What is "moderate Islam" - does it reject Muhammad and the Koran?

Question

Does it re-write the history regarding Muhammad and re-translate "kill unbelievers" to mean "fight the inner struggle against temptation?"

I KNOW there are people who claim to be Muslim and worship in mosques who are non-violent and even friendly, some of whom denounce the terrorists.

But how can this be reconciled with the wellspring of their religion?

Yes, Christianity, primarily before the Reformation, was violent too - - - but JESUS wasn't. The origin of that faith is non-violent. Jesus may or may not have been God but he wasn't violent in the least, and never spoke in favor of violence. Muhammad killed tens of thousands of people, in most cases in unprovoked raids. And his Koran clearly says to kill the unbelievers - it says how to kill them and what the reward from Allah will be.

How can "moderate Islam" - however one defines it - be reconciled with origins that are anything but moderate?

And please - "reporting" this question on Y/A will get it removed - but that's just an admission on your part that you have no answer.

OK Frank you're still sidestepping the issue - the origins of Islam are extremely violent - its founder was extremely violent and he spoke and published a doctrine of violence.

You can agree or disagree, follow or not follow (and BTW I disagree and don't follow) the theology of Christianity, but Jesus himself was nonviolent and preached non-violence.

The difference is the radicals in the two religions are doing two different things - - - one group goes against everything Jesus said and did, and one group follows literally what Muhammad said and did.

You can clearly be non-violent and say you follow Jesus, because he was non-violent.

But how do you follow Muhammad and say you're non-violent?

"...for those items are interpreted by Extremist for their favor."

netjr you're closer but still sidestepping it - that's convenient but not accurate to say violence is just "an interpretation" - - to interpret the Koran as non-violent means to take the words "kill the unbeliever wherever you may find him" and interpet them to mean something other than what they say. And even if you could do that, it still leaves Muhammad - a mass-murderer. You can't change history - Muhammad led his followers un countless unprovoked raids - they massacred entire villages, killing the men, keeping the women they liked, and selling the rest of the women, and the children, into slavery.

How do you say you follow this man but support non-violence?

Ryan in some areas Christians and Jews were allowed to live if they acknowledge the superiority of Islam and payed a tax, called a jizya. But in most areas, and in most times, they were just killed off - as were other sects, including the Buddhists in northern India.

You know that exhibit in the Holocaust Museum where they have pictures of shuls all over Europe and a caption says there were hundreds or thousands of Jews in a given city in 1900 and then sixteen in 1950? You could do a similar exhibit with non-Muslim groups in parts of the Middle East, and for the same exact reason.

"The modern day Jihad as a widespread holy war is actually a new concept" - - pip that's just not true - - do you know why Northern India is Muslim and no longer Buddhist? Because the Muslims from neighboring countries INVADED and KILLED all the Buddhists. Not exiled - killed.

Sleepy Hollow - people who were Christian committed some of those acts - it wasn't led by the churches, it wasn't done in the name of religion. The Native Americans, yeah, some of that was done in the name of religion - the Holocaust no, that was done in the name of a militaristic branch of socialism.

Oh and "jihad means struggle" eh? Then why does the Koran say Allah will reward those who DIE in the struggle? It says that repeatedly! How can you DIE from the inner struggle against temptation? And why does the Koran say Allah calls both the heavy armed and the light armed to the struggle? If it's the struggle to live properly, why do you need armor for that?

"I have not found anything like what you have put forward within my experience of Islam" - energybuild apparently your experience does not include the Koran, the Hadiths or any historical account of the life of Muhammad.

I encourage all of you to go to Borders and buy a Koran and read it for yourself.

Answer 1

The Koran is a book of violence and female suppression, in short, its back to he middle ages, doesn't matter, how much politicians try to pussyfoot around it. It's plain out disgusting

Answer 2

It is the extremists that are not practising Islam as the Koran teaches. The moderates are what one would call real Muslims. I have not found anything like what you have put forward within my experience of Islam so i worry about your source. Also don't tell me Christianity was violent in the past, it still is violent just look at the extremist elements of the Christian movement. extremists and those that selectively quote to prove a shaky point are the bigest threat to world peace.

Answer 3

The modern day Jihad as a widespread holy war is actually a new concept. It was used to recruit Muslims for the Afghani/USSR war and this is when it evolved completely into what we think of as a Jihad today. Moderate Muslims do see a Jihad as an internal struggle against their own demons.. not a widespread holy war.. and it takes no re-writing to do that... it's just a difference of opinion.. you can take almost ANY verse from the Bible and get just as varied of opinions. Moderate Muslims are also more open minded towards the West as well...some even choose to live here.


Edit: it's obvious you won't accept another opinion on this one.. my sources are from Pakistanis and Jordanians and Lebanese people.. they have a better feel for this than you and I combined for they have lived it... but you didn't ask this to listen and think did you.. you asked this one to try and convince others to think like you.

