Though he began what is now the world’s second largest religion-which counts nearly a quarter of the world among its followers-for many the founder of Islam remains an ambiguous figure. The Prophet Muhammad* is an elusive historical figure. In other words, the Qur`an is not an inanimate object but an interactive encounter that achieves success only if it sparks action. The Qur`an is not letters on a parchment or recited words but rather the reaction of readers and listeners who are choosing to change their behavior. The Semitic roots Q-R-A signified a literal blossom and figurative chanted wisdom the blossom is followed by fruits, wisdom by actions. The term for the divinely inspired manual -Qur`an-actually described a process: blossoming. Islam at this point functioned not as a doctrinal religion with rituals but as an ideological civic movement. As Muslims they embraced the brokenness in all human beings while simultaneously inspiring them to strive to emulate the only perfect being in the universe, God. Rather than rebelling against tradition, they were upholding it and infusing its core values with contemporary relevance. Muhammad taught that Islam was simply the ancient core message of every monotheistic prophet. Muhammad, the World-Changer: An Intimate Portrait by Mohamad Jebara
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |