. God's guidance is the only true guidance. Let's then, review the evening in light of the guidance of the Qur'an. Consider the following Qur'anic verses (paraphrased):
1. There is no one worthy of worship except God...He is God. There is no God but Him...Do not associate any partners with God.
To kiss a man's hand - waiting in line to do this in fact, to me at least, is a type of worship...and worship of another human being is shirk. Do we not find it abhorrent when people kiss the pope's hands? Why then do we not apply the same standard for our own religious leaders?
2. Through gambling and intoxicants, Satan lures you away from the remembrance of Allah.
I agree the raffle was just for fun, and there was no other form of gambling. But still, it was thoughtless and set a very poor Islamic precedent.
3. In God's eyes, the most honoured among you are those who are most mindful of God.
To be honoured by God is to be blessed. How then can the imam bless you? Does he know who is most mindful of God? Has God given him authority to do so?
4. The Believers are those who give charitably to the beggar, the needy, the poor and the traveller...Give God a good loan...God knows what is in your heart, and deeper still...It is better to give in private than public...Prophet, your duty is only to call people to God, you are not there to force them.
Nowhere in the Qur'an does it say to give charitably for the purpose of building a mosque. Nowhere. This does not mean one cannot give funds for a mosque as a form of charity. But the imam cannot say your deeds, or part of your deeds, will definitively be wiped out for giving to a mosque or any other charity for that matter. The imam cannot know God's mind. The imam cannot know with what intention the individual is giving money. This is Allah's decision only.
The imam conducted his requests for donations through the use of pressure tactics combined with a reward of public recognition; essentially bullying through peer pressure. But the Qur'an clearly says private donations are better, so why did the imam encourage public donations as the first choice if he truly cares about 'blessing' individuals? How can the imam use pressure tactics to raise funds for charity when the Prophet (pbuh) himself is instructed only to call people to God? Where does the Qur'an say, 'thou shall use pressure and force people to give in charity'? The tactics employed encouraged giving for the wrong reasons. Instead of giving only for the sake of Allah, you are more likely now to give for show. And giving for show is not giving God a good loan, it is giving yourself a good image. It is not from the heart...and only God knows what is in our hearts, and deeper still.
5. Do not accept anything which you yourself have not verified...You will be repaid in full only for your deeds...No soul will bear the burden of another soul...You will return to God alone, just as you were first created...Whoever labours, does so for the benefit for his own soul.
Have people verified for themselves what the shaykh really advocates? At the event, there were many books on sale authored by this shaykh. In one of the books, the shaykh went out of his way to state our good deeds can be transferred to other individuals, living or dead, simply by naming the individual and making the intention of the transfer. This is outrageous and clearly against the Qur'anic verses above.
We can see from these examples, if people took the time and effort on an individual basis to read the Qur'an, reflect on its verses, and reason on their meaning...how we, as individuals, would then be empowered to critically assess things for ourselves. Consider the Qur'anic verse,
6. The disbelievers will call out to the leading disbelievers, to those who were in authority, 'you misguided us and led us astray', and they will reply, 'it was not us that led you astray, you were already astray on your own'. And God will reply, 'go to the fire, all of you, that is where you belong'.
On what basis then can we rely on imams, shaykhs and scholars for guidance and not seek guidance for ourselves directly from God's words in the Qur'an? After all, religious leaders will not bear the burden of our sins on the Day of Judgement. We will be all alone in God's presence, and we will be judged directly by God. If religious leaders will not intercede for us on that Day, why then do we depend on them to understand God's words now?...words He has made directly available and protected through the Qur'an...words God Himself says He has made easy to understand!
Our Qur'an study class is therefore clearly on the right track. This is further cemented in my mind as a result of last night's experience. The purpose of our class is to empower each of us to think for ourselves, so we can make our own decisions directly from God's words and guidance.
Can anyone's guidance be better than God's?
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