The author, Maria Rosa Menocal provides readers into her view of the history of the religion of Islam. After reading this, it almost seems as if Menocal problematizes the fact that when Muhammad dies, there seems to be no one good enough to take over. This seems problematic to me, because the religion is heavily based on holding fellow followers accountable for their actions. This made me wonder, do you think that Muhammad would actually want a new “ruler” of the religion, or do you think he would want everyone to be held to the same standards he was held to? Do you think he would want everyone treated equal with no succession line? I think that maybe he would want people to view god in this way, what do you think?
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3 thoughts on “The Ornament of the World- Question”
acorrell
If I had to think about this without consulting the reading, I do think that Muhammad would have to understand that he can only live out his prophecy for a certain amount of time, given that he was a human, even though he was ideal. I think that he would expect the new leader to follow in his footsteps, but not hold him on such a high pedestal because the new leader would not be considered a prophet like Muhammad was. Also, after today’s class, we learned that Muhammad himself did indeed want a new “ruler” after his passing, who is his son in law Ali. Overall, Muhammad may have been confident in the fact that a new ruler would be able to fill his footsteps, but the ummah may have been the group of people who questioned the new leader. Muhammad was considered “The Trustworthy One,” and who was to say that the new leader would be the same. There are never any guarantees, but not everyone is the same, so it isn’t plausible to expect exact similarities from different leaders.
mmrajan
Although Muhammad did want a successor, I don’t believe that he expected all those after to him be held to the same standards as he did. After all, he was chosen by God for a reason; that alone creates a standard. Until this followers are also given that same accreditation, it’s difficult to assume that they can live up to the ideals of someone who was essentially given a prophecy. However, this does not mean all hope is lost. I believe that’s why the creation of ummah plays such an important role. Although the lofty standards of Muhammad may appear unattainable, the ummah can still hold each person accountable and create reasonable expectations for one another.
ademaio in reply to mmrajan
I agree for the most part. Muhammad’s shoes will not be filled even if there is another leader of Islam. It must be seen that many countries like the US and many religions like Christianity have a sole leader that helps to keep everything organized and everyone on the same page. This seems to be something that could be important even if the successor is not prophesized as Muhammad was.