Understanding The Straight Path

আরো অনেক কিছুর মতোই ইসলাম সম্পর্কে যারা “ফস্” করে কিছু বলে বা লিখে ফেলে, তাদেরকে মু***চ্ছির ইসলাম নামে এক প্রবাসী ইউটিউবারের কথা মনে করিয়ে দিতে চাই। সে যে কতোবার ইসলাম থেকে বের হইছে আর ফিরে আসছে তা বোধহয় সে নিজেও জানে না। এখানে সেখানে দু’এক লাইন পড়েই যারা আল্লাহর দ্বীন নিয়ে “অত্যন্ত জ্ঞানগর্ভ” মন্তব্য করে ফেলে ওদের নিয়ে আমার আসলেই খুব ভয় হয়। অনেক লোকের ভাবখানা এমন যে তারা যেন ইসলামের ঠিকাদারী পেয়ে গেছে; এখন একটু ভুল-ভাল বললেও সমস্যা নেই! আমি মাঝে মাঝে ভাবি এরা কেন এমন করে! “রিয়া” একটা কারন হতে পারে। বিভিন্ন কারনে সৃষ্ট হতাশা, চারিদিকের নানান স্রোতের মধ্যে পড়ে তাল মেলানোর চেষ্টা, ইসলামকে ব্যক্তিগত আকাঙ্খার ছাঁচে “ফিট” করানোর প্রত্যাশা ইত্যাদি আরো নানা কারন থাকতে পারে। উল্লেখ্য, এরা কেউই প্রাতিষ্ঠানিকভাবে ইসলাম শিক্ষায় শিক্ষিত নয়, অন্ততঃ আমার জানামতে।
আল্লাহ আমাদের সবাইকে সংযত হওয়ার তাওফিক দান করুন। আমীন।

Are there many Islams, or is Islam just one?

Well, in my understanding, the answer depends much on where you are positioning yourself, whether you are an outsider or an insider. It also depends on your overall understanding of theology, and in particular Islamic theology.

Now, the question popped up because of some popular speaker(s)’s claim that Islam is actually many; it is somewhat civilization-dependent contrary to Islam’s claim of universality, not only in terms of its theological nature but also according to its applicability.

Yes, civilizational and cultural contexts do matter in people’s understanding of almost everything, including divine messages, but to what extent? That’s the most important question here, I suppose. And here comes one’s positionality that I have mentioned at the onset. An insider would think, with all the differences, we are still adhering to the basic tenets of Islam; if someone fails to do so, he simply goes out of Islam, not creating another Islam. But an outsider would simply take it as two different versions of Islam, thus supporting the idea of many Islams. However, it is also possible for an outsider to think and conclude like an insider that Islam is actually one. But I don’t see any possibility for an insider to conclude that Islam is many.

Observing the reality of the Muslim societies with regard to their practices of Islam, while critiquing Western politics and policies vis-à-vis the Muslims, Edward Said used the phrase “many Islams." And, even though he was very sympathetic towards the Muslim causes, he was still an outsider. Besides, there are many who are comfortable with the idea of “many Islams” as they observe and analyze the sectarian and syncretic developments within the Muslim communities, only from outside! Now, is it possible that someone may not be aware of his positionality? Yes, I think so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYtT_byupNE

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Islam has been described as the Straight Path in the Quran. If we are on this Path, we are supposed to achieve peace in this life and in the life here-after. Unfortunately, our desired peace does not often come by due to our lack of understanding or misunderstanding of this divine straight path. This is our meagre effort to learn, understand and share the knowledge of Islam. May Allah (swt) accept our effort. Ameen.

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