The Islamic Stance on Music: Ghamidi’s View-Part 1

(Javed Ahmad Ghamidi can be contact by E-mail: < almawrid@brain.net.pk>

Ghamidi is President and Founder of Al-Mawrid, Institute of Islamic Sciences (51-K, Model Town, Lahore, Pakistan Tel. 5865145 / 5434306). President of Danish Sara, an institution for organizing the task of Islamic propagation and the people involved in it. Presently, the institution is publishing two monthly journals, Renaissance (English) and Ishraq (Urdu) and books and pamphlets on Islam. Ghamidi is Chief Editor of Renaissance which publishes research work done at Al-Mawrid and other articles dealing with various aspects of Islam. Chief Editor, Ishraq, a monthly Islamic research journal (Urdu). Ishraq also publishes research work done at Al-Mawrid and other articles.)

 

The Almighty has created man with the best physical and intellectual abilities. Desires for beauty and stateliness of thought and practice are found in his nature. He is well-disposed to choose good to the exclusion of evil, and prefer piety to sinfulness. He professes virtues of love, fidelity, truth, purity, justice and equality, and shuns hatred, falsehood, injustice and inequity. He yearns for enlightenment and shuns ignorance; he goes for fragrance and evades fetidness; he craves for beauty and dislikes ugliness. All cultural advancement and progress in civilization, in fact, owes itself to this very natural desire in man for beauty and grandeur. Every small step he has taken for advancement testifies to his inclination towards the best.

He needed nutrition for his growth for which he could have done with brambles and potherbs, but he innovated a variety of delicious foods as an essential part of his meals. His sense of modesty required that he cover his private parts, for which he could have wrapped himself up in sackcloth, but he went for silk, brocade and satin. He needed shelter. Caves, tents or huts scattering through forests and deserts could have satisfied this need, and yet he chose to build cities and bejewelled them with magnificent palaces. In social life, he needed an effective means of communication. But he did not feel content with simple signs and symbols or even a plain discourse; instead he coined such eloquent styles of expression that language developed into poetry and literature.

The history of mankind - in the realm of social and cultural progress - sufficiently evidences the fact that in his very nature, man longs for beauty and grandeur in all activities that emanate from him. His physical and psychological senses, and their necessary characteristics, mirror his interest in beauty. Therefore, we see that his appreciation for the ambience of life and its vivid images drives him to decorate his surroundings. His command on expressing himself leads him to take ordinary words, and develop their rhyme and meanings into poetry. This is because of his appreciation for a beautiful voice that he infuses passion in his utterances and uses the high and low pitches in composing enchanting musical tones. His yearning to hear pleasing sounds draws him towards the captivating resonance in his environment and forces him to invent musical instruments to master and reproduce these sounds. Music is nothing but the manifestation of his beauty of utterance and taste for pleasing sounds. Therefore, music satisfies his want of beauty and affords him an opportunity to delight his innerself.

It is commonly believed that the Islamic Shari‘ah prohibits music and musical instruments altogether. However, we understand that this view cannot be substantiated from the basic sources of religious knowledge in Islam. Only the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah have the sole authority to render something allowed or forbidden. Nothing can be added or deducted from the list of the allowed and forbidden articles of the Shari‘ah.

In order to identify the Shari‘ah directives regarding a certain matter, Muslim scholarship has generally sought the two authentic sources: the Qur’an and Sunnah. An inquiry into the Hadithliterature ascribed to the Holy Prophet (sws) follows this. If the issue is addressed in these narratives, they are also to be benefited from in the light of the established principles of sense and reason, and religious knowledge. The previous Divine scriptures are also resorted to when necessary. Opinions ascribed to the companions, exegetical works, Hadith and Fiqh are also consulted in such analytical study.

Strictly following these acknowledged principles of research, we have attempted to conduct a thorough inquiry to find out the Islamic stance on music. Our study led us to believe that the Holy Qur’an does not have any direct or indirect, explicit or implicit directive that can evidence the prohibition of music. Likewise, the list of Sunan (i.e. practices established by the Holy Prophet (sws) as part of the religion) also does not offer any basis for the assumed prohibition of music in Islam. The Hadith literature contains many Sahih ¹ and Hasan ² narratives ascribed to the Holy Prophet (sws), which allude to the allowance of music. However, some narratives depict it as a prohibited activity, but scholars of the science of Hadith have declared most such narratives Da‘if ³. Furthermore, a close examination of the narratives that are presented as basis for the prohibition of music show that it is only the involvement of drinking, nudity, and other moral depravity that renders the entire event forbidden. As for the previous scriptures, the Holy Bible explicitly refers to the fact that the Prophet David (sws) was gifted with a very pleasing voice. He would glorify God in his psalms, which he sang accompanied with enchanting music. The Zabur (i.e. Psalms), the book revealed to him, is a collection of such songs that he sang on a harp. Different views of the Companions on the issue have been recorded in the Hadith and the exegetical literature. As for the works of the researchers and scholars of the past, many of the commentators of the Qur’an understood some Qur’anic words to be referring to music. Based on their interpretation of the Qur’anic references, they maintained that it is prohibited in Islam. As we have already mentioned, scholars of the science of Hadith consider that most of the narratives which are often presented to establish the prohibition of music are Da‘if and unreliable. Some of these scholars declare that there is no Sahih Hadith in the entire corpus of the Hadith literature that proves the prohibition of music. However, the majority of the jurists have declared that music is an activity forbidden in Islam. They base their argument on narratives discarded as Da‘if by the scholars of the science of Hadith.

We have studied all these sources of religious knowledge and have tried to determine the status of music in Islam. Our thorough research has led us to the conclusion that music is one of the permissible natural gifts of God. The Islamic Shari‘ah does not forbid it. One can use the musical tones in hymns, encomia, odes or tragedy, epic and comedic poems. However, if any of these literary poetical compositions contain any polytheistic or atheistic subject matters or is prone to promote impiety and sinfulness, then of course, it must be condemned and rendered unallowable. But it must be understood, this is only the content of the poetry recited that is being condemned in this case not the art of music itself. If the content of the poems and all literature is endorsed by the Shari‘ah and does not offend man’s moral values, then music can be used in poetry, prose, oratory, writings and recitals. If the message conveyed through the rendered contents does not conform to religious and moral principles, then all such indulgences shall necessarily be forbidden. For example, if a poem written in praise of a messenger of God is contaminated by verses expressive of polytheistic ideas then that very poem is to be forbidden, not the art of poetry. Similarly, songs that contain immoral utterances should be condemned. However, once again, this is done merely because the contents of these literary genres contain debauchery and the literary activity itself cannot be prohibited based on this. Still, if any such permissible thing has become associated with an evil thing, it can be temporarily banned in order to block the way for that inseparable evil.

