The Sudanese thinker and Sufi sheikh, El-Nayyal Abdel Qader Abu Qroon, affirmed that sectarianism is one of the causes of the fragmentation of Muslims, and that fanaticism towards it leads to violence and the exclusion of others. This contradicts the intellectual and religious freedom that Islam brought, as stated in the clear verses of the Quran: “Say, ‘The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve’” [Al-Kahf: 29], and “There is no compulsion in religion” [Al-Baqarah: 256].
Sheikh Abu Qurun, who resides in Jordan, explained in an interview conducted in Amman that he supports freedom of thought, rejecting fanaticism because it contradicts sound morality, which is the essence of the religion brought by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He emphasized that ideas “are countered with ideas, and every person has the right to their beliefs, and no one will hold them accountable for them except God. No one has the right to claim to speak on behalf of God.”
The thinker pointed out that a "misunderstanding" of governance in Islam has led to the reduction of the religion's true meaning to a purely political understanding, and to the sanctification of the ruler, which has "no basis in Islamic law."
He explained that none of the prophets, with the exception of Solomon and David (peace be upon them), were rulers. This indicates the possibility of a state existing whether or not it adheres to Islamic law; that is, divine law is the law that produces a virtuous society, and it is the message of all the prophets (peace be upon them). This does not contradict the existence of a state, whether it governs by it or not.
Abu Qurun emphasized that the competition for power has distanced people from the true essence of Islam. He pointed out that all Islamic sects view Islam from a political perspective and strive to impose an Islamic state, while Islam is not a state confined by geographical borders, nor is it something governed by a government with ministers and a prime minister. He noted that no government should describe itself as religious, as religion has no boundaries, and no one is forced to embrace it. Because it is the best thing for humanity and the establishment of a righteous society, it does not need to coerce people into it. What is best is inherently appealing when its true nature is understood.
The sheikh affirmed that religion and the state are separate, and none of the prophets' messages—peace be upon them—involved a government that imposed guardianship over people to force them into a particular path or doctrine. The existence of a state is essential for managing people's affairs in their society, including education, health, security, trade, agriculture, transportation, communications, and other aspects of life. A state is based on the people's choice of its representatives and the laws they accept. Sheikh Abu Qurun said, “Understanding is not sacred.” Rather, sanctity belongs to the Quranic text itself. Understanding varies from person to person, and God may reserve for later generations what He did not grant to earlier ones. God—Glory be to Him—the All-Giving, the Generous, exists, and His mercy is not limited to the early generations, nor is His bounty ever-exhausted. To restrict oneself to the understanding of the early generations alone is to “restrict God and His mercy, and is an act of ingratitude for God’s blessings.”
The thinker called for a re-examination of inherited traditions by interpreting the Quran based on God’s love for His Messenger, not on the concept of coercion. He advocated for the correct belief that the Prophet was at the pinnacle of humanity, rejecting anything that suggests a deficiency in his noble person, attributes, or knowledge. He also called for removing the aura of sanctity from the understandings of earlier generations, emphasizing that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—was sent to perfect good character, as he himself said, “I was sent only to perfect good character.”
The sheikh continued, saying that divine mercy and grace did not cease with the early generations, and that what God possesses is inexhaustible and will never run out. He added that whoever considers himself learned is actually ignorant, for humankind is a seeker of knowledge from cradle to grave. Therefore, no one should boast of their knowledge or be content with what they have, for in doing so they deprive themselves of knowledge they have not yet attained, and they do not fall under the category of those described in the verse: "Nay, they have denied that of which they have no knowledge" [Yunus: 39].
Abu Qurun pointed out that Islamic sources contain both valuable and worthless material, and people have become accustomed to accepting these sources without critical examination. In his view, the way out of this predicament lies in understanding the true Islamic methodology, which brings complete freedom, acceptance of others, recognition of the validity of previous religions, and the obligation to believe in them, while Islam came to clarify them, not to abrogate them.
The sheikh explained the emergence of extremist movements by pointing to the fact that some individuals take weak texts and limited interpretations of Islamic law and apply them with a flawed understanding. The result, he argued, is the approach adopted by some Islamic movements that is far removed from the spirit and essence of Islam.
Abu Qurun emphasized that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) never fought to impose Islam. He noted that the Prophet's wars with the Jews were defensive, and he never ordered anyone to abandon their religion or convert to Islam. This is because Islam came to confirm, not abrogate, previous religions. Even when he conquered Mecca, he did not force Islam upon the disbelievers; he did not even tell them to say, "There is no god but God." This invalidates the hadith, "I have been commanded to fight the people until they say, 'There is no god but God.'" If he had commanded them to do so, he would have told them, "Say, 'There is no god but God,'" instead of "Go, you are free." Since there is no compulsion in religion, there is no justification for countries waging wars to force their people to convert to Islam, and God has not commanded this (He does not love the aggressors) [Al-A'raf: 55].
It is worth noting that Sheikh Al-Nil Abdul Qadir Abu Qurun is a Sudanese thinker who was raised in a scholarly and Sufi household in Sudan. He studied law at the University of Khartoum and was one of the first members of the tripartite committee that drafted Islamic Sharia laws during the era of former Sudanese President Jaafar Nimeiri. He served as Minister of Legal Affairs at that time. He is a member of the Sudanese Scholars' Council and the Supreme Council for Da'wah (Islamic Propagation). He faced hardship, harassment, and numerous trials for his bold opinions, intellectual approaches, and unconventional views, in addition to the banning of most of his books in several countries.
He has published a number of works, including: *Revisions in Islamic Thought*, *Islam and the State*, *Clearing the Conscience from Muslims' Accusations Against the Prophet*, *In the Realm of the Message*, *A Prophet from the Land of Sudan*, *The College of Man*, and *The Buraq of Love*, a collection of poems in praise of the Prophet.
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