Theory in religious studies means Western theories of religion

In the academic study of religion in North American (and perhaps European) settings, theoretical frameworks conceived by modern and pre-modern European and American thinkers are employed to study religious traditions and phenomena from all over the world.

Why can we not use Islamic (or Chinese or Indian) theories of religion as our points of departure in the study of religious phenomena?

What advantage do Western theories of religion have over theories conceived in non-Western contexts (assuming that the latter is a real category) other than the fact that the North American academy identifies with the European tradition?

The North American discourse is clearly Eurocentric. Yet the academics in this part of the world present their analyses in the most universal terms. They pretend that speculative thought with potential explanatory power does not exist outside of Euro-American tradition.

Let's put aside the European bias of the American academy for a moment, and ask another question: Does speculative thought with explanatory power that we would call “theory” of religion exist in recent or contemporary Islamic thought? Do the works of Ali Shariati, Maudoodi, Bennabi, Ismail Faruqi, or al-Attas, for example, have the potential to serve as theoretical frameworks for the study of religion? Going back further: What is the potential of classical Islamic thought (Ibn Khuldūn, al-Bīrūnī, and possibly others) in terms of religious theory? I cannot answer these questions at this point.

Qur'an, the foundational text in the Islamic tradition, does offer substrate for a theory of religion. I wonder if the works of classical or modern Islamic thinkers could be viewed as advancing Qur'anic theory of religion.

There is no doubt that we need to explore the theoretical potential of pre-modern and modern Islamic writings. However, the advancement of Qur'anic theory of religion should be viewed as a continuing pursuit. No past or present thinkers can possibly exhaust the theoretical potential of the Qur'anic text.

Unless we can identify and further Islamic theoretical works, we cannot expect them to be utilized in the North American academy, or any other settings for that matter.

On being broken

At some point I must have thought I could never lose the gift of articulation. I must have taken the slightest bit of pride in my ability to exert control over words and expression: my power over parts of my life seemed invincible. I must have thought it was mine.

Since summer last year I have been struggling with a particularly dark spell of clinical depression that has left me mute, silent, clueless, numb for the most part. It has come to completely paralyze my academic life. Lack of control has seriously affected some of the most important relationships in my life.

Qur'an 18:32-44 narrates the story of two men:

Set forth to them the parable of two men: for one of them We provided two gardens of grape-vines and surrounded them with date palms; in between the two We placed corn-fields. Each of those gardens brought forth its produce, and failed not in the least therein: in the midst of them We caused a river to flow. (Abundant) was the produce this man had: he said to his companion, in the course of a mutual argument: "more wealth have I than you, and more honour and power in (my following of) men." He went into his garden in a state (of mind) unjust to his soul: He said, "I deem not that this will ever perish, "Nor do I deem that the Hour (of Judgment) will (ever) come: Even if I am brought back to my Lord, I shall surely find (there) something better in exchange." His companion said to him, in the course of the argument with him: "Dost thou deny Him Who created thee out of dust, then out of a sperm-drop, then fashioned thee into a man? "But (I think) for my part that He is Allah, My Lord, and none shall I associate with my Lord. "Why didst thou not, as thou wentest into thy garden, say: 'Allah's will (be done)! There is no power but with Allah!' If thou dost see me less than thee in wealth and sons, "It may be that my Lord will give me something better than thy garden, and that He will send on thy garden thunderbolts (by way of reckoning) from heaven, making it (but) slippery sand!- "Or the water of the garden will run off underground so that thou wilt never be able to find it." So his fruits (and enjoyment) were encompassed (with ruin), and he remained twisting and turning his hands over what he had spent on his property, which had (now) tumbled to pieces to its very foundations, and he could only say, "Woe is me! Would I had never ascribed partners to my Lord and Cherisher!" Nor had he numbers to help him against Allah, nor was he able to deliver himself. There, the (only) protection comes from Allah, the True One. He is the Best to reward, and the Best to give success.

My utter helplessness at this point is like that of the guy who just lost their garden.

Nothing is invincible. None of our resources are absolute. All our licenses are subject to terms and conditions of fair use. And they are all revokable. 

Islamic Īmān: Belief in the Unseen?

