Handicapped muslims no denial of divine perfection
This manuscript discusses the influence of the Greek physiognomy on Islamic law. | In Islamitic literature there is a positive attitude towards people with a handicap. The handicapped are treated positively both in theological sources and in Islamic jurisprudence. These are the findings of research conducted by muslim ethologist Mohammed Ghaly.
Diversity
PhD candidate Ghaly searched in theological literature for information about people with a handicap and how they were treated in the Islamic faith. During this research, he discovered that there was considerable difference of opinion among muslim theologists as to explanations for the presence of handicaps. The muslim scholars shared the same aim: to explain that the existence of a handicap or pain did not adversely affect the divine nature of God. Based on this aim, each group of theologians then chose its own route to an appropriate explanation,' says Ghaly. He was not surprised by this diversity among muslim scholars. 'One major misunderstanding about Islam is that it can be interpreted unilaterally. This often results in incorrect assumptions.'
Mohammed Ghaly |
Positive attitude
Apart from theological literature, the PhD candidate also studied Islamic jurisprudence in order to gain a better understanding of how people with a handicap were regarded. On the basis of a manuscript from the sixteenth century which had never before been traced, and literature on the role of Greek physiognomy in the image of handicapped people in Islamic law, Ghaly states that in Islam in general there is a positive attitude towards people with a handicap. 'Many scholars themselves have a handicap. This means that people who shaped the doctrine naturally also afforded themselves a particular position,' is how he explains this positive attitude.
Textual inclusion of handicapped people
The search for relevant literature was difficult: in the first instance, Ghaly experienced the usual problems in searching for suitable sources. 'In Islamic literature, apart from the manuscript mentioned, there are no specific chapters or books about people with a handicap. Initially, I found that rather strange, but a Canadian historian pointed out to me the phenomenon of textual inclusion: these people have been included, even at the level of text. This gives the impression that people with a handicap were not isolated, not in society either.'
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The cover of the presumed lost manuscript from the 16th century on Islam and handicaps, which Ghaly traced after a long search.
Mohammed Ghaly's research was a voyage of discovery. His most significant finding was a manuscript from the sixteenth century, presumed lost, about people with a handicap and their place in Islam. Ghaly: 'This manuscript cannot be found in catalogues, nobody refers to it. But because a fatwa had been pronounced against this book, I was eventually able to trace it. I knew when the fatwa was issued, and where it was written, so I put together a list of 'suspected' authors. Each week the list became shorter until I had discovered who it was.' In a book about the history of Mecca, Ghaly eventually attained the goal of his detective work and, moreover, the place where the manuscript was kept: a library in Chester. |
Handicapped muslims in the Netherlands
The fact that in Islamic literature there is a positive attitude towards people with a handicap does not necessarily mean that this is also the case in practice in the Netherlands,' says Ghaly. 'If you look at the position of handicapped muslims in the Netherlands, you will notice that almost everyone is complaining. Some muslims, for instance, do not send their handicapped children to revalidation centres; they make no use of the available facilities. They indicate that this is primarily for practical reasons, that in the care of the handicapped the religious background of muslims is not taken into account.'
Religious dimension
'Increasing attention is being paid to the religious dimension of people with a handicap, but this is still not enough,' according to Ghaly. 'Text and reality therefore have to to brought closer together. Without an understanding of the religious background of people with a handicap, it is difficult for carers and patients to understand one another. I hope my dissertation will contribute to a better understanding of the religious dimension of handicapped muslims.'
Biomedical ethics
In future, Ghaly wants to make a more detailed study of issues where the influence of Islamic sources plays a significant role in the behaviour of muslims in practice, in particular muslims in the West. 'I hope to follow this study with a similar research project into the debates in Islam relating to biomedical issues such as organ donation, cloning and genetic manipulation.'
Wednesday 27 February 16.15 hrs
Mohammed Ghaly
Islam and Disability. Perspectives in Islamic Theology and Jurisprudence
Faculty: Religious Studies
Supervisor: Prof. Dr P.S. van Koningsveld
(26 February 2008/Jamie Tio)
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