Shifting the paradigm

on religion and accepting the other

I think that somehow we all need to change the way we think considering religion and accepting the other. Most of the time we find ideologies that tend to either believe in certain religion in an extreme form and refuses the other, or we find ideologies that tend to think that religions are some kinda non-scientific based legend or mentally-mediated form of anthropologic evolution, so there is no need to bother with religion cause "religion=violence and restriction of freedoms" by all means, especially freedom of thinking. It is funny because I tend to think that both opinions are wrong; the one that thinks (and practices and preaches) that religion should take an ideologically aggressive form. And the one that believes that all religions are oppressive, so it refuses the idea of religions. Of course there is a more moderate way of thinking but it seems that it's usually oppressed by both other religions. And sometimes it's demeaned because it takes a middle path between both, so it might seem less defined to some.

 

Somehow I think that there is some point of balance at which the equilibrium takes place between being a devoted believer of your religion and in the same time having a welcoming attitude and an open mind and heart that accepts other people's rights in having their own beliefs.

 

To realize this equation I suppose we have to achieve the 2 original goals first and then try to harmoniously make them cooperate together to formulate some kinda conservative and open minded persona. The 2 goals are being practicing devoted believers (let's call it conservative), and being open minded.

 

So how do we achieve each and then piece them together?

 

1^st we need to believe that being conservative has a different meaning than we, usually, perceive. Being conservative is being submissive to God's commands. But why should we submit?

Everything is possible until prove otherwise. Because everything is relative. Ideas, Concepts, laws and even feelings can be changed, shifted, created or even canceled depending on time, place and person. There is only ONE CONSTANT FACT, that there is ONE GOD, and by extension his commands, and I mean his true commands, the ones concerned above all with the Ultimate Virtues and One's relation with God and other people. Then the ones concerned with rituals. And we can't reverse the order. A believer should be "CONSERVATIVE" when it comes to God's commands. Cause they are our only true path. The only way we know to be correct and is not changeable or deformable. When we submit to the teachings of the religion we embraced, we can achieve the harmony with ourselves. Because the religion we chose by our free will reflects the way in which we want ourselves to be connected to the supreme power, God. That's why being conservative doesn't mean "refusing the other" but "accepting one's self".

2^nd, Open mindedness. Being open minded is about having a flexible mental field. And about being able to accept that our opinions, like everything else, are relative and can be right or wrong. And that our opinions are the product of the interaction between our nature and our experience, and it changes with the change of both of these variables. So we can't be absolutely right or absolutely wrong. And we can't judge others to be so in an absolute form, only in relation to ours. We can only try hard and honestly to reach the truth. But not to shut out other ideas in the process. The more we read, listen, see and live, the more the input data we collect, process and produce as output (which represents our ideas, values, ethics and beliefs). So our opinions should be in a dynamic state, not a static state. We should be open to others' ideas.

But in the meanwhile, not everything in life is to be taken for granted. Many things have to be checked, reviewed, argued and suspected, and that's for 2 reasons. One, all ideas in life (other than true religions) are products of human minds. So they undergo the same process that our own ideas undergo. And they are the outcome of interaction between those people's natures and their experiences, environments, societies, etc. So as we shouldn't take our own ideas as fixed beliefs, we shouldn't take other people's as so.

And two, I tend to think that people are naturally on the good side and they usually mean no harm. But sometimes they lie, pretend, deceive and cheat to achieve their goals. So we have not to hate or suspect, but to have our own mental images and not to get very affected by the ideas of those surrounding us, our families, friends, society. We don't have to take other people's opinions for granted. Our society's rules are not necessarily right because they are what we were conditioned to believe. The Right and Wrong are not absolutely defined by man, because man isn't above Right and wrong.

We have to use our logic to debate others and debate ourselves as well. We have to be "OPEN MINDED" by achieving the balance between respecting our own ideas, and other people's ideas, and by holding our own ideas as (right but possibly wrong) and other people's ideas as (wrong but possibly right).

3^rd, Believing or not in something is a matter of paradigm. A paradigm is the way we see things around us. How we perceive events and incidents. Sometimes misunderstandings, conflicts and even wars are just a matter of different paradigms, rather than actual disputes. You see the events from your angle and I see them from mine. We may think we have seen completely different incidents or that we have completely different ideas and beliefs but we don't. So we have to share our ideas to make a better, more perfect and wholesome idea, one that will make us both change our minds and find that we both are holding on to the same idea not different ones. This is called Paradigm shift. Of course this concept doesn't mean that REAL Conflict of Ideas doesn't take place, but it clarifies things. And we get to see more of the truth when we share our ideas than we get to see when we hold on tightly to our own views or completely ignore them. Sharing ideas and constructive arguing with the true and honest intent of seeking the truth is what leads us to the truth.

We can consider our individual ideas as small pieces of puzzle. Alone, every piece is kinda contradicting with the other pieces, and even possibly meaningless to us. Being biased to one piece of the puzzle and insisting that it's the true whole image is ridiculous. When put together, they form a meaningful picture. The more the puzzle pieces, the clearer the image.

Now we can add both 1 and 2 using 3 to have "CONSERVATIVE + OPEN MINDED" way of thinking, which in short means That we can be devoted followers of our religion (whatever your religion is, I'm Muslim and I'm proud to be) who believe in God, honor his commands and in the same time have minds that are open enough to accept other people's right to have their own views, and even constructively share our ideas with others or argue in a peaceful way that leads ultimately to the nearest point to the truth.

 

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم  (فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لاَنفَضُّواْ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِي الأَمْرِ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللّهِ إِنَّ اللّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ)  (آل عمران:159)

(It was by the mercy of Allah that thou wast lenient with them (O Muhammad), for if thou hadst been stern and fierce of heart they would have dispersed from round about thee. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult with them upon the conduct of affairs. And when thou art resolved, then put thy trust in Allah. Lo! Allah loveth those who put their trust (in Him).) (Quran 3:159)

 

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم ( و الذين جاهدوا فينا لنهدينهم سبلنا و إن الله لمع المحسنين) (العنكبوت:69)

(As for those who strive in Us, We surely guide them to Our paths, and lo! Allah is with the good.) (Quran: 69)

 

 

قال رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم): (ما تشاور قوم قط إلا هدوا لأرشد أمرهم)

(Those who to exchange views will always find the right way) A saying of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH)

 

 

Reviews

[Nassira]

That is a very interesting writing! Even though it is quite long to read and digest, it is very well constructed.
I like the fact that you have expressed your opinion very intelligently Ali!
Now you are giving a chance to everyone (whatever faith) to relate and be open minded about it.
Very well done:)

My salam to you

[Helena]

Salam Ali,

Beautiful piece of writing....so eloquently expressed. Its going into my 'favourites' my friend!

Shukran...


Helena :)