Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Islamic Reformation?

Can Islam Be Reformed?  Dennis Prager asserts that it needs and is capable of reformation.  While stating his belief that Islam is reformable, Prager fails to offer any evidence to support his belief.  Instead, he gives us a five point ordered list of tasks which must be performed. With that great accomplishment, he give us a little information about some supposed reformers. 

    The third point in his task list is a major stumbling block: "Publicly and unambiguously condemn all violence in the name of Islam, including violence against Israel." That presents a problem because any Muslim who does so thereby writes his own death warrant.  Perhaps, as a self-acknowledged student of Arabic and lecturer on comparative religions, Prager should be aware of this provision of Shari'ah, found in Reliance of the Traveller, Book O,. Chapter 8.  First, it prescribes the death penalty for apostasy, next it lists 20 acts entailing apostasy.

O8.1.

When a person who has reached puberty and is sane voluntarily apostatizes from Islam, he deserves to be killed.

O8.2

In such a case, it is obligatory for the caliph (A: or his representive) to ask him to repent and return to Islam. If he does, it is accepted from him, but if he refuses, he is immediately killed.

O8.7: Acts that Entail Leaving Islam[...]

-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;
[...]

    Islamic law forbids rejecting any part of the Qur'an.  For example:

2:216. Jihâd (holy fighting in Allâh's Cause) is ordained for you (Muslims) though you dislike it, and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allâh knows but you do not know.

8:39. And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and polytheism: i.e. worshipping others besides Allâh) and the religion (worship) will all be for Allâh Alone [in the whole of the world ]. But if they cease (worshipping others besides Allâh), then certainly, Allâh is All-Seer of what they do.

9:29. Fight against those who (1) believe not in Allâh, (2) nor in the Last Day, (3) nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allâh and His Messenger (4) and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (i.e. Islâm) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.


    Allah ordained jihad for Muslims and commanded them to fight us until resistance ceases, Allah has a global monopoly and Jews & Christians are subjugated and extorted. Prager expects Muslim reformers to abjure those verses; Islamic law demands their heads if they do. 

    There are other insurmountable obstacles to be overcome.  How do you improve on perfection?   Islam can only be defiled, never improved. 

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.[...]

    How do you change that which is compiled into a book, printed & widely published in many languages and strictly forbids  editing? 

6:115. And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can change His Words. And He is the All­Hearer, the All­Knower.
10:64. [...]No change can there be in the Words of Allâh, this is indeed the supreme success.[...]

30:30. [...]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. [...]


    Moe confirmed the fatal fact with a curse.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 88, Number 174:

Narrated Sahl bin Sa'd:

I heard the Prophet saying, "I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount (Kauthar), and whoever will come to it, will drink from it, and whoever will drink from it, will never become thirsty after that. There will come to me some people whom I know and they know me, and then a barrier will be set up between me and them." Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri added that the Prophet further said: "I will say those people are from me. It will be said, 'You do not know what changes and new things they did after you.' Then I will say, 'Far removed (from mercy), far removed (from mercy), those who changed (the religion) after me! "

    In another hadith, Moe cursed the Muslims with disgrace if they abandon warfare as a way of life exchanging it for trade or agriculture. 

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.

    Only a deluded fool or a liar will claim that Islam can be reformed to render it anodyne. It may go off track for brief periods, but Allah will send someone to return it to his path.

Sunan Abu Dawud Book 37, Number 4278:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Allah will raise for this community at the end of every hundred years the one who will renovate its religion for it.

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