DIOCESAN SYNOD - 15.11.14
A Mainstream Islamic response to the beliefs and prac ces of Islamic State
Imam Monawar Hussain Muslim Tutor, Eton College Founder, The Oxford Founda on www.theoxfordfounda on.com
Aims
• What is Mainstream Islam? • What is extremist theology? Al-Qaeda, Al— Shabab, IS, ISIL, 9/11,7/7, Pakistani/Afghani Taliban share the same theology. We can only defeat these groups if we can defeat the theology that underpins them. • Mainstream responses Qur’an Hadith
Primary Sources of Islam
©Imam Monawar Hussain Linguis c
Sufi / Understanding Tradi onalist Esoteric the Qur’an
Tradi onalist & Ra onalist
©Imam Monawar Hussain Islam
Hadith of Jibril Iman Ihsan
©Imam Monawar Hussain Shahada
Hajj Salah Islam
Zakah Sawm
©Imam Monawar Hussain Belief in Allah
Des ny, both the His Angels good and evil Iman
Day of His Revealed Judgement Books
His Messengers
©Imam Monawar Hussain Doing that Perfec on which is of Faith beau ful
Ihsan
©Imam Monawar Hussain Historical unfolding of the dimension ‘Islam’
Usul al-Fiqh / Principles of Jurisprudence
Fiqh (Understanding) / Orthopraxis
Sunni Schools of Law /Shi’i Schools of Law
©Imam Monawar Hussain Iman AH / 936 CE) School of al- Ilm Theology Khawarij 333 AH / 944 CE) School of al- al- Kalam ©Imam Monawar Hussain (late 7 Ashari Maturidi
th century) (d. 324 (d. Ihsan Mevlevi Shadhali Chish Qadari Naqshbandi Numerous Spiritual Orders Sufism
©Imam Monawar Hussain
Extremist Theology
• Interprets the Qur‘ān literally. • They are selec ve in the hadīth they use. • Arbitrarily declare Muslims non-Muslim (Tak r) and therefore jus fy killing civilians. • Jus fy rebellion against central Authority. • A Theology of Separateness - Separate themselves from the community of Muslims. • Khawarij (7th Century) were responsible for the murder of Caliph ‘Alī. Mainstream responses Amman Message
• “The Amman Message started as a detailed statement released on the eve of the 27th of Ramadan 1425 AH / 9th November 2004 CE by H.M. King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein in Amman, Jordan. It sought to declare what Islam is and what it is not, and what ac ons represent it and what ac ons do not. Its goal was to clarify to the modern world the true nature of Islam”.
©Imam Monawar Hussain Amman Message - Three Ques ons
• (1) Who is a Muslim?
• (2) Is it permissible to declare someone an apostate (takfir)?
• (3) Who has the right to undertake issuing fatwas (legal rulings)?
©Imam Monawar Hussain Amman Message – Scholarly Consensus
• In 2005, 200 Islamic scholars from 50 countries came to the following consensus: • They specifically recognized the validity of all 8 Mathhabs (legal schools) of Sunni, Shi'a and Ibadhi Islam; of tradi onal Islamic Theology (Ash'arism); of Islamic Mys cism (Sufism), and of true Salafi thought, and came to a precise defini on of who is a Muslim. • Based upon this defini on they forbade takfir (declara ons of apostasy) between Muslims. • Based upon the Mathahib they set forth the subjec ve and objec ve precondi ons for the issuing of fatwas, thereby exposing ignorant and illegi mate edicts in the name of Islam. ©Imam Monawar Hussain Counter Narra ve
• OMPEP – Equipping young people with the arguments against extremist theology • The Open Le er to IS Execu ve Summary
• It is forbidden in Islam to issue fatwas without all the necessary learning requirements. Even then fatwas must follow Islamic legal theory as defined in the Classical texts. It is also forbidden to cite a por on of a verse from the Qur’an—or part of a verse—to derive a ruling without looking at everything that the Qur’an and Hadith teach related to that ma er. In other words, there are strict subjec ve and objec ve prerequisites for fatwas, and one cannot ‘cherry- pick’ Qur’anic verses for legal arguments without considering the en re Qur’an and Hadith. Execu ve Summary I. It is forbidden in Islam to ignore the reality of contemporary mes when deriving legal rulings. II. It is forbidden in Islam to kill the innocent. III. It is forbidden in Islam to kill emissaries, ambassadors, and diplomats; hence it is forbidden to kill journalists and aid workers. IV. It is forbidden in Islam to mistreat or harm- in any way - Chris ans or any ‘People of the Book.’ Execu ve Summary
• It is obligatory to consider Yazidis as People of the Scripture. • The re-introduc on of slavery is forbidden in Islam. It was abolished by universal consensus. • It is forbidden in Islam to force people to convert. • It is forbidden in Islam to deny women their rights. • It is forbidden in Islam to deny children their rights. Execu ve Summary
• It is forbidden in Islam to declare a caliphate without consensus from all Muslims.