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Islam: Theology, Politics and History

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Islam: Theology, Politics and History Islam: Theology, Politics and History Introduction Purpose There is no doubt that Islamic fundamentalism is a very important topic in modern society. Hardly a day goes by without a jihadist terrorist attack somewhere and Europe is being targeted with increasing frequency. Much is said in the media on both sides of the equation, and most of this is false. It behoves thinking people to have some understanding of Islam, and this requires studying its theology in very basic forms and its political history, which is more straightforward – even though a full analysis of Islam would be very complicated. My purpose is to supply a concise summary of these issues as best as I can to aid those who wish to understand what Islam is all about. I intend here to avoid inflammatory language and avoid invective comment but just stick to plain facts that all Muslims could accept as true; however some comment is necessary in pointing out differences to western ideas. Spelling As western scholars have not studied or standardised Islamic terms adequately, you will find multiple spelling of Arabic words, such as Mohamed, Mohammed, Muhammad, Muslim, Moslem, Koran, Quran, Qur’an etc. Here I will use ‘Muhammad’, ‘Qur’an’ and ‘Muslim’ as being closest to the Arabic pronunciation in my view. Multiple other words used in this paper have different spellings. Quotations I will endeavour to supply multiple sources for the statements made. However, if I made full quotations of many sources this would be far to onerous for the reader and would make this a very long and impenetrable document. Where necessary I will give multiple quotes from Islamic sources, such as regarding jihad because it is a much contested and misunderstood subject and requires proof. I will supply references to the Qur’an, since many possess or can access a copy. In addition, where it is feasible, I will supply some quotes from the Sunna (Sira and Hadith) but sometimes a point is made in a long narrative or story, which would be laborious to quote. However, I will supply many references to the Hadith even though few people possess a copy. Muslims It is one thing that westerners know little about Islam and thus defend Islamic deceptions to support Muslims, such as immigrants bent on social destruction. However, it is another that most Muslims do not know what Islam is either. The millions of peaceful Muslims prospering in western societies would be condemned by Muhammad and probably killed. Most Muslims have read little of the Qur’an, perhaps fragments of the Sira and probably virtually nothing of the thousands of pages of the Hadith. They get their knowledge of Islam from the preaching of imams / mullahs, from small books summarising doctrine, from sermons and mostly from leaflets and tracts distributed by this or that group. Since being a true Muslim is based on copying Muhammad in every way, knowledge of the Sunna 2 (the ‘way’: the Sira or biography and the Hadith or traditions) is vital to be a genuine Muslim. Most modern western Muslims have no clue about this. Islam commands how you live, what you wear, how you dress, how you get dressed, how to spit, how to protect yourself from Satan, and even how to go to the toilet. Most Muslims in Britain sin against Allah everyday because their toilets face the wrong direction. Muslims do not know these things. Radical Islam is not an aberration; it is normal Islam. The aberration is western Muslims who fail to obey Allah in the way that Muhammad commanded. Such people are hypocrites; not supporting jihad is hypocrisy, and Muhammad taught that hypocrites went to hell. The current rise of fundamentalism and radicalism in the Muslim world is really a reformation to get back to basics. The west needs to understand this. Thus ISIS is not radical; it is normal Islam practising jihad. Saudi Arabia is not abnormal; it is normal Islam practising Sharia Law. Suicide bombers are not something unusual in Islam; they are martyrs that will be rewarded for killing unbelievers. The current British understanding of Muslims is perhaps illustrated by the sitcom ‘Citizen Khan’, typifying a dysfunctional Muslim family in Small Heath, Birmingham. Nothing radical here; just a typical family set in Muslim culture (families are a treasure-trove for sitcoms).1 The fact is that Muhammad would have punished and perhaps killed such a family, as he once killed a woman in front of her husband for not sufficiently obeying him. Citizen Khan is not a good representation of a Muslim; indeed it is offensive to Muslims. We need to know what a good Muslim is, what sources he gets his doctrine from and what the effects of this are in history. Only then will we understand what is going on today. In this left-wing, social justice warrior, politically-correct, western world any critical thinking applied to minorities, such as Muslims, is attacked as racist. This is folly (as I explain later). Before anyone attacks me for exposing the simple doctrinal truth and historical facts about Islam you should know that I have no fear or hatred of Muslims whatsoever. I know, respect and love secular Muslims in my own family and talk to Muslims often. Christians must love Muslims, as any other people, but they must educate themselves as to what Islam is all about because it is, and will further, impact their lives and culture. 