 

1. Music and the Holy Qur’an

 

The Holy Qur’an is the last episode of the religious guidance divulged by God to man. Initially implanted in human nature in the form of intuitive knowledge of certain basic facts, this religious guidance culminates in the Holy Qur’an. Over the course of history, different Prophets (sws) of God added different rites, rituals and practices to the treasure of Divine guidance.

The Prophet Abraham (sws) gave these practices (known to all as Sunat-i-Ibrahimi) a well-defined and concrete shape. On the other hand, Divine books like the Torah, Psalms and the Gospels further explained various aspects of the Shari‘ah directives and the wisdom behind them. Then, finally, came the Prophet Muhammad (sws) and the Holy Qur’an. Thus, the HolyQur’an is the last version of the religious guidance and not the first. It would mean that besides the Holy Qur’an, the sources of religious guidance include dictates of nature, Abrahamic practices and previous scriptures.

All religious precepts are termed as Ma‘ruf and Munkar in the Holy Qur’an. The word Ma‘rufsignifies all such acts as are inscribed in the human nature as praiseworthy, and the wordMunkar is applied to the ones considered evil. Man’s ability to tell the nature of the deeds enables him to distinguish good from evil. This is the very yardstick by which he can identify the moral and immoral aspects of certain acts. Therefore, relying on this human knowledge, the Holy Qur’an does not provide an exhaustive list of good and bad deeds. Generally, it only provides principal guidance. Detailed guidance is only considered necessary where humans tend to err in a specific matter and clarifications are rendered inevitable.

In the light of the above explanation, we can conclude that the Holy Qur’an does not pass a verdict on all human thoughts and actions. Rather, it leaves the matter to men to decide for themselves in the light of primary sources of religious knowledge, referred to above as innate guidance and established religious practices. In some matters, it gives only principal guidance and/or slight hints. In others, it provides necessary details. As for music, the matter has not been directly addressed in the Holy Qur’an. No single Qur’anic verse clarifies its religious status.

 

i. Rhyme and Rhythm in Qur’anic Verses

The Holy Qur’an contains unparalleled aural beauty and the best stylistic expression. Though a literary masterpiece, it cannot be identified with the well-known literary genres like poetry, prose or oration. Yet, the element of rhyme in its verses exhibit that the Author has given special attention to it in order to give it a tint of rhythm. The rhyme element in the Qur’an creates an enchanting effect on the listeners - commoners or scholars, Muslims or non-Muslims alike. It was only this aspect of the Qur’anic discourse because of which the Quraysh were able to say that the Holy Prophet (sws) was a poet and the Qur’an, a poetic composition. Since the Almighty has beautified the Qur’an with rhyme and rhythm, we can conclude that He loves rhyme and rhythm in words, and beauty in their sounds. Music no doubt is a form of this assonance created by a certain order of words and their sounds. For that account, the Holy Prophet (sws) encouraged the believers to recite the Qur’an with a beautiful and pleasing sound. He is reported to have said:

 

He who does not recite the Qur’anic verses in a beautiful tone does not belong to us. (Bukhari, No: 7089)

 

Beautify your recitation of the Qur’an with your beautiful recitation. (Ibn Khuzaymah, No: 1556)

 

ii. The Prophet David (sws) and his Psalms

When the Prophet David (sws) would sing God’s praises, the birds and mountains would join him. This has been referred to in Surahs Anbiya, Saba and Suad of the Holy Qur’an.

 

…and We caused the mountains and the birds to join with David. They would praise God with him. (21:79)

 

In the verse, the verb ‘sakhr’ has been employed, which means to subject something, subdue it, and bring it in conformity with something else. Though it is not clear from different usages of the word in the Qur’an that the Prophet David (sws) would sing his hymns, yet if seen in the light of the Biblical texts, it becomes clear that he certainly did. The Bible clearly mentions that the Prophet David (sws) would beautifully sing his psalms on a harp.

 

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise to Him with psalms. (Psalms 95:1-2)

 

Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; show forth His salvation from day to day. (Psalms 96:1-2)

 

I will sing a new song to You, O God; on a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You. (Psalms 144:9)

 

The famous Muslims scholar, Abu’l Kalam Azad has taken the referred to Qur’anic verse to mean that David (sws) would sing his psalms in praise of God. He writes:

 

The Prophet David (sws) had a very sweet sound. He is the first to compile Hebrew music and he developed the Egyptian and Babylonian harps into more sophisticated musical instruments. A study of the Torah and Jewish tradition reveals that when he would climb the mountain tops and sing the praise of his Lord on his harp, the trees and stones would join him enraptured. Exegetical narratives also corroborate this fact. ‘Subjecting the birds to David (sws)’ can signify either that all kinds of birds would flock to his palace or his songs would enrapture them. The book of Psalms comprises a wonderful collection of songs that David (sws) composed with Divine inspiration ⁴.

 

Renowned Qur’anic exegete, Amin Ahsan Islahi too has explained the verse of Surah Anbiyain the light of the Biblical narrative. He writes:

 

David (sws) cherished a deep communion with God. At nights, He would set out for the mountains and sing the praises of God. The pleasing sound of his songs would echo through the mountains and the birds would join him. It is noteworthy that the Torah clearly mentions that David (sws) not only had a very sweet voice but his voice revealed strong passion. Furthermore, all these hymns are in the form of songs and poems inspired by God. These inspired hymns cast such deep effect on the listeners that even successive translations have left only little poetical element in them, they still fully captivate the audience. The heart leaps for joy upon hearing them. Imagine a person with so sweet a sound as David (sws) singing the praises of God amid the serene mountains in the stillness of early dawn. You would no longer doubt that the mountains would echo and the birds would respond to his utterances. One should not entertain the thought that it is only a poetical reverie. Nay, it stands an irrevocable fact. The Holy Qur’anmakes it clear that everything in this universe exalts the Lord. It is our lack of understanding, due to which, we cannot comprehend these thanksgivings. Their yearning to praise God is inflamed when someone else starts singing their heart’s voice. They feel enraptured by such a song in the surroundings and join the singer in his utterances. Our inability to comprehend the thanksgiving offered by each and every creation should not lead us to conclude that none else could understand it. All such people as have molten hearts can. Mawlana Rum has beautifully expressed the thought in the following verses:

 

The philosopher belies the incident of Hananah. He is not familiar with the (extraordinary) senses of the Prophets.

 

The famous Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib says:

 

At your end is the problem that you do not know the secrets being unveiled to you. Something that seems a curtain before you is in fact the pardah from which the music flows ⁵.

