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| Maajid Nawaz |
But what happens when a Westernized Muslim admits that the Qur'an, without reinterpretation by modern reformers, supports ISIS?
Maajid Nawaz is a British politician and chairman of the Quilliam Foundation (a "counter-extremism" think-tank). Nawaz acknowledges that "ISIS-style slavery, beheading, lashing, amputation and other medieval practices" are all found in the Qur'an, but he maintains that reformers must reinterpret such Qur'anic teachings or face "an ISIL-style theocracy."
Unfortunately for readers who think Nawaz is on the right track in his attempt to reform Islam, the Qur'an doesn't allow such reinterpretation.
According to the Qur'an, Muslims can have no real faith until they make Muhammad judge in all disputes and have no resistance against his decisions:
Qur'an 4:65—But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.The Qur'an also declares that true believers have no option except complete obedience to the commands of Allah and Muhammad:
Qur'an 33:36—It is not fitting for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Apostle, to have any option about their decision: if any one disobeys Allah and His Apostle, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path.Since reinterpreting the decisions and commands of Allah and Muhammad are ruled out by the Qur'an itself, no one who sincerely submits to Allah can ever accept the reinterpretations of Westernized Muslims like Maajid Nawaz. The only outcome of true submission to Allah is, as Nawaz puts it, an "ISIL-style theocracy."
For a brief introduction to some Islamic teachings that Nawaz would like to reinterpret, watch this:
