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Progressive Muslims have produced a considerable body of liberal thoughts within Islam^[1][2] (in Arabic: الإسلام الاجتهادي or "interpretation-based Islam", and الإسلام التقدمي or "progressive Islam"; but some consider progressive Islam and liberal Islam as two distinct movements ^[3]). These movements share a philosophy that depends largely on ijtihad.^[4] Liberal Muslims do not necessarily subscribe to the more culturally-based interpretations of the Qur'an and Hadith. They generally claim that they are returning to the principles of the early Ummah and to the ethical and pluralistic intent of their scripture.^[5] The reform movement uses monotheism (tawhid) "as an organizing principle for human society and the basis of religious knowledge, history, metaphysics, aesthetics, and ethics, as well as social, economic and world order."^[6] For other uses, see Progressivism (disambiguation). ... A Muslim is a believer in or follower of Islam. ... Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Arabic redirects here. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Qur’ān [1] (Arabic: , literally the recitation; also sometimes transliterated as Quran, Koran, or Al-Quran) is the central religious text of Islam. ... Hadith ( transliteration: ) are oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For the Celtic Frost album, see Monotheist (album) In theology, monotheism (from Greek one and god) is the belief in the existence of one deity, or in the oneness of God. ...

Reform, not schism

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. Six articles of belief is a set of beliefs enumerated by the Sunnis: The six Sunni articles of belief are: Belief in God (Allah), the one and only one worthy of all worship (tawhid). ... The Five Pillars of Islam (Arabic: أركان الإسلام) is the term given to the five duties incumbent on every Muslim. ...

The liberal Muslim's focus on individual interpretation and ethics, rather than on the literal word of scripture, may have an antecedent in the Sufi tradition of Islamic mysticism.

However, this reformist approach has led liberal Muslims to adjust or qualify their criticism of various acts by extremist Muslims, including terrorism. Such faint or qualified criticisms have frequently been attacked by western critics, especially those who assert that there is a so called "clash of civilizations".

Central tenets

Several generally accepted tenets have emerged:

• The autonomy of the individual in interpreting the Qur'an and Hadith.
• A more critical and diverse examination of religious texts, as well as traditional Islamic precedents.
• Complete gender equality in all aspects, including ritual prayer and observance.
• A more open view on modern culture in relation to customs, dress, and common practices.
• The use of ijtihad (independent interpretation) and the use of fitrah (natural sense of right and wrong) is advocated.

The Qur’ān [1] (Arabic: , literally the recitation; also sometimes transliterated as Quran, Koran, or Al-Quran) is the central religious text of Islam. ... Hadith ( transliteration: ) are oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... In Islamic context, Fitrah (فطرة) is humanitys innate disposition towards virtue, knowledge, and beauty. ...

Contemporary and controversial Issues

Over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, in accordance with their increasingly modern societies and outlooks, liberal Muslims have tended to reinterpret many aspects of their religion. 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, traditional 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:

Ijtihad (re-interpretation of scriptures)

• This means that liberal Muslims often drop traditional interpretations of the Qur'an which they find too conservative, preferring instead readings which are more adaptable to modern society (see ijtihad). Most liberal Muslims reject derivation of Islamic laws from literal readings of single Qur'anic verses. They generally claim that a holistic view which takes into account the 7th century Arabian cultural context negates such literal interpretations.
• The reliability and applicability of Hadith literature is questioned by liberals, as much of traditional Islamic law derives from it rather than Quranic text because there are immense gaps in legal and family issues.

The Qur’ān [1] (Arabic: , literally the recitation; also sometimes transliterated as Quran, Koran, or Al-Quran) is the central religious text of Islam. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Hadith ( transliteration: ) are oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad. ...

Human rights

• Most liberal Muslims believe that Islam promotes the notion of absolute equality of all humanity, and that it is one of its central concepts. Human rights is thus 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.

Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ...