 

Islahi’s commentary of the relevant verses of Surah Suad reflects the fact that David (sws) alone was able to comprehend the praises of the mountains and birds because it was a special favour of God on him. He writes:

 

Each and everything in this universe sings the praises of God. It is only the humans who cannot understand their utterances. Our failure to understand their praises does not necessitate that none could understand them. The Almighty had bestowed upon David (sws) not only the sound sweet enough to enrapture the birds and the mountains, but also the perceptive ears which could enable him to understand the hymns of the mountains and birds ⁶.

 

2. Music in the Bible

 

The Bible is a collection of the Torah, Psalms, Gospels and other Divine scriptures. Basically, it contains God’s Shari‘ah and His wisdom. Although different followers of the Book have lost many parts of this Divine book and altered some others because of their mutual differences, yet it treasures invaluable assets of Divine guidance. If seen in the light of the final revelation - the Holy Qur’an - the contents of the Bible afford us very precious guidance.

We find numerous references to music and musical instruments in the Bible. This means that in the religion brought by the Prophets of God, music and musical instrument have never been disallowed. In the Bible, one finds many places where music accompanies the praises of God. Besides, at many other places, the Bible positively mentions the use of music in expressing delight, sorrow, as well as in the context of war.

 

i. Worship Rituals and Music

When the Pharaoh and his people were destroyed in the sea by the command of God, as mentioned in Exodus, and Moses (sws) successfully delivered his people from the Egyptian captivity, all the Israelites embraced the faith and believed in God and His Messenger. On that occasion, Moses (sws) and the believers accompanying him praised their Lord:

 

Then the sons of Moses and Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying, ‘I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider, He has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation’. (Exodus 15:1-2)

 

Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? (Exodus 15:11)

 

What follows this is the reason that occasioned the singing. Maryam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, it has been told, played a tambourine.

 

For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought again the waters of the sea upon them. But the sons of Israel went on dry land in the middle of the sea. And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel (a musical instrument similar to tambourine) in her hand. And all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider He has thrown into the sea. (Exodus 15: 19-21)

 

According to Chronicles, when the Prophet Solomon (sws) got back the Ark of Covenant, the whole Israel stood before it and offered sacrifices to express their delight and sang praises to their Lord.

 

And they were as one to the trumpeters and to the singers, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and as they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His mercy endures forever, the house was filled with a cloud, the house of the Lord. (2 Chronicles 5:13)

 

As for the book of Psalms, it comprises a wonderful variety of inspired pieces of music and songs. There are numerous internal testimonies to the fact that the Prophet David (sws) sang these songs with the help of musical instruments. Inscriptions to many chapters of the book read, ‘To the Chief Musician, for stringed instruments. A Psalm of David (sws).’  The contents of the Psalms also evidence this fact.

 

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise to Him with psalms. (Psalms 95:1-2)

 

Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; show forth His salvation from day to day. (Psalms 96:1-2)

 

I will sing a new song to You, O God; on a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You. (Psalms 144:9)

 

ii. Music as Expression of Gladness on the Most Joyous Occasion

We learn from the Bible that the Israelites used music to celebrate joyous occasions. According to the book of Kings, Solomon’s kingship was proclaimed with joyful music and songs.

 

And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth was torn with their sound. (1 Kings 1:40)

 

iii. Music in the Context of Wars

According to the book of Numbers, the Almighty commanded Moses (sws) to make two silver trumpets to call the assembly, and to signal instructions in regulating movements of the troops in times of war.

 

And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, ‘make two trumpets of silver for yourself. You shall make them of beaten work. And they shall be used for the calling of the assembly and for causing the camps to go forward.’ (Numbers 10:1-2)

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DOES THE QUR'AN ALLOW BEATING OF WOMEN?

By: MOHAMMED ABDUL MALEK

(Mohammed Abdul Malek is a Qur'anic Scholar and a prolific writer on Islam, based in SURREY, England)

If ever there has been a controversial verse in the Holy Qur'an, it certainly is verse 4:34. Used by opponents of Islam to label this religion woman-unfriendly (to put it mildly), Muslims themselves are struggling with interpreting it. For yes, let us agree about this: there is no such thing as “the” one and only correct interpretation of the Word of Allah – only Allah knows what He meant. We can only try to understand. And in this particular case, an alternative for the troublesome interpretations of this verse may bring us a bit closer to that objective. 

Let us have a look at a (partial) translation of this verse ¹:

"Men are the {qawwam} of women, because Allah has given the one more than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are {qanitat}, and guard in the husband's absence what Allah would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear {nushooz}, admonish them first, then refuse to share their beds, and finally {adriboo} them; but when they {ataa:} to you, then seek not against them means of annoyance: For Allah is Most High, great above you all. "

Disobedient women? 

The key word to answer this question is {qanitat}, which is a feminine plural of {qanit}, based on the root {q-n-t}. This word appears on many other occasions in the NobleA Qur'an ², where it is used exclusively in the sense of'submissive, obedient to Allah'. Verse 4:34 contains no reason at all to depart from this meaning and to change it into 'obedience to a husband'. This verse is about pious women who, just like pious men, are obedient to Allah. And a wife (husband) who is obedient to God, must live up to her (his) marital duties.

Superior husband and inferior wife? 

Throughout the Noble Qur'an, Allah emphasizes that men and women are equal for Him – Allah will judge them in exactly the same way ³. So it would be strange indeed if a verse would contradict this equality. But is that really the case here? The Arabic word used is {qawwam}, an intensive form of {qaim}, meaning: 'to take care of, to stand up for,  to look after'. Therefore, does this verse say that men are superior to women? Not at all. It says: men must look after women. In Islam, men are obliged to financially provide for their wife and children. They have to pay for their housing, clothing, food, medicines, etc. That is what {qawwamoona} means: men must take care of women. 

Misbehavior? 

Is this verse about what a man should do when his wife 'misbehaves'? The exact word used here, {nushooz}, means 'discord, hostility, dissonance'. In this context it could be interpreted as 'marital problems'. 

Beating his wife? 

The verse instructs a husband whose wife causes problems in their marriage to first talk to her about it, then leave the marital bed, then {adriboo} his wife, and all of this in view of pursuing a reconciliation as is evident from the subsequent verse 4:35. 

ADRIBOO

The Arabic word used here, {adriboo}, from the root {d-r-b}, has several dozens of meanings, such as: 'to beat', but also: 'to forsake, to avoid, to separate, to leave,                   to part'. 

How do we know which interpretation to choose? One way to find out is to relate this verse to other verses in the Glorious Qur'an and to check if the meanings make sense. In this case, let us look at verse 24:2, which describes what should be done in case of adultery:

"The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication, - flog each of them with a hundred stripes..."(Noble Qur'an 24:2) ⁴

This verse establishes the principle that for men and women, equal actions lead to equal punishment. When for adultery men and women must receive equal punishment, surely there is no reason why they should be treateddifferently for any lesser marital problem. 

