I am often surprised by those who demand that I remain silent whenever I reflect on the Qur’an or express an opinion about a prophetic hadith, claiming that I am “not a religious scholar.” As if religion descended as an exclusive domain for a select group, or as if understanding the words of God and His Messenger is forbidden unless endorsed by an official institution.
Religion was revealed for all people, not as an encrypted text decipherable only by specialists. God addressed human minds, encouraged reflection, and never tied it to certificates or professions. He said: “Do they not reflect upon the Qur’an?” and: “A blessed Book which We have revealed to you that they may ponder its verses.” He did not say: so that only the scholars may ponder it.
I know my limits. I do not claim expertise in matters that truly require specialized knowledge, nor do I issue legal rulings. But I have a mind God granted me, a spirit that seeks, a heart that interacts with divine words, and an intellect nurtured on science, critique, and analysis.
When I read the Qur’an, I do not read it as letters recited, but as a call to human consciousness. When I contemplate hadith, I do not treat it as a linguistic idol, but as a historical and spiritual discourse that must be understood through context and purpose.
Those who compare religion to medicine say: “Just as I don’t argue with you in medicine, don’t argue with us in religion.” I tell them: Medicine is an empirical science that requires specialization, experience, and practice. Religion, however, begins with the human mind and conscience. Its starting point is questioning, contemplation, and the search for meaning.
Turning religion into a private property of a small elite is the first gateway to clericalism and the last fortress of stagnation.
A religion that does not allow its followers to think, ask, and re-read its texts in harmony with the evolution of their understanding does not grasp its spirit — even if it memorizes its texts.
Throughout history, many new phenomena in our societies were met with prohibition and accusations of heresy through fatwas issued by those who monopolize religious discourse — only for these “forbidden” things to later become pillars of daily life.
Coffee, for example, when it first appeared in the 15th century, was banned by Muslim scholars who considered it intoxicating or a “satanic innovation.” Those who drank it were accused of disbelief based on fatwas — and today it is a symbol of hospitality and part of our cultural identity.
Printing was banned in many Muslim lands for centuries, under the pretext that it would “distort the Qur’an” or “spread corruption.” Today it is the foundation of education, culture, and even religious propagation.
Music, women’s education, theater, and even sports were once viewed with suspicion or labeled forbidden — based on fatwas from voices similar to those who now attack anyone expressing an opinion about religion. Yet they all became engines of development and enlightenment.
This raises an important question:
Why does this pattern keep repeating? Why is the fatwa used to block every new idea instead of understanding it?
In the field of health, and until very recently, the fatwa-driven insistence on female genital mutilation was unquestionable, despite its clear tragedies and severe harm.
Today, in the 21st century, with all our scientific progress, a law is proposed in Egypt to prohibit any expression of opinion that approaches religion in any way, attacking anyone who speaks because they are “not a specialist.”
I do not claim to possess “the truth,” but I search for it.
If reflection is a crime, then welcome the crime — as long as I read with reason, contemplate with spirit, and respect the sanctity of the text without shutting the door to understanding.
A young dreamer once sent me a comment on this topic that I admired, and I share it with you here:
“How do people come to know God?
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A doctor knows God when he contemplates the systems of life in living beings, the interdependence of organs and functions, the delicate balance that keeps cells alive and resisting death.
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An engineer knows God when he sees the marvels in the design of mountains, seas, earth, and heavens — governed by unbreakable laws — and infers from them the greatness of their Creator.
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A physicist knows God through the laws of motion, energy, matter, and time, following the structure of the universe from atom to galaxy.
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A chemist knows God from the reactions of inert elements forming life, how they bond and repel, and the fine rules that govern matter.
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An astronomer sees God in the vastness of the universe, the stability of celestial orbits, its terrifying stillness and astonishing order — and wonders how humanity survives despite its smallness.
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A mathematician sees God in the sheer abstraction of mathematical laws and the strict discipline of numbers that underpins everything in existence.
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A biologist sees God in the sequences of evolution, genetic diversity, ecological balance, and how life harmonizes despite its immense variety.
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A psychologist knows God when contemplating human consciousness, emotion, the subconscious mind, inner conflicts, and how humanity was created to seek guidance.
All scientists recognize God’s greatness through their fields. When they read the Qur’an, they see God’s signs confirmed within it. Each scientist perceives the divine through his own lens — and together, their insights form a complete human understanding that helps mankind know its Creator.
As for the position of “religious authority” — and I speak about the position, not individuals — it is an intruder upon science and scholars. It attempts to place itself between humans and their Lord, burdened with the dust of ages, seeking others to help carry it. If rejected, it curses, attacks, and strikes.
Centers of scholarly research in religion are indeed needed for reference and detailed study — but they are not guardians over people. They are lights for clarification. Readers have the right to agree or disagree.
Without knowledge, we cannot know God nor interpret His verses:
“We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth.” (Fussilat 53)