Feminism

• The place of women in Islam, traditional gender roles in Islam and Islamic feminism are likewise major issues. For this reason, liberal Muslims are often critical of traditional Islamic law interpretations which allow polygamy for men but not polyandry for women, as well as the traditional Islamic law of inheritance under which daughters receive less than sons. (Traditional Muslims believe this is balanced by the right of a wife to her husband's money, whereas the husband does not have a right to his wife's money.) It is also accepted by most liberal Muslims that a woman may lead the state, and that women should not be segregated from men in society or in mosques. (Some traditional Muslims also accept a woman as a leader of state so long as it does not conflict with her obligation to family.) Some liberal Muslims accept that a woman may lead a mixed group in prayers, despite the custom for women to pray behind or in a separate space. However, this issue remains controversial; see women as imams. Some Muslim feminists are also opposed to the traditional dress requirements for women (commonly called hijab), claiming that any modest clothing is sufficiently Islamic for both men and women. However, other Muslim feminists embrace hijab, pointing out its tendency to de-sexualize women and therefore assist them in being treated less as an object and more as a person. Furthermore, some Muslim feminists prefer to wear the hijab as an obvious sign that they are indeed Muslim, while also feminists. (Certain interpretations of traditional Islamic rules require women to cover all but the hands and the face, while men are only required to cover from the navel to the knee.)

This article or section seems to contain too many quotations for an encyclopedia entry. ... This article is about gender roles, in families and relationships between men and women, in Islam. ... A symbol of Islamic feminism, incorporating the Crescent Moon and Star of Islam into the female symbol Islamic feminism is a form of feminism that aims for the full equality of all Muslims, regardless of sex or gender, in public and private life. ... The term polygamy (a Greek word meaning the practice of multiple marriage) is used in related ways in social anthropology, sociobiology, and sociology. ... In social anthropology and sociobiology, polyandry (Greek: poly- many, andros- man) means a female forming a sexual union with more than one male. ... Sharia (Arabic: transliteration: ) is the body of Islamic religious law. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... There is a current controversy among Muslims on the circumstances in which women may act as imams—that is, lead a congregation in salat (prayer). ... Feminists redirects here. ... “Higab” redirects here. ...

Secularism

Main article: Secularism in the Middle East

• Some liberal Muslims favor the idea of modern secular democracy with separation of church and state, and thus oppose Islam as a political movement.
• The existence or applicability of Islamic law is questioned by many 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.

Secularism in the Middle East refers to the ideology of promoting the secular as opposed to the religion. ... This article is about secularism. ... Constantines Conversion, depicting the conversion of Emperor Constantine the Great to Christianity, by Peter Paul Rubens. ... The neutrality and factual accuracy of this article are disputed. ... Sharia (Arabic: transliteration: ) is the body of Islamic religious law. ... Mutazilah (Arabic المعتزلة al-mu`tazilah) is a theological school of thought within Islam. ...

Tolerance and non-violence

• Tolerance is another key tenet of Liberal Muslims, who are generally more open to interfaith dialogue and conflict resolution with such communities as the Jews, Christians, Hindus, and the numerous factions within Islam.
• Liberal Muslims are more likely to reflect the idea of jihad in terms of the widely accepted "internal spiritual struggle" rather than an "armed struggle." The ideals of non-violence are prevalent in Liberal Muslim ideology and backed by Qu'ranic text; "permission to fight is given only to those who have been oppressed... who have been driven from their homes for saying,'God is our Lord'" (22:39)

It has been suggested that toleration be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Jihad (disambiguation). ... Nonviolence (or non-violence) is a set of assumptions about morality, power and conflict that leads its proponents to reject the use of violence in efforts to attain social or political goals. ...

Reliance on secular scholarship

• Liberal Muslims^[who?] tend to be skeptical about the validity of Islamization of knowledge^{[citation needed]} (including Islamic economics, Islamic science, Islamic history and Islamic philosophy) as separate from mainstream fields of inquiry. 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 [1].
• Liberals are also less likely to treat Qur'anic narratives of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jesus and other prophets of Islam as historical fact. Instead, liberals sometimes view these as moral stories (or mythology) meant to reinforce the ethical message of Islam. Such liberals accept scientific ideas such as evolution and the results of secular history and archaeology rather than stories from scripture.