Now let us take a look at the consequences of interpreting {adriboo} one way or another. 

Suppose {adriboo} means: 'to beat'.

In this case, verse 4:34 says that when a wife causes a problem in the marriage, her husband should first talk to her about it, then leave their bed, then beat her and all of this in view of increasing his chances of a reconciliation. On the emotional level, this certainly does not sound like a very promising course of action. So let us check this meaning against the bigger framework and in particular against the principle of 'equal behaviour leads to equal punishment'. This would imply that when a husband causes a problem in the marriage, his wife can beat him. At which he could invoke verse 4:34 to beat her again, so that the result would be a perpetual physical fight between spouses! Surely, this makes no sense at all. And indeed, it is not what Allah prescribes for the situation where a husband causes a rift, as will be explained in a moment. 

Suppose {adriboo} means: 'to forsake, to avoid', possibly, as Mohammed Abdul Malek ⁵ suggests: 'to separate, to part'.

Now what do we get? Verse 4:34 now says that when a wife causes a problem in the marriage, her husband should first talk to her about it, then leave their bed (forsaking his sexual satisfaction), then avoid her even more (not talking to her anymore, leaving the room when she enters it, and possibly even leaving the house for a while), in order to prevent things from getting worse, and on the contrary to let things cool down and create enough space in view of increasing chances of a reconciliation. 

This sounds like a very logical chain of events. 

Also, application of the general rule of verse 24:2 ('equal actions, equal punishment') now means that when a husband causes a marital problem, his wife should forsake a few of her rights, avoid her husband in increasing ways, and try to work towards a reconciliation. And yes, that is precisely what verse 4:128 says:

"If a wife fears cruelty or desertion on her husband's part, there is no blame on them if they arrange an amicable settlement between themselves" (Glorious Qur'an 4:128) ⁴

Understanding {adriboo} as 'to forsake, to (gradually) avoid (more and more), possibly eventually leave altogether', clearly makes sense when relating several verses to one another. 

And there is more. Beating a wife, would contradict hadiths of the Noble Prophet who repeatedly said: “do not beat believing women!”. It would also contradict the Noble Prophet's instructions about anger – which he explained to originate from Satan and which he described as "a living coal on one's heart". One should not act upon ones anger, lest one would do things one would regret later. When you are angry when you are standing, sit down, the Prophet (pbuh) said. And when you are still angry when you are sitting, then lie down. Interpreting this verse as allowing a husband to beat his wife, surely contradicts these rulings on anger. 

Furthermore, Allah says in the Noble Qur'an that one must meet bad behaviour with something that is better, not with something that is worse, in order to turn a hostile situation into a friendly one:

"Nor can goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: Then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate!" (Noble Qur'an 41:13) ⁴

Therefore the word {adriboo} cannot really have meant “to beat”, can it?. It must mean something that is better than causing problems, and avoiding the problem certainly is exactly that. 

Based on the evidence presented here, it would seem that interpreting {adriboo} as 'to beat', causes several internal conflicts with the meaning of other Qur'anic verses and hadiths, while interpreting it as 'gradually forsaking, more and more and possibly leaving altogether', is a much more logical interpretation that is entirely consistent with the interpretation of other rules in the Glorious Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Noble Prophet Muhammad. 

What makes much more sense, is that this verse does not allow a 'superior' husband to 'beat' his 'inferior, disobedient' wife. On the contrary, this verse appears to tell us that a husband must look after his wife (an equal partner who, like he, is obedient to God), and that when his wife is causing problems in their marriage, he should first talk to her about it, if that doesn't help, he should begin avoiding her by leaving the marital bed. If that still doesn't resolve the situation, he should forsake her presence even more, avoid conversations, leave a room when she enters it, avoid her company altogether, and possibly leave the house for a while, so that no problems are added to the conflict, and so that things can cool down a bit to maximize chances for a later reconciliation.

Return to obedience?

When the problem is solved, when the wife is committed to the marriage again, then the husband is advised not to keep using the incident against her and to consider the incident closed.

The exact Arabic wording is: "when then they (fem.pl.) {aTa:} (with) you (masc.pl.), then seek not against them (fem.pl) means of annoyance". The verb {aTa:} (alif taa alif ayn) has several meanings, such as: 'obey', but also: 'comply, comply with, accommodate, give in to', or in French 'filer doux'. Consequently, the verse can be understood to mean: "when then they are committed to the marriage again", or: "when then they give in to/comply with the efforts of the husband to save the marriage", or "when they no longer cause marriage problems", ... Linguistically there is no compelling necessity to translate {aTa:} as "obedient to the husband" . Other interpretations are possible and indeed preferable. Earlier in the verse, there was no reason at all to translate {qanitat} as women who are "obedient to their husband" so that here there isn't any reason to imply that this verse is about a temporary disobedience and a subsequent return to obedience to their husbands. It is not a matter of obedience to him, it is a matter of {nushooz} (marriage problems). And the Noble Qur'an advises that when one of the partners causes a marriage problem, the other should gradually avoid the person who causes the problem, in order to save the marriage - irrespective of who started the strife (4:34, 4:128)

Yet of course, this is only an interpretation. Allah knows best. 

 Reading Quran and reflecting over the Quran Is our Duty

Read quran and it will guided us to the true teaching of The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) he summarized the religion of Islam with this statement: “The Religion is naseehah (sincerity)!” So then Tameem ibn Aws, may Allah be pleased with him, then said, “We asked, ‘To whom?’” He said: “To Allah, HIS BOOK holy quran, His Messenger, the leaders of the people, and their common folk.” [Muslim] so to study the religion people should go to the source of and source of Islam is the quran so learning quran and reading quran with the meaning the quran tafsir and then explore the words of wisdom. And for the Muslims the sincerity that is due to the Book of Allah includes doing the quran recitation, listening to quran along with learning the tajweed rules and reciting it beautifully, letting our kids learn quran learning holy quran tafseer and the reasons for its revelation, affirming that it is the Truth, the perfect Speech of Allah and not part of the creation, honoring it and defending it, abiding by the orders and prohibitions found in it and teaching quran to spread the word or truth and calling to it. So by learning quran education online and reflecting over the Quran online, one fulfills an obligation and is rewarded for that. Upon fulfilling this obligation, the Quran then becomes a proof for him on the Day of Judgment! And that is our second benefit we will take by embracing this Noble Book...