(Text of the khuṭbah delivered at UBC on Friday, April 5, 2013)

[First khuṭbah]

الحمد لله، الحمد لله الذي خلق السماواتِ والأرضَ وجعل الظلماتِ والنورَ ثم الذين كفروا بربهم يعدلون، فالحمد لله الذي لم يتخذ ولدا ولم يكن له شريك في الملك، والحمد لله الذي أنزل على عبده الكتابَ لينذرَ الذين قالوا اتخذ اللهُ ولدا، ما لهم به من علمٍ ولا لآبائهم، كبرت كلمةً تخرج من أفواههم؛ فالحمد لله الذي له ما في السماواتِ وما في الأرضِ وله الحمدُ في الآخرةِ وهو الحكيمُ الخبيرُ،

وسلامٌ على عباده الذين اصطفى، فسلامٌ على آخر الأنبياء والصديقين والشهداء، وسلام على عيسى الذي آتاه اللهُ الكتابَ وجعله نبيا، وسلام على موسى الذي آتاه اللهُ التوراة، وسلام على إسحاق وإسماعيل وإبراهيم فإنهم كانوا قانتين لله حنفاء وما كانوا من المشركين.

Praise is due unto God, who created the heavens and the earth, and darkness and light; yet there are those who confuse created things and beings with their rabb [Q6:1]. Praise is for God who has no offspring and no partner in zher dominion [Q17:111]. And praise is for God, who bestowed kitāb on zher servant Muhammad so he could warn those who say God has a son – no knowledge whatsoever of the matter do they have, nor did their forefathers have any; too big a word is what issues from their lips [Q18:1–5]. Thus, praise is for God to whom belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth, and praise is due unto zhim in the next world; zhe is wise and aware [Q34:1].

And salām on zher servants whom zhe chose (as zher messengers) [Q27:59] – salām on Muhammad, the last of zher prophets, and on those who testify and bear witness to his commissioning as a prophet; salām on Jesus who received God’s kitāb and was one of zher prophets; salām on Moses who received Torah; and salām on Isaac, Ishmael, and Abraham, all of whom were devoted to God, and were rather straightforward in their belief, and were surely not among those who adore, prioritize and worship things and beings other than God.

Brothers and sisters: Back in September last year, I talked about the first 20 āyāt of al‑Baqarah, the second sūrah of Qur’an. This stretch of āyāt describes to us how different people respond to guidance. We are told that the latest instance of God’s kitāb (i.e. Qur’an) is guidance for muttaqīn (who are conscious of God) [Q2:2].

ذلك الكتاب لا ريب فيه هدى للمتقين

The very first attribute of muttaqīn, virtually a prerequisite to appreciate guidance in kitāb, is their willingness to believe in what is beyond their immediate perception [2:3]. Thus, it is said:

ذلك الكتاب لا ريب فيه هدى للمتقين الذين يؤمنون بالغيب

Today, I want to talk further about the importance of īmān bi‑al‑ghayb (or belief in what is beyond our sense perception) in the Qur’anic scheme of things.

One of the main reasons why people dismiss the possibility of God and an afterlife is because they cannot see God or heaven and hell. If “seeing is believing”, how do people believe in angels that they have never seen? How do people believe in a prophet’s claim that they are representative of God, or that they received God’s word?

A good number of human beings are unwilling to believe in what they cannot see. And if we think about it, it’s not unreasonable to want to see something one has been asked to believe in.

Does Qur’an address this issue? What does Qur’an have to say to someone who insists they won’t believe in God because nobody has ever seen zhim?

Well, Qur’an does address the issue. Apparently, the demand to see or experience God as directly as possible is not new.

Different prophets introduced the one God to their peoples at different times. A good number of any prophet’s audience thought the idea of a God that they could not see was incredible. So the unbelieving people of all times demanded that the prophet bring God face‑to‑face before them.

