The Relationship between the
Qur’an and the Sunnah

From 25 July to 6 August 2010, a select group of scholars invited by the Inter-
national Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) analyzed “The Relationship
between the Qur’an and the Sunnah.” Chaired by Mahmoud Ayoub (Hart-
ford Seminary), this twenty-session event focused on how Muslims are deal-
ing with Islam’s two core sources in the twenty-first century. 

Sherman Jackson (University of Michigan), in his “Beyond the Fiqh-
Reform Paradigm,” analyzed how fiqh and taqlid have entrapped and crip-
pled the Muslim world’s imagination. Taqlid needs to give way to ijtihad, for
current problems can be solved only if social realities are accepted. He urged
participants to either reconcile with American society or engage in appropri-
ation, both of which the Prophet did; that “overemphasis on fiqh constitutes
a mistake and leads us down the wrong path”; and that it is “not the business
of fiqh to generate cultural and intellectual phenomenon.” In addition, Mus-
lims must realize what is being borrowed and why it is being borrowed.

Muqtedar Khan’s (University of Delaware) paper, “Revisiting the Status
of the Other in the Qur’an,” opined that there must be moral equality for all,
regardless of religion. In Muslim-majority countries, non-Muslims’ religious
freedom is undermined by making them second-class citizens. This will end
only when equality is practiced both in public and in private. He then dealt
with Qur’an 2:62, 5:69, 5:48 and similar verses, asking whether they have
been distorted, abrogated, or rendered invalid after the Prophet’s birth.
According to him, abrogation adds to or amends/clarifies a particular issue,
as opposed to abrogating tolerance or any other principle. What is needed is
a “secular” commentary, one that can solve the Muslims’ real problems.

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154 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 27:3

Imtiyaz Yusuf ’s (Assumption University, Bangkok) “The Concept ( Din)
in the Qur’an as Interpreted by Isma`il al-Faruqi” dealt with this great schol-
ar’s approach to and concept of din as “religion.” He made several points in
this regard: monotheism is the core of religion, religion (not race or nation-
alism) is one’s true identity, and Arabs view Islam is a struggle between
monotheism and polytheism. After describing the various approaches to the
Qur’an (e.g., ideational, axiologial, and aesthetic), he said that monotheism
is an Arab worldview, for all “Semitic” races originally came from the
Arabs. AJISS 28:3 will present the encyclopedic range of al-Faruqi`s intel-
lectual pursuits and analyze the genesis of his ideas and critique of the
West’s philosophical and religious traditions as well as modernity.

Ayoub, Aisha Musa (Florida International University), Louay Safi
(Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding), and Jamal Barzinji
(IIIT) addressed the “Panel on IIIT’s Islamic Reform Mission.” Ayoub
talked about how Islam does not need a European-style Reformation, for
that involved a reform of theology, not of people. Muslims need to reform
their attitudes toward Islam, how it is approached and embodied, and this is
best done through education. Noting the lack of appreciation for Islam’s
depth among Muslims and non-Muslims, Musa said that Muslims need to
make sources more accessible through translation, develop a clear method-
ology, and publish appropriate literature.

Safi mentioned that we cannot “reform” the Qur’an, but we can
“reform” its interpretation (viz., understanding). He stated that the
“Islamization of Knowledge,” IIIT’s original raison d’être, means question-
ing the presuppositions (usually undeclared) of existing knowledge and seri-
ously engaging with western sources and traditional Islamic knowledge. He
also pointed out the need for intercultural dialogue with everyone, dealing
with western knowledge head on, and moving beyond religion (toward
humanity) and just quoting Qur’anic verses and hadiths. Barzinji remarked
that Muslims are alienated from the Qur’an and the Sunnah, have a problem
in dealing with their heritage, never saw the West as the most serious threat,
and thought that establishing an Islamic state would solve everything. He
called for a new methodology, an honest assessment of the West’s achieve-
ments, and reforming the Muslim world’s educational system (especially
Islamic studies). 

Cemil Aydin (George Mason University), Ayoub, Musa, and Khaleel
Mohammad (San Diego State University) addressed the “Panel on Teaching
Islam in American Universities.” Aydin cited the several stages of the devel-
opment of Islamic studies as an area of research: the need to understand



Muslims as they continued to come here as students, teachers, and intellectu-
als; the premise that “understanding others helps you understand yourself”;
and the desire of mainly indigenous and immigrant Muslims to better under-
stand Islam. As opposed to colonial-minded Europeans, Americans wanted
new markets. As more Muslims came in after the Second World War, and as
Israel was established and American missionary activities in the region
increased, Islamic studies went through inclusion in political science and reli-
gious studies, as well as other fields, before becoming a field in its own right.
Since 9/11, the field has been changing as Muslims seek mainstream accept-
ance and more Americans want to learn what Islam really teaches. 

Musa pointed out that the “Islam vs. the West” dichotomy is inappropri-
ate, for Islam is a world (not a “geographical”) religion and has roots in com-
mon with Judaism and Christianity. Islam is usually studied in the context
of the ancient and/or modern Near/Middle East; the focus needs to include
South Asian and other centers of Islamic civilization. She stated that
although Islamic studies is not considered an “academic study,” it is now
moving into religious studies departments. Reflecting upon the fact that the
field is only twenty or thirty years old, she sees a great deal of opportunity
for growth. Mohammad was more negative. He opined that Muslims “idol-
ize” non-Muslim scholars to gain some credibility and that Muslims need to
realize that agendas do exist and that certain topics are taboo.

Among the other presentations were Ayoub’s “The Relationship between
the Qur’an and Sunna in Context,” Syed Nasir Zaidi’s (Al-Zahra Islamic
Center, Canada) “Role of Time and Space in Understanding the Qur’an and
Sunnah,” Kenneth Honerkamp’s (University of Georgia) “The Qur’anic
Roots and Ethical Foundations of Suluk in Islamic Pedagogical Methodology
and Its Relvance Today,” Jasser Auda’s (Qatar Foundation) “Aisha’s Critique
of Authentic Hadith Content,” Ahmed Kazemi Mousavi’s “Taha Jabir al-
Alwani on the Space-Time Factor in Understanding the Qur’an and Sunnah,”
and Sami Catovic’s (Temple University), “The Common Word Initiative and
Contemporary Interpretations of Verse 64 Sura 3 (Al `Imran).” All presenta-
tions were followed by lengthy and lively question-and-answer sessions.

The event concluded with a panel during which the participants, as well
as Ayoub and Barzinji, made their final remarks. A graduation ceremony for
IIIT’s 2010 summer students was then conducted in the library and certifi-
cates and awards of IIIT research fellowships for 2010-11 were given.

Jay Willoughby
AJISS

Herndon, Virginia

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