Protest is the safety valve

By Prof Dr Sohail Ansari   “Have you not seen those who assert that they believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you? They desire to summon one another to the judgment of the Evil one, though they were commanded to deny him, and the Evil one desires to lead them astray into a remote error. "

    

·         Allowance of protest suggests either the will to listen for a response or to make listening a substitute for a response. In a latter case, a protest is just the safety valve.

Identity management theory (also frequently referred to as IMT) is an intercultural communication theory from the 1990s. It was developed by William R. Cupach and Tadasu Todd Imahori on the basis of Erving Goffman's Interaction ritual: Essays on face-to-face behavior (1967). Cupach and Imahori distinguish between intercultural communication (speakers from different cultures) and intracultural communication (speakers sharing the same culture).

To understand IMT, it is important to be familiar with Cupach and Imahori's view of identities. Among the multiple identities which an individual possesses, cultural and relational identities are regarded as essential to IMT.

Cupach and Imahori claim that presenting one's face shows facets of an individual's identity. Whether an interlocuter is able to maintain face or not, reveals his or her interpersonal communication competence. The use of stereotypes in intercultural conversations often results from the ignorance of each other's culture; the application of stereotypes, however, is face threatening. Being able to manage the resulting tensions, is part of intercultural communication competence. For becoming competent in developing intercultural relationships, the following three phases have to be passed:

1.  "trial and error": act of looking for similar aspects in certain identities.

2.  "mixing up" the communicators' identities to achieve a relational identity acceptable for both participants

3.  renegotiating the distinctive cultural identities with the help of the relational identity that was created in phase 2

Cupach and Imahori call these phases "cyclical" as they are gone through by intercultural communicators for each aspect of their identities.

Erving Goffman is an author off of which the originators of IMT based their theory. Goffman was a well-known sociologist and writer and the most cited sociologist from his writings because of what he studied in communication. Among the six essays that make up Goffman's book, the first essay shows an individual's self-image while engaging in communicating with another individual. The author explained that the self-image that is obtained during interacting is not permanent and has a large social influence. The image someone gets in a social setting is than expected for the future. The risk of changing self-image in a social context will alter how the individual feels about oneself. The author was implying that oftentimes the defense mechanism is to retract from showing your self to much in a social setting so others do not see them in a displeasing way. The idea of the identity management theory uses the ideas of Goffman to help establish what the idea behind the theory is trying to get at.

Intercultural verse intracultural communication varies significantly. Intercultural communication is based on a much greater scheme of things. This type of communication refers to a group of people that differ in backgrounds, whether that is religion, ethnic, education, or social backgrounds. Intercultural communication looks at how the world is viewed, how messages are interpreted, and how differing cultures react to situations [Communication ]. On the contrary, intracultural communication discusses how people of the same background interact with one another. I thought it was interesting that there was not a Wikipedia page discussing this concept. It is very important to compare and contrast intercultural communication to understand the similarities and differences. With little research conducted on intracultural communication, I am unable to correlate the two types of communication.

The last concept to expand on is identity. Identity is directly connected with the identity management theory since it helps define what this theory is trying to explain. Even though identity is a very broad topic, I will discuss personal identity through the lens of the individual, which will than effect its social identity. Identity is said to be the "distinct personality of an individual" identity. Identity can be the view that people hold about themselves. Also, identity is the perception that people hold about themselves in a social setting. Identity has many subtopics that distinguish why this theory is specific and different from other identity theories. Specific characteristics explain how people feel about themselves as an individual and in a social setting.

Identity management strategies[edit]

Social identity theory suggests that individuals and groups use different identity management strategies to cope with threatened identities.^[1] In a study conducted in Northern Ireland five identity management strategies were tested to see the effects of the person's identity in light of other people. The five strategies included

1.  Individualization

2.  Social competition

3.  Change of comparison dimensions

4.  Temporal comparisons

5.  Subordinate re-categorization

The five strategies previously listed can further be separated into two subgroups depending on the style of how they are manifested.^[1] These two subgroups are:

Individual strategies

·         Individualization

·         Subordinate re-categorization

Collective strategies

·         Social competition

·         Change of comparison dimensions

·         Temporal comparisons

Definition

a statement of the exact meaning of a word, especially in a dictionary.

