Challenging Concepts of Authority in Islam from a Compassion-Based Approach

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In this episode, Rose gets vulnerable about notions of authority in Islam and why it’s such a complex and touchy subject—drawing upon her years as a scholar of religious and Islamic studies and working with Muslim clients as a life coach. She looks at theoretical interpretations and teachings of Islamic law and notions of authority and explains why they need to be adjusted to spread love, not fear.

The way authority within Islam has been presented to many Muslims in a black-and-white manner can be harmful and inaccurate. Rose recommends that Muslim leaders, teachers, and scholars take a trauma-informed approach to teaching Islam to support rather than turn away those who feel marginalized by mainstream Muslim communities and their approach to interpreting Islam. 

Rose argues that Muslims must take a compassion/rahma-centric approach to religion and spirituality to represent Islam as the religion of compassion, justice, and love and encourage Muslims to reconnect with its core spirituality and the Divine.

Qur’anic verse references in episode: Surah 3, verse 7.

Note: In the episode, I said that the 49th imam currently leads the Dawoodi Bohra community; I was mistaken. As of 2016, the community is presently led by the 53rd Da’i al-Mutlaq.

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Find out more about Rose's work here: https://lnk.bio/dr.rose.aslan
Website: https://compassionflow.com

Support Rahma with Rose so I can keep producing more episodes here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2197727/supporters/new

Music credits: Vocals: Zeynep Dilara Aslan; Ney/drum: Elif Önal; Tanbur: Katherine Hreib; Rebap: Hatice Gülbahar Hepsev