05-15-2004, 06:21 PM
Dan, all of the things I've raised above are not necessarily personal questions that I have. My point, which you guys don't seem to be getting, is that these are all issues ON WHICH DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES OF MUSLIMS DIFFER.
As I said in another post, I agree that based on the use of the word khimr, it seems pretty obvious to me that headscarves are mandatory. BUT NOT EVERYONE AGREES.
You are of course correct that some of these differences can be resolved through greater knowledge, but ultimately all information that comes into our minds is subject to interpretation, and simply "learning more" will not answer all of these questions. Muslims have had 1400 years to "learn more," and there are more divisions in the Muslim community now than ever. And what's more -- I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing.
A study of history will show you that human cultures need to change constantly -- cultures that don't stagnate, sicken, and die. The Qur'an itself says that God could have made humanity all one people, but chose not to so that we could learn from one another through our differences. I am not trying to say that the Qur'an is outdated or that Muslims should abandon their principles in order to keep up with the world. What I am saying is that a certain degree of flexibility is not only allowed but in fact suggested by Islam itself.