"a dictionary definition of the verb"

Separating ating Truth from Falsehood

Posted: December 10, 2010 in Qur'an and Sunnah, Standing up against Wrongdoings, Unity
Tags: Allah, Berailwi, dhikr, division, falsehood, following blindly, grave worship, Hadith, Islam,Muslim, Pirs, Prophet, Qur'an, Shia, Sunnah, Syeds, truth, Ummah, wrongdoing

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We live in a world of division, not unity. A world of sects that divide us, not one ummah. A world where lies are mixed with the truth. It shouldn’t be like this. And we all know it.

The problem is, everyone thinks that they are right but this simply cannot be true. Everyone has someone else to quote to back them up. The quotes seem to come from ‘pious’ people from previous generations; sometimes from people who are or claim to be from the lineage of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). But when asked, “where’s this quote come from?”, you are either told some vague answer or barked at for questioning the source, or are actually given a reference which, when you check it out, is either wrong or without basis or credence, or had nothing to do with anything the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said.

The fact is that people need to learn the difference between truth and falsehood. But how are they going to know who is speaking the truth and who is speaking falsehood?

We are not meant to be an ummah of blind followers. With all the fitna (confusion) in the world, it makes sense that we have to determine what is the truth from the falsehood. We have to question the source of everything and this is the responsibility of EVERYONE. You need to make sure that what you learn about Islam is TRUE Islam – not lies, not made-up things, not hearsay, not fabrications, not mistakes, not errors – we need nothing short of the truth. And if you are SINCERELY looking for the truth, it will become clear to you – Truth is clear from Falsehood. Start to educate yourself about Islam, about Aqeedah (Islamic belief) and about the hadiths (sunnah – the various different classifications of hadith).

HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT IS THE TRUTH?

Authentic Hadith

We have to make sure that what we are told is GENUINE, is AUTHENTIC NARRATION, is from the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). If it isn’t from the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), then why are you following it?

What is an authentic narration? An authentic narration is one that has been proven to be strong (sahih) and contains no errors, mistakes, lies etc. For the ordinary person, start with Sahih Muslim and Sahih Bukhari. Other good collections are Sunan Abu Dawud, Sunan Tirmidhi, Sunan Ibn-e-Majah, Muwatta Imam Malik. There are other collections also but these ones that I have named, have been translated into English. There are several classifications of hadith so learn about this and you will soon realise the difference between strong hadiths and weak ones.

BEWARE of fabricated hadiths, weak hadiths and sayings that seem to be based more in philosophy rather than on what the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said. Check what you are reading. If you can’t work out what is an authentic narration/hadith then ask around.

Islam is not based on confusion

We have to make sure that what we are told DOES NOT CONTRADICT nor go against what we have been taught by the best of creation (the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him), nor what we have been Commanded to do by Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) in the Qur’an. We are here to obey the Commandments of Allah and what has been revealed to us through the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). NO ONE ELSE comes into this picture.

If you are following a sufi, saint, pir, wali, then you must question ANYTHING that has no basis in the Sunnah and ANYTHING which seems to contradict the SUNNAH. And when I say sunnah, I am talking about authentic narrations, with the proper meanings and context. Beware of weak hadiths and fabricated hadiths (as mentioned above) – there are plenty of those around. DO NOT FOLLOW BLINDLY. Don’t take your sufi, saint, pir’s word at face value – that would be wrong! Check what they have said with other knowledgeable people, with authentic texts, with the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

If a ruling was established in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the first 3 generations of Muslims, then no one after is qualified or pious enough to contradict those rulings or invent new rulings to replace them. For example, interest was made haraam by Allah in the Qur’an – this is well established and clear. So it is not for modern-day ‘experts’ to say that it is ok to have mortgages and go against the Commandment of Allah.

