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Reforming Islam or Reforming Muslims?
by Mohamed Elmasry
Jews have Reform Judaism, Christians have Protestantism. So why don't we
have "Reform Islam"?
Reform Judaism's central emphasis is on faith, rather than works. While
it respects many aspects of traditional Mosaic Law, it does not attach
binding authority to it, and regards many religious rituals as merely
picturesque. Since the early 1500s, Christian Protestantism has rejected
the authority of the Pope and over time, various Protestant
denominations have held different and evolving church positions on a
wide range of issues.
However, many Muslims have long believed that Islam itself does not need
to be "reformed," but that Muslims' attitudes toward their faith are
what must be changed. I wholeheartedly agree.
The compelling need facing Islam today is for Muslims to regain their
collective self-confidence and learn to deal effectively and
constructively with the demands and challenges of the real world around
them.
In fact, the Qur'an insists time after time that Muslims cannot expect
God to support them utterly, and it points to the example of ancient
nations who disappeared before them.
Muslims should begin by celebrating the structure of Islam as a highly
decentralized faith -- one with no institutionalized Church, no Pope, no
Archbishops, no chief Rabbis, no power of excommunication, no mandatory
confession, and so on.
The non-practicing Muslim, the most conservatively pious Muslim, and the
eclectic Muslim mystic can all be considered simply Muslims, without the
need for any qualifying adjectives. Some may personally consider
themselves "more Islamic" than others, but the basic truth is that they
are all Muslims. When this golden rule of community is broken, the
result is dangerous extremism; and extremism reveals the defects of
misguided Muslims, not defects in Islam as a faith.
Islam is a highly personal religion that holds everyone, Muslim and
non-Muslim alike, responsible for his / her faith and deeds. The Qur'an
teaches that by Divine Will, God's human creation follows different
religions, or no religion at all (11:118), (10:99), (18:29). But it also
teaches that The Almighty is not pleased when some of God's servants
(the Qur'an considers all humans to be servants of their Creator in one
way or another) choose not to believe (39:7).
The Qur'an also teaches that everyone's God-given human dignity must be
respected, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, gender, or social
status (17:70). Because they are all created by God Almighty, the Maker
of All, humans must treat one another with full honour, respect, and
loving-kindness.
The Qur'an also states clearly that freedom of religion is a God-given
right (2:256) and that the final judgment of all humanity lies in the
hands of the One Almighty, to whom we all return (22:68-69), (42:15).
Thus, we Muslims need not search for new principles of conduct from
outside, but have only to apply our old and forsaken ones in order to
launch a modern and moderate reformation movement. We certainly may use
new methodologies gained from the experience of others, but we must not
displace the essential fabric of Islam, as some commentators seem intent
on doing. They are trying to address a so-called "crisis of
modernization" by blaming Islam instead of Muslims. They insist on
finding an incompatibility of values between Islam and the modern world,
especially the West.
In reality, the materialistic drive of the West is virtually inseparable
from a value system that demands people of faith -- Muslims and
non-Muslims alike -- give up their moral identity, their spirituality,
their love for the traditional family, etc.
Thus it is more important than ever that we Muslims live an Islam that
is alive for today. We must overcome our collective laziness, our
apathy, our self-conceit, our shortsightedness -- in sum, our spiritual
defects, our own "heart diseases" -- and not place the blame on some
supposed defects of Islam.
What are our most urgent needs now?
Islam teaches that God loves justice and those who strive to practice
it, especially toward people who are different from them in any way, but
chiefly in the area of religious belief (5:8), (60:8).
Then why are we not all putting this key teaching into practice? If we
were to do so, Muslims would quickly be regarded by everyone around them
as true believers, exemplary family members, the best of neighbors and
co-workers, and the most active, caring citizens of any country. Muslim
countries themselves could emerge as shining examples of social justice,
democracy, respect for human rights, and much-needed world peacemakers.
Muslims meet God face to face five times a day in prayers. Thus, they
should be able to hold their heads up in His presence, saying, "I love
You and I am trying to be worthy of Your love."
A reformation there must be: but it should be a reformation of Muslims
from within, NOT of Islam itself.
Mohamed Elmasry
is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of
Waterloo and national president of the
Canadian Islamic Congress.
He contributed above article to Media Monitors Network (MMN) from
Ontario, Canada.
Source:
by the same author:
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