Islam Rediscovered
7. Discovery of Islam
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being discredited among one’s own co-religionists.
In consequence, the call, goes unheeded.
THE VEIL OF INTERPRETATION
One reason for original Islam becoming alien is that
as time went by self-styled interpretations of the
Qur’an and Sunnat gradually placed a veil over the
original content of these texts. A time came when
the original Islam was completely obscured from
view. The wrong, man-made interpretations took
the place of revealed guidance. In later times,
people mistakenly took them to be the real Islam.
In the early phase of Islam people derived their
religion directly from the Qur’an and Sunnah,
therefore, their association with the original Islam
remained intact. But the interpretations and
explanations of later days served only to obscure
the original teachings. The natural beauty of Islam
disappeared. The Qur’an and Sunnah now turned
into relics instead of being instruments of guidance.
Thus the religion came to be based on latter-day
interpretations and explanations instead of on the
original scriptures.