Learn your deen properly from scholars grounded in Islam, who have studied Aqeedah, Fiqh, Hadith, Arabic, Qur’an etc.

·         Not people from the village, whose credentials can always be questioned.

·         Not from people who’s character is in question.

·         Not from people whom you feel obliged to give them money (even if they didn’t ask for anything).

·         Not from people who engage in taweez (the majority of which have been classified as not from Islam nor from what the Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, did).

·         Not from people who practise rituals that the Prophet pbuh did not ever do himself (eg. celebrating birthdays or khatims).

·         Not from people who make up their OWN opinions on things, which were not from the Prophet Muhammad, pbuh.

·         Not from people who do dhikr in gatherings, chanting in a manner that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) didn’t do.

·         Not from people who are seeking visions as a means to gain guidance from Allah – Allah Grants visions to whom He Wills.

·         Not from people who claim to interact with Jinns as a means to help you – this was not the way of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) nor any of the Sahabas.

Allah Has Provided us with a Complete Religion

We have to make sure that what we are told DOES NOT INTRODUCE NEW MATTERS into the Deen – Allah has Perfected the Deen for us and did not take the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) away until this had been done. So there is no need for any new matter to be introduced as being part of the deen.

This includes birthdays, khatims, visiting graves for the purpose of asking the people in the grave for help, introducing new ways of dhikr and so on. None of these things were practised at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) nor in the time of the first 3 generations of Muslims. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) did not need these practises so we don’t either! It’s very simple.

It doesn’t matter if someone pious, who came many years after, did something in a certain way – we don’t follow anyone except the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). It doesn’t matter if someone claims they are from the lineage of the Prophet (pbuh) – we do not do anything except follow the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) which is what everyone should be doing anyway. We have not been instructed to go through dead intermediaries and ask them for help.

These are things you need to learn about, so please go out and learn about them. Don’t follow blindly.

It is okay to question things

There is nothing wrong with questioning things, as long as you are not intending mischief and are genuinely trying to get at the truth of the matter and understanding. Any sincere, learned person should be able to answer your questions by referring to the Qur’an and what the Prophet (pbuh) has said in authentic hadiths. There is nothing in Islam which doesn’t make sense, so your answer shouldnt create more confusion. And any answer you are given should match what is in Qur’an and hadith.

For example, some people kiss their thumbs and raise their thumbs to their eyes whenever the name of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is mentioned. If you ask about this, what answer will you get that is from Qur’an and Sunnah?

You won’t get an answer that is from Qur’an and Sunnah. If it was from Qur’an and Sunnah, you would easily be able to find an authentic narration from the Prophet (pbuh) that instructed the sahabas to do this. There isn’t an authentic hadith to back this up – so reject this and do not follow this ritual of kissing the thumbs and raising them to your eyes.

Remember, answers should be based in Qur’an and Sunnah and directly go back to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Check things out properly

Even in the time of Rasoolullah (pbuh), the sahabas used their sense. When the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, went on Al-Israa Wal-Mi’raj (the Night Journey to Masjid Al-Aqsa and then to the 7 heavens), the arabs of Makkah went to Abu Bakr (ra) and said, “Look at what your Prophet is saying, he is claiming to have journeyed to Jerusalem and come back, in the same night!” Abu Bakr replied, “IF what you are saying is from Muhammad, pbuh, then it is true.”

IF.

Even Abu Bakr, the best of the sahabas, knew that he needed to verify what was being said. So why, oh why, are we today, willing to just accept anything, from anyone, without verifying it against authentic sources, without checking that there is truth in what’s being said.

