Continuation of Contentions Series

49. Literalism is the laziness that masquerades as courage.

My Interpretation:
The literalists of our community are often those that are proud of their literalist interpretation. They hold that there is nothing that can bring them closer to Allah than their literalist behavior and interpretations. In fact, since it seems so extraordinarily ‘out-of-place’ in regular society, they are able to wear this literalism as a badge of courage. They proclaim, if not silently, “We are a beacon of what Allah desires for us, and we have faired through hardship due to our choices to follow Allah alone.”

“Mashahallah” we all say when they pass by, but what the Shaykh is pointing out here is that such literalism is easy. It is infinitely more easier to believe that one can toss aside deep meanings and begin to interpret Islam through the narrow lense of literalism.

Actually, it is an elevation of ones intellect if one is able to grasp the concept that there is more to a story than its apparant meaning, even if we are not able to determine that hidden meaning on our own.

Instead of viewing literalism as a badge of courage, it really is a badge of foreit. Where we decide to abandon additional thought on any subject, it is our own minds which have shrunk.

Shrunk back, most probably, from the fear of what the hidden could mean to us.