The term “definitiveness of authenticity and indication” means stopping to ponder over the Book of God, reflect on its verses, and understand their intentions of goodness for all people. Who, then, is granted by God the legislative authority to decide on this principle that disables the function of the mind which God honored humans with? God commands us to contemplate His verses and derive from them what benefits people in terms of legislation according to the developments in societies. God ordered Muslims in every era to derive from the divine legislation what is beneficial for them. He did not appoint anyone as an agent or guardian over people’s actions. He alone is responsible for holding them accountable. In His noble Book, He addresses His Messenger saying:
“And had Allah willed, they would not have associated others with Him, and We have not made you a guardian over them, nor are you a manager over them.” (Al-An’am: 107)
So who appointed religious institutions to be guardians of Islam and agents of God on earth? Despite God specifying His Messenger’s responsibility in inviting people to Islam, as He said:
“Your Lord knows you best. If He wills, He will have mercy upon you; or if He wills, He will punish you. And We have not sent you over them as a manager.” (Al-Isra: 54)
Why then do Muslims remain hostage to the interpretations and thoughts of their predecessors? God clarifies to people in His verses:
“That was a community that has passed on. It will have [the consequence of] what it earned, and you will have what you have earned. And you will not be asked about what they used to do.” (Al-Baqarah: 134)
What is meant by the principle of “definitiveness of authenticity and indication” which has imposed an iron curtain on the mind, preventing it from pondering over God’s verses and understanding their intentions for the good of humanity, is contrary to God’s commands inviting people to reflect on His Quran and contemplate its statements. This principle collides with God’s command to seek in His verses the intentions of goodness for all humanity to create legislation that achieves for humanity what God desires for His servants in terms of goodness and righteousness in this world and the hereafter. This term “definitiveness of authenticity and indication” stands as a tyrant, preventing the divine obligation of employing the mind in serving humanity, and the punishment for preventing a divine obligation with God is severe torment. When God commands us to ponder His Quran, He does not address a special class who have made for themselves a high status in human societies to become the only reference for the religion of Islam, interpreting God’s Book on behalf of all people.
Rather, God addresses the minds to search His Book for His will in His legislative intentions for the goodness of all humanity, emphasizing mercy, justice, freedom, peace, and benevolence, understanding the spirit of the text accurately to derive laws and instructions from God’s will in His verses, all of which aim for the benefit of humanity in this world and the hereafter. Do we want reflection to stop at the early centuries? Muslims are required to ponder the Book of God and derive laws that align with the development of the age without infringing on the text but with diligent and conscious research understanding the purposes of the text. Confirming God’s orders to reflect and ponder over His verses, addressing the minds with His words:
“Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?” (Muhammad: 24)
“Have they not traveled through the land so that they may have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts.” (Al-Hajj: 46)
“Thus does Allah make clear to you the verses [of revelation] that you might give thought.” (Al-Baqarah: 219)
“And We sent down to you the message that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them and that they might give thought.” (An-Nahl: 44)
“If We had sent down this Qur’an upon a mountain, you would have seen it humbled and coming apart from fear of Allah. And these examples We present to the people that perhaps they will give thought.” (Al-Hashr: 21)
“Those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], ‘Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.’ (191) Our Lord, indeed whoever You admit to the Fire – You have disgraced him, and for the wrongdoers, there are no helpers.” (Al-Imran: 190-191)
“And it is He who spread the earth and placed therein firmly set mountains and rivers, and from all of the fruits He made therein two mates; He causes the night to cover the day. Indeed, in that are signs for a people who give thought.” (Ar-Ra’d: 3)
“And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them, and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.” (Ar-Rum: 21)
This is just a glimpse of what the Quran presents from verses calling for reflection on what God created in the heavens and the earth. It is an obligation upon every Muslim to read the Quran, reflect on its verses, and understand the purposes of its rulings, deriving from them laws that achieve security, justice, development, and happiness in this world and the hereafter. To ensure justice in rights and fairness, so no oppressed person complains of his usurped right, and no oppressor is driven by an evil soul to assault people and seize their rights, whether it be the right to life, wealth, or land, so that people live free in progress and stability. Do the religious institutions in the Arab world want to be guardians over minds, preventing them from reflecting and pondering on God’s Book and depriving them of the most important obligation that God commanded them to know their religion and their religious, legislative, and moral obligations? Have they now acquired divine authority granting them exclusivity in understanding the Quranic text and imposing their concepts on Muslims?
