"to exist historically means that knowledge of oneself can never be complete"

As Gadamer observes, [in "The Historicity of Understanding"] "to exist historically means that knowledge of oneself can never be complete. In this context, only God, whose self-knowledge is essential (dhati) and neither contingent nor experiential, can have true and complete knowledge of self, totally independent of others. We humans, on the other hand, in the absence of interaction between multiple consciousness, including those of oppressors as well as the oppressed, are likely to remain blinded by what is nearest to us, with little appreciation for the multiple layers of contingency, deflection, and projection that define us as the individuals and groups we think we are." (125)

-Dr. Jackson in Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering

ebaadenews.blogspot.com

Quote from Dr. Jackson's latest work part 3

While my focus in this book is on the nature of black suffering, it is my hope that the broader relevance of the theological questions it raises and treats will not be lost on my reader. Questions regarding God's omnipotence, and this God's prerogative (moral and ontological), as well as God's omnibenevolence, and thus the extent to which God's will may or may not conform to humans' wishes and expectations, are critically relevant to any number of issues presently being debated among Muslim-Americans--from the "gender-jihad" to ethics, liberalism, democracy and human rights to Islam and interreligious dialogue. In this context, one of the ancillary benefits of this book may be its contribution to setting Muslim public religious discourse in America on firmer theological footing. (25)

-from the introduction to Dr. Jackson's Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering

ebaadenews.blogspot.com

Quote from Dr. Jackson's latest work part 2

Each of the classical schools of Muslim theology must be seen as representing its own vision of the Islamic theological ideal. While there is significant overlap between them, there is also sizeable disagreement--often expressed in a polemical tone. These differences, moreover, are often a matter of emphasis, priority, and degree rather than categorical contradiction. This obliges one to recognize that while one might legitimately point to the views of any of these schools as an Islamic position, no single one of them should be taken independently to represent the Islamic position. At the same time, this sustained disagreement highlights not only the pluralistic nature of premodern Islam but also the extent to which a common commitment to monotheism (tawhid) can sustain palpably divergent perspectives on God and God's relationship to Creation. (24)

-from the introduction of Dr. Jackson's Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering

ebaadenews.blogspot.com

Quote from Dr. Jackson's latest work

This book consists of five chapters. In Chapter I, I trace the development of Muslim theology from its embryonic beginnings to its status as a full-blown metacognitive tradition. Part of the purpose of this chapter is to highlight the extent to which history and societal situadedness informed classical Muslim theological discourse. This should go a long way toward vindicating the project of placing American reality at the center of Blackamerican Muslim theological contemplation, not as a transcendent, authoritative source of information about God but as the plain on which God's self-disclosure assumes concrete meaning and practical relevance in validatable form. (23)

-from the introduction of Dr. Jackson's Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering

ebaadenews.blogspot.com

Quote from Dr. Jackson

"Equally if not more problematic [than quietism] is "assimilative escapism," neither honestly embracing nor actively opposing oppression but simply trying to stay out of the oppressors' way-by using the oppressors' definition of success, beauty, intelligence, and reason to disguise the provenance of the parameters that define and circumscribe one's life, all the while feverishly toiling to neutralize the oppressive weight of the oppressors' expectations by dressing these up in failed appropriations that render one a more fervent and exaggerated proponent of the oppressors' values than the oppressors themselves. The result is that oppression is neither confronted and overcome by resistance nor embraced through quietism but merely sidestepped and placed beyond critique through a mildly deliberate agnosia that impedes one's ability to recognize or acknowledge the normalized domination that circumscribes one's life."

-pg. 72 of Dr. Sherman Abdal-Hakim Jackson's new book: Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering (2009)

E-baad-e News

One of my favorite quotes from Dr. Jackson

“Neither assimilationism is nor rejectionism is a route for Muslims to go today; rather the only option that we have is that of indigenization.”

I really do believe that this twenty first century and in fact the first quarter of this twenty first century will be an enormously important era in the history of Islam in America.

It is this period that future generations will look back to and if those generations are successful and they are enjoying a dignified existence as Muslims in America, neither assimilated nor isolated, then they will look back to the activities of this generation, this one right here, and say "that was the beginning."

And if they are failures, they will look still, back to this generation, this one right here, and say "they were failures."

We are right now making history whether we like it or not. If we do absolutely nothing, we are making history and our contribution to history therefore will be nothing. Allah has placed us in a historically significant place and now we are living in a historically significant time, and what we do will make all the difference in the world.”

(Dr. Sherman Jackson, Muslims at the Crossroads, ISNA 2003)

E-baad-e News

Dr. Jacksons's New Book is OUT!

a 232 page hardcover published by Oxford University Press, Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering by Dr. Sherman Abdal-Hakim Jackson, is now available on Amazon to order. (A friend of mine who pre-ordered it already got it yesterday!)

