Questions and Questioning

I have been spending much of my free time listening to lectures on halaltube.com

In one such lecture, Nouman Ali Khan preaches that, according to Surat-al-Baqarah, questioning in Islam constitutes unbelief. <http://www.halaltube.com/nouman-ali-khan-do-you-intend-to-question-the-messenger>

“Questioning,” in Khan’s view, consists of asking too many questions or too fundamental questions about Islam—and could come from either Muslims or non-Muslims. The only permissible questions, according to Khan, are ones that ask about applications of Islamic principles to specific situations. Khan's view disallows virtually any “why” question. He belittles critical interpretation while furthering the hegemony of a groveling attitude towards the text.

I found this lecture incredibly disheartening. Since I started reading about Islam, I have kept a little notebook (several notebooks, at this point) in which I maintained a running list of questions that have occurred to me as I have read the Quran and books about Islam. When I get an opportunity to ask someone one of these questions, I welcome and cherish that interaction and their responses. Questioning—and especially the asking of open-ended questions—is a rhetorical strategy that opens up potentials and ways of meaning. Questioning incites commentary and dialogue. Questioning inspires and insences and instigates. Questioning can ensure continuous renewal and reevaluation of purpose, as articulating a response to the question can reaffirm positions or lead to new areas of questioning.

As a student and a critic, I doubt that I could be part of any institution or knowledge community that closes off the possibility for questioning.