Finding the Peace in Islam through Tragedy and Controversy

One of the greatest desires and pursuit in the life of human beings is the search for peace. According to psychologists, the greatest human drive is the search for peace, which dominates all human endeavors.[footnoteRef:1] Peace and tranquility has become man’s greatest desire and pursuit since it’s strongly linked to contentment of the heart. However, achieving this is a relatively difficult and complex process because the surrounding world is characterized by tragedy and controversies that make us troubled individuals. As a result, people turn to religion as a pathway for finding peace and tranquility amidst the difficulties experienced in the world. Islam is considered as a religion of peace, which implies that it is a pathway for tranquility. Despite the view of Islam as a religion of peace, some Muslims struggle to find peace and tranquility in their lives. This paper provides a narrative about a convert to Islam who struggles to find peace and tranquility amidst tragedy and controversy. [1: Raiiq Ridwan, “5 Things Bring Inner Peace and Tranquility”, About Islam, April 9, 2018, http://aboutislam.net/reading-islam/finding-peace/inner-peace/5-things-bring-inner-peace-and-tranquility/]
Melanie’s Case Study
Melanie is a young woman and a current medical student at Florida State University. She is originally from London, England. Her mother is an Anglican (non-practicing) and her father is a direct descendent of a Polish holocaust survivor. Melanie was not brought up in a religious household but the family did practice Eastern Spirituality. Eastern Spirituality was attractive to Melanie’s family because of its concept of personal autonomy. Through personal autonomy, Melanie’s family members were free to practice their own individual spirituality rather than simply follow a set of mandatory beliefs and practices associated with the various religions across the world. In essence, Eastern Spirituality differs from world’s religion in the sense that it does not impose mandatory beliefs and practices. The focus of Eastern Spirituality as practiced in Melanie’s family is self-fulfillment.
Melanie’s journey from naivety to danger to growth to liberation was influenced by self-fulfillment brought by personal autonomy. Unlike in families that practice certain religious practices, Melanie was free to chart her own path or course in life and find self-fulfillment. The practice of Eastern Spirituality in her home gave her the freedom to decide who she would want to become. Despite being an essentially good thing, personal autonomy was relatively challenging for Melanie since she was naïve. As a young child, Melanie did not understand spirituality and how she could find peace and tranquility in a world that is full of chaos, controversy, and tragedy.
From Naivety to Islam
Melanie’s naivety about spirituality and religion was influenced by her upbringing in a family that practiced Eastern Spirituality. However, her life took a different path when she went to college to study the world’s religions in order to meet people where they are. Her decision to study the world’s religions was seemingly influenced by a deeper desire to find a sense of belonging and understand her existence. Given her upbringing in a family atmosphere that did not practice religion, Melanie had a desire to understand her existence and develop a sense of belonging. Moreover, Melanie’s decision to study the world’s religions could have been influenced by desire to find inner peace. Inner peace is achieved when life and events takes place in a manner that satisfies the heart and mind.[footnoteRef:2] [2: Zuleyha Keskin, “Inner Peace in Islam”, Australian Journal of Islamic Studies (2016):23]
It was during this study that she came across the study of Islam. Her professor was very persuasive and guided her in a romanticized Sufi direction. Sufism is one of the dimensions in Islam and reflects the inward-looking, spiritual dimension of this religion. Sufism is always mistakenly considered to be its own sect or denomination like Sunni Islam. However, it is better understood as a dimension in Islam that combines mainstream religious adherences like everyday prayers, with a series of complementary spiritual practices like the ritual reciting of God’s characteristics (zhikr) or the adoration of saints.
