TRADITIONAL VERSUS CREATIVE MINDSETS — Closed- and Open-Mindedness

permissible (halal) and forbidden (haram) sent down. She added that had the commandments forbidding the consumption of alcohol and adultery been revealed in the beginning, instead of at a later stage, people would have refused to obey them. Imam Bukhari has included this Hadith in his chapter on the compilation of the Quran. Now if, from a traditional perspective, we were to view this Hadith simply from the point of view of its being related to the compilation of the Quran, we would not be able to derive any other knowledge from it. On the other hand, by engaging in creativity and reflecting on the wider implications of this Hadith, going beyond its relevance to the question of the compilation of the Quran, we can discover that this Hadith suggests a very important Islamic principle— that with regard to the enforcement of the rules of the Shariah, a certain wisdom is required: it must be a gradual process, as it was in early Islamic times. In the beginning, peoples' faith was made firm so that they would be receptive to obeying Divine commands, and only then were various laws introduced. If in a certain place conditions are inappropriate, one should shift to another place. If conflict is likely to prove useless, one should seek to achieve one's objectives through peaceful dialogue. If the approach of present-day Islamic leaders is examined in the light of this particular Hadith, it appears that they have failed to appreciate its underlying, broader implications with regards to the process of establishing Islamic laws in society. In many Muslim countries today, a number of movements and groups are actively engaged in the enforcement of the Shariah, but despite their many sacrifices this has not happened anywhere, in the true sense of the term. This is because the faith of Muslims has weakened, and their intellectual and emotional commitment has declined, and this means that many of them are no longer willing to accept Shariah laws. Despite their fervent attempts to enforce Shariah laws, these Muslim leaders are lacking in the necessary creative approach and insight. They have rushed into the political realm armed with their traditional baggage, and have thus failed to achieve their objectives. They have sought to impose Shariah laws on a society without first seeking to prepare that very society to willingly accept them, in total contrast to what the Hadith suggests is the right way.