Thus, Qurʼan notes when prophets invite people to God, they say “[who and] what is Raḥmān? Are we to prostrate ourselves before whatever you bid us [to worship]?” [Q25:60]

وما الرحمن؟ أنسجد لما تأمرُنا؟

When Moses invited Pharaoh to God, the sustainer of all existence, Pharaoh thought Moses was mad. He mockingly asked Hāmān to build a lofty tower for him so that he may take a look at the lord of Moses. [Q28:38, Q40:36–37]

فأوقد لي يا هامان على الطين فاجعل لي صرحا لعلي أطلع إلى إله موسى وإني لأظنه من الكاذبين

Even the Israelites who responded favorably to Moses told him at one point, “We shall not believe you until we see God directly.” [Q2:55]

وإذ قلتم يا موسى لن نؤمن لك حتى نرى الله جهرة

Similarly, people among the audience of Muhammad asked why they did not see God; why God did not speak to them directly; or why angels or other miracles did not descend from the sky. [Q2:118, Q25:21]

وقال الذين لا يعلمون لولا يكلمنا اللهُ أو تأتينا آية؛

وقال الذين لا يرجون لقاءَنا لولا أنزل علينا الملائكةُ أو نرى ربَّنا

Demands concerning angels and miracles went hand in hand with demands concerning God.

Angels have had a critical role in conveying God’s word to zher prophets and messengers. Since angels were supernatural beings, the doubting members of a prophet’s community would ask them to bring angels face‑to‑face before them. Sometimes, they demanded that angels should accompany the prophet as proof of their commissioning by God. At other times, they demanded that an angel be sent down as a prophet; for people thought it was incredible that one of them – a human being – was God’s messenger.

Similarly, the demand for miracles resulted from people’s incredulity concerning the appointment of a mortal from amongst them as God’s messenger.

Thus, the incredulous audience of Muhammad announced to him, “We shall not believe you unless you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth, or you have a garden of date-palms and vines and you cause rivers to gush forth in their midst, or you cause the sky to crash on us in pieces as you have threatened, or bring God and angels face to face before us.” [Q17:90–92]

وَقَالُواْ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّى تَفْجُرَ لَنَا مِنَ الأَرْضِ يَنبُوعًا، أَوْ تَكُونَ لَكَ جَنَّةٌ مِّن نَّخِيلٍ وَعِنَبٍ فَتُفَجِّرَ الأَنْهَارَ خِلالَهَا تَفْجِيرًا، أَوْ تُسْقِطَ السَّمَاء كما زَعَمْتَ عَلَيْنَا كِسَفًا أَوْ تَأْتِيَ بِاللّهِ وَالْمَلآئِكَةِ قَبِيلاً

Instead of entertaining such demands concerning God, angels, and miracles, Qur’an responds by rhetorically asking if the people in doubt were going to wait until God or angels showed up in the shadows of clouds [Q2:210, Q6:158, Q16:33].

هل ينظرون إلا أن يأتيهم اللهُ في ظلل من الغمام والملائكةُ؟

هل ينظرون إلا أن تأتيهم الملائكةُ أو يأتي ربُّك أو يأتي بعض آيات ربك؟

Qur’an makes clear that the day when some of God’s portents or angels actually show up, the matter will have been decided, and believing shall not avail someone who did not previously believe [Q6:8, Q6:158].

ولو أنزلنا ملكا لقضي الأمرُ ثم لا ينظرون؛

يوم يأتي بعضُ آياتِ ربك لا ينفع نفسا إيمانُها لم تكن آمنت من قبلُ

It is evident that Qur’an does not entertain the demand to see God or angels. Qur’an emphasizes that the day people could see angels or some of God’s portents, they would no longer have the opportunity to believe – it would be time for God’s judgment. Essentially, human beings are expected to evaluate the metaphysical truth claims of Qur’an and their implications for human life even though God and angels cannot be seen until it is too late.

Like God and angels, Qur’an also records people’s incredulity concerning revealed word of God, or kitāb. Thus, Qur’an sarcastically remarks that those who have an avoidant and rather casual attitude towards admonition (al‑tadhkirah, or Qur’an) want to be individually given spread-out scrolls of revelation [74:52].

بل يريد كل امرئ منهم أن يؤتى صحفا منشرة

Out of utter disbelief, those who doubted the divine origin of Qur’an invoked God, “If this [book] is indeed the truth from you, then shower upon us stones from the skies, or inflict on us [some other] grievous suffering.” [Q8:32]

وإذ قالوا اللهم إن كان هذا هو الحق من عندك فأمطر علينا حجارة من السماء أو ائتنا بعذاب أليم

Instead of offering what was demanded, Qur’an responded by pointing out to Muhammad that even if God sent down a book in print from the sky that they could touch with their hands, those who were bent on denying the truth would dismiss it as magic [Q6:7].

