Qu'ran is open to Interpretation: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman
A Rational Approach- Much appreciated..
A. ISLAMIC LITERATURE
In Islam there are four types of Literature:
Quran-The primary and supreme source of Islamic law
Hadith- Sayings and practices of the Prophet; secondary source of Islamic law and guidance after Quran.
Ijma -Consensus of Islamic scholars on a legal issue.
Qiyas- Analogical reasoning based on Qur’an and Hadith.
Another Term is Fiqh. It is Islamic Jurisprudence. Fiqh is the understanding and application of Islamic laws derived from the Qur’an, Hadith, Ijma (consensus), and Qiyas (analogical reasoning)
Schools of Fiqh :
Hanafi (by Imam Abu Hanifa) – Emphasizes reason and analogy.
Maliki (by Imam Malik) – Relies on Hadith and practices of the people of Madinah.
Shafi’i (by Imam Al-Shafi’i) – Strong emphasis on Hadith and systematic legal methodology.
Hanbali (by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal) – Strict adherence to Hadith.
Ja’fari (Shi’a Fiqh) – Follows the teachings of the Ahlul Bayt (family of the Prophet).
B. Saudi Arabia Prince - a Harbinger of Change in Radical Islam
Saudi Arabia follows Hanbali fiqh influenced by Salafi interpretations. Iran applies Ja’fari fiqh under theocratic Shia rule. The UAE has adopted Maliki fiqh blended with modern civil laws. Egypt primarily follows Shafi’i fiqh, integrated with the civil legal framework. While the Taliban enforces rigid Hanafi fiqh combined with tribal Pashtun customs.
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. who is one a mission to transform the oil-rich Kingdom into an ultra-modern nation under his ambitious Saudi Vision 2030 project has made a statement on the Quran that provides clues of his future vision to swap Saudi Arabia’s widespread reputation from a hardline Islamist country to a modern, liberal nation that does not discriminate on the basis of religion.
He said that “the Quran is always open to interpretation”, adding that there is “there is no fixed school of ideologies and no person is infallible.”
Commenting on Fatwas (diktats issued by Islamic scholars), the Crown Prince says that all fatwas should be based on time, place and mentality. Under the Prince’s Vision 2030 project, Saudi Arabia’s public schools are teaching students about other religions to inculcate tolerance, however, MbS’s primary objective is to eradicate hardline Islamic fundamentalism and fanaticism from the country.
C. Indraprastha Dialogues also believes :
Sharia is not a fixed entity, it evolves through interpretation by the ulema, fuqaha and imams according to the needs of time and place. The Islamic world needs scholar who can reinterpret laws and legal framework keeping in mind the current realities of the world. In today’s world we need scholars, ulema and fuqaha who understand the modern challenges and develop a framework that is in line with contemporary realities while preserving Islamic principles. Due to such a large number of Hadiths, these religious texts are often misinterpreted by terrorists and extremists to suit their own agenda.
Prince Salman’s Hadith project will also have far reaching implications for the Muslim world, especially countries which follow Saudi Arabia’s version of Islam, at least in spirit, if not in letter. Notably, Islamic hardliners often perpetrate violence against those accused of blasphemy, especially in countries like Pakistan where these accused are killed by lynch mobs.
Similarly in Hinduism also, we need a certain stricter code of Ethics to be re-defined and codified so as not to be mis-interpreted or abused by any one or any group of the people .
The role of religion should be to develop and promote rational and analytical thinking . Any practices which promote superstition , misbelief and misinterpretation must be avoided. A well defined and easy to understand code needs to be re-drafted at Government Level also on weak and opaque areas. Areas debatable- Gau-Mutra; Re-Birth; Unrestricted Temple Entry ( Court has intervened here); Spiritual Aristocratic-cum-arrogant approach ( Of Shankaracharya position) and of the arrogance I observed in Puri Temple and Lingaraj Temple in particular.
For Example:
One Nirmal baba came earlier- and he was making his Dukaan run very profitably based on psychology manipulation.
Abuse of faith is also eing propagated by one famous Religion-Mall owner - in the name of Arji to Hanumaan Ji.. and claiming knowing all about ones past and future.
This needs to be curbed at an early statge itself . A reasoned and logical mind of people only can create a Nation Leader in Research, Patents and AI inventions.