Melanie’s conversion to Islam was largely influenced her professor who was persuasive and guided her. She subscribed to the vision of Islam presented to her by her professor. This is similar to Imam Mohammad Tawhidi whose journey in Islam was largely influenced by the vision presented to him by his religious teachers and leaders. In his book, The Tragedy of Islam: Admissions of a Muslim Imam, Imam Mohammad notes that his religious practice just like other Muslims is influenced by the vision of Islam presented and depicted by religious teachers.[footnoteRef:3] Imam Mohammad attributes the rise of extremists and fundamentalist ideologies in Islam to the vision presented to Muslims by their religious teachers. If a religious teacher presents a vision of extremism and fundamentalism, his/her students are likely to become extremists or religious fundamentalists. Therefore, religious teachings play a critical role in individual understanding of and journey in Islam. This is evident in Melanie’s case since her foundational knowledge in Islam was Sufism. Melanie became attracted to Islam, particularly Sufism, due to the influence and teachings of her professor. Through this she was presented a vision of inward-looking, mystical dimension of Islam that became her foundational understanding and practice of this religion. [3: Mohammad Tawhidi, The Tragedy of Islam: Admissions of a Muslim Imam (New York, NY: Reason Books), 2018:1]
Sufism originated during the time of the Prophet Muhammad and it has existed in Muslim communities for over 12 centuries. Historically, Sufis were arranged into several brotherhoods or mystical orders known as tariqat, which literally means “paths.” Each of these brotherhoods has its own religious rites, saintly ancestry and leadership structure. The orders or brotherhoods are headed by a hereditary position called the shaykh or pir. Each of these heads represented a spiritual lineage that could be traced back to Prophet Mohammed. Sufism focuses on harmonizing mainstream religious observances with additional spiritual practices because it is based on knowledge of the self. This knowledge is combined with dignity, respect and service. According to the founder of Sufi Women Organization, the qualities of respect, dignity and service make the role of Sufi women essential in today’s world that is lost in commerce and technology as part of civilization.[footnoteRef:4] Melanie’s attraction to Sufism during her conversion to Islam was seemingly influenced by these qualities. [4: Nahid Angha, “Sufi Women Organization”, International Association of Sufism, March 2, 2019, http://ias.org/swo/]
While Sufism has existed in Muslim societies for over 12 centuries, it has changed over the years. Sufism is mistakenly seen as a marginal form of Islam and solely associated with love, peace and music.[footnoteRef:5] The misconceptions regarding Sufism are attributable to prevalence of Islamic mysticism, which manifests itself in various ways. Many Islamic modernists and Salafis have criticized the passivity of Sufi faithfuls who completely submerge themselves in all manner of wooly spiritual practices. During this process, these individuals do not show concern for social inequities that are prevalent in today’s society. Given its association with Islamic mysticism, certain mystical rituals in Sufi shrines are conducted with large quantities of drugs. These drug experiences become destructive and eventually corrode any deeper spirituality. These trends highlight the development of Sufism into something else contrary to what it was designed to be. For Melanie and other Sufi faithfuls, the wrong direction adopted in Sufism generates significant challenges, particularly in their pursuit of peace and tranquility. Sufi ideas have become more outward-oriented political engagements that are considered violent and negative.[footnoteRef:6] This is contrary to what it was designed to be i.e. a deeper, more inward-directed or peaceful religious experience. Melanie’s conversion to Islam was partly influenced by a desire to experience inner peace and tranquility. However, her foundation in the Sufi order or direction in Islam later became the source of her challenges. [5: Jonas Atlas, “The Dark Side of Sufism”, A Medium Corporation, November 22, 2016, https://medium.com/re-visioning-religion/the-dark-side-of-sufism-d2cd8d2e8fd4] [6: Zahra Sabri, “Why ‘Sufism’ is Not What it is Made Out to be”, Herald, May 28, 2018, https://herald.dawn.com/news/1398514]
From Danger to Growth
Melanie’s experience of danger in Islam was attributable to her subscription to Sufism as taught by her professor. It was in this study of the Sufi, that she really got caught up in the “idea” of Islam, the beauty of the daily prayer and rituals. It is during this romanticized time that she met a man. This man fit into the mold (her preconceived notion of what a good Islamic man would be) he was in a Sufi order. However, like other Sufis, Melanie was required to follow the leader’s directives without question or evaluation. In this regard, the expression of outward-oriented political engagements of Sufism is centered on following the leader’s orders without question. For Melanie, she accepted to follow the teachings of her professor without question and ended up subscribing to the Sufi order.
