Vision:

By Zoheir Salem*

Challenges to Islam  Sociology Jurisprudence

in the International Women’s day

The fact of (renewal) in the structure of Islamic jurisprudence remains as theoretical legitimacy fact, and an attractive pretty idea that we can extol whenever we need it, and by which we hide some times, and embellish a situation in other times, and interpret what needs to be interpreted, or suppress those who overdo  in debate with us.

Validity of Islamic Sharia rules for time and space depends basically on the fact that the Nation of Islam needs at the head of each century to an innovator savant (or maybe a scientific academy) to renew religion in its spiritual and moral manifestations, and applying its texts to the reality of Muslim life.

When Muslim jurist lag behind playing the role of time following-up in order to  harmonize between the Sharia (fixed text) and the reality of Muslims and their interests, on the basis that the text is the reference, and that wherever presumed legitimate interest lies, then there is the Sharia; and when Muslim jurist fails to fulfill this role, it means that Islam Sharia will be abandoned,  and Muslim life, which is a nonstop streaming river, would move far away from it, or Muslims committed to their religion feel burdened, and pay the price for their legitimate commitment by suffering a lot of uneasiness and hardship .  

The first essential, which must be present in the context of our discourse on the renewal of jurisprudence (Islamic sociology), is that: the fixed reference is the legitimate fixed text of (Qur’an and Sunna) with its opened to enlightened comprehension horizons. And that doctrines of earlier jurist is the brain child of its environment, with respect and reverence for its owners, since it is only aids in understanding, and illuminating to the text and it is not possible for the people of a bygone era to bind the people of the ages with their doctrines and vision within the alternation of days.

In the International Women's Day we renew our call for the rebuilding of the Islamic sociology jurisprudence, and call more attention to Muslim women and to support her issues and defend her: either as a wife, a daughter, or a sister, who is suffering, under the weight of changes, of too complex problems to be comprehended in an article or a situation.

We should admit that the rules (of Islamic sociology) are shaking violently under the impact of the developments of reality or the changes in time and space and human as also under the impact of winds of sterile invasion that does not hide the ill- intention. The bitter fruits of hybrid social inputs for have started to hit violently individual Muslim, Muslim family, and Muslim society.

And always stay (women) the weakest link in the social equation. Whatever dodgers dodge, the prophet of Allah peace be upon him is calling upon us: “Fear of God in the two weak: women and orphans”, and women are the weakest link in all human societies, a weakness that is numerous in forms and manifestations in the world of East and West the alike, this weakness of women is not to be gratified except by noble manners, straight behavior, and transparent education that teaches husband, brother, and son the rules of public behavior and etiquette firstly..

A weakness that is not to be gratified, unless by (legislation) that reshapes Islamic community relations, and draw up prospects for rational Islamic life...

Those who enjoy the fruits of the existent situation say: where is the problem?! And some God favored women tell you: where is the problem?! The problem in our perception is in the inability of group of headed to advisory opinion and jurisprudence in this nation to recognize the problem. The problem is in a group of those who wants to be drawn with the Westing current then the nation ejects them before it eject their fatwa.  And another group that wants to freeze in the past finds that a piece of cloth sewn as the fashion of third and fourth century can be worn in the fifteenth century... Their God bears them responsibility: to rebuild on the basis again and to be imposed to wear for each age as fits.

When you stop before the problems of Islamic sociology, we do not want to get occupied with unemployment, poverty, spinsterhood, marriage contracts, divorce, inheritance, alimony, custody and age of the spouses and the marriage under ages only, despite that all these issues are more important materials to the job of renewing jurist, who puts in mind that wherever the interests of Muslims in general in its legitimate regulations there is the Sharia of Allah.

What we want of Islamic jurisprudence is to have the spirit of Abu Hanifa with his scientific academy, when in his house eighty turban deliberate opinions in fatwa, or spirit of Shafei, as he sensed spatial change between Egypt and Iraq . We want jurists who invoke the spirit and then proceed to lay the groundwork for opened to the world Muslim community in an age in which globalization spread its wings stand on each bedroom, jurists who lay the foundations for multiple Muslim communities.

(Islamic renewal) is an obligation in every aspect of our political and economic, but today in our social life it is  more required...

In the International Women's Day... we whisper in the ears of Muslim jurists what we are facing does not bear slowness and lag, beware that the train starts, and we all remain on the sidewalk ..

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*Director of The Arab Orient Center

00447792232826

zuhair@asharqalarabi.org.uk

10/03/2010