ABU DHABI // A majority of young UAE citizens say the way Islam is currently taught and practised is compatible with the modern world and does not require total reform. However, the language used to explain religion must be relevant to modern-day issues.
A study conducted by Tabah Foundation, a non-profit with a focus on Islamic discourse, into young Arab Muslims’ perceptions of religion, found 97 per cent of these believe Islam works in the modern world. So did majorities from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kuwait.
Mohammed Al Mazrouei, executive director of the UAE Islamic Affairs Authority (Awqaf), said the youth here probably thought this way because the current -Islamic studies strategy follows moderate Islam, and they had not seen the negative effects of current curriculums.
“In reality, it is essential that development and updating [of study material] is continuous,” Mr Al Mazrouei said.
He said the authority was working with Adec to ensure Islamic Studies materials were up to date with modern-day issues.
Mohammed Nouh Al Qudah, a former youth and Awqaf minister in Jordan, said Jordanian curriculums did not need to be developed or evolved, but needed to be updated to focus on modern issues facing Muslims in everyday and business life.
Seventy-one per cent of Jordanian interviewees thought Islamic teaching did not require major -reform, yet 63 per cent agreed that it needed an “updated tone”.
“It should focus on aspects of ethics, belief, thought, acts of worship and [business and bank] dealings,” Mr Al Qudah said.
“There are modern Islamic dealings that are not mentioned in the old books of fiqh [Islamic jurisprudence]”, such as issues to do with buying, selling, banking and finance.
Majorities from all countries said scholars, or sheikhs, and the grand mufti were the ones who had the right to interpret religion.
“Our youths today are educated, so they know that for every science there is an expert. So they were positive in that point because they referred questions to the authorised party.”
Mr Al Qudah described arguments that say young people should read, explore and learn how to interpret by themselves as “unpractical”, because for every field there were qualified experts.
“I cannot read a book on interior design and become an expert interior designer ... if everyone relies on his own opinion to interpret religion this is what leads to its distortion.
“Whereas these scholars have spent time, effort and money to understand religion.”
According to the study, majorities from all countries chose television shows and religious lectures as the main source of their religious information.
Mr Al Qudah, who has his own Islamic TV shows, said this was because young people spent more time watching TV than reading. While more shows explaining Islam were required, people should be guided towards authentic and credible Islamic books to learn from, he said.
Omar Al Owais, an 18-year-old Emirati studying international relations at the American University of Sharjah, said he believed the first source of what is permissible in Islam is the Quran and, secondly, the Hadith and Sunnah of Prophet Mohammed.
“Interpretations of these fall upon the grand mufti of the country, as they are most knowledgeable and experienced in their field.
“If it was up to us to interpret and decide, there would be many different rulings on the essential aspects of Islam, due to the varying ideologies present today. This would lead to misguided fatwas that serve only the intentions of those who issue them.”
He said he acquired most of his knowledge about Islam from 14 years of Islamic studies, as per the Education Ministry’s curriculum, and Friday sermons.
“I don’t trust social media accounts unless they’re from legitimate preachers.”
hdajani@thenational.ae