ولو نزلنا عليك كتابا في قرطاس فلمسوه بأيديهم لقال الذين كفروا إن هذا إلا سحر مبين

They would reject Qur’an even if it could move mountains, or cleave the earth asunder, or make the dead speak [Q13:31].

ولو أن قرآنا سُيِّرَتْ به الجبالُ أو قُطِّعَتْ به الأرضُ أو كُلِّمَ به الموتى

It is clear from the Qur’anic stance on the matter that some miraculous descent of Qur’an in print from the sky cannot cause those who are bent on denying the truth to believe. At any rate, Qur’an is not willing to entertain such demands. Human beings will neither receive the word in their individual “spiritual” experiences, nor will it be sent down from the sky in print; such is not God’s will. Instead, humankind must rely on the delivery of the message by the messengers of God. Subsequently, a reader of Qur’an is expected to evaluate the content of the book, and therefrom judge its authenticity.

So far, I have tried to show you how Qur’an records and dismisses people’s demands to see God or the angels, or to receive God’s word individually or in print from the sky.

Let us now turn to those occasions where Qur’an more directly emphasizes that Islamic belief is by nature īmān bi‑al‑ghayb, i.e. belief in something that is not amenable to immediate human perception.

Thus, one notes the declaration early on in Qur’an that the latest instance of God’s kitāb is guidance for muttaqīn who believe in [the existence of] that which is beyond the reach of human perception [Q2:2–3].

ذلك الكتاب لا ريب فيه هدى للمتقين الذين يؤمنون بالغيب

Only a person who is convinced that reality can be greater than the observable world can find guidance in Qur’an. For those who cannot accept this fundamental premise, Qur’an will effectively remain a closed book.

And such is not the case with Qurʼan alone. Torah too was guidance for muttaqīn who believed in the existence of that which is beyond the scope of human perception. [Q21:48–49]

ولقد آتينا موسى وهارونَ الفرقانَ وضياءً وذكرا للمتقين الذين يخشون ربهم بالغيب وهم من الساعة مشفقون

Similarly, Muhammad is told that only those who fear God even though zhe is beyond the reach of human perception will pay heed to his warnings [Q36:11].

إنما تنذر من اتبع الذكرَ و خشي الرحمنَ بالغيب، فبشره بمغفرةٍ وأجرٍ كريم

Whether or not humans behave in God‑conscious ways even though zher majesty is beyond the scope of human perception is precisely the nature of the test for humankind. Thus, Qurʼan addresses the believers, “O you who have believed! Most certainly God will try you by means of the game which may come within the reach of your hands and your weapons [while you are on pilgrimage], so that God might mark out those who fear zhim even though zhe is beyond the reach of human perception.” [Q5:94]

يا أيها الذين آمنوا لَيَبلُوَنَّكم اللهُ بشيء من الصيد تناله أيديكم ورماحُكم ليعلمَ اللهُ من يخافُه بالغيب

Likewise, Qur’an asserts that the very purpose of sending messengers and revealed books to humankind and making available to them iron – i.e. setting up human civilization – is to judge who among them would (and who would not) stand by the side of God and zher messengers even though zhe is beyond the scope of human perception. [Q57:25]

لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ وَأَنزَلْنَا الْحَدِيدَ فِيهِ بَأْسٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ وَرُسُلَهُ بِالْغَيْبِ

Finally, muttaqīn – who remain conscious of God in everything they do – even though zhe is beyond the scope of their perception have been promised rewards in the hereafter. [Q50:31–33, Q67:12]

وَأُزْلِفَتِ الْجَنَّةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ، هَذَا مَا تُوعَدُونَ لِكُلِّ أَوَّابٍ حَفِيظٍ، مَنْ خَشِيَ الرَّحْمَن بِالْغَيْبِ وَجَاء بِقَلْبٍ مُّنِيبٍ

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَيْبِ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ

The connection between taqwá and īmān bi‑al‑ghayb in these āyāt is unmistakeable.

The discussion so far should leave us with no doubt concerning the impossibility of directly observing the objects of īmān. The existence and exact nature of the objects of īmān cannot be grasped by our sense-perceptions. Our belief in God, angels, heaven and hell, and kitāb is meant to be īmān bi‑al‑ghayb.

With this I conclude the first khuṭbah.

