There is no harm in asking for Answers, for guidance, for things to MAKE SENSE. To critically question the Qur'an so that it makes reasoned sense. I'm only a Muslim insofar as Islam makes sense and proves itself as the best religion and belief system.
Surah 46: The lesson of this Surah is that if the Truth is challenged, the challenge will be duly answered, and Truth vindicated.
Surah 25, Verse 33: "And no question do they Bring to thee but We Reveal to thee the truth And the best explanation (thereof)."
MEANING: Divine knowledge is a fathomless ocean. But glimpses of it can be obtained by any individuals sincerely searching for the Truth. Their progress will be in grades. If they ask questions, and answers are then furnished to them, they are more likely to apprehend the Truth, as they have already explored the part of the territory in which they are interested. In the same way, when concrete questions arise by the logic of events, and they are answered not only for the occasion, but from a general stand-point, the teaching has a far greater chance of penetrating the human intelligence and taking shape in practical conduct. And this is the usual way of instruction in the Qur'an.
Sometimes I’m attending some of the lectures.. when the Muslim scholar comes and speaks, the Muslims scholars are there.. When it's someone from a different faith, the Muslim are leaving the room... what’s that? Since when do we only listen to Muslims and we disrespect the voice of people of other faiths... we have to learn. we have to take. Not on do we have to do this but we have to invite scholars and professors to be involved in our discussion, from other faiths, and questioning the ethical dimension of all we have to do...... So the two legs are important: our tradition. our field. and then to come with the critical question to have a better understanding of the society. and our distinctiveness should be about the way we ask questions and the way we are dealing with our critical thinking and the objectives of this knowledge.... -Tariq Ramadan
IMPLEMENTING ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGE AND UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
It is going to come from Revelation, and it is going to come from Nature, and the Society.. Its going to come from what we call today "secular".. but in fact, all this business about sacred sciences, in fact, in real life, if we think about what is sacred and what is not sacred, in fact, Everything is sacred when you put meaning... When you put objectives, "why am i trying to get this"... so the meaning of knowledge is always to serve.. always to try to get the knowledge to do something better. Now you have all this, and say okay: "what is the future of Muslim students"... What we see now is that we have some Muslim students, they are getting knowledge, they want the degree and they get the degrees (doctors, professors), they can have all the titles, and at the end what seems to be important is to get the job. A very good position, a good salary, and I am a good American..... thats not the point. If now you come to what I am saying,,,, all the landscape/backdrop,,knowing what we mean about knowledge-- you come and you enter the university, the first thing which is important is - whatever you are studying now - why? why are you studying what you are studying.... what do you want to get.... do you get the knowledge for the degree, or do you get the knowledge to now become a useful human being with this knowledge...... the degree, its important.. the degree, its an instrument... the fact that for example, i
have an example of teaching at one university, this helped me, it helps me, but what... it helps me to be acknowledged as a professor at a university - this is nothing... .. at the end, what is important is how do you use this knowledge to serve the people, and to service humanity....... So ask yourself: now you are a medical doctor. Now you are a computer scientist.. or you are a sociologist, or political scientist.. Whatever is your field.. ask the question around you: why.. what do you want to get... so its the very essence of useful knowledge... ........ now this knowledge means that whatever you do, and in every way you deal with knowledge, you ask the objectives of this knowledge... and then the ethical dimension: the value of & how do i deal with this;; how am i using this knowledge to serve humanity and to try and serve my society (the united states).. so how do you get this knowledge and what do you want to do with this knowledge is something important.... ... ..... by saying this, it means that now, how am i getting the knowledge... you have 2 choices: if you come here for the degree, you can be very quick to just being shaped and get the pattern of the "good students" - you listen to what the professor is saying and you know how it takes to get the degree - you just ~repeat~. And some of our students today, they are within the system, students who just want the degree so they ~repeat~.... What Is Important in every field is not to ~repeat~ -- it is to get the knowledge to be Useful, and to get the knowledge to be useful you have to ~shape~ a critical mind.... And what is a critical mind; - it is to ask questions... and even sometimes to challenge the teacher..
it means that a student who wants to get the deep knowledge is not someone who is repeating, its the one who is questioning - in EVERY FIELD.. Whatever you try to get, you question (+ where does it come from, tell me your sources, give me your evidence)... ........ ....... .....
