Tawfik Hamid: Reform Islam

Tawfik Hamid, writing at NEWSMAX, wants to reform Islam. Here are a few vital points from his article.

• Suspend the traditional teaching that Muslims must wage wars on non-Muslims to offer them one of three options: convert to Islam, pay jizia (humiliating tax paid by non-Muslims to Muslims), or be killed.
• Publish new theologically-based books of Islamic jurisprudence that stand against beating women, slavery, killing apostates, and other violent edicts of Shariah.
• As long as the Muslim world insists on teaching violent principles as mentioned earlier, the gap between it and the West will only increase, and the efforts to bridge the gap of civilizations will be inefficient.
• Once the Muslim world puts an end to the destructive points, the voices that emphasize the “common values” will be able to succeed in their great mission to make our world better.

The aforementioned "traditional teaching" is found in the Qur'an: 8:39, 9:29 & Sahih Muslim 19.4294. There is a problem with attempting to suspend teaching of Qur'anic doctrine. Allah's word describes itself as perfected in 5:3 "This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion".

Allah's perfect and final words can not be changed, Allah strictly forbids it. Allah said: "And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can change His Words." 6:115 & 18:27. Allah said "No change let there be in Khalq­illâh (i.e. the Religion of Allâh Islâmic Monotheism), that is the straight religion, but most of men know not." 30:30. Allah's messenger confirmed it with a curse: "'Far removed, far removed (from mercy), those who changed (their religion) after me." Sahih Bukhari 8.76.585.

The clear and absolute prohibitions are confirmed by Shari'ah. Reliance of the Traveller contains a list of acts which entail apostasy, which carries a death sentence. These items are included in that list. O8.7.

-7- to deny any verse of the Koran or anything which by scholarly consensus (def: b7) belongs to it, or to add a verse that does belong to it;

-14- to deny the obligatory character of something which by the consensus of Muslims (ijma`, def: B7) is part of Islam, when it is well known as such, like the prayer (salat) or even one rak'a from one of the five obligatory prayers, if there is no excuse (def: u2.4);

Allah's imperatives can't be re-interpreted because they are clear, 3:7, requiring no interpretation. Moe's Sunna shows us what they mean; read the book of Jihad or Expedition in any of the canonical hadith collections.

Jihad can not be abandoned because it is central to Islam; its very core. Too much of the Qur'an must be ripped out, the Sira & Sunnna truncated radically, likewise Shari'ah. Then there is Moe's execration.

Sunan Abu Dawud Book 23, Number 3455:

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:

I heard the Apostle of Allah, (peace_be_upon_him) say: When you enter into the inah transaction, hold the tails of oxen, are pleased with agriculture, and give up conducting jihad (struggle in the way of Allah). Allah will make disgrace prevail over you, and will not withdraw it until you return to your original religion.

Islam will no more be reformed than lions will become herbivores and graze with the sheep..