This month saw the launch of the European campaign against forced marriages in Rotterdam. One of the people heading this campaign is Professor Tariq Ramadan, President of the European Muslim Network. His statement explained why he had to get involved in this campaign – I think it’s a great message. In case you haven’t read it:
“Something had to be said about practices that are very often presented as Islamic while they are betraying the very essence of the Islamic message. The contemporary Muslim conscience is actually facing two major problems: the literalist reading and reductive interpretation of the scriptural sources (Qur’an and prophetic traditions –Sunna) on the one hand and the great confusion between religious principles and cultural practices on the other.
Forced marriages are at the crossroad of these two very serious challenges: some ‘ulamâ’, Muslim scholars, are keeping silent or even accepting these practices by relying on some texts read literally without referring to the overall Islamic teachings (and their objectives) or at least contextualizing these very marginal scriptural sources. Muslims are very often confusing cultural practices with religious principles and they think that forced marriages, to which they were used to in their culture (the current one or the culture of origin) are in fact Islamic.
The literalist and cultural readings of the Qur’an and the Sunna are two dangerous phenomena for they mislead the believers and betray the very essence of Islam in numerous fields: gender issues, human rights, political systems and, of course, family life, marriages, etc.
It is thus in the name of Islam that we have to say that forced marriages are not acceptable and we need to launch a vast awareness-raising campaign within our European societies to put an end to such practices.
Forced marriages are not Islamic and must be condemned in the name of Islam! This is our message, this is our call!
We have to accept that forced marriages are a part of our communities and do our part to both ensure these practices do not happen and help those victims that have suffered from such un-Islamic practices.”
Insha Allah, may Allah bless Tariq Ramadan and I hope this campaign reaches a wide audience. This is the first I have heard about it. I hope other bloggers will link to this or post their own blog on this topic, insha Allah.
Indeed forced marriages are illegal in islam, no sane Muslim scholar or otherwise would argue differently. So I find the following statement curious “some ‘ulamâ’, Muslim scholars, are keeping silent or even accepting these practices by relying on some texts read literally without referring to the overall Islamic teachings ” – please do point out what these are?
Where did you get this information brother?
To Redwan: Please visit http://www.tariqramadan.com for more details on this. Insha Allah – I intend to post more on this topic and its related areas – so watch this space.
To Azad: please read Western Muslims and the Future of Islam by Tariq Ramadan for more details on ‘literalist’ interpretations.
The point of asking you was so that you can share the one or two lines with all of us, I think it is a dubious statement to make and you used it in your blog – only fair that you further elucidate – without asking me to read the ‘manual’!
So what are these texts that are being read literally?
To be fair to Hussain he has highlighted an issue that is often seen as a taboo within the Muslim community and not many mosque and community leaders give the matter its due attention. Declaring “forced marriages” as antithesis to the Islamic principles of freedom and marriage from the mosque pulpits is not good enough. Mosques and Muslim leaders need to play a more active role in this. There needs to be a sustained campaign of education and reflection with practical mechanism in place that aids victims of forced marriages and punishes those who perpetrate it. (I say mosques should name and shame them!!!).
Azad has a point too, Hussain should of had dissected 1.) What these texts are and 2.) Which scholars are promoting them so that they can be referenced to?
Having said that I can only assume that perhaps that was the experience of Prof. Tariq Ramadan, remember he is a globe trotter, travelling around the world and may be he has come across scholars who hold and advocate literalist interpretations. Azad, I am not sure why you seem bewildered that such views can be held by some scholars when there are far more dubious practises such as female circumcision that are endorsed by some! Before you ask me which scholars see the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1oI0KmUKq8</p>
Salam,
I agree with Sidi Azad. I dont know of any right minded scholar that would condone ‘forced marriages’! I think we need to revise what Dr Ramadan is suggesting. I could say more but just a reminder to brothers and sisters. Imam Bayhaqi mentions that when a mufti is issuing a fatwa he needs to consider and be aware of peoples trickery. I am aware this is not an issue of legal edicts, however, we need to be careful of falling into the trap of the non Muslims. Many times it is they who incite these sort of discussions and initiatives with, wallahu ‘alam, disastrous ulterior motives.