Islamization of knowledge is a term which describes a variety of attempts and approaches to synthesize the ethics of Islam with various fields of modern thought. ... Islamic economics is economics in accordance with Islamic law. ... In the history of science, Islamic science refers to the science developed under the Islamic civilisation between the 8th and 15th centuries (the Islamic Golden Age). ... The Suleiman Mosque (Süleymaniye Camii) in Istanbul was built on the order of sultan Suleiman the Magnificent by the great Ottoman architect Sinan in 1557 The History of Islam is the history of the Islamic faith and the world it shaped as a social, cultural, and political phenomenon. ... Islamic philosophy (الفلسفة الإسلامية) is a branch of Islamic studies, and is a longstanding attempt to create harmony between philosophy (reason) and the religious teachings of Islam (faith). ... Michelangelos Creation of Adam, from the Sistine Chapel. ... This article is about the biblical Noah. ... For other uses, see Abraham (name) and Abram (disambiguation). ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Prophets of Islam are male human beings who are regarded by Muslims to be prophets chosen by God. ... For other uses, see Mythology (disambiguation). ... This article is about evolution in biology. ... For other uses, see History (disambiguation). ... For referencing in Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Citing sources. ...

Islam and Anarchism

Main article: Islam and anarchism

This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Qur'an

Main article: Qur'an alone

Quran alone Muslims, Quranic Muslims or sometimes, anti-hadith Muslims are those Muslims who reject hadith, or preserved traditions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and follow the Quran, a sacred text of Islam, exclusively. ...

In North America

See Progressive Muslim Union, Muslim Canadian Congress, Canadian Muslim Union and ProgressiveIslam.Org, ForPeopleWhoThink.org The Progressive Muslim Union of North America is an Islamic organization. ... The Muslim Canadian Congress is a grassroots organization that claims to provide a voice to Muslims who support a progressive, liberal, pluralistic, democratic, and secular society where everyone has the freedom of religion. ... The Canadian Muslim Union (CMU) is a registered not-for-profit corporation in Canada. ...

In Russia and CIS

See Jadidism, Ittifaq al-Muslimin. Jadids (جديد new in Arabic): the name given to Muslim Reformers within the Russian Empire in the late 19th century (1880s). ... Ittifaq al-Muslimin (The Union of the Muslims; Russian: ) was a liberal-democratic party of Muslims in Russian Empire. ...

References

• Qur'an and Woman by Amina Wadud.
• American Muslims: Bridging Faith and Freedom by M. A. Muqtedar Khan.
• Liberal Islam: A Sourcebook Edited by Charles Kurzman.
• Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism edited by Omid Safi.
• Qur'an, Liberation and Pluralism by Farid Esack.
• Revival and Reform in Islam by Fazlur Rahman.
• The Unthought in Contemporary Islamic Thought, by Mohammed Arkoun.
• Unveiling Traditions: Postcolonial Islam in a Polycentric World by Anouar Majid.
• Islam and Science: Religious Orthodoxy and the Battle for Rationality by Pervez Hoodbhoy
• The Viability of Islamic Science by S. Irfan Habib, Economic and Political Weekly, June 05, 2004.

Amina Wadud is an Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia. ... Charles Kurzman is a Professor of Sociology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. ... Omid Safi is Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill where he specializes on Islamic mysticism (Sufism), contemporary Islamic thought, and medieval Islamic history. ... Farid Esack is a South African Progressive Muslim writer and scholar. ... Fazlur Rahman Malik (Urdu: فضل الرحمان ملک) (September 21, 1919 – July 26, 1988) was a well-known scholar of Islam; M. Yahya Birt of the Association of Islam Researchers described him as probably the most learned of the major Muslim thinkers in the second-half of the twentieth century, in terms of both... Professor Mohammed Arkoun is one of the most influential scholars in Islamic Studies today. ... Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy is professor of physics at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. ...

