Ali Shariati (1933 – 1977)
Iranian revolutionary and sociologist, who focused on the sociology of religion.
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When we present values which are higher then the values represented by Miss Universe, a woman may become attached to those better values. When she has formed an attachment to these elevated values, she will endure and incorporate all of those values herself. She will choose herself and will not sense any belittlement or abasement.
He was first directed to say, "Do not perform the prescribed prayer when you are drunk" [4:47]. What does this mean? It means you can drink wine but when you enter the mosque for prescribed prayer, do not stagger or appear to be drunk or have your breath smell of wine. Everyone accepted this. Even those who drank were prepared to accept this one limitation.
We see that all of Islam, all of its practices & beliefs were not presented by the Prophet in the first year, but rather presented over a period of 23 years. He presented them in a gradual way. First he presented the idea of monotheism. For 3 years he added nothing to the admonition, "Say: 'God is One,' & be saved." What is the prescribed fast? pilgrimage? poor-due? These had not as yet been presented. Thus the people who accepted Islam in the first 3 years and came to believe in the oneness of God and died were possibly people who drank wine, did not perform the prescribed fast, had not performed the prescribed pilgrimage & had not participated in the struggle in God's way [jihad]. His method was to gradually present Islam. He first presented an intellectual world view.
In 7 or 8 AH the modest dress was presented as well as the issue of wine. While still in Mecca, the Prophet did not say, "O people! O nation of Islam! O Arabs! Now that you have accepted monotheism, you must now do everything!" No. In the 7th or 8th year after his actualization, the issue of wine was presented in 3 phases. Look at this method of educating!
This is not traditional dress. It is not the dress of my class. It is the dress of my thoughts. These clothes show how I think & to what I am affiliated, how a mujahid thinks. What do your clothes represent? Your clothes are a reflection of how much money you or your father or husband earn. Thus they reflect money rather than a way of thought. One form of dress reflects a belief system, while the other is monetary.
Why did Mrs.Ghandi not feel inferior when she met leaders from all over the world in a dress which was 3000 years old? When she entered to speak, 500 representatives stood and applauded her. By wearing the sari she said: I have studied Western women's journals through which the West propagates its mode of dress in an attempt to dominate and impose its culture, civilization, & style on us & I have rejected it.
Then when the movement reached its peak of struggles in God's way (martyrdoms, victories, etc) suddenly it was revealed, "Certainly wine, gambling are impure & the actions of satan so avoid them" [5:90]. He had worked on them for 20 years and prepared the ground. When he went to the street, he saw everyone had broken his jug. Historians have confirmed that the streets were filled with broken jugs and wine holders.
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