The Epistemological Hijab

By  Dr. M. A. Muqtedar Khan

( Professor Muqtedar Khan, Ph. D.  is Chair of Political Science department at Adrian College, Adrian, Michigan and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He is the author of Jihad for Jerusalem: Identity and strategy in International Relations and American Muslims: Bridging Faith and Freedom. His website iswww.ijtihad.org.)

 

The issue of “Hijab”, its various implications and the politics surrounding it, has become a globally polarizing issue. Whether in France or in Turkey, Between Muslims and Others and between liberal Muslims and traditional Muslims, the Hijab has become a site for the cultural struggle between Islam and modernity and between contemporary and traditional interpretations of Islam. 

The Hijab is to some a symbol of Islam’s ascendance in the world, while for others it is a reminder of the intransigent Muslim resistance to things that first emerge in the West – modernity, secularism, feminism, liberalism and globalism. For some Muslims in France it is a symbol of their resistance to French cultural occupation over Arabs and Muslims in France. For Islamists in Turkey it is an important means to preserving the Islamic heritage of Turkey from secular fundamentalism. For Non-Muslim observers it is often an introduction to an Islam that has misogynistic proclivities. 

No matter what the perspective one employs the fact remains that the Hijab is an instrument of segregation and containment. The Hijab in its philosophical sense marks the Muslim woman for separation and for “different” treatment in all aspects of life; the most egregious being the moral differentiation it engenders. Muslims who claim that Hijab is an instrument that compels society to treat women in a special even exalted way (in terms of security and respect) do not work to ensure that the society has special affirmative laws in place that will guarantee equal outcomes for women, since the Hijab ultimately undermines equal opportunity. 

But the sartorial Hijab and its attendant social practices of segregation, disenfranchisement and marginalization of women, is but a symptom of a more profound and civilizationally debilitating form of Hijab that is practiced by contemporary Muslim society. What is significant and must be confronted with vigor is the Epistemological Hijab that “good” Muslims insist on imposing on “good” Muslim women. The Epistemological Hijab is the traditional barrier that exists between women and Islamic sources. Women have played a marginal role in the interpretation of Islam and articulation of the laws and rules that are forced upon them. The Epistemological Hijab – the barrier between women and Islamic sources – has fundamentally rendered the articulation and enforcement of Islamic laws undemocratic. This undemocratic tradition privileges men and exploits women. Its reconstitution is important and more so now than before. 

In the postcolonial era a strange paradox has captivated the global Muslim community. The nearly hundred-year-old Islamic revivalist movement that is singularly responsible for the global significance of Islam, has been driven by lay intellectuals. Consider the following key figures of Islamic revival; Jamaluddin Afghani, Hassan Al Banna, Syed Qutb, Ali Shariata, Muhammad Iqbal, Abul A’la Maududi, Khurshid Ahmed, Malik Bin Nabi, Rashid Ghannoushi were all lay intellectuals, many educated in the West. Many of them were of course exposed traditional Islamic sciences, but none of them was an Islamic jurist.  

But for some inexplicable reason the ascendant Islam today is highly legalistic and Shariah abscessed. Islam in the mind of many Muslims is nothing but Shariah – what it really means in operational terms is that the beauty, the virtues and the meaning of Islam is confined to the rather mundane domain of medieval Islamic legalist discourse -- Fiqh – which lacks the intellectual depth of Falsafa (Islamic philosophy), the aesthetics and the mystery of Kalam (Islamic theology) and the spirituality and charisma of Tasawwuf (Islamic mysticism).  

We live today in an era of Islamic banking – Shariah compliant transactions -- and Halal Hamburgers; we ponder over the legality of eating marshmallows, and deliberate over the propriety of women shaking hands with men.  Mind you all serious legal matters, such as for example state-military relations, international transactions, have very little input from Islam or Muslim jurists, since the Muslim world merely follows the conventions of Western/international laws. Islamic legalism is itself confined to issues of personal aspects only.   

This peculiar legalism, which has colonized Islam and the Muslim conscience, is a product of the vulnerabilities of the Muslim man who has tried to cope with his own insecurities in a world dominated by other men. Muslim men today are not sovereign beings. Other men dominate their world. The only area where they exercise absolute sovereignty is over the tiny domain called Islamic law. Here they realize their manhood. They glorify themselves, grant themselves exotic privileges and assure themselves of their power by exercising it on their women. This exercise of power is realized by complete exclusion of women from participating in the process of deriving and interpreting Islamic rulings from the sources.  

There is perhaps no other legal tradition extant today where one has no say in the articulation of laws that govern one’s entire life.  Muslim women have very little if no role in the process of developing Islamic Fiqh. Even historically, men and men alone have developed all the Madhahib –legal schools, and legal principles, even those that deal with the most private aspects of female existence. Thus Islamic legalism has descended as a shroud on the Muslim women, covering her very essence from the world, disconnecting her from her own reality, depriving her of the right to understand and interpret her own being and disabling her from being able to navigate her own life. Islamic legalism fundamentality veils the Muslim woman’s consciousness. Frankly it dehumanizes women.  

Muslims scholars and philosophers of every tradition maintain that the essence of humanity is either our moral compass or our reason or both. By preventing Muslim women from exercising their reason to derive the moral laws by which they live, Islamic legalism denies them the most human of all exercises using our reason to become capable of making moral judgments. In a way Islamic legalism steals women’s God given humanity from them. 

Islamists are fond of repeating that in Islam God is sovereign since He and He alone has the right to make laws. Unfortunately this is a very superficial understanding of Islam and fails to recognize the distinction between revealed principles (Wahy), human product (Fiqh). They obfuscate the distinctions between the two and call it law (Shariah). By insisting that the opinions and arguments of long dead medieval jurists are actually divine law, Islamists make jurists the God of Muslim women and introduce a new and oppressive partition/veil between the women and her real God. In some cultures this divine status of men over women is recognized since men are sometimes referred as the “majazi khuda” (manifest God) of women. 

If Muslim women wish to regain their humanity and gain an equal moral status with men, which is not denied to them in principle but only in practice [within Islamic society], then must be tear the partition that separates them from their right to understand and interpret Islamic sources and act upon their own understanding.  

They must tear asunder this epistemological Hijab imposed by Islamic legalism that stands between them and their God. Until then all discussions about the cultural and physical will remain superficial and contained within the context of the masculine logic that currently exercises such supreme sovereignty over Islamic principles and its derivative laws.

