Encyclopedia of Islam Online - trustworthy?

[Amira Zamakhshari]

Salaams all,

Doing research for a college paper on pre-Islamic practices (taghut) in Islam, and I'm using the Brill Encyclopedia of Islam Online because the course instructor requires it. Some of what is there seems very much kufr and not what I know from the masjid. Does anyone here ever use it, and does it count as a reliable source?

thx,
Amira

 

[TashaN]

Can't really tell whether it's a reliable source or not. Maybe you can help us by giving examples of what you have read there?

 

[Matemkar]

wa alaikum salam wa rahmatullah. Welcome to the forum.

Probably you mean the practices of the age of Jahiliyya and not Taghut. And personally I do not know about that encyclopedia, but you can check the things you study there, to see if they are correct.

And you might like to check these links for your studies:

Arabia before Islam | A Restatement of the History of Islam and Muslims

Chapter 2: Arabia Before Islam | The Message

A History of Muslim Philosophy (Chapter Six)

Good luck. ma salam

 

[Amira Zamakhshari]

Salaams,

I should probably use the term jahiliyya practices in Islam, yes. Like, the Encyclopedia of Islam said that Hajj was originally a practice to venerate the Taghut, and that Islam 'incorporated' it, and other things like this. This is a quote from the Encyclopedia: "The cult of tawaghit, largely similar to that of the Kaʿba, was made up of worshipping stones, bloody sacrifices and ritual processions (Ibn Hishām, Sīra, 54-5)." But this sounds like shirk and bida because Nabi Ibrahim began hajj, right? I hate having to use sources on Islam written by kuffar, it's demeaning. I might just drop the course, its better than risking damage to my aqeeda.

 

[TashaN]

What they have written is totally false. Abraham peace be upon him was the first to call for hajj and that's clearly mentioned in the Quran. It was later that people started worshiping idols beside God till Prophet Mohamed came with the last message from God. It's nonsense to force you to use one particular source. They should rather use the Quran itself at least as a source.

 

[Shad]

Salaams all,

Doing research for a college paper on pre-Islamic practices (taghut) in Islam, and I'm using the Brill Encyclopedia of Islam Online because the course instructor requires it. Some of what is there seems very much kufr and not what I know from the masjid. Does anyone here ever use it, and does it count as a reliable source?

thx,
Amira

Ask your professor if you can use secondary sources. This way you can present a paper following the required source and guidelines. You can then present a perspective which argues against the encyclopedia's view. A view which you support.

This type of theological versus academic view will always be present in subjects outside of religious courses/programs. Both use different systems of authentication and validation. So either you just use the source with rejecting it's views for the sake of the paper, grade and course. You can reject a view while still writing about it. I do all the time. Find a middle ground. Fail the paper which will harm your grade average.

 

[Amira Zamakhshari]

Salaams,

The course isn't bad, but the instructor doesn't seem to be a muslima. So when we cover Rasullalah (saws) or the Quran she seems to be really skeptical. Maybe this is normal in religious courses? I tried correcting the instructor in class a few times, but she didn't take it well, so maybe it's better to just let her do her own thing.

The thing that really confuses me is whether there is ANY truth to what she is saying and what the orientalists are saying. Like, they tell us that Islam is just preserving Quraysh paganism and they say there is proof, but I'm not a historian so I don't know if it's legit. So do we just reject all kuffar orientialists and trust in the shuyukh? That seems safest to me. If they were saying that kind of thing about the Torah or Injeel, I'm sure they'd get fired or something...

Will definitely ask about secondary sources - thanks for the suggestion!!!

 

[Amira Zamakhshari]

What they have written is totally false. Abraham peace be upon him was the first to call for hajj and that's clearly mentioned in the Quran. It was later that people started worshiping idols beside God till Prophet Mohamed came with the last message from God. It's nonsense to force you to use one particular source. They should rather use the Quran itself at least as a source.

Salaams sayid, thanks for this confirmation. My imam said it was Nabi Ibrahim (as) as well.

 

[Shad]

Like I said this is an academic vs theological conflict. If the course is the history of a religion you will find academic views and methods are favoured over theological methods and views. Revelation is not a methodology used in academia. Its how the system works in secular universities.

 

[Amira Zamakhshari]

Here is an example of another source we are allowed to use, it's Campo's Encyclopedia of Islam. This passage discusses Allah (swt) but makes Him (swt) sound like a pagan deity.

Encylopedia of Islam p34: "Historical evidence indicates that Allah was the name of an ancient Arabian high god in a pantheon of other gods and goddesses like those found in other ancient Middle Eastern cultures. Worshipping him as the only real god may have started before the seventh century in Arabia, but it was in the Quranic revelations delivered by Muhammad as the prophet of Islam between 610 and 632 that the monotheistic ideal received its first clear expression among arab peoples. In the Quran, Allah is portrayed as the creator of the universe who brings life and death, never sleeps, and knows, sees, and hears everything. He is both eternal and infinite, and unlike the ancient gods, he does not have parents or children."

Then when you check the list of names of "scholars" who wrote this, they are all Western names.

So my next question is whether or not there are any Muslim scholars of Islam who know the Western methodology?

Related question: are there any Muslim scholars who debate these kuffar? Or is there any truth in what the orientalists are saying?

I'm having a small crisis of faith here...

 

[Amira Zamakhshari]

Just to add: the Campo book is available online as a pdf if anyone else is doing projects.

 

[TashaN]

Here is an example of another source we are allowed to use, it's Campo's Encyclopedia of Islam. This passage discusses Allah (swt) but makes Him (swt) sound like a pagan deity.

Encylopedia of Islam p34: "Historical evidence indicates that Allah was the name of an ancient Arabian high god in a pantheon of other gods and goddesses like those found in other ancient Middle Eastern cultures. Worshipping him as the only real god may have started before the seventh century in Arabia, but it was in the Quranic revelations delivered by Muhammad as the prophet of Islam between 610 and 632 that the monotheistic ideal received its first clear expression among arab peoples. In the Quran, Allah is portrayed as the creator of the universe who brings life and death, never sleeps, and knows, sees, and hears everything. He is both eternal and infinite, and unlike the ancient gods, he does not have parents or children."

Then when you check the list of names of "scholars" who wrote this, they are all Western names.

So my next question is whether or not there are any Muslim scholars of Islam who know the Western methodology?

Related question: are there any Muslim scholars who debate these kuffar? Or is there any truth in what the orientalists are saying?

I'm having a small crisis of faith here...

I myself was struggling till i stumbled upon this.

http://www.amazon.com/Losing-My-Religion-Call-Help/dp/1590080270

Author is Dr. Jeffrey Lang. He is a Professor of Mathematics at Univ. of Kansas. He is a convert to Islam and author of several Islamic books.

I believe you will find almost all the answers to your questions there in that same book. I'm sure you will be hooked and will feel the need to buy his other books as well.

 

[Amira Zamakhshari]

I myself was struggling till i stumbled upon this.

Author is Dr. Jeffrey Lang. He is a Professor of Mathematics at Univ. of Kansas. He is a convert to Islam and author of several Islamic books.

I believe you will find almost all the answers to your questions there in that same book. I'm sure you will be hooked and will feel the need to buy his other books as well.

Thanks Tasha, I will check this out asap. The course in Islamic Studies looked like an easy A from the description in the college handbook, but it's making my head ache... So if there are scholars able to answer some of these questions, that would be great.