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 Jalal Abualrub

·        "Sufism has had a great impact on the way the average Iranians view Islam. Sufism does not have the hard edges that traditional Islam has. It is much more tolerant and much more mystical."  Well, you have chosen the wrong Muslim to talk ill about Sufism. I am a follower of the Quran and Sunnah, the way the Prophet's companions understood and implemented them. Thus, not only Sufism is a borrowed philosophy, as you stated, but a separate ideology alien and in opposition to Islam.  I never fail to criticize Sufism in the light of the Quran and Sunnah and will soon write a booklet on its negative impact on Muslims.

So far you are the winner of this discussion. You are again on the money. Islam and Sufism are two different things. Thanks heaven that both of us know that. Please do write your book and let all the deluded people who think Sufism is an interpretation of Islam know that too. You would be doing a great service to both of us.  

Yet, you offered no examples on how Sufism is more tolerant than 'traditional Islam', whatever that term means. Thus, so far, your criticism is concentrated on what Iran had to offer you in terms of Shiism and Sufism, both of which I am extremely familiar with, but opposed to, and the revolution and its impact on the Iranian society. I fail to see specific examples in the creed of Islam or its tenets that compelled you to dislike Islam.

Okay, let us leave Sufism aside since it has nothing to do with Islam. Let us talk about Islam and sure as we go along I will give you the specific reason for which I dislike Islam. I suppose that is the subject of our discussion.

 

4.      "Many Iranian sages found the Quran too mundane with little or no spiritual content." At least you said here, 'many Iranians'; you still need proof and examples to what you said here.  Are there any specific and direct examples to support you sweeping statement about the Quran that it does not have a spiritual content? You know that anyone can issue a general statement about anything they do not like, but the evidence is what counts, isn't it?

You are absolutely right. I shall provide my evidences one by one allowing you to refute them.

 

5.      What you described in your statement, “so they tried to reinterpret the verses of that book and vest them with spiritual significance to satisfy their own refined mystical palate", is the very method that I spent my life objecting to and opposing. Yet, I again fail to see specific examples here, just a general statement, let alone why Islam is at fault here so that you disliked it.

That was the introduction! The specifics are what we are going to talk about. I already gave you one specific. It is the charge of misogyny. Let us start with that. Once you respond to that charge I will move to the next one.

 

6.      "Most of the Iranian modern Muslims did not go to mosques or paid much attention to the Mullahs." I ask you for evidence to this statement. Someone else could counter by saying that it is well-known that the Iranian mosques are full of worshippers and that the so-called mullahs, an un-Islamic term, still hold considerable influence over Iran , with millions of Iranians still devoted to them and supportive of their agenda. I am not a Shiite nor do I ever support Shiism or its dogmas, but justice is required from all. You, again, issue sweeping statements here for which you need to not only present evidence, but also state the relevance of them to why you left the true Islam, rather than the Iranian, Sufi, Shiite Islam.

The fact that most Iranians, do not go to the Mosque is something you can find out by talking to any Iranian. But that is not the point we want to discuss. Our discussion is about Islam and Muhammad and whether he was a true messenger of God. If you want to assume that Iranians are devout Muslims, that is fine with me. The charges that I have brought against Muhammad have nothing to do with Iranians.   

7.      "The Islamization of Iran which led to the Islamic revolution was so sudden that took everyone by surprise. Khomeini said people did not make the revolution because they wanted a better life; they made the revolution because they wanted Islam. That of course was not true." Again, you are talking to the wrong person about Shiism , Iran and Khomeini. If this is why you left Islam, I heard nothing so far in terms of why you left the Quran and prophetic Sunnah, which came to existence before Shiism, or the so-called Islamic Sufism, or the Iranian revelation. Yet, your statement that the Islamization of Iran led to the Islamic revolution is stated backward. Do you mean that the revolution led to the Islamization, or at least to bringing Khomeini to power who then led the Islamization of Iran?

Let us forget about Iran and Shiism. My charges are laid against Muhammad and the Quran. They have nothing to so with Shiism, Mullahs or Iran . I brought that up just to answer your questions but really they are irrelevant.   

 

8.      "People made the revolution because they wanted freedom of speech. But foolishly they followed a religious leader who lied to them and promised them such freedom." This is your personal opinion to describe one of the major movements of the late twentieth century. Freedom of speech, as you put it, was but one of many complex issues that led to the revolution. So for you to offer this simplistic explanation needs powerful evidence, scientific evidence. I witnessed the Iranian revolution, to which I am opposed, and followed its news closely for years. The complexity of it and the political, economic, social and religious factors that led to its triumphant conclusion are far more important, and complex, than the mere reason you offered for it.

Yes I agree, I merely pointed out one aspect of it. But we are not going to talk about Iran and its revolution. Our discussion is going to be about Muhammad and whether he was a messenger of God. Specifically I will lay charges against Muhammad and you will prove those charges are not true.

 

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