Suffice it to say I have lived in several places in the Middle East.
Sorry, but that doesn't suffice. It's one thing to be immersed in ME culture, and another to be isolated at some military or oil company compound. You try to claim a level of authority, but refuse to show any "beef".
You see an article on the net
Aren't you making a few assumptions here. Maybe I've read dozens of articles, plus several books, plus had conversations with several people native to the area. Does that make me an expert? By no means. Just a student who has only begun a journey.
What? There is no "lesser variety jihad".
Amazing that if “lesser jihad” (in quotes as shown) is typed into Google, some 1650 references are found to the nonexistent. I may be only a beginning student of Arabic culture, but I know this time it’s your ignorance that is on display. The greater jihad is the “fight” within one’s self, and the lesser is the “fight” against others. One variety of the lesser, is the “jihad of the sword”, the one upon which most westerners key. The concepts of greater and lesser jihad have not only existed in Islam since very early times, but are currently a serious “bone of contention” Modern jihadi scholars, wishing to belittle the appellation “lesser jihad”, try to argue that the concept is relatively recent in origin and of a “weak” basis. More traditional scholars argue that the prophet himself made the distinction. A good reference to start is
tariq.bitshop.com
Or, since you seem to have an aversion to net articles, how about a DVD?<g>
uln.com
Go back to my earlier post. There were four question marks, and an appeal for “less pontification and more information”. You chose to answer only one of the questions, and blew that one. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to elevate your discourse.
Some scholars in an Egyptian university, whatever jihad they care to call, will NOT be followed. That is what I am trying to explain to you.
Reiteration of your beliefs doesn’t enhance their validity. I’ll repeat my earlier query.
within the Sunni community, what “entity” do you think has the preeminent religious position?
If you can’t produce an alternative to Al Azhar, then your thesis is suspect.
JMO
lurqer |
