Dr. Abdul-Azim Ahmed

Assistant Secretary General Muslim Council of Wales

Biography: Dr Abdul-Azim Ahmed is Assistant Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Wales. He
has an academic background in the sociology of religion; his PhD looked at the everyday life of a
British mosque and he is currently in the process of writing books on mosques in the UK and Muslims
in Wales. He is also Editor of On Religion magazine, a quarterly publication on religion, society and
current affairs. He currently works as a researcher on equality issues for a non-governmental
organisation in Wales.

‘Pondering (tadabbur) Perplexity (hayrat), and Polemics (kalam): Communicating Across
Boundaries’

Abstract Three traditions that can be described as ‘contemplation’ practised by Muslims historically
and in the contemporary period are introduced in order to present the ways in which they are
utilised by Muslims to engage across, and redraw, boundaries of religious identity. The methods are
used to represent three distinct epistemological approaches to Islam (though the practices are found
across the Islamic denominations). Tadabbur represents a contemplative model rooted in reflecting
upon the specific revelation (text) and general revelation (creation), and favoured by those who
consider truth to be located primarily in religious texts. Perplexity is a valourised condition of
reaching the limit of the rational thought, a method of contemplation favoured by groups who
consider religious authority to be located primarily in direct experiential knowledge. Polemics, or
debate and dialogue, remains the favoured method of contemplation of Muslim groups who locate
ultimate authority in human rationality. Contemporary examples of interfaith initiatives which fit
these particular models will be presented. I argue that religious boundaries, while important, can
also disguise epistemological boundaries.Christian groups, for example, who consider religious texts
the ultimate location of truth often engage more and better with Muslim groups who do the same
with their own texts. Interfaith must not only communicate across religious boundaries, but
epistemological ones also.