Look at Forced Marriages – some Muslim parents believe it is their right to choose the marital partner of their offspring. Where have they got this from? Where’s the evidence? When you look into the matter, you find that they are following nothing but tradition – and it’s not even a Muslim tradition, it’s a Hindu one! So why are you not questioning what you are taught? Why are you happy to be spoon-fed when Allah Created you with intellect and understanding?

I don’t say be mischievous and argue every little thing – have etiquettes in your asking. Enquire in the best of manners. But Search for the Truth of the Matter! Don’t just leave it to hearsay.

Where have these quotes come from? Just what ARE these evidences?

As I am writing this, I have received a text from someone saying, fast on this and this day – if you do that you will get rewards equal to 80 years. This person texted the message without providing any proof whatsoever about this. No reference, no way of checking it out. So if I was to act on this, I would be doing so on hearsay.

Islam is not hearsay. Christianity is hearsay and we are not Christians. Judaism is hearsay because it has been tampered with and we are not Jews. Buddhism is hearsay and we are not Buddhists. Every religion is hearsay but not Islam. SO give Islam it’s due and stick to the truth, not hearsay.

Truth is not based on lineage

Shias, Berailwis and others share the same thinking – follow syeds who are from the lineage of the Prophet (pbuh); follow the lineage of Ali (ra), follow personalities who have come after Rasoolullah (pbuh), instead of ONLY FOLLOWING Rasoolullah (pbuh).

There is a reason, a wisdom why the Prophet (pbuh) did not leave behind any male successors – there is a reason and wisdom why Allah Ordained this. So that we DO NOT establish following based on blood – we instead base following on TRUTH!

So how can the shia be correct? What Prophet, in the history of Prophets, was spared his whole family lineage being protected and on the truth? NONE. The children of Israel went astray, the offspring of Nuh (as) were disbelievers, the wife of Lut (as) was a disbeliever, one of the Sons of Aadam went astray, and so on. If Allah Had Protected the lineage of the Prophet (pbuh), we would have been told about this. But hey, guess what, Ali is a cousin – not a direct successor of the Prophet (pbuh), so the lineage thing, even if there was one, cannot even be applied to him!

Syeds! The Indian sub-continent is apparently rife with Syeds! Funny that, how a lot seem to be of Pakistani/Indian origin, despite the fact that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was of Arab origin and from the noble tribe of Quraysh. Funny how people ignore this simple fact. Why do you not question things like this? Since when has blood relations spared people from going astray? It hasn’t!

Use your head and intellect

People don’t always quote where they are getting their information from. Or if they do, they are not quoting from authentic sources or they have misinterpreted what they are relaying to you. Some people are saying things that they are not even qualified to say – they are not experts in the field. If you are doing the same, what’s makes you different from any other claim? Berailwis say this, Qadiyanis say that, Shias say one thing, wahhabis say another. It’s the truth that makes the difference – so what are you basing truth on?

There are those who say, well even if you were quoting references and evidences, then the ordinary Muslim cannot work out whether this is true or not – cannot verify this. That’s not the point. At least these Muslims are basing their actions on references which can be challenged and verified by scholars. At least we are not relying on hearsay and what someone claims they have been told.

There are weak and fabricated hadiths – this is a reality. There were people in the times of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh who were hypocrites and liars and enemies of Islam. They wanted to spread lies and divide the Muslims. How do you think Musaylima the liar started? How do you think the jews of Madinah spread discensions between the tribes of Awz and Al-Khazraj, before Islam came to Madinah? Are we ignorant of the fact that Shaytaan is playing us and wants to whisper lies to us?

Wake up people! Check what you are being taught. If the person who is spreading sayings to you has no evidence to back it up, WHY ARE YOU FOLLOWING IT?

Be sincere and be around sincere people

Allah Has Not Made this Deen difficult. It is people who make it difficult. But everyone is born on fitra – a natural disposition to know and recognise the truth when it comes.

So be sincere. Think about things. Challenge things. Ask Allah for His Help and His Guidance, for you to have an understanding and to see the wood from the trees.

Stand up 4 Islam!