See also

The religion of Islam has many divisions, sects, schools, traditions, and related faiths. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A symbol of Islamic feminism, incorporating the Crescent Moon and Star of Islam into the female symbol Islamic feminism is a form of feminism that aims for the full equality of all Muslims, regardless of sex or gender, in public and private life. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Islam Hadhari (Arabic الإسلام الحضاري) or Civilizational Islam is a theory of government based on the principles of Islam as derived from the Quran. ... (Arguments critical to religion in general, or specific to Monotheism, such as the Existence of God, not dealt with here. ... Fethullah Gülen (born 27 April 1941) is a modernist Islamic scholar[1], writer, and leader of the Gülen movement. ... Mohammad Khatami (Persian : سید محمد خاتمی Seyyed Moḥammad KhātamÄ«), born on September 29, 1943, in Ardakan city of Yazd province, is an Iranian intellectual, philosopher and political figure. ... Shirin Ebadi at a press conference in November 2005. ... This article is about the leader of Egypt. ... Dr Tahir Abbas FRSA (b. ... Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl (born 1963 in Kuwait) is a controversial professor of law at the UCLA School of Law where he teaches Islamic law, immigration, human rights, international and national security law. ... Alireza Alavitabar is an outstanding Persian political scientist and a leading Iranian reformist intellectual and writer Alireza Alavitabar is a member of Islamic Iran Participation Front and the editor of the Sobh-e-Emrooz newspaper. ... Sheikh Abdul Hadi Palazzi (Arabic: ) is the leader of Italian Muslim Assembly and a co-founder and a co-chairman of the Islam-Israel Fellowship, based on what Sheikh Palazzi believes are the authentic teachings of Muhammad as expressed in the Quran and the Hadith. ... Mohammed Abed Al-Jabri (b. ... Mehdi Bazargan (مهدی بازرگان In Persian) (September, 1907? - January 20, 1995) (also spelled Mahdi Bazargan) was head of Irans interim government, virtually Irans first prime minister after the Iranian Revolution of 1979. ... Luthfi Assyaukanie Dr. Luthfi Assyaukanie (August 27, 1967, is cofounder of Liberal Islam Network. ... Ahmad Ghabel (also spelt Ahmad Qabel) is an Iranian theologian seminary lecturer, researcher and author. ... Ghulam Ahmad Pervez (1903 - 1986) Allama Ghulam Ahmad Pervez (1903-1986) was a Islamic scholar, one of the leading personalities and activist in the Pakistan movement and is today most known for denying the authority (but not necessarily the authenticity) of the Hadiths and initiating the Tolu-e-Islam movement. ... Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Bahadur, GCSI (Urdu: سید احمد خان بہا در; October 17, 1817 – March 27, 1898), commonly known as Sir Syed, was an Indian educator and politician who pioneered modern education for the Muslim community in India by founding the Muhammedan Anglo-Oriental College, which later developed into the Aligarh Muslim University. ... Rashad Khalifa, 1989 Rashad Khalifa (November 19, 1935–January 31, 1990) was an Egyptian-born American biochemist who founded the United Submitters International. ... Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Urdu:  ) (December 25, 1876 – September 11, 1948) was a Muslim politician and leader of the All India Muslim League who founded Pakistan and served as its first Governor-General. ... Dr Shabbir Ahmed Shabbir Ahmed, MD, is a writer of many Urdu and English Books on history and religion. ... Mohsen Kadivar Mohsen Kadivar (محسن کدیور, born June 7, 1959) is an Iranian Islamic philosopher, Shia cleric and activist. ... Abul Kalam Muhiyuddin Ahmed (b. ... Edip Yuksel Edip Yüksel is a former student of Rashad Khalifa and former member of the United Submitters International, an Islamic group founded by the controversial Khalifa. ... M. A. Muqtedar Khan (b. ... Fazlur Rahman Malik (Urdu: فضل الرحمان ملک) (September 21, 1919 – July 26, 1988) was a well-known scholar of Islam; M. Yahya Birt of the Association of Islam Researchers described him as probably the most learned of the major Muslim thinkers in the second-half of the twentieth century, in terms of both... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Image:Soroush. ... Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari (b. ... Ayatollah al-Udhma Yousof al-Sanei is a Grand Marja of Shia Islam. ... Ali Shariati (Persian: علی شريعتی‎) (1933–1977) was an Iranian sociologist, well known and respected for his work in the field of sociology of religion. ... Abdullahi Ahmed An-Naim is the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law at Emory University School of Law. ... Irfan Habib (1931- ) is a Marxist Indian historian, a professor at the Aligarh Muslim University and a former Chairman of the Indian Council for Historical Research. ... Javed Ahmad Ghamidi (1951—) is a well-known Pakistani scholar, exegete, and educationist. ... Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy is professor of physics at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. ... Reza Aslan (Persian: , born 1972 in Tehran) is an Iranian-American writer [1] and scholar of religions, a regular commentator for American Public Medias Marketplace, and the Middle East Analyst for CBS News. ... Mostafa Malekian (Born in Iran), is a prominent Persian (Iranian) philosopher and thinker. ... Irshad Manji (born 1968) is a Canadian Muslim feminist, author, journalist, activist and professor of leadership. ... Raquel Evita Saraswati (b. ... Ayatollah Mahmoud Taleghani was a senior Shia cleric of Iran. ... Mahmoud Mohamed Taha Mahmoud Mohamed Taha (1909 – January 18, 1985) was a Sudanese political figure and theologian. ... Bassam Tibi, born 1944 in Damascus, is a political scientist of Syrian origin with German citizenship known for his analysis of international relations concerning Islamic countries and civilisation. ... Amina Wadud is an Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in Richmond, Virginia. ... Hameed Chennamangaloor // A Brief Biography Hameed Chennamangaloor is a prominent progressive Muslim intellectual and a widely acclaimed doyen of secularism in Kerala, India. ... There are many new trends in Islamic Philosophy and meanwhile some traditional schools are still very alive and active. ... Islam and modernity is about the relation and compatibility between the phenomenon of modernity, its related concepts and ideas, and the religion of Islam. ... There is a current controversy on the circumstances in which women may act as imams - that is, lead a congregation in salat (prayer. ... LGBT rights Around the world · By country History · Groups · Activists Same-sex relationships Opposition · Persecution Violence The Al-Fatiha Foundation is an organization devoted to advancing the cause of gay, lesbian, and transgender Muslims. ... 99 Precepts for Opening Hearts, Minds and Doors in the Muslim World is the name of a document written by journalist and author Asra Q. Nomani. ... Quran alone Muslims, Quranic Muslims or sometimes, anti-hadith Muslims are those Muslims who reject hadith, or preserved traditions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and follow the Quran, a sacred text of Islam, exclusively. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

External links

• ForPeopleWhoThink.org website under the theologian and specialist in classical Islamic law - "Allama Dr. Abu Yusuf Khaleel Al-Corentini" pseudonym Khaleel Mohammed
• Progressive Muslim Union of North America
• Jaringan Islam Liberal (Liberal Islam Network) of Indonesia
• Islamic Reform
• Progressive Islam site
• Muslim Wake Up! Online progressive Muslim magazine
• Understanding Islam Islam From Various Aspects in Light of Qur'an and Sunnah
• Charles Kurzman's Liberal Islam links compiled by the author of Liberal Islam: A Sourcebook (published 1998 by Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 0-19-511622-4).
• God's Mosque Q&A using Quran alone
• Ijtihad.org by Dr. M. A. Muqtedar Khan
• IrshadManji.com website of Irshad Manji, author of "The Trouble with Islam Today."
• "Can Islam change?", Ziauddin Sardar, New Statesman, 13 September 2004
• Muslims for Progressive Values
• http://www.interrel.de/m_sing.htm#engl, on the Lebanese thinker Abdallah al-Alayili (1914-1996).