Learning through history by gentle persuasion

Part 1: Learning from History

Recently, I went on a solo trip through Frankfurt, Cologne, and Strasbourg to experience traveling on my own and also to learn from the history of these cities. One of the lessons that stood out to me in particular was that social progress comes with challenging hurdles. 

This lesson was especially apparent in a Frankfurt house of worship,  the St. Paul’s Church or Sankt Paulskirche. For those of you who do not know, the St. Paul’s Church was the site of the first parliament in Germany during the 1848 Revolutions. This was the first time in German history that any sort of parliament had ever convened, and it was about time too. France, England, and the Netherlands had already established parliaments, personal freedoms, and constitutions. Germany was lagging behind its neighbors and needed to catch up in what we now consider to be fundamental human rights.

Shortly after their first meeting, the Germans soon learned that democracy was far from easy to maintain. The parliament was plagued with endless debates, constantly shifting political parties, and confusing bureaucracy. Despite all of the barriers and obstacles the delegates faced, they were ultimately able to accomplish one of their greatest goals: a German constitution that guaranteed inalienable rights of all German citizens and outlined a new comprehensive German government, with the Prussian king as emperor of a constitutional monarchy.

Unfortunately, the two most powerful empires in the German speaking regions, Austria and Prussia, refused to recognize the constitution and the Prussian king refused the crown, fearing the constitutional monarchy of a large empire would result in less personal power than what he had as an autocratic king of a smaller kingdom. Democratic constraints are an anathema to autocratic rulers, as we are learning in contemporary American politics. Without the approval of either Austria or Prussia the first German parliament collapsed within only two years of its inception, and Germany remained a collage of loosely affiliated autocratic kingdoms. In fact, some argue that the rulers became even more reactionary and regressive perhaps as a reaction to the progressive spirit that had nearly unseated their autocratic rule.

However, the parliament at the St. Paulskirche was not all in vain. The German constitution that was drafted in 1849 became the foundation for the current German constitution that was written 100 years later. Although everything must have seemed hopeless to those champions of democracy in 1849, the work that they did would have a profound effect on the course of German history.

Within Islamic history, this theme of hope and salvation during times of hardship is also very common.  We see examples of despair in human society such as the persecution of the Israelites by the Egyptians followed by the revelations received by Prophet Musa - peace be upon him , and perhaps most memorable within the Islamic tradition, the time of ignorance and oppression in Mecca until the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is easy to imagine a sense of hopelessness perhaps similar to how the Germans felt in 1850, when their dreams of self-determination were crushed.

However, it is important to remember that in many of these cases, people were able to rise above societal setbacks by learning from the attempts of their forefathers. The Quran seems to suggest that learning from history can perhaps remind us of not only the glory of Allah(Subhanahu wa ta'ala), but also the ups and downs in human society.

Quran: “It is not a guidance for them (to know) how many a generation We destroyed before them, amid whose dwellings they walk? Lo therein verily are signs for men of thought” 20:18

History is a valuable lesson for us and God reminds us to embrace the knowledge of history in order to become better individuals and better societies. I definitely learned a lot of history on my trip and I feel that these lessons of history make me a more grateful person because they help me realize the blessings we enjoy and how people before us struggled to provide them for us today.

Part II: Gentle Persuasion

The last city I visited on my trip was the now French city of Strasbourg, the location of the European Union Parliament. While it was most certainly a beautiful city with a rich culture, it also became a grim reminder of the dangers of aggressive assimilation. Before we delve into that though, let me give you some context for my arrival into Strasbourg.

As an occasionally over-confident German American who can get by on both English and German, I thought I would have no trouble navigating Strasbourg, a center of European politics and formerly German city. Therefore, I felt no need to try to pick up any French phrases or expressions prior to my arrival. I thought I knew my history of the city and I truthfully believed that my German could perhaps get me by if my English failed. This was far from the truth.

When I first arrived in Strasbourg, the first thing I noticed in the train stations was that they gave all information in French, English, and then German. I thought this was a bit strange because as I soon found out, at least half of the tourists were from Germany, and they were travelling via train. When I later checked into the hotel, I first tried German and was met with blank stares by the concierge. Soon, I discovered that all street signs, menus, and news channels in the city were in French. German wasn’t even the secondary language of the city; that honor was given to English, the official language of the European Union.

