Difference in Perspective

(religion) in people’s minds. Every entity has specific, minor aspects and an overarching essence. A mistake in understanding one of the minor aspects remains localized. However, a change in perspective regarding the essence alters the entire view of that entity. For instance, Aristotle believed that women have fewer teeth than men. Though this was a mistake, it was a minor, localized one, so it did not lead to a significant harm. In contrast, thinkers who proposed the theory of equality between men and women—assuming that women are inherently the same as men in terms of abilities—developed a mistaken view about women as a whole. This misconception altered their entire perception of women, leading to social and familial issues that the initial proponents of this idea could not have foreseen. The error in the interpretation being discussed is similarly related to an overarching perspective. Consequently, those who embraced it began viewing the entire corpus of Deen from a different lens. When the view of the whole changes, so does the perception of all associated components. This school of thought has drawn a picture of religion in which, apparently, all the components of religion are present, but all of them have been displaced from their proper position. The arrangement of these components is such that, when one looks at it, Islam as a “system”