Islam Can Reaches Out Through Telefon

 Asma Mohammed (name changed), a third year BCom student, attends college during the day and spends her spare time reading translated interpretations of the Quran, Hadith and other sacred Islamic texts that are available on the world wide web as well as in books. "Someday I hope to read the original Arabic version," she says. "But my Arabic is poor and I must contend with English and Tamil translations." Mere translations, however, are not enough to understand the sayings of the Prophet. "My mother helps me sometimes but there are many queries that she cannot clear," says Asma. "Sometimes, I call up the publisher or the imam of our mosque to clarify certain passages. It is helpful as approaching them in person is awkward." Asma is not the only one doing so. With the advent of technology, it is no longer necessary to personally approach the imam of the local mosque to clarify doubts. Queries are often made over phone or through email. As many of them involve family issues and personal problems, the anonymity of the phone is vastly preferred to a personal tete-a-tete . This accessibility is part of the efforts of the clergy and scholars to demystify the Qur'an and inform Muslim society, particularly youngsters, that solutions to problems are possible without deviating from the principles of Islam and within the framework of sharia, the Islamic law.

Scholar Mufti Omar Sharif, who runs a publishing house, Dar-ul-Quda , which publishes translated religious Islamic texts, gets such calls on a regular basis. "My number is printed in all my publications," he says. "In many cases, the person seeks solutions to personal problems. If it's family problems, we ask them to come over as we also provide counselling. It wouldn't do to give such advice over the phone as it may be misunderstood."

Some queries though are trivial enough to be handled over phone. The most recent was a call to Mufti Sharif by a newly married woman who was unsure of practices in the new household. "Her husband wanted her to move socially, accompany him to movie theatres and mingle with his friends," says Mufti Sharif. "However, she was unused to it and worried if it is alright to go to theatres. Since she was so uncomfortable, I advised her husband to opt for watching DVDs at home."

At Ibnul Qayyim Islamic Research and Guidance Centre (IRGC) in Royappettah, a majority of callers are women. "Telephone queries are easier for women who find it awkward to approach scholars, most of whom are male, in person," says Mohammed Zabeeullah Baig, secretary, IRGC. "Their queries are largely about what is permitted by Islam during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and lactation. Some women call up to ask if one is permitted to read the Quran during the monthly cycle. They ask if one is exempt from Ramzan fasting during their periods."

A common query is about investment in the stock market. "Islam prohibits charging and gaining from financial interest," says Maulana Shamshuddin Qasimi, chief imam of Mecca Masjid on Anna Salai. "So Muslims think twice before investing in shares in case it's considered un-Islamic ."

Some oppose the telephonic system as they feel it gives rise to misconceptions. "These are shortcut methods and what one gets is somebody else's interpretation of what the Quran says," says A Faizur Rahman, general secretary for Forum for Promotion of Moderate Thought among Muslims. "Islam is not about conforming to a list of do's and don'ts . It is about perceiving the purpose of life by pondering over the Quran. This cannot be outsourced from a theologian sitting in a telephone exchange answering "queries" on Islam. Real scholars are too busy to telephonically answer queries on a daily basis."

However, Imam Qasimi's popularity extends to foreign countries. "I get calls and emails from Tamil Muslims living in US, UK, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, France, Qatar, UAE, Saudi and African countries ," he says. "I get about 300 calls a month. Most of them relate to prayer procedures since Islam is a practice-oriented religion. I also get several calls related to family matters, sexual intercourse and parenting. Many callers want a solution within the parameters of Islam."

Some queries that the Imam receives are more nuanced. "One man wanted to know why he must swear only upon Allah when it is mentioned in the Quran that Allah himself swore upon the elements of nature - sky, wind, water, earth," says Imam Qasimi. "Another man who was interested in music called to find out if music is considered un-Islamic by the Quran. Although we have a website advertising our contact details, much of our reputation is derived word-of-mouth ."

Source : Time Of India