I thought perhaps by learning more about the city’s history, I could solve this peculiar conundrum, and figure out why Strasbourg was seemed to be striped bare of its German roots. At first though, I ended up getting even more confused.

Strasbourg, as I learned, was a Free Imperial city under German rule from roughly the 1400s to the late 1600’s. This was very significant because it allowed the city to levy their own taxes, mint their own coins, and determine the official religion of the city. These were privileges that only German cities of the time could have access, making Strasbourg the quintessential German city.

The paradigms shifted in the late 1600’s when Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, captured Strasbourg, and claimed it for France. Even though Strasbourg was now under French rule, the French monarchy never tried to overtly impose French authority upon city. This changed with the French Revolution. By the 1790’s France, not Germany, was championing the ideals of self-determination and freedom. As a result, the city’s residents soon began to favor France and embrace the French nationality. The lesson here is that ideals - not political or military power - shape the culture of a people.

Yet just 80 years later, Strasbourg would once again return to Germany and the Germans decided to infuse Strasbourg with “Germanness” if you will. They rapidly constructed entire new quarters, taught German in school curriculums, and invited Germans from all over the country to move to Strasbourg. It seemed as if Strasbourg would once again become a German city, again won over by the ideals of education and modernity.

The hope was ultimately fruitless after World War I when the city was once again in the hands of the French. Soon though, I came to realize why the city seemed to be so barren of its German ancestry: the Nazis.

When the Nazis defeated France in 1940, they aggressively sought to make Strasbourg German. Speaking French in public from 1940 to 1945 was a crime. French was completely stricken from all education curriculum, and all French youth clubs were replaced with the Hitler Youth. Even whistling the French national anthem could be enough for a jail sentence. 

Through all of this hyper aggressive assimilation, the Nazis ultimately achieved what no group had done before: they had stripped away the German of Strasbourg. They failed in the most spectacular way simply by using aggression instead of persuasion and they violated the mot core belief of the people of Strasbourg: self-determination.

The prophet understood the value of gentle persuasion and negotiation, which is evident when he negotiated the truce of Hudaybiyyah, which lasted two years with the Meccans. According to Muhammad Asad, “As soon as perennial warfare came to an end and people of both sides could meet freely, new converts rallied around the Prophet, first in tens, then in hundreds, then in thousands. So much so that the Prophet could and did occupy Mecca almost without resistance.”

The lesson from the Prophet’s life and the history of Strasbourg is that ideals, education, dialogue ultimately win, whereas aggression and persecution is doomed to fail.

The Quran and the Aramaic Gospels, Part II

I gave a khutbah in April about the work of two scholars – Neil Douglas Klotz and Emran El-Badawi - who have focused on the relationship between language and meaning – especially the Aramaic language that was commonly used in the Middle East during the time of prophets Jesus and Mohammed.  I had first become interested in the idea of translation as a distorter of original meaning through reading Klotz’s work.  He offers a much more nuanced, non-didactic interpretation of biblical texts like the Lord’s Prayer (Prayers of the Cosmos) and the Gospels, (The Hidden Gospel:  Decoding the Spiritual Message of the Aramaic Jesus).  Klotz’s interpretations reinforced for me the notion that the foundational texts of the monotheistic faiths – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – are indeed a continuum of a single faith trajectory.  But Klotz is a Sufi scholar (The Sufi Book of Life:  99 Pathways of the Heart for the Modern Dervish, is a meditation on the 99 names of Allah), not an academic researcher. 

Emran El-Badawi’s work has taken the “continuum” hypothesis to the level of focused academic research.  The book that followed from his doctoral dissertation, The Quran and the Aramaic Gospels, is a comparative analysis of the Quran’s Arabic text and the Aramaic text of the Gospels, a scientific study of linguistics.  I consider this work to be a seminal contribution to our understanding of Quranic revelation and it’s place in the evolution of human spirituality. 

By studying both meaning and linguistic structure in the Quran and the Aramaic Gospels, El-Badawi was able to discern the main verses that form the backbone of the interface, or “dialogue” between the two scriptures.  He described four categories of meaning that apply to both scriptural traditions:  1/ the prophets and their righteous entourage, 2/ the evils of the clergy, 3/ the divine realm, and 4/ divine judgment and the apocalypse. 