---

[Second khuṭbah]

الحمد لله رب العالمين، والصلاة والسلام على الأنبياء والمرسلين.

Brothers and sisters: in the first khuṭbah, I have tried to highlight the centrality of īmān bi‑al‑ghayb in Islamic belief. Qur’an records and dismisses the demands to directly experience God, angels, or other objects of īmān, and emphasizes, instead, that the very nature of our belief in God and other metaphysical propositions of Qur’an is īmān bi‑al‑ghayb. Willingness to believe in what is beyond our sense perceptions is (1) a prerequisite in order to appreciate potential guidance in God’s kitāb, and (2) it is what we shall be rewarded for. The day when we can witness some of God’s portents, angels, and heaven and hell, the matter will have been decided, the time will be up, and there will be no opportunity to believe.

But then the question arises: if our belief in God is īmān bi‑al‑ghayb, how exactly is it reasonable? Is it reasonable at all? If it is, what kind of rationality underpins Islamic belief?

If God permits, I’ll try to address this question in a future khuṭbah.

I’ll conclude by asking God to facilitate us in shaping our religiosity in the light of zher word.

اللهم ارحمنا بالقرآن الكريم، واجعله لنا إماما ونورا وهدى ورحمة،

اللهم ذكرنا منه ما نسينا، وعلمنا منه ما جهلنا

وارزقنا تلاوته آناء اليل وآناء النهار

واجعله لنا حجة يارب العالمين

إن الله وملائكته يصلون على النبي، ياأيها الذين آمنوا صلوا عليه وسلموا تسليما.

اللهم صل على محمد كما صليت على إبراهيم إنك حميد مجيد.

اللهم بارك على محمد كما باركت على إبراهيم إنك حميد مجيد.

اللهم أرنا الحق حقا وارزقنا اتباعه وأرنا الباطل باطلا وارزقنا اجتنابه

اللهم إنا نسألك رزقا واسعا وعلما نافعا وعملا متقبلا

ربنا اشرح لنا صدورنا ويسر لنا أمورنا واحلل عقدة من ألسنتنا يفقهوا قولنا

ربنا آتنا في الدنيا حسنة وفي الآخرة حسنة وقنا عذاب النار

سبحان ربك رب العزة عما يصفون وسلام على المرسلين والحمد لله رب العالمين

وأقم الصلاة.

Shared Concerns: An Avenue for Interfaith Engagement

(Text of my speech at the Interfaith for World Peace Youth Symposium – Vancouver, BC; March 10, 2013)

I praise God, the creator of the universe and its sustainer. And I invoke zher blessings on prophets and messengers who introduced God to us and educated us about zher will.

And I wish you all God’s blessings, peace and security, and soundness in every sense; or as we say in Arabic, I wish you salām!

My dear friends: In these few moments with you, I would like to identify something that seems to limit the effectiveness and value of interfaith discussions and engagement. I will then try to present an alternative approach to interfaith engagement that, I think, is more likely to bear fruit in terms of interfaith harmony and mutual respect between communities.

Let me first talk about what looks like a limiting factor to me in interfaith engagement.

Interfaith discussions often take place in theological settings. That is because people most invested in religion are the ones who take their own religious identity seriously, and see other people as members of another faith community, and feel the need to reach out to them. People who are not invested in religion are usually less concerned with religious identities, and are content with relating with others in entirely secular settings. Thus, we notice that interfaith meetings are usually hosted by churches, synagogues, mosques, and other centers of worship.

There is nothing wrong with that per se. If anything, the efforts of religious folks to reach out to members of other communities must be appreciated.

However, interfaith meetings organized in places of worship often involve discussions of religion itself. The participants are expected to put aside their own truth claims, and see the beauty of other faiths. Followers of each faith tradition (particularly Christians and less so Muslims, who are concerned with sharing their understanding of God’s word with fellow human beings) have to compromise on their missionary zeal. And quite often, the discussion ends up assuming and promoting theological pluralism that considers all faith traditions to be equally valid expressions of religious truth. Religious truth is rendered “relative”. And differing accounts of religious truth are denied advantage over one another.

It is for these reasons, I believe, that we see limited participation in most interfaith initiatives.

So how do we make interfaith engagement more meaningful?

