DIOCESAN SYNOD - 15.11.14

A Mainstream Islamic response to the beliefs and practices of

Islamic State

Imam Monawar Hussain

Muslim Tutor, Eton College

Founder, The Oxford Foundation

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

Primary Sources of Islam

Qur’an Hadith

©Imam Monawar Hussain

Understanding the Qur’an

Linguistic

Traditionalist

Traditionalist & Rationalist

Sufi / Esoteric

©Imam Monawar Hussain

Hadith of Jibril

Islam

Ihsan Iman

©Imam Monawar Hussain

Islam

Shahada

Salah

Sawm Zakah

Hajj

©Imam Monawar Hussain

Iman

Belief in Allah

His Angels

His Revealed Books

His Messengers

Day of Judgement

Destiny, both the good and

evil

©Imam Monawar Hussain

Ihsan

Perfection of Faith

Doing that which is beautiful

©Imam Monawar Hussain

Sunni Schools of Law /Shi’i Schools of Law

Fiqh (Understanding) / Orthopraxis

Usul al-Fiqh / Principles of Jurisprudence

Historical unfolding of the dimension ‘Islam’

©Imam Monawar Hussain

Iman

Theology

Ilm al-Kalam

School of al-Ashari (d. 324 AH / 936 CE)

School of al-Maturidi (d. 333 AH / 944 CE)

Khawarij (late 7th century) ©Imam Monawar Hussain

Ihsa

n

Sufism

Numerous Spiritual Orders

Naqshbandi

Qadari

Chishti

Shadhali

Mevlevi ©Imam Monawar Hussain

Extremist Theology

• Interprets the Qur‘ān literally.

• They are selective in the hadīth they use.

• Arbitrarily declare Muslims non-Muslim (Takfīr) and therefore justify killing civilians.

• Justify 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 actions represent it and what actions do not. Its goal was to clarify to the modern world the true nature of Islam”.

©Imam Monawar Hussain

Amman Message - Three Questions

• (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 traditional Islamic Theology (Ash'arism); of Islamic Mysticism (Sufism), and of true Salafi thought, and came to a precise definition of who is a Muslim.

• Based upon this definition they forbade takfir (declarations of apostasy) between Muslims.

• Based upon the Mathahib they set forth the subjective and objective preconditions for the issuing of fatwas, thereby exposing ignorant and illegitimate edicts in the name of Islam.

©Imam Monawar Hussain

Counter Narrative

• OMPEP – Equipping young people with the arguments against extremist theology

• The Open Letter to IS

Executive 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 portion 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 matter. In other words, there are strict subjective and objective prerequisites for fatwas, and one cannot ‘cherry-pick’ Qur’anic verses for legal arguments without considering the entire Qur’an and Hadith.

Executive Summary I. It is forbidden in Islam to ignore the reality of

contemporary times 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 - Christians or any ‘People of the Book.’

Executive Summary

• It is obligatory to consider Yazidis as People of the Scripture.

• The re-introduction 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.

Executive Summary

• It is forbidden in Islam to declare a caliphate without consensus from all Muslims.

See www.LetterToBaghdadi.com