He is by some decision made Imam of a mosque. That does not make him by necessity a scholar in Islamic theology and the fact that he is the local imam does not make him an “official interpreter” for Islam at all.
If you want to search for “official interpreters” of Islam then read those scholars who wrote their tafsier (exegeses) centuries ago and influenced the development of the religious practice and the different law schools (if you want I can give you a little list to get started).
These are the scholars that are to be taken into account and who’s interpretation is to be read and balanced against each other. And if necessary against your own. You do not “have” to agree, yet if you have one working brain cell left, you know without thinking that you do have to take into account the centuries of scholarship of great scholars and that precedes your own study.
Such a study does not include the ideas of some idiot who thinks he has seen the Religious Light and writes a stupid book to spread his word.
To stay short about this imam issue, because there are of course gradations depending the individual and the importance of the mosque or the community he leads, I shall list some general principles:
- The role of an Imam largely depends on local situations. This one seems to be leading a local mosque = leads the prayers and can be consulted for advise. That is the role of most people who fall under the category “imam” as you know it.
- It is not a necessity do have done religious studies to be an imam but most have of course an education in this (which can be extremely good to very bad).
- People who are “known for their knowledge” can because of that be chosen as imam by a local community. I don’t think that is ever the case in Western nations though. Most imams there are send by “the homeland”. There are certainly many very good ones among them, but I would favour the organisation of faculties for Islamic Theology at Western universities, in order to form Imams born and educated there. (This alone would already cut out idiots like this one in the Netherlands)
- Besides the “mosque imams” there are also scholars of great and widely spread reputation who are consulted by people who have never met them personally. Among those scholars are also who write columns in newspapers etc…
- Nobody has to listen to what any scholar says. The influence of a scholar goes in principle not further then what the individual wants him to give.
Of course it is obvious that in countries where Islam is the official religion, the influence of the religious establishment and of the law school the country adopted as to be followed is largely affecting the lives of the population and their interpretation of Islam.
In principle this is the case and since there is no clergy. There is no such thing as an equivalent of the Pope (who decides about official doctrine) and no hierarchy as is the case in Christianity.
Of course it is logical that an imam of a little local mosque has little influence on the general Muslim population on this globe in comparison to the scholars of Al Azhar. (I don’t think you shall find an imam of the type we are discussing to win a theological debate there.)
Al Azhar has as a centuries old reputation of authority it holds on to and can rely on, despite the fact that it is in this age not only under pressure of the Saudis but also the Egyptian government. Government’s influence and pressure - both on an institution like Al Azhar and up to the level of local mosques - is of course not something new. In my experience this is not such a concern or something to be very aware of for the vast majority of Muslims yet it shall always remain a point of concern for people like me. However, if you want to stay realistic, you know that this is an almost inevitable practice as result of the nature of mankind and thus political- and power games.
Shia Islam has its own leading figures and has established a sort of hierarchy that is alien to Sunni Islam.
I should say: The principles and teachings of Al Qur’an and Islam in general decide.
In observing and judging what others say or write the gradation of and the worth attributed to the theological education of the individual comes into play.
The person who’s publications are brought up here as “example of Islamic teachings” has for example no chance to win a theological debate with me about his claims. If you are a bit solidly educated (and honest) you can dismantle such “arguments” in a way that makes him run away crying. The only difficulty is to get him to listen…
(I am about sure he is of the type that shall not listen to anyone but himself.)
I don’t know the situation in The Netherlands and how Islam is teached and organized there.
I don’t waste time on reading publications made by every raving lunatic, yet I do think this should be controlled and restricted, just like every normal Christian would like to see the lunatics in their religion to be silenced and reprimanded. Christianity has a lot more tools to do something about that then Islam has since the disappearance of the institution of the kalifate. Which was of course also not the ideal and was already degrading since the very beginning of Islam. Yet it had the advantage that there was a central authority that had a recognized role to play within its sphere of influence.
Salaam.A
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