Wallhu ‘alam
@ Mohammed Matin
The point I made, for the 3rd time is ” what are these texts that are being read literally?”
What verse of the Qur’an, or what Hadith – please provide what these scholars are being litralist about. It is unacceptable to give the impression that the Qur’an or the Sunnah has “text” that literally means “forced marriage” is allowed – my point is I don’t think they exist – I could be wrong so please do help.
Thank you brothers for your responses and feedback.
The discussions are interesting, articulated well, sounds a little tense sometimes, but full of mutual respect. This is what is needed, this kind of critical debates. Indeed, this is one of the main objectives of this blog. It is not possible to include all the details in articles as short as these, so please be patient so that we can try to clarify in more details answers to some of your questions and resoind to comments. May Allah love you and protect you…
It would be interesting to hear what scholars definition of ‘forced’ is in the context of marriage…on a grass root level people are being ‘forced’ into many things…marriage and divorce alike alongside drugs, prostitution and much more. Our parent generation are limited within their own culture and traditions whilst others are stuck high up with honour and pride, making life a complex puzzle for many youth.
Some thoughts:
1) there is a lack of dialogue and understanding between parents and children, when our youth enter a relationship with the opposite gender,parents have instant solutions without any conversation or understanding with the person who’s life is in question,
2) stereotypes have taken the ground for decisions…our parents prefer a bride from bak home – cos she will stay at home, cook clean and take care of the family and the girls from here wont…why because they work and they like to go out….it would be impossible for them to believe a working single girl aspires to be a mother and daughter in law in her married life, that she is able to cook and clean and care for others, that she holds family values. They also will only marry their child to a person with a supposedly perfect family make up cos it is believed if the siblings have a bad characteristic then the boy/girl in question is likely to be influenced by this moreover the influnece will plague the family the boy/girl marries into…!
These assumptions are made without research without evidence
3) boys and girls are making decisions to keep their parents happy and to keep families together…and our parents, they fail to realize their is happiness in children’s happiness…for them its more important to upkeep tradition and culture
4) many fail to accept feelings and desires are a natural part of a growing single person, moreover there are judgement’s over how much of a relationship evolving from that carries objective thinking and decisions – it is assumed none as feelings is believed to have overrided the whole relationship
Forced marriage in my opinion has many levels…we live in a world of freedom but yet many a times we find ourselves trapped by our circumstances,
Also my opinion that all levels are unislamic and need to be addressed and uprooted inshaallah, the current culture traditions, confused thinking and lack of dialogue and understanding is the root to many of the problems our youth are experiencing.
Wassalam
There is a problem with the way brother Tariq Ramadhan approaches problems within the Muslim community, and often the solutions he proposes are also a problem.
Br Tariq Ramadan uses a rather narrow lense that comes from a western perspective towards looking at solutions for the Muslims.
If we have a problem within our community, let us solve it e.g. forced marriage, it is not from Islam and scholars do not support it. Lets not sit with the non-muslims to humilliate the muslims with something that is not from Islam. The west currently have failed social system with bigger problems and muslims living in this society are also facing these problems. We need to keep Islam as Islam and not produce a european version, a bit like the recent fitna marriage contract produced by Mufti Barkatullah and other secularists.
Musab: Tariq Ramadan using a ‘narrow lense’ is a first for me. I think, you should read his ‘Western Muslims and the Future of Islam’ and perhaps you will see that he is someone coming from within our traditions and a very wide angle as opposed to being narrow.
The fact, as you say’ Muslims are facing these problems’ is due to our own understanding of Islam that is often shallow. Working with non-muslims to solve a common problem is not ‘humiliating’ to Muslims but a sign of our strength insha Allah.
yes i see him as coming from within our tradition and then taking us out. I would like to know the difference between him and Ed Hussan. they both attack the hudud.
‘An International call for Moratorium on corporal punishment, stoning and the death penalty in the Islamic World’ by Tariq Ramadhan.
Taha Husain would openly and explicitly proclaim that the way to revival is nothing but following the footsteps of Europe – does Tariq Ramadhan differ from this?
Is he not one of the Modernist-Secularists protesting against the Shariah?
here is an interesting link: http://www.islamicawakening.com/viewarticle.php?articleID=1222
It may be a salafi site but very good points.
