By Yusufbile Abdi
Saturday, March 06, 2010
This is a commentary piece of writing on my latest article (GRAPES DON’T BEEP!) and the readers’ comments that followed: /op2/2010/feb/grapes_don_t_beep.aspx
Dear reader, before you and I redefine together the writing responsibilities, allow me to highlight a scholarly dialogue between me and my former professor of Islamic Contemporary Issues course. Despite, the pure Business Administration specialization, Mogadishu University Academic Board, also feeds students’ brains with useful Islamic courses, namely, Islamic Civilization, Islamic Political System and Management in Islam. Those short courses are known as in the university ‘the university requirements,’ compulsory for each student. These courses had shaped many young Somali students with faithful behavioural ethics who lived and learnt in one of the most volatile and anarchic environment on the earth we know.
In my senior year, in an assignment of the above mentioned course, the professor commented on my paper saying: “Although your writings have abused my intelligence, I rate your paper as A-grade.”
To be honest with you, this brain-teasing phrase of “Abusing one’s Intelligence” really bothered my brain. However, I later dared to ask the professor how I abused his faculty of thoughts. The professor critically explained to me that I have quoted several arguments of Non-Muslim scholars to support an Islamic prospective while I could find stronger and clearer quotes in the Qur’an and the Hadith. But he, intellectually, defended his ratings of my paper saying: “If I had not remembered " الحكمة ضالة المؤمن أينما وجدها أخذها” (The wisdom is the goal of the faithful, wherever he found it, takes It; even from a hypocrite…,)I wouldn’t A-rated your paper.”
To me, this was not Kudos or a destructive criticism but an act of a scholar who can separate the personal prejudice from the professionalism and having given talent of reading beyond the lines. Open-mindedly speaking, at this point, I believe I am free to use any quotes from Muslim and Non-Muslim scholars as long as the quote is legitimate and useful.
Similar to the above story, may be, I sometimes write what seems abusing, in the first place, to valuable readers’ intelligences. This may irritates and of course, he/she outbursts defending a common or national principle. But defending the common principles can not be in the expenses of hiding the truth. Yet, to be grateful to you as a reader, your deep understandings and constructive criticism as a feedback always give me the courage to write again and again on this website which, the ONLY connection we can have is a keyboard connection and the ONLY reason I write on It, is to share an information and then learn from your decent comments!
Let us now concisely redefine the responsibilities of writing which I always base on my writings: I consider the literacy as blessing and responsibility from the Almighty, which I am humbly answerable for any misuse. Remember: (... كلكم راع وكلكم مسؤول عن رعيته) “You are all responsible and each of you is accountable for his/her responsibilities…”
Furthermore, In Surah Baqara, in the verse 79 reads: (فويل لهم مما كتبت أيديهم وويل لهم مما يكسبو ن) “…Woe to them for what their hands do write, and for the gain they make thereby…”
Despite, the direct objective of the verse i.e. doom to those who distort the Qur’an, Sheikh Salman bin Fahd al-Oadah, the director of the Arabic edition of ‘Islam Today’ website and other Islamic scholars, also emphasise that the verse warns, in a broad sense, to those who irresponsibly write and misuse their literacy; whether, they write an article or comment on it.
Last but not least, the heavens creator commands the faithful:
ياايها الذين امنوا كونوا قوامين لله شهداء بالقسط ولايجرمنكم شنان قوم على الا تعدلوا اعدلوا هو اقرب للتقوى ...
“O ye who believe! stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety…” (Al-Ma’idah:8)
Truly, this justice covers all aspects of life including a simple piece of writings and the feedbacks we easily write.
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