With so much criticism of Muhammed, isn't it time to reform Islam?
1 Answer
I would say most certainly not because the mere criticism would make the critic right and the criticized wrong. If we follow this criterion we would say 'with so much criticism of Islam critics. isn't it time to stop it? The point lies on, is the matter is true in itself, regardless of criticism because everything would be criticized, or not. Criticism of the Prophet Muhammed (saw) has existed since the 7th century, when he was criticised by the pagan Arabs for preaching monotheism and by the Jewish tribes of Arabia for his unwarranted appropriation of Biblical narratives and figures and his attacks on the Jewish traditions and proclaiming himself as "the last prophet" without performing any miracle as demanded in the Bible to distinguish a true prophet from a charleton. During the Middle Ages, various Christian thinkers considered him to be a deplorable man, a false prophet and even the Antichrist. Contemporary secular criticism of Islam attacks his sincerity in claiming to be a prophet, his ownership of slaves, his treatment of enemies, his marriages and his psychological condition. Especially controversial is his marriage to Aisha when she was six years old and consummated when she was nine. This long term view shows how values underpinning these criticisms have changed but Islam has remained the same consistent message. Our challenge is exposing the falsity of secular liberal ideological traditions that underpin today's critiques - not changing the message, distorting it or performing mental gymnastics to appease. Dominant ideologies make their values seem normal. They are not. Islam is normal for mankind - it is the truth.
I would say most certainly not because the mere criticism would make the critic right and the criticized wrong. If we follow this criterion we would say 'with so much criticism of Islam critics. isn't it time to stop it? The point lies on, is the matter is true in itself, regardless of criticism because everything would be criticized, or not. Criticism of the Prophet Muhammed (saw) has existed since the 7th century, when he was criticised by the pagan Arabs for preaching monotheism and by the Jewish tribes of Arabia for his unwarranted appropriation of Biblical narratives and figures and his attacks on the Jewish traditions and proclaiming himself as "the last prophet" without performing any miracle as demanded in the Bible to distinguish a true prophet from a charleton. During the Middle Ages, various Christian thinkers considered him to be a deplorable man, a false prophet and even the Antichrist. Contemporary secular criticism of Islam attacks his sincerity in claiming to be a prophet, his ownership of slaves, his treatment of enemies, his marriages and his psychological condition. Especially controversial is his marriage to Aisha when she was six years old and consummated when she was nine. This long term view shows how values underpinning these criticisms have changed but Islam has remained the same consistent message. Our challenge is exposing the falsity of secular liberal ideological traditions that underpin today's critiques - not changing the message, distorting it or performing mental gymnastics to appease. Dominant ideologies make their values seem normal. They are not. Islam is normal for mankind - it is the truth.