Blurred Lines

            I found the Averroes article dense but thought-provoking. The law does not say exactly what you are supposed to believe, but instead gives you guidelines. This is similar to the interpretation we have discussed for both other faiths. It depends, of course, on how Orthodox or fundamental the believer is. You can infer what you want from Scripture, but if you are an Orthodox Jew, you are supposed to believe in and follow very specific interpretations.

            Here, while there is a “wrong” way to interpret, the lines are more blurry. It is more about a false belief and a true belief and how the Law can be used and explored through reason. It is really important, Averroes claims, to know about God, God’s teachings, and all the beings God has made. This is to help understand what makes up those people, animals, or plants. Thinking outside the box is not only helpful but necessary. For example, thinking about God’s stance in religion on being gay is interpreted wildly different. Whether God allows for homosexuality or not is a huge issue for many people. The author seems to be arguing that you must study reasoning before attempting to apply it to reasoning about the Quranic law and the being that make up the world under Allah. Reason and understanding of those beings are tools in understanding God.

           Having your own interpretation of the Quaran does not mean that what you get out of your studies goes against what is law in the Quaran. Two truths cannot oppose each other; what the Quaran is saying and what you believe need to intertwine. You are given the freedom to interpret, but within the boundaries of relating to what the text and sayings actually mean. When you are studying the text and learning about any being in relation to the Quranic texts, it is mentioned in a straightforward way or not at all: there is no in-between. There is no contradiction. This is useful, but it puts a strict set of regulations upon interpretation. Although interpretation is generally positive, it does not lend itself to

You go into an interpretation with a slightly closed mind, making inferences limited.