In his linguistic analysis, El-Badawi looks at whole passages, clauses or phrases, and short phrases that share multiple relationships.  El-Badawi’s study provides a detailed analysis of the concentration, distribution and frequency of these types of relationships, and summarizes the findings in several graphs.  Short phrases form 71 % of all the relationships that he found.   He also looks at words that are derived from the same root words or borrowed words; these comprise 27 % of the relationships.  Finally, he examines rhymes and repetitions that are related between the scriptures.  These are comparatively miniscule, however the repetition of the curse formula against the ‘scribes and hypocrites’ in Matthew 23 (and Luke 11:44) and its parallel against the ‘disbelievers’ in Q 77 puts those texts in dialogue.

El-Badawi concludes that “Quran is in close dialogue with the text and context of the Gospels through their transmission in the Syriac and Christian Palestinian dialects of Aramaic….  This dialogue was mediated through a literary and hermeneutical (interpretive) strategy that he calls ‘dogmatic re-articulation.”  His conclusion is that “the Quran does not demonstrate a superficial awareness of the Gospel texts.” 

His evidence shows that the Prophet and his companions were familiar with the prophetic tradition of the Jews and the Christians around them, especially texts from the Bible like the books of Psalms, Isaiah, Acts, Romans, Revelations, and related Aramaic traditions of Rabbinical commentary and Christian preaching.  The Quran is familiar with the events in the Acts of the Apostles, the doctrines of Paul’s epistle to the Romans and the apocalyptic imagery of the book of Revelations.  In other words, the Quran reveals a “broader conception of al-injil beyond just the Gospel Traditions to include the New Testament as a whole.” 

El-Badawi found parallels between the experiences of Muhammad and his community of believers, and the Old Testament prophets.  Prophet Muhammad and his followers experienced expulsion, fear, and hunger, after which they were rewarded with a (new) ‘secure sanctuary’ (haram amin) and many fruits (Q 24: 53-57; 28:57; 106) – just like Abraham and his people. 

         Surah 106  Quraysh

         So that the Quraysh might remain secure [1]

         Secure in their winter and summer journeys [2]

         Let them, therefore, worship the Sustainer of this Temple [3]

Who has given them food against hunger, and made them safe from danger. [4]

They received ‘mercy after hardship,’ fleeing upon land and sea (Q 10:21-23; Q 17:70) – just like Noah and his family, and not unlike Jonah in the belly of the fish.”

         Surah 17:70  Al-Isra  The Night Journey

Now indeed, We have conferred dignity on the children of Adam, and borne them over land and sea, and provided for them sustenance out of the good things of life, and favored them far and above most of Our creation…

El-Badawi found that, contrary to the predominant focus of contemporary Muslim preaching, the Quran’s main focus is not with the pagan cults of cities and towns in or near the Prophet’s surroundings (Mecca, Yathrib, Taif, and so on).  These cults, maintains El-Badawi, were – unlike the image portrayed in the Sirah – probably in serious decline by the time of the prophet Muhammad.  El-Badawi contends that the Quran’s reference to the so-called ‘names’ (asma) of the daughters of Allah (Manat, Lat, and Uzza; Q 53:19-23; 37:149-50; further Q 12:40) likely reflected only one trend of the diversity in the Quran’s time and culture in any case.

The predominate conversation in Quran is with surrounding Christian dogma and Jewish law.  Rival camps of Jewish, Christian, and Hanafite monotheists seem to have constituted the standard form of religious practice in the Quran’s milieu, and polytheistic pagan cults its exception. 

The evidence from El-Badawi’s study “makes it clear” that traditions from the Aramaic Christian sphere intersected with the Quran’s environment early, on multiple occasions, and from different individual sources.  [This is]… best illustrated in the opening verses of the so called ‘Meccan Surahs,’ including Q 51:1-9 which integrates terminology from Syriac, and [other dialects] of Aramaic into the Arabic grammatical constructions (maf’ul mutlaq) that are a hallmark of the … prophetic speech employed in the Quran.” 