In his 1999 publication Tariq Ramadhan advocated that the geopolitical concepts of dar ul-Islam and dar ul-kufr were outdated and that “Muslims are obliged to be loyal
citizens and to influence the polity in constructive ways. Their goal should be to be in Europe but at home. To be a Muslim in Europe ideally means to interact with the whole of society. Ultimately, a European Islam should emerge, much as there already exists an African or Asian Islam.”
what does it mean to say dar ul islam and dar ul qufr are out dated?
Imam abu yusuf said;
“a place is recognised as Islamic state by manifesting Islamic law, even if majority of the people are non-Muslims. Similarly a non Islamic state is in her manifestation of non Islamic law even if most of the people living there are Muslims.
Another hanafi scholar called al-kisaani said;
“there is no disagreement between our companions (within their school of thought) that a dar ul kufr becomes dar ul Islam with the manifestation of Islamic rules”
Does Tariq Ramadhan have confidence in the islamic civilisation?
An over fascination of the west.
I would like to ask does IFE endorse the secularisation of Islam? Does IFE endorse the reformation and re-invention of Islam?
Br Hussain S. A piece of article by urmee khan in the telegraph:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/urmeekhan/blog/2008/08/08/is_this_the_beginning_of_a_new_european_islam (in reference to the fitna marriage contract by Mufti Barkatullah)
The controversial academic Tariq Ramadan has made calls for European Muslims to evolve nothing less than its own form of Islam “We need to separate Islamic principles from their cultures of origin and anchor them in the cultural reality of Western Europe.” With 15 million Muslims on the Continent, Ramadan believes it’s time to abandon the dichotomy in Muslim thought that has defined Islam in opposition to the West. “I can incorporate everything that’s not opposed to my religion into my identity,” he says, “and that’s a revolution.”
Perhaps this development is a move towards an independent European Islam.
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Independent european islam to me means an ummah that may remain spiritual in concept and never political – that is quite a narrow goal and vision. As it contradicts a global vision it would remain as an obstacle to the Muslim aspirations that one day inshallah Allah (SWT) will bring about a global unity for this ummah. As you know there is quite a consensus towards this vision with the exceptions of those prefering the secularist model.
I do not consider myself a literalist. Incase of any labels.
This is the problem of ’selective quoting’. This particular article, br Musab, that you cite from the Daily Telegraph suddenly without any link to the topic quotes T Ramadan – that often happens with him – people want to give legitimacy to their project by using his names and try selective quoting. I think, I am not going to bother trying to defend Tariq Ramadan and his positions. The best is to let him defend himself (if indeed that is required).
It’s interesting that you could could not quote one hadith or an ayah from the Qur’an on the concept of dar-al harb and dar al-Islam? For they are a ‘human’ construct, done by our salaf as-saliheen like Imam Abu Haneefa and Imam Abu Yusuf (Rahimahumallah). They have served their purposes. If indeed, we are living in dar-al harb: what are you doing here? What war are you fighting?
What can I say to people who do not even bother reading people’s works properly, indeed not all of his writings are for everyone. May Allah give increase us in knowledge.
I mentioned the concept of dar ul kufr and dar ul islam – These concepts continue to serve purpose. Unless you tell me that shariah will never be comprehensively and exclusively implemented in any part of the world in the future to come and we will not have an islamic entity?
Only a legitimate islamic state can really declare any land to be dar ul harb as there will be international treaties and foreign policies involved between the Islamic state and other nations.
(Just a side point: Dr Shuhaib Hasan from Leyton just recently mentioned these concept when discussing some issues regarding reformists and their attacks towards shariah. )
Br Hussain, I genuinely do not know if br Tariq Ramadhan is better then Ed Hussain or is as much a secularist as Ed Hussain (Quilliam Foundation) – perhaps you can advise me.
Regarding your question, I would like to turn it around and ask you if Imam Abu Yusuf would not have refered to the Quran and Sunnah inorder to come up with such terminologies as dar ul kufr or dar ul Islam?
Please chack out Sahih Muslim, 4294 – you will note distinctions being made about the lands within the hadith.