Even though different communities differ in their conceptions of God and in their understandings of zher will, we do have certain shared concerns. We often support causes that other communities support too. From my point of view, these shared concerns and common causes offer an important avenue for meaningful engagement between communities. I believe working together for common causes may be more effective in drawing participation from individual communities than engagement on philosophical and theological questions.

So what kind of concerns do we share? And for what kind of causes can we work together?

Foremost among potentially shared concerns is our concern for justice. Desire for justice enables people to rise above their identities and advocate for others what they would like for themselves.

Here, I would like to share with you some passages from Qur’an that outline God’s expectation of justice from believers:

On one occasion, it is said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاء لِلّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَى أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالأَقْرَبِينَ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقَيرًا فَاللّهُ أَوْلَى بِهِمَا فَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ الْهَوَى أَن تَعْدِلُواْ وَإِن تَلْوُواْ أَوْ تُعْرِضُواْ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا

Believers, be among those who establish justice; and bear witness [to what is true] for the sake of God, even if [your testimony goes] against yourselves, or your parents, or other kinsfolk. Whether the person [you testify for or against] is rich or poor – God can best protect both; so follow not [your] whims, lest you should swerve. And if you distort [the truth] or avoid [to do justice], God is well-acquainted with all that you do. (Qur'an 4:135)

On another occasion, it is said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّامِينَ لِلّهِ شُهَدَاء بِالْقِسْطِ وَلاَ يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَى أَلاَّ تَعْدِلُواْ اعْدِلُواْ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَى وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ إِنَّ اللّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

The verse starts out like the previous one, but additionally emphasizes that the enmity of a people should not derail believers from the path of justice. (Qur’an 5:8)

On still another occasion, it is said:

وَلاَ تَجْعَلُواْ اللّهَ عُرْضَةً لِّأَيْمَانِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ وَتُصْلِحُواْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَاللّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

The verse tells us: Do not, in God’s name, excuse yourselves from doing good to others and making peace between people. (Qur’an 2:224)

On yet another occasion, it is said:

لَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ

God does not forbid you from being kind and just to those who neither fight you nor dispossess you of your homes and property. Indeed God loves those who are just. (Qur’an 60:8)

I believe these verses of Qur’an offer a model sense of justice that all of us can relate with regardless of our backgrounds.

It is such a sense of justice that enables Jewish members of civil society to rise above their identity and demand justice for Palestinians. And I have no hesitation admitting that nothing has drawn me closer to the Jewish community than their active presence in rallies and protests expressing solidarity with the people of Palestine. It is these rallies and protests where I see Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, members of indigenous communities, Muslims, Sikhs, and of course, agnostics and atheists standing shoulder to shoulder advocating justice. The united demand for justice awakens love in their hearts for each other – for as Cornel West says, “justice is what love looks like in public.”

Similarly, social and charitable causes is another area where different faith communities can and do collaborate with each other. At least some members of each religious community are concerned with the well-being of vulnerable members of the society. Alleviation of poverty is a goal that cuts across religious boundaries.

Thus, in our own city, a joint Jewish-Muslim initiative, Feed the Hungry, has been offering food to the homeless in downtown for several years. And First United Church, a Christian institution, has been hosting them. Over the years, more than a thousand volunteers have participated in preparing and serving food to the needy.

---

My dear friends, I have tried to articulate before you my impression that engagement on philosophical questions in theological settings draws limited participation from respective communities, and therefore, has limited value. On the other hand, working together for charitable, social, and political causes is more likely to establish significant grassroots connections between different religious communities, and is more likely to humanize the “other”.

I pray to God that zhe enables us to effectively reach out to fellow human beings within and beyond our faith communities. I pray to God that zhe enables us to stand for justice even if our testimony sometimes goes against our own selves or our communities – for without justice, there can be no peace.

Thank you.

A Secular State: Why (not)?

Some members of the "ummah" are bordering on frank shirk (invoking beings and things other than God). Those obsessed with authenticity also seem to suffer from epistemological polytheism, admitting and insisting on a lot more than God's word in discerning zher will). To me, taslīm (considering everyone a believer) looks equally undesirable as takfīr (calling others disbelievers). What kind of a setting would make the question of whether someone is a believer, disbeliever, or unbeliever irrelevant? A secular state – of the kind that ensures freedom of religion for all, not the kind that restricts religion.