         Surah 51:  Adh-Dhariyat  The Dust Scattering Winds

Bismil-lahir-Rahmanir-Rahim 

Wadh-dhariyati dharwa [1] - Consider the winds that scatter the dust far and wide

Fal-hamilati wiqra [2] – and those that carry the burden [of heavy clouds]

         Fal-jariyati yusra [3] – and those that speed along with gentle ease

Fal-muqassimati amra [4] – and those that apportion [the gift of life] at [God’s] behest

Innama tu’aduna lasadiq [5] – Truly, that which you are promised is true indeed

         Wa innad-dina lawaqi [6] – and truly, judgment is bound to come!

Was-samaa ‘i dhatil-hubuk [7]- Consider the firmament full of starry paths!

Innakum lafi qawlim-mukhtaliff [8]- Truly you are deeply at variance as to what to believe

Yu faku anhu man ufik. [9] – perverted in view is the one who would self-deceive.

El-Badawi shows that Qur’an itself is part of a prophetic continuum. 

“The Qur’an may be appreciated as both a collection of divine revelations as well as a product of religious cross-pollination.  Therefore, it is not the finality of an individual prophetic tradition nor its written legacy – scripture – but rather the continuity of prophetic tradition and scripture that bestows upon us the broadest perspective from which to appreciate them both.”

“The broadest appreciation of Qur’an – which goes beyond the confines of classical exegetical literature (Tafsir) and contributes truly original insights to the genre of Qur’anic Sciences (Ulum al-qur’an) is to perceive its dogmatic re-articulation of the scriptures coming from earlier prophetic traditions as well as its contribution to later prophetic traditions.  It is to appreciate a complicated text whose inspiration from the divine realm and articulation onto the plane of human history make it one of the greatest manifestations of scripture, both in the world of late antiquity and in our world today.  Wa allahu a’alam.” 

El-Badawi’s work provides support and concrete evidence that the monotheistic faith traditions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam – cannot be separated, and can best be understood when viewed in relationship with each other. 

Innal-ladhina amanu wal-ladhina Hadu wan-Nasara was-Sabi’ina man ‘amanu billahi wal-Yawmil-Akhiri wa ‘amila salihan-falahum ajruhum inda Rabbihim wa la Khaqfun ‘alayhim wa la hum yahzanun.  [2:62]

Truly, those who attain to faith, as well as those who follow the Jewish faith, and the Christians, and the Sabians – all who believe in God and the Last Day and do righteous deeds – shall have their reward with their Sustainer; and no fear need they have and neither shall they grieve.  [2:62]

The Dunya Blues

The title of my khutbah today is “Dunya Blues“.

When I volunteered to give the khutbah two weeks ago I thought to myself, “no problem.” But in the space of two weeks, just two weeks, I have to say that this dunya has really gotten me down. Watching our president and his behavior towards our immigrants, allies and bullies, has made me very upset. I don’t think I have been this down in the dumps since the George W Bush years. Because my children were too small to remember that time, they think something is really wrong with me. No dear, this is just a repeat, a remix if you will, of things that have happened before. This is the Dunya Blues.

One typical trigger for my Dunya Blues was something I saw on CNN. It said that 55% of the American people disapproved of the President’s handling of his recent trip abroad, but 68% of Republicans thought he did a great job. All I could think of was our recent trip to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest in Germany this summer. At the museum, it became clear that Hitler could do no wrong in the eyes of his supporters. It was only after their major cities were in ruins, their friends and family were killed, they were starving and four foreign armies occupied their country that these people thought “Maybe Hitler wasn’t such a good idea.” I feel like it would take these kinds of events to change people’s minds in our current political climate. If these events sound hellish, I would agree. The events of WW2 were hellish, but perhaps to change people’s minds, Hell is required.

The Quran does assert that some people will not change their erroneous beliefs while they live in this world. The first mention of this is in Surah Baqarah

“Behold, as for those who are bent on denying the truth- it is all one to them whether thou warnest them or doest not warn them: they will not believe. God has sealed their hearts and their hearing, and over their eyes is a veil, and awesome suffering awaits them.” (2:7)

The metaphor of “sealed hearts”, which lead to sealed hearing and vision, is a common motif in Quran.