Being caught up in a romantic idea of anything is never a good thing, especially when it involves religion. Melanie and this man married, and life seemed good for a while, but the cracks in the veneer soon started to show. It was as this time that Melanie realized that her Sufism order focused more on shari’a (Islamic) law and the stringent observance of conventional requirements in worship and social affairs. Additionally, given the dominant position of the shaykh or leader of the brotherhoods, Sufism orders can be rather dictatorial and strictly hierarchical. For instance, the committed followers of a Sufism brotherhood/order (known as murids) are expected to obey the leader’s commands without question.[footnoteRef:7] [7: Luis Lugo, Alan Cooperman, Eric O’Connell & Sandra Stencel, “Muslim Networks and Movements in Western Europe”, Pew Research Center, September 2010, https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2010/09/Muslim-networks-full-report.pdf]
Following the orders of a leader without question can pose significant dangers on followers, especially when the commands or orders are wrong. Imam Mohammad points out that the vision of Islam is depicted by religious teachers and leaders based on their interpretations of the Muslim doctrine. This implies that orders given to murids by the shaykh or leader are based on his/her interpretation of the Muslim doctrine. This complicates the abilities of murids to understand and follow the correct Muslim doctrine since some interpretations by religious leaders are erroneous. Due to the likelihood of wrong interpretations of Muslim doctrine, Imam Mohammad contends that revelations given to Prophet Mohammed in the Holy Quran are not the sole basis of most contemporary practices in Islam.[footnoteRef:8] [8: Ibid., 3]
Melanie did not realize the problematic theological orientations of this particular order of Sufism until she was romantically involved with a man. She struggled to align her theological orientation of Islam with the romantic idea. The struggles were complicated by the fact that the theological orientation of this particularly order of Sufism required her to obey the leader’s commands without question. Similar to many Muslims, Melanie was caught up in a dilemma that was rooted in her understanding of the Muslim doctrine and how it applied to her present situation involving romance. She had been indoctrinated with this wrong theological orientation of Sufism and needed to liberate herself through developing the correct interpretation of Muslim doctrine as revealed to Prophet Mohammed in the Holy Quran. Imam Mohammad accuses scholars such as Melanie’s professor for indoctrinating young minds with wrong interpretations and understanding of the Muslim doctrine, which has become the cause of bigoted, extreme, and violent interpretations of Islam by Muslims and non-Muslims.
Melanie’s path toward growth in Islam started when her romantic lens fell off. As a result, she realized she had entered a marriage and religion that was oppressive, abusive, and not spiritually fulfilling. This is contrary to what she expected during her conversion to Islam, which means peace. Melanie was struggling to have inner peace and tranquility despite the emphasis on the relationship between Islam and peace. Her pursuit of peace through conversion to Islam had ended up becoming the cause of pain and suffering. Religion has become a source of troubles rather than providing spiritual fulfillment and peace that she was looking for. This reflects the idea that religion has been found to help and harm families.[footnoteRef:9] Religion harm families by generating relational struggles and being relationally divisive. For Melanie, religion (Islam) became a source of oppression and relational struggles that complicated her ability to find inner peace and tranquility. [9: David C. Dollahite, Loren D. Marks & Hilary Dalton, “Why Religion Helps and Harms Families: A Conceptual Model of a System of Dualities at the Nexus of Faith and Family Life”, Journal of Family Theory & Review (2018):219]
Following this realization, Melanie tried to get out of the Sufi order and the marriage in order to find peace. However, her attempts were complicated by the fact that it is not the norm for women to have opinions and the will power to leave. Muslim women including those in positions of spiritual authority have experienced tremendous challenges in attempts to exercise their authority and maintain their positions. The actions of Muslim women in Sufism have been shaped by the order’s patriarchy, which makes it difficult for them to have opinions and will power.[footnoteRef:10] These challenges persist despite the larger shifts that continue to occur in the Islamic world across several decades. As a result, Melanie experienced much trouble and strife, but eventually escaped, divorced and started the process of recovery. Melanie started her journey of growth by leaving the Sufi order and the marriage, which were the root causes of her oppression and lack of spiritual fulfillment. [10: Alaine S. Hutson, “Women, Men, and Patriarchal Bargaining in an Islamic Sufi Order: The Tijaniyya in Kano, Nigeria, 1937 to the Present”, Gender & Society (2001):734]