Read quran its is the Word of Allah the sigh of guidance

Reading quran and exploring it is the true duty of a Muslim because it contains Allah’s message to all people and the quran teaching tells the people that how to act correctly. By learning quran you will find that it guides us to a correct way of life in this world. We as a practicing Muslim should teach our kids quran and let the kids learn quran recitation and do quran memorization and we also do quran memorization by heart and there is an other importing thing that learn quran with tajweed because the tajweed rules are very important regarding the pronunciation and way or read the holy quran and further more enhancing the quranic studies by learning quran tafseer and reading quran the translation with it listening to quran online with the quran recitation don by some of the top reciter also. It is the Book of Allah also talks about life after death. It tells us that Allah has prepared Paradise for good people and Hell for bad people. Wile reading Quran we see that it encourages the worship of only one God Who creates and provides for them. The Book forbids people from evil and condemns those who do wrong. It contains stories of the past Prophets and the examples of bad and good people. Find online quran courses 

 

 

SUFISM AND NEUROTHEOLOGY

Sufism is the mystical dimension of Islam based on the esoteric, or "inner-meaning" of its sacred scripture which is the Noble Qur'an. The Qur'an, the book of Allah’s revelations to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), contains numerous passages of a mystical character which the Sufis seized upon eagerly to buttress their own claims to personal trafficking with God. 

Sufism's central doctrine is based on a verse of the Qur'an; in which God says, "I created man and breathed My spirit into him." This "Divine spark" placed into every individual, says the Sufi, must be nurtured and cherished. Furthermore, each individual "spark" or "spirit" separated from the Universal Spirit, desires to return and reunite with the Universal spirit. This is confirmed by another verse in the Qur'an (Surah Baqarah, 2: 157) which says "from God we came and to God shall we return." This "returning" is vital and central to the Sufi doctrine. "We are nearer to him than the jugular vein." Surah 50: 51.  "All that dwells upon the earth is perishing, yet still abides the Face of thy Lord, majestic, splendid."  Surah 55: 26

Now, the Sufi goes on a spiritual journey known as the Sufi Path; a path of devotion and love; which leads to none other than God Himself.  "Man qaala laa ilaaha ill Allah, dakhala al-janna" Whoever says, 'There is no god, but God,' enters Paradise- Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad.

Origin and Background  ¹

The name Sufi comes from “suf,” the Arabic word for wool or “saf,” the Persian word for pure. The dervishes or advanced students of Sufism wore inexpensive wool clothes as part of their life of renunciation.  Sufism is known in Arabic as 'Tasawwuf' or Islamic Mysticism. A Sufi is a mystic that is a person who strives towards intimate knowledge or communion with God; through contemplation, meditation and or "inner-vision."  Sufism or tasawwufis the inner, mystical, or psycho-spiritual dimension of Islam.  

The origin of Sufism goes back to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the Prophet of Islam, who received the Divine Revelation known as the 'Qur'an,' over a period of 23 years. As all Muslims know;  the Noble  Qur'an is a "multi-layered revelation," whose verses can be interpreted literally, metaphorically, philosophically, and mystically.

The Prophet (pbuh) used to explain and clarify the meaning of each chapter and verse of the Qur'an to his immediate friends and companions. To a select few of his Companions he explained the mystical interpretation of the verses; thus starting a "chain of transmission" of the esoteric meaning of the Qur'an. This was conveyed first by "word of mouth" from master to pupil or disciple.

Rituals and Practices

The following are certain practices that are common to all the Sufi orders:

1  Ritual prayer and fasting according to Islamic injunctions. 
2. Remembrance of the "spiritual lineage" of each order. 
3. The practice of "dhikr," an Arabic word for remembrance of God, by invocation. 
4. Meditative and contemplative practices, including intensive spiritual training, in "spiritual retreats" from time to time. 
5. Listening to musical concerts, to enhance mystical awareness.

A Sufi advocates ruling oneself according to the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW), i.e., to worship Allah and not to assign any partners to Him. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) himself did not receive the revelation of the Glorious Qur'an directly from Allah; rather, Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala revealed the Qur'an and its tafsir to the Prophet (SAW) through Angel Jibril (AS), who functioned as his (SAW) Shaykh.

Phrases from the Qur'an are interpreted in a variety of ways by the Sufis. For example, the line "Everywhere you turn, there is the face of God" has been explained in many ways by Sufi poets and mystics.

Spiritual enlightenment cannot be achieved without hard work.  Some of the ways in which they practice is contemplation of particular words of phrases of the Qur'an, fasting and bodily exercises such as spending all night in prayer.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) would often sit alone in the cave of Hira, near Mecca, to pray and meditate, asking the Creator of the Heavens and earth for answers to the questions that surged through his mind. What is man's true role in life?  What does the Lord require of us? From where does man come, and where will he go after death? The Prophet would meditate alone, surrounded by nature, seeking answers to all these profound questions.

Awakening to the Awareness of the Unmanifest World ²

When Sufis follow the Sufi path, at any moment   Sufis may have an experience in which they become drawn into the presence of God. This experience has often been called jadhbah (attraction) or wajd (ecstasy) (lit. finding). Another way of speaking of this experience is to describe it as "awakening to the 'unmanifest or unseen world'(al-ghayb)."  Muslim scholars have explained how   Prophet Muhammad's knowledge of the Unseen as well as the unveiling (kashf) or knowledge of the Unseen that the "friends of God" or "saints" (awliya') attain.

In one of the more important works of early Persian literature, Kashf al-mahjub (Uncovering the veiled), Hujwiri, or Data Ganj Bakhsh as he is also known, in the 11th century  CE discussed various views of Ma'rifah: Gnosis or Direct Knowledge of God, which is an important epistemological principle in Sufism.

Al-Ghazali's Treatise on Direct Knowledge from God: Introduction, indicates the opinion of one of Islam's greatest scholars concerning the possibility that humans--aside from prophets--can attain "direct knowledge" from God. Imam Ghazzali, who states in his book 'Al-Munqidh min-al-Dalal (Rescuer from Error)' :

"When after acquiring proficiency in these Sciences [traditional sciences], I turned my attention to the methods of the Sufis, I came to know that their method attains perfection by means of theory and practice. The gist of their knowledge is to mortify the self and acquire freedom from baser passions and evil attributes so that the heart may get rid of the thought of any thing save God and to embellish it with Divine remembrance."

Sufis' attainment of the knowledge that comes with such intimacy with God, Sufis assert, is the very purpose of the creation.  In this connection they mention the Hadith Qudsi in which God states, "I was a hidden treasure and I loved that I be known, so I created the creation in order to be known." Hence for the Sufis they have a continuous attraction on their hearts exerted by God, pulling them, in love, towards God. They experience the joyful ecstasy of being gently drawn to their Eternal Beloved, yet this primordially blissful return seems to have been interrupted.

MYSTICISM

"The most beautiful and profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their primitive forms - this knowledge, this feeling, is at the center of true religion." - Albert Einstein

Mysticism is usually defined in dictionaries and encyclopedias as a spiritual discipline used to make contact with the divine. While this definition is frequently correct, there have been many people who have had mystical experiences without following a special discipline. Conversely, many people have followed a set of spiritual practices carefully and for a prolonged period but have never contacted the divine.