“Say: ‘What do you think? If God should take away your hearing and your sight and seal your hearts- what deity but God is there that could bring it all back to you? Behold how many facets We give to Our messages- and yet they turn away in disdain” (6:46)

“As for anyone who denies God after having once attained to faith- and this, to be sure, does not apply to one who does it under curess, the while his heart remains true to his faith, but only to him who willingly opens up his heart to a denial of the truth- upon all such falls God’s condemnation, and tremendous suffering awaits them; all this because they hold this world’s life in greater esteems than the life to come, and because God does not bestow this guidance upon people who deny the truth. They whose hearts and whose hearing and whose sight God has sealed- it is they, they who are heedless. Truly it is they, they who in the life to come shall be the losers.” (16:106-109)

“In this way God lets go astray such as waste their own selves by throwing suspicion (on His revelations)- such as would call God’s messengers into question without having any evidence therefor; (a sin_ exceedingly loathsome in the sight of God and of those who hath attained to faith. It is this way that God sets a seal on every arrogant, self-exalting heart.” (40:35)

.

People with sealed hearts will never see the truth until they are forced to confront the truth on the Day of Judgment. However, the thing to remember is that for us humans it is difficult to distinguish between people whose hearts are completely sealed versus  those who can be ‘toggled’ into better behavior. Keep in mind that some of the Prophet’s fiercest opponents actually, by the grace of God, came around and were his biggest defenders.

How can people be nudged into better behavior? From the time of our Prophet until today, this question continues to be a major topic of interest and research. The Prophet’s primary tool was the Quran, but not everyone who listened to the Quran heeded those words.  I gave a few examples, but the ‘sealed heart  or ‘hardened heart’ phrase, “ is used more than twenty times throughout the Quran, a testimony to the stubbornness of the population.

We might like to think that facts and data can change people’s behavior, but in our modern age of spin, hyperbole and sophisticated propaganda, real world facts can be held under suspicion in the alternative reality created by these ‘spin machines’.

What makes the spin machines effective is they tap into the human code- our structure of beliefs.  I was reminded of this after  a recent “Westworld” binge, when one of the characters said, “You don’t think people can change?” and the robot replied, “I think the best they can do is live up to their code.” What does a human ‘code’ look like and does this code provide us with some insight as to how better behavior can be encouraged? If you will indulge me, this is my thought experiment: perhaps humans have a code of ethical and moral behavior which they get from an early age- a product of their personality and environment. Human beings act in accordance with this code, and reject ideas or behavior that seem to contradict this belief framework. Good behavior could result if the messaging can conform to the standards of the code. What are some of the codes that Islam teaches us?

In the Islamic Tradition, there is a code which tells humans about not getting too invested in this life, in this world, in this dunya. In this strand of traditional thought supported by sunna, Muslims are told that they should be focused on the next life, not this one. Muslims should prepare for the next life by fulfilling moral obligations in this world, for example by praying and giving charity, and not worry so much about the material aspirations (power, legacies) of this life. Well, after the past couple of weeks, I can really understand where that advice is coming from. Why invest yourself emotionally and spiritually in a world where you have little control and where people and circumstances are certain to thwart your plans and sense of logic?  In times like these, detachment feels , not so much like a philosophical stance, but, more like a survival choice.

Detachment is not the only code in our Islamic Tradition and there are many more options in the Quran itself. One example is in Surah Luqman.  This is considered a mid-Mecca surah, revealed at a time of uncertainty in the nascent Muslim community. I want to emphasize, this was a time of uncertainty, no one knew there was going to be a happy ending of a triumphant march through Mecca. At this time, the Muslim community was growing, but also finding itself under increasing tension with their pagan neighbors. At this time there may have been the beginnings of physical persecution and talk of migration to Abyssinia. The context of this time was turmoil, the rumble of thunderclouds on the horizon, great uncertainty.

In this time of transformation, the surah Luqman was revealed to the Prophet. The surah is named after Luqman, a wise man prone to counseling his son. We are also told Luqman is wise because he is “Grateful unto God” (31:12).