Answer 4

Sunnah is a ingredient of Islam. The Quran itself says that the Quran replaced into printed to Muhammad so he can clarify it to human beings. So between the missions of Muhammad replaced into to describe the Quran, no longer in basic terms by using words yet by using movements. in any different case, what's using sending a e book with a Prophet. I propose, Allah would have despatched a e book with no Prophet. with a view to examine out the great Sunnah by using fact the reason and the smart implementation of the Quran. So in this sense, Sunnah is a source of Islam basically like Quran is a source of Islam. the only distinction is that the Quran, textual content and meaning, is from God, while the textual content of the Sunnah/Hadith is from the Prophet mutually as the meaning is from God. in fact, the Prophet have mentioned in a Hadith, "certainly i replaced into given the Quran and something equivalent to it with it" concerning the Sunnah. So this means that what the Prophet used to speak replaced into no longer from his very own opinion yet replaced right into a revelation that the Prophet used to put in his very own words. so a methods as Ijmaa' or Qiyaas, then those are no longer seen as components of Islam. yet they are seen as components for fixing new jurisprudence subject concerns that regarded after the time of the Prophet. as an occasion, Islam forbade wine yet did no longer point out something approximately beer. yet considering the fact that they are comparable and that they share the reason of prohibition it relatively is intoxication or drunkenness, then we are saying the beer is impermissible by using way of Qiyas (analogy). in any different case, that's totally sparkling in Islam that Qiyas ought to not at all be used whilst there's a sparkling textual content ( i.e. Quran or Sunnah). And Allah knows superb

Answer 5

Judaism, the basis for Christianity, advocates violence against onon-believers.
Christianity it self believed that violence against non Christians was justified. Look at the conquest of America, look at the holocaust. No it wasn;t muslims... it was christians killing non christians.

If you knew anything about Jesus, and believed in him, you would not profess hate against the muslim people. You would not profess hate against anyone.

Sadly, Christ's message of peace has not never been advocated by many christians.

Please look into Liberation theology... it looks unto the true heritage of Christs gospel.

Blessed be the poor
Blessed be the children
Blessed be the peace makers
for their is the kingdom of heaven
(sermon on the mount, paraphrased)

edit: by the way, Jihad means sttruggle. We can all agree that that belief takes sttruggle, internal or external and that it need not be violent.
If you are a true christian, defend your iraqi brothers. Stop the war.

Answer 6

For most of Islam's existence Muslim leaders have been tolerant of other religions especially the other Abrahimic religions (i.e. Judaism and Christianity)... in many parts of the early Islamic Empire Christians and Jews were allowed to practice their religion with relative impunity... Mohammad himself referred to the Jews and Christians as "people of the Scripture" and acknowledged the fact that both religions were an important part of Islamic history... in fact both the Jewish Abraham and Jesus are named in the Koran as being prophets from God... though I have not studied the Koran myself I know that from the beginning Islam has been a religion of tolerance and respect towards other religious beliefs, especially those of the Judeo-Christian religions...

Answer 7

Moderate Islam is a disorganized reformation movement, primarily in very liberal places like America or the EU, but also within sects of Islam, such as the Sufis, that seeks to re-interpret the Koran in a manner compatible with the continued existance of rival religions, secular cultures, modern concepts of human rights and the modern world, in general.

'Moderate' could also be used to describe a muslim who is simply not that devout.

Finally, 'Moderate Islam' is sometime used to refer to Islam in general, less the radical movement of Islamism (a highly politicised form of Islam - or a political movement that draws upon Islam - that started in the 60s, and is the driving force behind terrorist groups like Al Qaeda).

Answer 8

Jesus might not have been violent but his reincarnation George Bush is (Your racist rethug friends call him Jesus) ! He has killed millions of people, screwed more than 4 nations up in just 8 years.

Wow, what a feat.

And yea, one more thing like you said cry baby, "reporting" this answer on Y/A will get it removed - but that's just an admission on your part that you have no answer.

EDIT- Fantastic work Washington Irving. Great reply buddy :-)

Answer 9

I would describe moderate Islam as those who do not profess Islam to be the only faith, acceptance of others, and willingness to practice its religion in peace with others. Moderate Islam does not have to reject the Koran or Muhammad for those items are interpreted by Extremist for their favor.

Answer 10

There really is no such thing as moderate Islam. Sure, there will be those who are not as exteem in their thinking. But thos leaders who consider themselve moderate still condone suicide bombings and martyrdom. So, in that respect they really are not moderate. Also, they do still follow Mohammad and the Koran. Although, there are sects that follow other prophets and not Mohammad. But that is not a reason why one would be labeled as moderate.

Answer 11

Um, no. To reject Muhammad and the Koran would mean you wouldn't be a Muslim anymore.

"Moderate Muslim" can equate to "Moderate Christian" - Someone who has faith and follows the teaching of their religion, but doesn't let if effect their lives in an overwhelming way or take it to the extremes that "Radical" members of their religion take it to.