The mystical event is a personal experience during which one feels as though one has been touched by some higher or greater truth or power. This may occur inside or outside of a religious setting, within or outside a religious tradition.

In some cases, mystical experience is seen as an important component of a religious tradition because it can offer validation of a tradition's belief system. It also can be important in attracting adherents because many people hope to have similar experiences. However, because the mystical experience is so powerful and has the capacity to provide moral, ethical, intellectual, and emotional direction, it is frequently mistrusted.

Mystical Experience ³

Mystical experiences are marked by all or some of the following feelings/insights.

• A sense of unity or totality
• A sense of timelessness
• A sense of having encountered ultimate reality
• A sense of sacredness
• A sense that one can not adequately describe the richness of this experience

Most of these experiences can persist only for a few seconds or up to a few days.

Mystical  experience defies expression, that no adequate report of its contents can be given in words.  Although very similar to states of feeling, mystical states seem to those who experience them to be also states of knowledge. They are states of insight into depths of truth immeasurable by the discursive intellect. They are illuminations, revelations, full of significance and importance, all are  inarticulate.  Mystical states cannot be sustained for long.  Although the oncoming of mystical states may be facilitated by preliminary voluntary operations, as by meditation, or going through certain bodily performances, or in other ways which manuals of mysticism prescribe; yet when the characteristic sort of consciousness once has set in, the mystic feels as if his own will were in abeyance, and indeed sometimes as if he were grasped and held by a superior power.  (William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, Penguin Books, 1985 New York, NY, Pp.380-381)

The mystical experience is a transient, extraordinary experience marked by feelings of being in unity, harmonious relationship to the divine and everything in existence, as well as euphoric feelings, loss of ego functioning, alterations in time and space perception, and the sense of lacking control over the event.

Neurotheology ⁴

Neurotheology, also known as biotheology, is an emerging field of scientific study that analyzes the biological basis of spirituality. This deals with the neurological and evolutionary basis for subjective experiences traditionally categorized as spiritual, such as feeling that time, fear and self-consciousness have dissolved, spiritual awe, oneness with the universe, ecstatic trance, sudden enlightenment and other altered states of consciousness which are the basis for many religious beliefs and behaviors.

Neurotheology is the scientific study of what happens to brain activity during religious or spiritual experiences. It is a recent development, made possible because of advances in brain-imaging (MRI-Magnetic Resonance Imaging, PET-Positron Emission Tomography, and SPECT-Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography). Current Neurotheology is answering questions like why brain waves change, and which specific regions in the brain lie behind the change. The idea is to use the latest tools available within psychology and neuroscience to detect which parts of the brain are active during spiritual experiences. Scientists have long been puzzled, for example, by the fact that some sufferers from epilepsy appear to experience religious hallucinations or revelations during their seizures. Neurotheology can answer this question.

In Neurotheology, neuroscientists (psychologists and neurologists) try to pinpoint which regions of the brain turn on, and which turn off, during subjective experiences that seem to exist outside time and space.

By tracing the neural origins of religious experiences, the more radical advocates of Neurotheology hope to understand not only how brain activity mirrors spiritual experiences but also how it can cause those experiences ⁵.Michael Persinger, a neuropsychologist at Canada's Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, used a helmet filled with magnets to surround the skulls of his subjects stimulating their temporal lobes with a weak magnetic field. Thishelmet was capable of producing a very weak rotating magnetic field of between ten nanotesla and one microtesla (1 microtesla is roughly that generated by a computer monitor) over the temporal lobes of the brain. When lobes are exposed with precise wavelength patterns that are supposed to affect human mind in a stunning way, artificially inducing the sensation "that I am seeing God." The result, according to Persinger, was to induce a “mystical experience” in four out of five people taking part (New Scientist, 19 November 1994, p.29).

Religious experiences, he concluded, were simply bursts of electrical activity in the frontal lobes which could be triggered by a variety of emotions or physical stimuli. When the right hemisphere of the brain, the seat of emotion, is stimulated in the cerebral region presumed to control notions of self, and then the left hemisphere, the seat of language, is called upon to make sense of this nonexistent entity, the mind generates a "sensed presence" (a  feeling that somebody was in the chamber with them).

If one part of the brain is “wired” to have religious experiences, it might explain why religion refuses to die in the modern world. It appears there is a God Spot in our brains.⁶   

Your Brain on Religion ⁷

Anyone can suddenly feel a sense of enlightenment unlike anything one had ever experienced.  The sense of individual existence, of separateness from the physical world around evaporates like a morning mist in a bright morning sun. The sense of "I, me, and mine" disappears. "Time was not present," one can say.  "One can experience a sense of eternity. Fear of death and insinuations of selfhood vanishes.  One is graced by knowledge of the ultimate nature of things."  However, a neurologist or neuroscientist wants to study this spiritual and mystical experience. In order to feel that time, fear and self-consciousness have dissolved, a neurologist reasons, certain brain circuits must be interrupted. Which ones? Activity in the amygdala, which monitors the environment for threats and registers fear, must be damped. Parietal-lobe circuits, which orient you in space and mark the sharp distinction between self and world, must go quiet. 
Frontal- and temporal-lobe circuits, which mark time and generate self-awareness, must disengage. When that happens, "what we think of as our 'higher' functions of selfhood appear briefly to 'drop out,' 'dissolves,' or be 'deleted from consciousness'. (Zen and the Brain: Toward an Understanding of Meditation and Consciousness by James H. Austin, MIT Press, 1998, 896 pp.  Cambridge, MA).                                                                               

More and more scientists have flocked to "Neurotheology," the study of the neurobiology of religion and spirituality and they try to pinpoint which regions in the brain turn on, and which turn off, during experiences that seem to exist outside time and space.  They have published books like "Varieties of Anomalous Experience," "Religion in Mind," "Why God Won't Go Away". In a nutshell, though, they use the data to identify what seems to be the brain's spirituality circuit, and to explain how it is that religious rituals have the power to move believers and nonbelievers alike.

THE TIMELESS AND INFINITE ⁷

Buddhist practitioners of meditation were injected with a radioactive tracer when they reached a stage of quieting their conscious mind and until something they identified as their true inner self emerged. It felt "timeless and infinite, a part of everyone and everything in existence."  After a few moments, their heads   were scanned under a SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) machine. SPECT detects the tracer as it tracks blood flow in the brain. Blood flow correlates with neuronal activity.  The study showed the frontal lobe lights up (became active) during meditation.