The beginning of Surah Luqman acknowledges the difficulty in changing human behavior:

“But among men there is many a one that prefers a mere play with words so as to lead (those) without knowledge astray from the path of God and to turn it to ridicule: for such there is a shameful suffering in store. For whenever Our messages are conveyed to such a one, he turns away in his arrogance as though he hd not heard them- as though there were deafness in his ears; givbe him then, the tiding of grievous suffering (in the life to come)” (31:6-7)

The surah goes on to say that for people who do listen, there is a great reward. As Osama told us a few weeks ago, much of the advice Luqman imparts to his son consists of the “Ten Commandments” which are repeated in numerous surahs throughout the Quran. These ten commandments are consistent with a code which allows all of us to do some good in this world. We do not have a presence on the world stage that would allow us to facilitate political changes, but we can all do small things which make the world a better place: worship one God, be respectful to our parents, pray, don’t be arrogant, be patient,  and one I needed to hear “But as for him who is bent on denying the truth- let not his denial grieve thee: unto Us they must return and then We shall make them understand all that they were doing. For verily, God has full knowledge of what is in the hearts.” (31:23)

(PAUSE)

Since it is summer and I did call this khutbah the Dunya Blues, I would like to close with a reflection derived from the biggest blues of all in this world- the ocean. Growing up along the California coast, I saw the ocean nearly every day in my youth. A deep royal blue on a sunny day, a cobalt blue dotted with white caps of foam on a windy day, or slate gray as the storm approached. The waves crashing along the shore, the extremes of low tide and high tide, the detritus after a storm- all these things served as a constant reminder of a creation which embodied beauty and strength, ferocity and tranquility. As the Danish author Isak Dineson once said, “The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea.”

Surah Luqman also makes mention of a parable in the context of the ocean and ships.  Just so we all understand some of the layers of this important metaphor, I turned to the “Penguin Dictionary of Symbols”. According to the dictionary, the ocean

“…is a symbol of the dynamism of life. Everything comes from the sea and everything returns to it. It is a place of birth, transformation, and rebirth. With its tides, the sea symbolizes a transitory condition between shapeless potentiality and formal reality, an ambivalent situation of uncertainty, doubt, and indecision which can end well or ill. Hence, the sea is an image of death and of life.”

With regards to ships, the dictionary states, “Ships conjure up ideas of strength and safety in the dangers of a voyage and the symbolism is as applicable to space-flight as to sea-travel. The ship is like a star which orbits about its pole, the Earth, but under human control. It is a picture of life in which the individual must choose a goal and steer a course.”

Now that you have some clues about the symbolism, this is the story as related in Surah Luqman:

 “Art thou not aware how ships speed through the sea by God’s favor, so that He might show you some of His wonders? Herein, behold, there are signs indeed for all who are wholly patient in adversity and deeply grateful to God. For when the waves engulf them like shadows, they call unto God, sincere in their faith in Him alone; but as soon as He has brought them safe ashore, some of them stop half-way. None reject Our signs but the ungrateful.” (31:31-32)

The parable of a storm at sea is symbolic to every danger that humans face in life- whether it is a physical danger, or just the passions within one’s own heart.  Just to convey how important this story is, this parable is repeated two more times in Quran.

“Your Sustainer is He who causes ships to move onward for you through the sea so that you might go about in quest of some of his bounty; verily, a dispenser of grace is He unto you. And whenever danger befalls you at sea, all those powers that you are wont to invoke forsake you, (and nothing remains for you) saw Him: but as soon as He has brought you safe ashore, you turn aside (and forget Him)- for indeed bereft of all gratitude is man!” (17:67)

“And so, when they embark on a ship (and find themselves in danger), they call unto God (at that moment) sincere in their faith in Him alone: but as soon as He has brought them safe ashore, they (begin to) ascribe to imaginary powers a share in His divinity and thus they show utter ingratitude for all that We have vouchsafed them, and go on enjoying this worldly life. But in time they will come to know.” (29:66)

Yes our times are uncertain and we may feel abandoned and ignored. But God does not ignore us. He is there for us in calm seas and in rough waters. Our code as Muslims is not to forget His connection to us. We live up to our code when we to keep our hearts open-unsealed- and to listen to His signs. Amen. 

References:

Quran translation  "The Message of the Quran" by Muhammad Asad

"Penguin Dictionary of Symbols" translated from the French by John Buchanan-Brown 1994 (Penguin Books: London)