Product Description:

In his controversial 1973 book, Is God a White Racist?, William R. Jones sharply criticized black theologians for their agnostic approach to black suffering, noting that the doctrine of an ominibenevolent God poses very significant problems for a perennially oppressed community. He proposed a 'humanocentric theism' which denies God's sovereignty over human history and imputes autonomous agency to humans. By rendering humans alone responsible for moral evil, Jones's theology freed blacks to revolt against the evil of oppression without revolting against God. Sherman Jackson now places Jones's argument in conversation with the classical schools of Islamic theology. The problem confronting the black community is not simply proving that God exists, says Jackson. The problem, rather, is establishing that God cares. No religious expression that fails to tackle the problem of black suffering can hope to enjoy a durable tenure in the black community. For the Muslim, therefore, it is essential to find a Quranic/Islamic grounding for the protest-oriented agenda of black religion. That is the task Jackson undertakes in this pathbreaking work. Jackson's previous book, Islam and the Blackamerican (OUP 2006) laid the groundwork for this ambitious project. Its sequel, Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering, will solidify Jackson's reputation as the foremost theologian of the black American Islamic movement.

a Sherman Jackson reader

I thought it would be useful to put together a reader of material by Dr. Sherman Abdal-Hakim Jackson as I have been coming across some material that I didn't know was available online.
Please let me know of anything else that you find!
Many thanks and love for Maheen Zaman and Iffat Khan who first introduced me to Dr. Jackson and his work when I was a senior in high school trying to make sense of everything...may Allah increase them in all good and continue to benefit people through them! Ameen!
Many links and information can be found at http://www.manrilla.net/shermanjackson/

See information regarding Dr. Jackson's education, teaching experience and published works:

http://www.umich.edu/~neareast/faculty/jackson.htm

http://www.alimprogram.com/scholars/jackson.shtml (Dr. Jackson is a co-founder of the ALIM program).

Books

1. Islam and the Blackamerican: Looking toward the Third Resurrection

2. On the Boundaries of Theological Tolerance in Islam: Abu Hamid al Ghazali's Faysal al Tafriqa (Studies in Islamic Philosophy, V. 1)

3. Islamic Law and the State: The Constitutional Jurisprudence of Shihab Al-Din Al-Qarafi

4/6/09 UPDATE: Dr. Jackson's next book in sha Allah should be coming out July this year! It deals with theology and is called Islam and the Problem of Black Suffering [I think according to the U. Mich page, it was previously entitled "Islam and Black Theodicy: Classical Islamic Theology in Modern America (completed and under review)]. It is on amazon for a pre-order with a description.
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (July 10, 2009)

Articles

-Muslim-Americans: Between American Society and the American Story

-Imam W. D. Mohammed and The Third Resurrection

-Jihad and the Modern World

-The Etiquette of Disagreement

-Literalism, Empiricism, and Induction: Apprehending and Concretizing Islamic Law’s Maqâsid al-Sharî’ah In The Modern World

-Domestic Terrorism in the Islamic Legal Tradition.

-Muslims, Islamic Law and Public Policy in the United States

"Islam(s) East and West: Pluralism between No-Frills and Designer Fundamentalism,"

focuses the reader’s attention on the existence of the "false universal," which he defines as the view that one’s belief structure is reflective of a "transcendent, ’natural’ order whose validity is obvious," despite the shaping influences of cultural, historical, and ideological perspectives. He argues that American Muslims must face the problem of the false universal and stop trying to compress and transform Islam into a single-minded entity in response to the events of September 11. Instead, American Muslims need to embrace their traditional ability to accommodate multiple and contradictory interpretations of Islam.

Jackson notes that the inclination to resort to false universals develops from recognition that no system of open intellectual exchange can guarantee the emergence or suppression of any particular view (p.116). Placing this within the American Muslim context, he emphasizes the promotion and accommodation of true pluralism and tolerance. He believes that this cannot be done as long as American Muslims refuse to face facts. Jackson employs an historical discussion which focuses on: 1) debunking the myth that classical Islam did not have extreme and repugnant views; and 2) illustrating that pre-modern Islam was emphatically pluralistic and tolerant despite the existence of those views. Muslims should not deny their history; nor should they live in fear of it. The urge to appease the American public regarding the tenets of Islam should not lead to a new form of fundamentalism among American Muslims that rejects the pluralism of experiences and histories their individual stories bring to the table.

[that was from http://www.bsos.umd.edu/gvpt/lpbr/subpages/reviews/Dudziak204.htm ]

Preliminary Reflections on Islam and Black Religion

Audio

Islam(s) East and West: Clash of Imaginations?

"Is Race a Social Construct? Race and Identity Amongst Muslims"

Videos

-Dr. Sherman Jackson - Covering Islam and Muslims in America - 74 min - Dec 5, 2005

- Dr. Sherman Jackson, Sharia law Theocracy or Democracy? - 61 min - Feb 18, 2008

Professor Sherman Jackson from University of Michigan expands on the debate surrounding sharia law in the west.

(article about this event: "Jackson addresses Islamic law"

-Takin' It to the Streets 2005 (DVD) $13.50
Special Bonus Feature - Dr. Sherman A Jackson "Making a Difference" (IMAN Annual Dinner Address 2005 Malcolm X College)