1 There have been sitcoms based upon right-wing families (Till Death Us Do Part); left-wing families (Citizen Smith); Jewish families (The Larkins); middle class families (Terry and June); poor working class families (The Royle Family); young families (Marriage Lines, Gavin and Stacey); aspiring mothers (Butterflies); aspiring fathers (The Fall & Rise of Reginald Perrin); obsessive husbands (Ever Decreasing Circles); prepper families (The Good Life); abberational father-son families (Steptoe and Son); black families (Desmonds); New Age families (Absolutely Fabulous); Catholic families (Father Ted); matriarchal families (Mrs Brown’s Boys, Bread); miserable old men (One Foot In The Grave); anarchic families (The Young Ones) etc. Citizen Khan is just another in a long line of a certain type of family. No, I don’t watch all these programmes. 3 Islamic theology Islam Islam literally means ‘surrender’ or ‘submission’ to God (Allah). ‘Muslim’ means ‘one who lives his life according to God’s will’, or ‘one who submits’. [Technical note: ‘Islam’ is the infinitive of the Arabic verb ‘to submit’; ‘Muslim’ is the present participle.] The profession of faith, which all Muslims must make, is the shahada: ‘There is no god but god (Allah), and Muhammad is the Prophet of god’. Muslims used to be called Muhammadans (Mohommedans, Mahometans), but this is rejected today because it implies submission to Muhammad instead of Allah. The Victorians used the term ‘Musselmen’ or ‘Mossalman’. Islam is more than a religious tradition; it is a civilisation and a way of life. It proclaims patterns for society in family life, civil and criminal law, business, etiquette, food, dress and personal hygiene. There is no distinction between the sacred and the secular; all people are ‘abd, i.e. a servant and a worshipper of God. All aspects of Muslim society must reflect the will of Allah. For this reason there is no Islamic term for ‘spirituality’; body and spirit are combined in duty to God. Islam first identifies people as worshippers but then it teaches the importance of the religious community. Thus the practices of Islam are intended to hold communities together separate from others. Sharia law codifies the activities of the worshipping community. Islam is essentially a few simple principles: Submission to Allah the god of the Qur’an. How to perform this submission is known from the life and teaching of Muhammad, the prophet of Allah. [The Sunna is needed for this, not the Qur’an.] Muslims submit to Allah; kafirs do not and are unbelievers. Jihad. Duality based upon the difference between the Meccan Qur’an and the Medinan Qur’an where contradictions are both true. Many of the teachings and stories of the Qur’an are reworked from older religions but two things are new; these are Muhammad and jihad. Its authority The triple authority There is a triple basis for Islamic teaching: the Qur’an, the Sira and the Hadith. The Qur’an is the smallest part of the whole (14%) while the Sira is 26% and the Hadith 60%. In the texts the space given to Allah is 16% (based on word count) and Muhammad 84%. 4 Regarding the question of epistemology,2 Islam relies on circular reasoning. How do we know that the Qur’an is true? Because it contains the words of Allah. How do we know these are the words of Allah? Because Muhammad said so. How do we know that Muhammad told the truth? Because the Qur’an says that he is the prophet of Allah. There is no further revelation since the death of Muhammad. Since the Qur’an is the revelation of Allah, no fact or argument can refute it. Even common sense cannot refute it when faced with contradictions within the Qur’an (such as peace versus war). Contradictions are statements of duality, which are both accepted by Muslims (this dualism underlies all Islam). Those who do not accept this authority are spoken to with great revulsion and threats of violence. First authority: The Qur’an The Qur'an (al-qur’an, or traditionally, ‘Koran’, by some ‘Kerbela’) is the sacred Scripture of Islam; ‘al-Qur’an’ means ‘the recitation’. It is the first book written in Arabia; only poems and business documents had been written in Arabic before.
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