the new Conservative movement

Submitted by Fatima Odekunle (Nigeria), Oct 17, 2006 at 07:52

what led me to this site was reading an article in a local newspaper about Abdullah An Naim, and even though the writer was trying to discredit him and his views, it was obvious to any objective mind that what he was saying was true and made sense.

i have begun to notice more and more that schools of thought in islam are no longer encouraged or entertained. one of the beautiful things about islam is its vastness and abiltiy to make you use your mind while practising it. i have always considered myself to have differing views on islam compared to almost all my muslim friends and it took a little research to find that i am not the only one; and that indeed varied and sometimes extreme schools of thought have always existed in islam.

islam is a way of life and a tool with which we are to serve and obey God in order to fulfill our purpose as human beings, and like any tool, it should evolve with time. we should always remember that while the Quran, as a direct revelation from God is timeless , the Hadith and the Sharia are highly contextual. just as the scholars sat down to draw up the Sharia based on the Quran and the traditions of the prophet considering the issues, circumstances and environment of their time, we also have an obligation to do something similar in our own time.

i have always seen Islam as limitless, and because i wasn't born into it and chose it for myself, i am always disheartened when i meet people with rigid and stoic views that refuse to even begin to consider objective(but still spiritual) analysis of why's and hows of practising Islam.

i can only hope that with Scholars like Abdallah An Na-im considering these options and bringing to the light and knowledge of many muslims, that one day we will be able to take another leap forward and change the perceptions of the world at large about Islam.

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