Table of Index:
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Preface by the Author
As a person who is "knowledgeable about religion"
and whose field of study is "the history of religions", I reached
the following conclusions as a result of my study and research of the
historical evolution of each faith whereby I compared what the faiths were in
the past and what they are now as well as a comparison in the differences
between the "truth" and the "reality" of the faiths. My
conclusion is not based on personal religious feelings nor prejudices:
If we study and evaluate the effectiveness of each religion
in terms of the happiness and evolution of mankind, we will discover that
there is no prophecy which is as advanced, powerful, and conscious as the
prophecy of Mohammad (PBUH) (i.e. Islam and it's role in man's social
progress, self-consciousness, movement, responsibility, human ambition and
struggle for justice; Islam's realism and naturalness, creativity,
adaptability with scientific and financial progress and orientation toward
civilization and the community).
Contemporaneously, we will discover that there is no
prophecy which has deteriorated and been transformed into a completely
different representation as much as the prophecy of Mohammad (PBUH)!
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that some power composed of all physical facilities as well as knowledgeable
advisors, openly or secretly has hired a group of the most educated and
intelligent philosophers of history, social scientists, sociologists, social
psychologists, politicians, human scientists, theologists. orientalists,
experts in Islamic studies, Quranic interpreters and people who are familiar
with Islamic literature, the social relations of Muslims, the traditions of
Muslims, the personalities of Muslims, the weaknesses and strengths of
Muslims, the interests of Muslims, the socio economic behavior of Muslims, the
roles of special people ... to completely change the Islamic doctrine through
the pursuit of cautious and scientific research of Islam and Muslims!
As far as I know, from the practical and conceptual point of
view, the most important pillars of the Islamic doctrine which motivate the
Muslim nation and makes it's citizens conscious, free, honorable and socially
responsible are: TAWHEED, JIHAD, and HAJJ
Unfortunately, the teaching of the concept of TAWHEED is
limited only to elementary schools. Beyond that, it may be spoken of at the
philosophical and theological discussions held by religious leaders; but such
discussions are totally foreign and inapplicable to the lives of the people.
In other words, only the existence and oneness of God are considered - not
TAWHEED in it's real sense! As for the concept of JIHAD, it is absolutely
forbidden and buried in the graveyard of history. The fundamental principle of
JIHAD, "encouraging people to do good deeds and to avoid wrong
deeds" is only applied when blaming the friends instead of when
correcting the wrongdoers. And lastly, HAJJ is viewed as the ugliest and most
illogical action that Muslims perform yearly.
The enemies of Islam were successful in bringing about
changes by implementing a unique policy. The "prayer book" was
brought from the grave yard into the city while the Holy Quran was taken away
from the citizens in the city and given to those at the graveyard who read for
the souls of the dead. A similar approach was used in the theological schools
(madresah). The Holy Quran was seized from the hands of students who studied
Islam and put away on the shelf; it was replaced by the book of principles and
philosophical discussions. So, it is obvious what the enemies can do to us
when the Quran is absent from the lives of Muslims and not included in the
curriculum of Muslim students!
Does the intellectual individual who feels a responsibility
towards his people and a Muslim whose faith endows him with a responsibility
or an intellectual Muslim who has this dual responsibility feel at ease by
sitting passively? Does he think resorting to a western ideology will save his
people and solve their problems?!? NO!! ! Oh my intellectual friend and my
Muslim brother - either you feel a responsibility toward the people or toward
Allah. It does not matter; we are in the same boat and are endowed with the
same responsibility. In order to liberate ourselves and regain our honor, it
is best to employ the same tactics that our enemy used. We must return to the
path from which we were abducted! Therefore, we have to bring the Holy Quran
from the graveyard back to the city and read it to those who are alive (not
deceased)! We have to remove the Quran from the shelf, open it before the eyes
of the students and let them study it. Since our enemies could not destroy the
Quran, they closed it and left it in a corner to be respected as the HOLY
BOOK! It is our duty to re-use it as a "book" - a "book to
study" - as is designated by the name QURAN!
May we hope that one day the Quran will be accepted as the
classic book of our Islamic school and used for our Islamic teachings! May we
hope to see the day when Quranic study will be required in order to qualify
for a degree in Ijtihad. [Exegesis of divine law on theological and legal
matters]. If we return to the Quran and make it part of our lives, we will
realize the essence of Tawheed. If we consider the Quran as the structure of
our system, we will realize the creativity and efficacy of such duties as:
Hajj, Jihad [holy war], Imamat [Leadership of the Islamic Community], Shahadat
[Martrydom] ... and the meaning of our lives!!!!
Now let us look at one of these duties - Hajj - and search
for its significance from a monotheistic point of view. This book is a summary
of my personal experience and understanding after performing the Hajj three
times and touring Mecca once. It is only the comments and interpretations of
the rites by a humble servant of God. No Muslim has the right to view the
rites on the basis of this writing since it is not a book on "religious
jurisprudence" but rather a paper to make you think! I have attempted to
interpret the ceremonies as a Muslim Hajj who is entitled to talk about the
Hajj when he returns home. I can discuss my views with others; this has been a
"tradition" too. Every year the minority who were able to
participate in the Hajj will share their views with the majority who did not
have this opportunity. If there was a responsible leadership who demonstrated
as much interest in teaching more than a million Muslims from various parts of
the world (ie. from the least developed villages and least trained natives) as
they do in their meals, health, souvenirs and luxurious but ugly shows of
aristocracy (which contradicts Hajj) and if they were only a bit concerned
about realizing the meaning of the rites rather than being meticulously
obsessed and prejudiced about performing the rites themselves then the Hajj
could have been a yearly course of practical and theoretical teachings of the
Islamic doctrine given to more than a million Muslim representatives from all
over the world! They could learn the purpose of the Hajj, the meaning of the
prophecy, the importance of unity and the fate of the Muslim nation. With a
reserve of knowledge and information they could return to their countries and
their individual lives to teach their community. As a result, all his life a
Hajj could remain a guide in the darkness of his society - like a glittering
beam m the darkness!
Dr. Ali Shariati
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