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Reform and Justice
What has been described
so far is, of course, the Islamic ideal, and it would be
dishonest to pretend that Muslim practice at all times
corresponds to this. Muslims, like all people, are fallible
and have shortcomings. Traditions often develop over time
which may have been influenced by many other, usually
cultural, factors and are perceived by a society as Islamic
norms when they have no basis in the original guidance
provided by the Qur’an and the example set out by the
messenger. Like any other society, Muslim society is also in
need of constant reform.
The
Islamic legal code, know as the Shariah, takes account of
this. Islamic law is made up of some unchangeable principles
based on which solutions are found for legal problems, taking
changing circumstances into account. There are various methods
for arriving at such solutions, for example analogy, where a
situation is compared to a similar one for which an answer
already exists. Islam also acknowledges that the ideal
solution can’t always be found, and therefore uses a method of
reconciling various options by weighing up their benefits and
disadvantages. This flexibility on the one hand, with a
permanent value system on the other, ensures that Islam is
neither so fluid that it can mean all things to all people,
nor so rigid that it does not keep up with new challenges as
time progresses.
The Islamic worldview does not look for perfection on earth. This means that there is always room for improvement, implying an ongoing process of reform. A society which stops reforming itself and trying to get closer to its ideals will become stagnant and will have to give way to more dynamic forces taking it over. Even though Islam is based on the complete revelation of Allah valid for all times to come, Islamic society is continually in need of regeneration – a commitment which does not leave room for complacency. The recent decline of Islam in the world during the era of Western colonialism shows the consequences of failing to realise that Islam is a process and not a state. The post-colonial revival of Islam in our own times, however, shows equally that the sources of Islam are intact and capable of generating the dynamics required for rejuvenating the Islamic message and practice.
[Next: The Balance
]
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