Melanie’s quest for growth through leaving the oppressive Sufi order and the marriage is a reflection of what Muslims have to do in the modern society that is characterized by an anti-Muslim hostility. It reflects the experiences of Abe Ajrami who had to question and defend his faith after the mosque where his children went to classes in Victoria, Texas was burned down. This incident occurred at a time when anti-Muslim hostility has been growing in the United States. In the aftermath of the incident, Ajrami started questioning himself about his faith and what he had to do to prove he is a good guy. Ajrami saw this experience as an opportunity for him to defend his faith and the goodness of Islam. Unlike other Muslims, Ajrami was on the frontlines speaking to the media on his faith despite his misgivings.[footnoteRef:11] His actions were part of the process of growth, which started with personal interrogation of his faith. Similarly, Melanie’s journey to growth started with inner interrogation of his predicament and beliefs, which resulted in outward action. [11: Leila Fadel, “How Muslims, Often Misunderstood, Are Thriving in America”, National Geographic, May 2018, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/05/being-muslim-in-america/]
From Growth to Liberation
After getting out of that situation, Melanie had to rethink her thoughts about Islam, Spirituality, and her place in the religion. It has taken many years, but now Melanie embraces and Islam that is leaning forward. An Islam that embraces female Imam’s, women’s rights, and equality for all. This implies that Melanie experienced liberation from the Sufi order and the marriage that acted as a source of oppression rather than spiritual fulfillment. Such liberation takes place when Muslims begin to interrogate themselves and their believes in light of the vision of Islam presented to them by their religious teachers and leaders. At a time when violent extremism and anti-Muslim hostility continues to rise, Muslims face significant challenges just like Melanie. These challenges and association with terrorism and violent extremism can make some of them to quit the religion. However, Melanie’s case provides a good example for all Muslims to follow since she fought from the inside rather than quit Islam. Melanie’s journey can happen to anyone, in any religion. It is interesting that through the trials and tribulations, she stuck with Islam. Many would abandon any type of religious practice that was so abusive and backwards but Melanie was able to glean the true beauty of God and the message of love. 
In conclusion, Melanie journey from naivety to danger to growth to liberation is an example of some of the struggles that Muslims experience today in their quest for inner peace and tranquility as well as spiritual fulfillment. As shown in this example, Islam is a religion of peace that can end up becoming a source of oppression if based on incorrect understanding and interpretations of Muslim doctrine. While individual Muslims may not have the exact experience like Melanie, most of them have challenges that could make them quit Islam. Most of these challenges are attributable to the vision of Islam presented to them by their religious teachers and leaders. However, quitting Islam is not the best option for Muslims as shown in Melanie’s example. The process or journey to find the peace in Islam amidst tragedy and controversy requires understanding of the correct interpretation of Muslim doctrine.
Bibliography
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Fadel, L. “How Muslims, Often Misunderstood, Are Thriving in America.” National Geographic, May 2018, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/05/being-muslim-in-america/
Hutson, A.S. “Women, Men, and Patriarchal Bargaining in an Islamic Sufi Order: The Tijaniyya in Kano, Nigeria, 1937 to the Present.” Gender & Society 15, no. 5 (2001).
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Sabri, Z. “Why ‘Sufism’ is Not What it is Made Out to be.” Herald, May 28, 2018, https://herald.dawn.com/news/1398514
Tawhidi, M. The Tragedy of Islam: Admissions of a Muslim Imam. New York, NY: Reason Books, 2018.