|
Written by Mehmet Ozalp
|
|
Tuesday, 13 February 2007 |
|
Page 4 of 4 Summary - The main emphasis of modernity in the personal domain is individualism; in the intellectual and religious domain rationalism while in the social and political domain it is democracy.
- Islam gives responsibility to individuals for their lives and actions while promoting an egalitarian society and cooperation to prevent isolation. Islam demands that its adherents reach certainty in faith through rational conviction. The Muslim community was administered democratically or with democratic principles during much of its history. So the claim that Muslims cannot cope with modernity is flawed.
- Muslims do not necessarily agree with the classification of Muslims into three main categories — fundamentalists (or extremists), moderates and modernists.
- The root cause for the adverse response of Muslims to modern life lies in incomplete education and/or unfavourable life conditions that determine the dominant culture.
- Those Muslims who have attained wisdom and a positive attitude through transcending their cultural and social context will determine the right level of intellectual, spiritual and social response Muslims give to the modern world in which they live in.
- The everyday lifestyle of a practising Muslim is essentially no different to any other average person.
- The highest level of being is achieved through being an individual among peoples while in parallel being constantly connected to God through a conscious awareness of God.
- For a practising Muslim the everyday is sacred.
- Almost in all cases of life-style conflict, practical solutions are found because of the inherent flexibility in Islamic practice.
|