The SPECT images are as close as scientists have come to snapping a photo of a transcendent experience. As expected, the prefrontal cortex, seat of attention, lit up.  But it was a quieting of activity that stood out. A bundle of neurons in the superior parietal lobe, toward the top and back of the brain, had gone dark. This region, nicknamed the "orientation association area," processes information about space and time, and the orientation of the body in space.

SELF AND NOT-SELF 

The orientation area requires sensory input to do its calculus. "If sensory inputs to this region are blocked, as one does during the intense concentration of meditation, one can prevent the brain from forming the distinction between self and not-self," says Newberg author of the Book "Why God Won't Go Away."  With no information from the senses arriving, the left orientation area cannot find any boundary between the self and the world. As a result, the brain seems to have no choice but "to perceive the self as endless and intimately interwoven with everyone and everything. The right orientation area, equally bereft of sensory data, defaults to a feeling of infinite space. The meditators feel that they have touched infinity. It determines where the body ends and the rest of the world begins. Specifically, the left orientation area creates the sensation of a physically delimited body; the right orientation area creates the sense of the physical space in which the body exists." (Why God Won't Go Away : Brain Science and the Biology of Belief by Andrew Newberg, Eugene G. D'Aquili, Vince Rause, Andrew B. Newberg Published by Ballantine Books; 1st edition, April 3, 2001) .

VISIONS

Visions that arise during prayer or ritual are also generated by electrical stimulation of the temporal lobes (which nestle along the sides of the head and house the circuits responsible for language, conceptual thinking and associations) produces visions. The temporal lobe controls hearing, speech and memory. The brain has two temporal lobes, one on each side of the brain, located near the ears. The two are interchangeable so if one is damaged the other is usually able to take over the other's function.

Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) ⁸

TLE is a condition in which the patient suffers repeated seizures when there is abnormal electrical activity in the temporal lobes of the brain. These seizures may be simple partial seizures without loss of awareness or they can be complex partial seizures with loss of awareness. The patient loses awareness during a complex partial seizure because the seizure spreads to both lobes, causing memory loss. The condition was first recognised in 1881.

TLE seems to trigger vivid religious visions and voices.  If one truly feels having visions, the cause is temporal-lobe epilepsy. Temporal lobe epilepsy causes fits, and religious hallucinations, but neurologists think only a few patients with temporal lobe epilepsy experience them. Feodor Dostoevsky, Saint Paul, Saint Teresa of Avila, Proust and others are thought to have had temporal-lobe epilepsy, leaving them obsessed with matters of the spirit. 

Although temporal-lobe epilepsy is rare, researchers suspect that focused bursts of electrical activity called "temporal-lobe transients" may yield mystical experiences.

As mentioned earlier, Michael Persinger of Laurentian University in Canada found a weak magnetic field triggers bursts of electrical activity in the temporal lobes, producing sensations that volunteers describe as supernatural or spiritual: an out-of-body experience, a sense of the divine. He suspects that religious experiences are evoked by mini electrical storms in the temporal lobes, and that such storms can be triggered by anxiety, personal crisis, lack of oxygen, low blood sugar and simple fatigue-suggesting a reason that some people "find God" in such moments. Why the temporal lobes? Persinger speculates that our left temporal lobe maintains our sense of self. When that region is stimulated but the right stays quiescent, the left interprets this as a sensed presence, as the self departing the body, or of God.

A NEURAL BASIS FOR RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE ⁷

Vilayanur Ramachandran (V.S. Ramachandran is Director of the Center for Brain and Cognition and professor with the Psychology Department and the Neurosciences Program at the University of California, San Diego, and Adjunct Professor of Biology at the Salk Institute)  says, " there is a neural basis for religious experience." His preliminary results suggested that depth of religious feeling, or religiosity, might depend on natural (not helmet-induced) enhancements in the electrical activity of the temporal lobes. His test for consciousness includes three properties: irrevocability, choice and memory. Any living being that exhibits these features can be said to be conscious. Ramachandran thinks that consciousness as well as religious feelings are located in the temporal lobes and associated limbic structures. Interestingly, this region of the brain also seems important for speech perception. One experience common to many spiritual states is hearing the voice of God. It seems to arise when you misattribute inner speech (the "little voice" in your head that you know you generate yourself) to something outside yourself. During such experiences, the brain's Broca's area (responsible for speech production) switches on. Most of us can tell this is our inner voice speaking. But when sensory information is restricted, as happens during meditation or prayer, people are "more likely to misattribute internally generated thoughts to an external source," suggests psychologist Richard Bentall of the University of Manchester in England in the book "Varieties of Anomalous Experience."(Varieties of Anomalous Experiences: Examining Scientific Evidence Edited by Etzel Cardena, Steven Jay Lynn, and Stanley Krippner. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 2000, 320 pages).   

In a 1998 study, researchers found that one particular brain region, called the right anterior cingulate, turned on when people heard something in the environment-a voice or a sound-and also when they hallucinated hearing something. But it stayed quiet when they imagined hearing something and thus were sure it came from their own brain. This region, says Bentall, "may contain the neural circuits responsible for tagging events as originating from the external world." When it is inappropriately switched on, we are fooled into thinking the voice we hear comes from outside us.

EXPLANATION OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCES:                                                         

Religious emotions: The middle temporal lobe is linked to emotional aspects of religious experience, such as joy and awe.

Sacred images: The lower temporal lobe is involved in the process by which images, such as candles or crosses for Christians, facilitate prayer and meditation.                                                   

Response to religious words: At the juncture of three lobes, this region governs response to language.

Cosmic unity: When the parietal lobes quiet down, a person can feel at one with the universe.  

Learn Holy Quran because it will be a proof for us muslim on the Day of Judgment.

This is due to the statement of the Messenger: “And the Quran is a proof for you or against you.” [Muslim] so the deputy of every Muslim is to read quran and learn quran with tajweed so one of two things will occur with this proof, the Book of Allah. And this quran education will be in your favor, a proof for us on the Day when we will need every single good deed and learning quran along with doing quran memorization is one of it and to add more spread the quran teaching and spread the kids quran knowledge and listening to quran online and understand the quran tafseer , it will be something standing against us and follow the guidance of or prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, and these good deeds will be a proof against us! Who could be saved from the terrors of that Day if Allah’s own Speech is against him?!?! Think carefully, so reading Arabic Quran and teaching our kids quran qaida with the tafseer of quran  and let the kids memorize quran dear Muslim brother or sister, about your position with the reading Quran! Are you neglecting it, contradicting it, being heedless of its orders and prohibitions, are you thinking deeply over it?! Will it be on your side on the Day of Judgment.? So learn quran recitation! O Allah! We ask you, by Your Glorious Speech and the rest of your beautiful Names and Attributes, to make the Quran a proof for us! So the Quran tutor should let his student know about these facts also,