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Hi Hamza, I have some further questions

Reader comment on item: Hamza Yusuf Fails My "Test"

Submitted by Archimedes (Canada), Apr 16, 2007 at 13:21

Hi Hamza, next time you visit here I'd be interested in a little expansion on your statement that you failed the test. Is it on fine, picky little points points like wanting to trash the U.S. Constitution and set up a Sharia state under an islamic Caliph, or on really huge issues like closing down food services during Ramadan or allowing female soccer players to compete while wearing a hijab? :-)

I also have a suggestion for you. Although I am not a muslim I would fail on one point -- I believe that the pronouncement of "takfir" is not only acceptable, but necessary in some cases. As I understand it, this term indicates the declaration that someone is no longer a muslim in good standing. It strikes me as perfectly good sense to be able to do so, and to wield this as a (moral, not military) weapon in keeping people from going astray and defaming the name of one's religion.

Discernement is the root of all wisdom. Yes, even discrimination. That is, healthy discrimination -- the kind that discriminates between good and evil, between harmless and harmful men, between those who fight under ideologies of hatred and dominance and those who fight for truth and justice. Discrimination, of this variety, is good. And takfir is, ultimately, a tool whose purpose is discrimination. Tools may be used for evil, and they may be used for good.

I'm afraid that takfir has gotten a bad name because of being wielded badly ... by extremists (such as you appear, at the moment to be, although I can't say whether you are in the habit of using this tool). Some really good candidates for takfir might be, for example, folks like Bin Laden. But we could make a huge list along the same lines; but you get the picture, I'm sure. The helpful aspect of a plan like this is that it enables us all to get past meaningless generalities in our condemnation of "terrorism".

Seems even the Terrorists condemn terrorism these days, and the fine-sounding pronouncements dressed in vague and wholesome-sounding language appear to mean nothing... ...but to condemn terrorists BY NAME -- now that would have some impact. If the Taliban and Al Qaeda leadership were NAMED...first by outspoken Islamic thinkers in the west, like yourself, and then by scholars in Al Azhar and elsewhere...as apostates, takfir, even murtad (i.e., in extreme cases of people who, like Osama, have brought great trouble against the "ummah", and is causing a great anti-islamic surge around the world by his actions)...now THAT would have a real effect (assuming that the appropriate actions follow, of course). It might even bring those who call themselves moderates into better repute in our society.

Who knows -- if it becomes a widespread movement to separate islam from evil men, around which muslim moderates can rally (there seems to be a bit of a dearth of moderate islamic "flags" these days) there may be more than a ghost of a chance of reforming Islam and hoping for Islam to grow up and live at peace in the pluralistic world of tomorrow. If, by this tool, you and your coreligionists are miraculously able to excise the cancer of extremism, you may well save Islam from itself, and you might become heros of history by averting the worldwide disaster that looms because these fanatics have such a broad base of support.

By its nature, a takfir pronouncement by a respected Islamic scholar, especially if widely supported by other scholars requires actions to be taken. And, as you well know, actions speak much louder than words. And then, regardless of whether you pass or fail Pipes' "test" you might have a chance of demonstrating that you do not wish harm on innocent people, and are not simply cloaking a supremacist, islamic imperialistic, agenda ... as currently appears to be the case.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (33) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1Passing Daniel Pipes' test should be mandatory to be called a decent modern person [87 words]PrashantJan 24, 2017 04:28235748
What "failed" means [136 words]FwazApr 21, 2013 09:49205368
1You must fail...or you aren't a Muslim [55 words]MarcusAug 21, 2010 09:12177043
I failed the test as well...Al Hamdulillah [6 words]Islam Will PrevailAug 5, 2010 01:09176357
I failed :D [40 words]JasmineMay 7, 2009 09:18155068
1how can I take the test, I wanna fail it too! [11 words]murhafJan 16, 2010 16:23155068
Hamza Yusuf a patsy? [46 words]graemeJul 25, 2010 07:43155068
Defining Islam [29 words]JCSep 9, 2008 10:54138177
4I like Hamza Yusuf, from an Orthodox Christian [75 words]EliasJun 28, 2008 11:33133689
I Failed, Yessss!!!! [26 words]SaqibJun 1, 2009 17:48133689
my high model [23 words]adnanJan 24, 2008 19:50118917
brother hamza i think you are doing a great job out there. [79 words]amal hassanDec 29, 2007 21:03117094
Hi Hamza, I have some further questions [650 words]ArchimedesApr 16, 2007 13:2189401
Takfir is not the solution [206 words]JohanNov 19, 2011 11:5289401
2zaytuna.org [275 words]SubriahOct 25, 2006 23:0364509
Hamza [162 words]DavidOct 26, 2006 22:3164509
Read this. [755 words]SubriahOct 27, 2006 21:5064509
1Thanks for your comments Subriah [1365 words]Archimedes2Apr 17, 2007 11:0064509
Interesting. [351 words]Anoy.Apr 21, 2007 07:3264509
Stick to breakfast cereal; it's more nutritious [608 words]Archimedes2Apr 22, 2007 23:3764509
Shorter response [141 words]Archimedes2Apr 23, 2007 09:4464509
2Hamza is not Islam [221 words]NisreinApr 26, 2007 20:5764509
there's only one Islam [930 words]KhalilSep 14, 2006 10:0755920
Hamza Yusuf in NPR glowpiece [43 words]Charlie QuidnuncSep 11, 2006 15:1555564
unfair test [9 words]randyAug 21, 2006 19:5453648
test..proves what??so hamza yusuf didnt pass daniels test...big deal he is not a perfect person.. [133 words]aliAug 9, 2006 00:2352150
Failed the test! [84 words]Harald Yahya KöppingApr 20, 2006 03:1243634
may God bless your efforts [60 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
EimadApr 18, 2006 22:2343534
What Exactly Does This Test Measure? [38 words]UC Berkeley Political ScientistMar 10, 2006 19:2139679
1Reply from a fellow Professor with PhD [470 words]archimedes2Apr 16, 2007 13:4839679
Not getting it [141 words]Khuram HussainJan 5, 2006 18:1631141
l love you Hamza Yusuf one [51 words]khalooApr 15, 2007 06:0131141
respect note [29 words]leen al_masriJun 2, 2009 08:2931141

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