Liberal movements within Islam

   

In modern times there have been a number of liberal movements within Islam (sometimes called in Arabic: الإسلام الإجتهادية or 'interpretation-based Islam', also الإسلام المتقدمة or 'Progressive Islam'), which depend mainly on re-interpretations of scriptures or ijtihad. Liberal Muslims interpret the Qur'an and Hadith from their personal perspective rather than the medievalist traditional Muslim point of view. Some say they are returning to the principals of the early Muslim community and provide convincing evidence that the Medievalists have diverged from true Islam

Reform, not schism

It should be noted that these are movements within Islam, rather than an attempt at schism. As such, they believe in the basic tenets of Islam, such as the Six Elements of Belief and the Five Pillars of Islam. They consider their views to be fully compatible with the teachings of Islam. Their main difference with more conservative Islamic opinion is in differences of interpretation of how to apply the core Islamic values to modern life.

Contemporary and controversial Issues

Over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, liberal Muslims have tended to reinterpret and reapply many aspects of their religion in accordance with their increasingly modern societies and outlooks on one hand and re-examining there traditions; this is particularly true of Muslims who now find themselves living in non-Muslim countries. But, this had been already underway by the 19th century. Such people may describe themselves variously as liberal, progressive or reformist; but rather than implying a specific agenda, these terms tend to incorporate a broad spectrum of views which contest medievalist interpretations of Islam in many different ways. Although there is no full consensus amongst liberal Muslims on their views, they tend to agree on some or all of the following beliefs:

  • Most liberal Muslims oppose slavery and the associated practice of sexual concubinage of slaves, which was not abolished during the time of Muhammad and is permitted in the Qur'an (although the Qur'an does discourage slavery to the point of elimination, which was in itself a progressive attitude at the time). Islam dislikes the idea of slavery and had set rules for dealing with slaves. Such as, freeing on their conversion to Islam, freeing slaves is thought of as a great act of virtue, they must be clothed and fed in the same way as their masters, they must not be forced into marriage et cetera, nor cruelly treated. In fact, this point is often used by some liberals as a notable example of how religion changes over time, as most Muslims have accepted the elimination of this earlier practice.
  • Human rights is a major concern for most liberals. Many Muslim majority countries have signed international human rights treaties, but the impact of these largely remains to be seen in local legal systems. The Qur'anic story of Adam is sometimes interpreted to support human rights. And prominant International Lawyers such as Mohammad Zafrullah Khan said that he saw no contradiction between International Human Rights and Sharia.
  • Feminism is likewise a major issue. For this reason, non-liberal Muslims are often critical of polygamy. It is generally accepted by many liberal Muslims that a woman may lead both group prayers as well as the state, and that women should not be segregated from men in society or in mosques, although the custom is for women to pray behind men. Some extremist Muslim feminists are also opposed to the traditional requirements of the veil. Yet purdah in its practice applies to both men and women, as Islam should be a kind of voluntry monasticism in the outside world.
  • Many liberal Muslims favor the idea of modern democracy with separation of church and state, and support secular governments. Although there is overwhelming evidence that this was never the original case. The existence or applicability of Islamic law is thus questioned by liberals. Their argument often involves variants of the Mu'tazili theory that the Qur'an is created by God for the particular circumstances of the early Muslim community, and reason must be used to apply it to new contexts.
  • This means that the majority of liberal Muslims have dropped literal or traditional interpretations of the Koran in favour of readings which they find more easily adaptable to modern society. For example, some liberals may tolerate homosexuality even though conservatives forbid it (see Islamic views of homosexuality).
  • Likewise, the reliability and applicability of Hadith literature is questioned, as much of traditional Islamic law derives from it.
  • Most liberal Muslims consequently do not believe in the authority of traditional scholars to issue a fatwa, since they generally favour the individual's ability to interpret Islamic sacred texts on their own.
  • Tolerance is another major issue. Liberal Muslims are generally open to interfaith dialogue and differences, particularly in the case of the Ahmadi and other controversies with Jews, Christians, Hindus, etc.
  • Liberal Muslims also tend to oppose the idea of jihad as armed struggle, and tend to prefer ideals such as non-violence. The Qur'anic figure of Abel seems to support the idea that anyone who dies as a result of refusing to commit violence is forgiven of their sins.
  • Liberal Muslims tend to be skeptical about the validity of Islamization of knowledge (including Islamic economics, Islamic science and Islamic philosophy) as separate from mainstream fields of enquiry. This is usually due to the often secular outlook of Muslim liberals, which makes them more disposed to trust mainstream secular scholarship. They may also regard the propagation of these fields as merely a propaganda move by Muslim conservatives.
  • Liberals are also less likely to treat narratives of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jesus and other prophets of Islam in the Qur'an as historical fact, viewing them instead as moral stories meant to reinforce the ethical message of Islam. As such liberals are more accepting of secular history and ideas such as evolution which liberals claim the Qur'an supports.

See also

External links

References

  • Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism by Omid Safi. ISBN 185168316X


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