Clerics should guide, not impose

Khairie Hisyam Aliman, Malay Mail Online

The furore over Muslims touching dogs this week have highlighted one particular aspect in our society: the widening chasm between the religious scholars and clerics and the Muslim youth.

Clearly the former does not understand the latter. The clerics are so used to arbitrary authority that many of them, when proclaiming opinions and judgments, seemingly forget the part where they explain every bit of the reasoning behind these pronouncements.

But what the clerics need to see is that they are fast becoming out of time. They have traditionally been the knowledgeable and wise, whom the average Muslim look towards for insight and informed interpretation of the Quran and Hadith.

This means their opinions used to be taken at face value. Yet attitudes have changed.

The rising generation of Muslims today are no longer the quietly obedient flock of yesterday. They are more educated, are more exposed to values and elements and practices beyond Islamic teachings, more often than not explained and clarified to them.

And they also seek to understand, not merely follow and copy. And this drives this generation to perpetually ask of their own cultural and religious taboos and restrictions: Why?

We are now at a point where the clerics need to re-learn how to engage, explain and guide as opposed to demanding unquestioning obedience that they have grown used to in times past.

In the case of the dog-petting event, the more effective approach to my mind would be to open a public discourse, without hostility or judgment, on why the event was inappropriate for Muslims.

Without unnecessarily putting the other side on the defensive by calling names and belittling remarks, the clerics can then explain their views and be heard, while also engaging the organiser on his reasons for organising the event. The clerics would have a much brighter prospect of reaching out with their message this way.

Looking beyond this single issue, clerics need to accept that they can no longer read selectively on behalf of other Muslims. Instead they should allow the Muslims to choose what to read and read it on their own before coming to the clerics for help in interpretation and understanding.

Of course uncomfortable questions would arise when so many are allowed to learn so freely, but in their wisdom and knowledge the clerics should be able to deal with these questions nonetheless.

Eventually, letting Muslims arrive at the answer by themselves, with gentle guidance and advice along the way, will strengthen their faith, far more so than trying to force them down the same path. Education and understanding, not blind obedience and unquestioned authority, remains the best path to defending the religion in this day and age.

Indeed a key aspect of Islam had always been an emphasis on the importance of education. After all, blind obedience or taqlid is forbidden in Islam — we are to seek proper understanding in every facet of our religion through continuous learning.

The alternative to embracing this change, forced upon the clerics by changing times, would be to fade into irrelevance in the eyes of the larger society.

As a wise man once said, we can be knowledgeable with other men’s knowledge, but we cannot be wise with other men’s wisdom.

So let Muslims seek that wisdom on their own and offer guidance, not browbeating. It’s a win-win proposition for all Muslims in the long run.