Many of the students, with their professors, they dont even dare to do half of it.... And the professor repeats: "My degree, my exams" - and this is not the way... The (1st) thing is to ask why you are getting this knowledge, and how with this knowledge you are going to be useful.. And the (2nd) thing that is important is to challenge this knowledge with critical thinking (to do this means you have to read)..... And the best students that I always had in my life - are not the students that are repeating what I’m saying during the exam - these are not students, they are
parrots, they repeat, and they got the degree........ The right student is I Repeat what Could be right, and I question what is questionable and where I have questions..... .... and you will see that all the Qur'an, which is the ultimately knowledge for the Muslims, is in fact coming from
questions (the history) - and the Quran is an answer ... dont be happy if you are only students getting the degree, and you repeat, and you get the job, and you get the money... what is necessary now is to get knowledgeeee to ask the objectives, and to get a critical mind......... this is
what is Expected.. and to do all this, means that your presence on the campus is not to try always to organize lectures about Islam just to spread around a better knowledge of Islam - thats fine you can do this -- -- - but the best way to show who you are as human beings - is not
always as a Muslim student organization to organize lectures on Islam by Muslims dealing with contemporary Muslim issues -- thats fine youcan do it BUT are you students, are you studying medical science and law and all of this? come and organize with the campus, lectures where
we come with critical questions that are questioned and fundamental questions for ALL..... Showww that what you are bringing on campus is not only celebrating knowledge and being completely scared of the professor -- but coming and questioning the knowledge and the objectives... what is now the ethical ground for medicine, politics, and democracy.. And here, you deal with people of other faiths - ppl who are not only Muslims, but they have the same concerns and they come with the same questions... Its to speak about All the Topics in a new way..
.... The quality of the Muslim presence on campus is not only to speak about Islam- its to speak about all the topics in a specific way.. in a new way.. To have this distinction... .... I'm talking about intellectual humility,, but there is also something deep which is intellectual modesty.. the
way you are dealing with your mind... this capacity to take the knowledge from everywhere, to question the knowledge, and to come with questions that are questioning the objectives of the knowledge..... All the people who are telling you that in knowledge there is no ideology, or
in science there is no ideology-- - are themselves driven by ideology.. ...... There is NO KNOWLEGE AND NO SCIENCE WITHOUT IDEOLOGY.... and you, in this, you should come with your own questions, you should come with your own critical mind, and take from this University whatever
you can, and then also ask the questions....
But, to do that, you understand that you have to walk on two legs... 1) is your own tradition. don't be illiterate from an Islamic viewpoint and knowledge from a scientific viewpoint, and end up being unable to be critical from your position. And you live in a country where it is possible
to get the knowledge of your religion. it means read. It means to know where you come from. and it doesn't mean that you accept everything.. but all the young Muslims who are not accepting, the only concern i have with them is that they are rejecting with ignorance.. and All questions
are legitimate... the deep questions that you may have in your mind, never be scared to ask.. and we have to ask.. but to pretend to be good Muslims while you have lots of questions that are unanswered in your mind - that is not the right way... So ok, this is my religion and i want to
understand.... To pretend that you are committed, that is not going to work... With the knowledge of Islam and the knowledge in your field, with these two legs, you build an identity which is SOLID as to the principles and open as to the horizon that we can do with people... and come
and be a driving force in this society which is using knowledge not only to get a salary or a job, but using knowledge to ask the deep questions and the deep ethical questions in Every field.... -Tariq Ramadan
Deep faith means consistency, and consistency means critical thinking, and critical thinking means ask the questions, deal with the problems, challenge the present to try to change for a better future. -Tariq Ramadan
Wherever you go in the world, when you meet with Human Beings: there is something in their heart which is yearning for an answer.. By definition, human beings are in need of an answer "why am I here"... This is the universal intimate question.. "Why"... the Fitra is a spark. The faith is a light that is coming upon the light that you have already there. ... The question is troubling.. the answer is putting your heart at peace. ... The Prophet, before he was getting a revelation.. -Tariq Ramadan