:salam2:
Welcome to the Forum Leena, and thank you for your kind reply.
As long as someone is sincere, polite and open to learning the truth, their threads will remain.
This is going to be a big long, Its important we understand a few issues here. Concerning methedology (manhaj), or the way we go about doing things in Islam.
Firstly Islam is based on the Quran, Sunnah with the understanding of the early Muslims. Because the latter were closer to the Prophet
Im sure every Muslim will agree to the following Quranic verse and Hadith of the Prophet
:
"And if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it back to Allaah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allaah and in the Last Day. That is more suitable for final determination." Surat-un-Nisaa' [4:59]
"I am leaving you two things and you will never go astray as long as you cling to them -- they are the Book of Allah and my Sunnah." [Reported by Al- Haakim - Sahih].
"The best of people is my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them (i.e. the first three generations of Muslims)." [Reported by Bukhari and Muslim- Mutawaatir. Muslim, Narrated 'Aisha - Shaykh Al Albaanee declares it Hasan in Saheeh Al Jaami' no.3288].
So, every single act of worship, Islamic legislation and understanding of Islam comes from the Quran, the authentic Hadith and the explanation/understanding from the early Muslims. The latter had a clearer understanding of Islam than any of us would have now. Anything contrary to these sources should not be followed.
The Importance of sticking to the above sources of Islam ensures that Muslims do not change the Religion, do not start relaxing various rulings and things which are not allowed and do not start going to extremes.
For example, extremism, like AlQaeda and other groups is not something rooted in the original source teachings of Islam or something taught by the early Muslims. Often the media calls it fundamentalism and tries to make out that these extremists are some how rooted to "medieaval times".
But, the fundamentals of Islam are very distant to what the extremists teach. And Islam during the European Mediaval period was in its Golder Period.... full of scientific, mathematical, medicinal exploration and discovery.
Rather, a lot of today's extremist thinking is a "modern ideology" which came about from the teachings of 20th Century thinkers/philosophers such as Syed Qutb, Maududi and others... who commentated on the Quran without clear understanding.
Similarly, modernists like Muhammad Asad do not refer back to the authentic teachings of Islam. Rather they use their own philosophy and thinking. Which contradicts what we have been taught by the Prophet
Sure, Islam is a rational, scientific and sound religion, but our rationalisation and knowledge of the world is limited. Islam must always be followed as God intended for us.
The Modernists think that they need to change Islam to make it compatible with the modern Western oriented World. But, they do not realise that Islam is perfect and in no need of change. There is no so called "moderate or extremist" Islam. Islam is always one way, it is the middle way, the easy way as long as people go back to the true source of ISlam, the Quran and Sunnah with the understanding of the early generation of Muslims. And the sources of Islam shall always remain, unchanged.
The Prophet said: "There will not cease to be a group from my ummah, dominant upon the truth. The ones who abandon them will not be able to harm them, until the decree of Allaah comes."
By going back and sticking to the original teachings Muslims can once again attain the Golden period of Islam, that the Muslims used to have. The Arabs were only successful and united because they followed Islam properly.
“Indeed, never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change themselves.” [Soorah ar-Rad (13):11]
So, when people try and change Islam and think they are going forwards to modernity, in reality they are going backwards!
Infact, Muhammad Assad is known to be a Mutazili. The Mutazilah do not believe in Allah or the Quran properly. They try to rationalize everything and follow greek philosophy. And they say that a person who sins is between being a believer and an unbeliever, "Manzil Bayna Manzilatayn". This is similar to the Takfiri school of thought.
What Muhammad Asad failed to do is utilise the sayings and rulings of the Prophet Muhammad, as well as his wives, the Sahaba (companions), the second and third generation of Muslims, and the great classical Tafsir writers. All of whom make the same case for the hijab. Aisha Umm al-Muminin (rAa), ibn Abbas (rAa), Anas ibn Malik (rAa), and Miswar ibn Makhrama (rAa), among the Sahaba. This is also the opinion of Imam Tabari, and Imam Qurtubi.
Hajar's post above contains a lot of these evidences.
Sorry for the long reply, I ask Allah to forgive me for any mistakes.
Waslaam
Ameer