Liberal movements within Islam
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This article is related
to Liberalism
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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 many aspects of their religion in accordance with their increasingly modern societies and outlooks; 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 conservative 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, which was in itself a progressive attitude at the time). In fact, this point is often used by 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.
- 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. Some Muslim feminists are also opposed to the traditional requirements of the veil.
- Many liberal Muslims favor the idea of modern democracy with separation of church and state, and support secular governments. 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.
See also
