Liberal movements within Islam

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Since the 19th century, Muslim progressives have produced a considerable body of liberal thought within Islam (in Arabic: الإسلام الاجتهادي or "interpretation-based Islam"; also الإسلام التقدمي or "progressive Islam"). These have in common a religious outlook which depends mainly on ijtihad or re-interpretations of scriptures. Liberal Muslims interpret the Qur'an and Hadith from their personal perspective rather than the traditional Muslim point of view. Liberals generally claim that they are returning to the principles of the early Muslim community and to the ethical and pluralistic intent of their scripture.

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Reform, not schism

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.

The liberal Muslim's focus on individual interpretation and ethics, rather than on the literal word of scripture, may have an antecedent in the Sufi tradition of Islamic mysticism.

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Central Tenets

Five generally accepted tenets have emerged:

  • The autonomy of the individual in interpreting the Quran and Hadith
  • A more critical examination of religious texts, as well as traditional Islamic precedents
  • Complete gender equality in all aspects, including ritual prayer and observance.
  • A more open view on modern culture in relation to customs, dress, and common practices
  • In addition to use of Ijtihad, the use of the Islamic concept of fitrah, or the natural sense of right and wrong, is advocated.
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Contemporary and controversial Issues

Over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, in accordance with their increasingly modern societies and outlooks, liberal Muslims have tended to reinterpret many aspects of their religion. This is particularly true of Muslims who now find themselves living in non-Muslim countries. 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 and traditional 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:

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Ijtihad

  • This means that liberal Muslims often drop traditional interpretations of the Qur'an which they find too conservative, preferring instead readings which are more adaptable to modern society (see ijtihad). Most liberal Muslims reject derivation of Islamic laws from literal readings of single Qur'anic verses. They generally claim that a holistic view which takes into account the 7th century Arabian cultural context negates such literal interpretations. For example, some liberals may tolerate homosexuality even though conservatives forbid it. However, this topic remains highly controversial even amongst Muslim liberals; see Islamic views of homosexuality.
  • The reliability and applicability of Hadith literature is questioned by liberals, 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, favouring instead each individual's ability to interpret Islamic sacred texts on their own.
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Human rights

  • Most liberal Muslims believe that Islam promotes the notion of absolute equality of all humanity, and that it is one of its central concepts. Human rights is thus 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.
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Feminism

  • The place of women in Islam, traditional gender roles in Islam and Islamic feminism are likewise major issues. For this reason, liberal Muslims are often critical of traditional Islamic law interpretations which allow polygamy for men but not women, as well as the traditional Islamic law of inheritance under which daughters receive less than sons. It is also accepted by most liberal Muslims that a woman may lead the state, and that women should not be segregated from men in society or in mosques. Some liberal Muslims accept that a woman may lead a mixed group in prayers, despite the custom for women to pray behind or in a separate space. However, this issue remains controversial; see women as imams. Some Muslim feminists are also opposed to the traditional dress requirements for women (commonly called hijab), claiming that any modest clothing is sufficiently Islamic for both men and women.
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Secularism

  • Some liberal Muslims favor the idea of modern secular democracy with separation of church and state, and thus oppose Islam as a political movement.
  • The existence or applicability of Islamic law is questioned by many 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.
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Tolerance and non-violence

  • 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.
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Reliance on secular scholarship

  • Liberal Muslims tend to be skeptical about the validity of Islamization of knowledge (including Islamic economics, Islamic science, Islamic history and Islamic philosophy) as separate from mainstream fields of inquiry. 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 [1].
  • Liberals are also less likely to treat Qur'anic narratives of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jesus and other prophets of Islam as historical fact. Instead, liberals sometimes view these as moral stories (or mythology) meant to reinforce the ethical message of Islam. Such liberals accept scientific ideas such as evolution and the results of secular history and archaeology rather than stories from scripture.
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In North America

See Progressive Muslim Union, Muslim Canadian Congress, and ProgressiveIslam.Org

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Islam and Anarchism

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Criticism of Liberal Islam

Conservative Muslims are often critical of liberals for, what they see as, producing a watered-down, inauthentic form of Islam as a compromise with Western society. From their perspective, liberal Muslims are abandoning Islam and just imitating the West, a notion they heavily contest. Critics also argue that it is possible to accept the many of the main liberal points, including women's rights and the scientific theory of evolution, while adhering to conservative Islamic views.

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References

  • Qur'an and Woman by Amina Wadud.
  • American Muslims: Bridging Faith and Freedom by M. A. Muqtedar Khan.
  • Liberal Islam: A Sourcebook Edited by Charles Kurzman.
  • Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism by Omid Safi.
  • Qur'an, Liberation and Pluralism by Farid Esack.
  • Revival and Reform in Islam by Fazlur Rahman.
  • The Unthought in Contemporary Islamic Thought, by Mohammed Arkoun.
  • Unveiling Traditions: Postcolonial Islam in a Polycentric World by Anouar Majid.
  • Islam and Science: Religious Orthodoxy and the Battle for Rationality by Pervez Hoodbhoy
  • The Viability of Islamic Science by S. Irfan Habib, Economic and Political Weekly, June 05, 2004.
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See also

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Thinkers and Activists

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Ideologies and Institutions

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External links

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