After networking with Reformist/Progressives such as yourselves for several months, I have tried to summarize some major recurrent themes as part of an Islamic Reform plan that is expressed at my Quranaissance Blog and a local forum of intellectuals that I host called The Moderate Voice (TMV). This plan is is posted at quranaissance/?page_id=242 Your comments are welcome here or at the blog if you wish. Thanks. 1) Human Rights: No two ways about it, the Muslim World is rife with Human Rights crises. Non-Muslims often criticize Muslims for being silent in face of Human Rights violations. As a community, we should unequivocally denounce human rights violations at their source, not just superficially. 2) DEEN vs. religion: The essence of Islam is to establish the Ideal Society in which Justice and Opportunity are provided to nourish all citizens to their Potential. The few rituals of Islam are all in service of character and community building to create the Ideal society. Hence, the thing that is called “religion” is a small part, not the sum total of the DEEN (“the way of government” and “the way of life”) of Islam. (Certainly, spirituality and rituals are integral parts of Islam.) 3) The Quran is a Book of Guidance, not a Book of Magic. The Quran is meant for understanding and application, not for empty recitations, chanting, and repetition. Nowhere does the Quran state that simply repeating, blowing verses, or chanting will lead to tangible societal results. Otherwise, we would all be very well off in places like Pakistan and Egypt. 4) Fabrications and Interpolations: The only infallible Book of God is the Quran. Narrations and histories that a) contradict the Quran or b) slander the Character of the Prophet (S) are ABSOLUTELY rejected at TMV and Quranaissance, no exceptions. Furthermore, traditions that are contradictory to established science and common sense are also challenged in favor of Reason. Of course, all evidence is provided and discussed. 5) Ijtihad (creative thought) vs. Taqlid (tradition): Nowhere does the Quran state that imams/scholars will arise centuries after the Prophet (S) and become final authorities of interpretation and jurisprudence. Quite the opposite, the Quran warns against following forefathers without due investigation. At TMV, we encourage Ijtihad and critical thinking, and we repeatedly draw connections (just as the Quran does) between Blind Following and Oppression. 6) Tolerance, Acceptance, and Mutual Respect: These are all qualities of the Prophet (S). At TMV, we encourage people to weigh the evidence offered by others, not attack them personally. (If we cannot respect each other’s views and freedom of expression, how will we deal with those of other religions?) We also highlight the rights of non-Muslims as mentioned in the Quran. In 2015, we will Inshallah, add an interfaith component to some TMV forums. 7) Reformation and Renaissance: This century is witnessing a battle for the Soul of Islam. It is my educated opinion that the Rebirth of Islam will not occur at the mosque, or even in Muslim-majority countries. Rather, intellectuals living in free societies who place the Quran above man-made traditions will be the vanguard of reform. We should all do our part to bring the Pristine Message of Islam to light, even in the smallest of gatherings: 34:46: Say, “I ask you to do just one thing: For God’s sake! Stand up in pairs and singly, and then think!” Quite frankly, non-Muslims don’t care what you or I personally feel about stoning, blasphemy laws, child marriage, etc. They want to know why our accepted scriptures (seem to) support human rights violations. If we do not deal with this material for ourselves, opponents of Islam will be more than happy to challenge us and our children with it.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 19:20:44 +0000
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