God addresses His Messenger, peace be upon him, saying:
“Say, ‘O mankind, the truth has come to you from your Lord, so whoever is guided is only guided for himself, and whoever goes astray only goes astray against it. And I am not over you a manager.'” (Yunus: 108)
And He says:
“And when it is said to them, ‘Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger,’ they say, ‘Sufficient for us is that upon which we found our fathers.’ Even though their fathers knew nothing, nor were they guided?” (Al-Ma’idah: 104)
He also said:
“Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord and do not follow other than Him any allies. Little do you remember.” (Al-A’raf: 3)
And His saying:
“And who is more unjust than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord but turns away from them and forgets what his hands have put forth? Indeed, We have placed over their hearts coverings, lest they understand it, and in their ears deafness. And if you invite them to guidance – they will never be guided, then – ever.” (Al-Kahf: 57)
When God addresses people, He does not address a special class of them but rather addresses the minds of all people, saying:
“Have they not traveled through the land so that they may have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts.” (Al-Hajj: 46)
God has established a principle for the call to Islam, saying:
“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided.” (An-Nahl: 125)
And His saying:
“So would you compel the people in order that they become believers?” (Yunus: 99)
People are free to choose their beliefs without coercion, and their judgment is with their Creator on the Day of Judgment. No power on earth can prevent minds from reflecting. Pondering is a divine obligation and a heavenly blessing. God commanded people to contemplate His dominion and think about His creation with knowledge and innovation, using the results achieved by the mind in serving humanity in religion, work, and inventions to elevate them to a dignified, stable, and safe life. Progress and development in Europe halted when the church dominated minds. Today, more than seven centuries after freeing the mind in Europe, we see its advancement in all fields of science, development, and inventions that have greatly benefited humanity, starting from the manufacture of airplanes and the development of new seeds for crops that benefit in quantity and quality. Yet, some religious bodies in our Islamic world still dominate minds, preventing the divine obligation of pondering and reflecting on everything that benefits humanity. Let the minds awaken from their slumber, for the Arab nation has lost time. Instead of being the bearer of the torch of human civilization, it has fallen far behind in progress and development, becoming dependent on the scraps exported to it by the West.
The Arab nation preceded the West by more than fourteen centuries when God imposed the obligation of pondering and honored Adam over all His creations with knowledge when He taught him all the names. The Quran affirmed it when God granted humans the code of knowledge
and the search for understanding by commanding His Messenger, peace be upon him, in the chapter (Read), as reading is the key to knowledge, and He honored Adam with knowledge. What did Muslim scholars do to us? They flooded our minds with Israeli narratives and myths, resulting in the emergence of several sects fighting each other, conflicting authorities, and followers driven by their pride in sin. They isolated the Quran from guiding human societies towards what benefits them and achieves growth and stability.
Who is responsible for erasing the landmarks of knowledge and misleading Muslims, making them wander in dark paths while holding the Book of God? He says:
“These are the verses of Allah which We recite to you in truth. Then in what statement after Allah and His verses will they believe?” (Al-Jathiyah: 6)
Muslims will find no salvation except by returning to the divine discourse, researching its verses, and deriving laws solely from it. God is the most caring for His creation, guiding them from darkness to light, lifting the torches of mercy, freedom, and justice, preserving human rights in a free and dignified life, defending security and peace for all humanity.
This is the true Islam that God addresses to all people: to reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth, to use the results they achieve in serving humanity, to adhere to the ethics of Islam and its noble purposes, and to commit to divine legislation that achieves justice among people. It calls for inviting others to the way of God with wisdom and good instruction, and to argue in a way that is best, so that Muslims may restore their unity, harmonize their thoughts, and align their understandings to fulfill God’s command that calls Muslims to unity and not division. As God says: “And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided.” (Al-Imran: 103). Therefore, those who claim to be scholars of Islam must be role models in the behavior that Islam calls for, following the ethics of our great Prophet, peace be upon him.
