"Find a Teacher"

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Salam,

Since i started reading the Quran translation, i was adviced to 'be careful' and that i should seek a 'Guru', or someone knowledgable. Sometimes, if i would to say something that was quoted in a translation of the Quran, they would ask 'which ulama' or sheikh or Guru' said that. I once forwarded a link that i thought was very interesting and mind provoking (and also anonymous) that i was asked whether this 'anonymous' is a legitimate source that we could trust.

I would say, this would be a very hard issue to discuss, and many had jumped on me before when i started talking how subjective the meaning of the Quran could be to each one of us. I have to be honest, my credibility to talk about this was always questioned, once a man shouted in anger at me and told me to shut up, and i should go learn in religious school before i said anything. Would it be a different if i don't have PHD in religious study? Does the credibility of the 'Message' would be some what irrelevant if the 'message' comes from someone that is not accepted by the certain specific body or specific point of view?

I always believe we learned best from our own mistakes, due to our own action, through our own experience. We just understand better that way. We tend to understand more, when we go through reading/listening from other people's experience's and we find the connection in their experience within our own. A friend of mine told me "its just impossible for someone to have the same life as us". True, there's so many endless starting point in life. We tend to remember those strangers that we met, that came out of no where, out of non-judgement gave us the best advice we heard in YEARS. To us, that was our Teacher. Through them, the Message came to us. As we heard quotes and musics and movies (the ones with beautiful message of course), and as we read the 'Message' the common message is uncanny. Would it still be unrelevant when the word of the 'Message' was repeated by a 'sinner'? Is the Straight Road only have 1 Lane?

I believe in the Quran, and the Messenger. I believe that the Quran message is beyond language, its spoken within heart and soul. Its promised that the Mukjizat of the Quran would never dissapear. that it is EASY to understand.

"O Believers, believe in God and His Messenger , and the Book He is sending down upon His Messenger, and the Book He sent down before" (Quran 4:136)

"And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember, then is there any that will remember (or receive admonition)? " (Qur'an, 54:17)

Allah thus makes clear to you His communications [verses] that you may understand.(Quran,2:242)

So, i remember my sister asked me if i was discussing the Quran i read with a 'Legitimate Guru', I ponder the meaning of "guru"- the one who teach a lesson...The world is my Guru. Then i ponder the meaning of "legitimate"- by my standard, yes it is legitimate. so my answer was Yes...I have found my Teacher.

I find this Muslim Manifesto in Sister Becky's Blog is an interesting read. Do read her other entry too.

Wallahualam...

Love+Peace,

H