First, let me say I am a Philosopher, and not necessarily a religious man (but a spiritual one). I have traveled from one side of Earth to the other studying and participating in religions so that I could better understand them. I think this is the only true way... With regard to this issue, I believe, whereas every religion/faith has benefits...there are also many areas which could/should be improved - even according to the tenets of that faith. In Islam, there is something called 'Ijtihad' and it is supposed to be 'revisited' about every couple decades in order to keep the faith aligned (and believable) in contemporary times, though, this has not really happened in Islam - or in many of the other faiths. In other words, it prevents the 'over-fundamentalizing' of a faith and keeps it fresh and acceptable in modern time, as the world changes. This is also a problem with many other religions, such as Christian fundamentalism. Nothing static can exist and be realistically believable in a dynamic world which often changes and is undefined by the past, when these guidelines were written/given. It will often get too old-fashioned and/or lose context, which will cripple the ability of the faithful to accept those tenets and for the faith to survive well into the future. With regard to 'Ijtihad', I believe that - according to the fundamental beliefs of Islam, the truly faithful believe that they are not in a position to 'judge' or 'know the intention' in others' hearts and leave that up to Allah (or 'The God'). That may have been fine in the past but, with people in the modern day corrupting or 'weaponizing' the religion and 'co-opting' it for evil intent or to justify things that are clearly not within the tenets of that faith, it is probably time for leaders (Imams) to step up and encourage peaceful resistance to these actions by those who are truly faithful (and peaceful) in order to let those who may be misguided know they are doing more damage to their faith from within than those on the outside may be doing. This is only my opinion, but I have spent a great deal of time considering it. I hope that it helps to clear things up a bit and meets with understanding and approval...Insya'Allah (God-willing). _____________________________________________________ Ijtihad (Arabic: اجتهاد ijtihād, "diligence") is an Islamic legal term that means "independent reasoning" or "the utmost effort an individual can put forth in an activity." _____________________________________________________ 'Was the Gate of Ijtihad Closed?' http://ift.tt/29IP70i

First, let me say I am a Philosopher, and not necessarily a religious man (but a spiritual one). I have traveled from one side of Earth to the other studying and participating in religions so that I could better understand them. I think this is the only true way... With regard to this issue, I believe, whereas every religion/faith has benefits...there are also many areas which could/should be improved - even according to the tenets of that faith. In Islam, there is something called 'Ijtihad' and it is supposed to be 'revisited' about every couple decades in order to keep the faith aligned (and believable) in contemporary times, though, this has not really happened in Islam - or in many of the other faiths. In other words, it prevents the 'over-fundamentalizing' of a faith and keeps it fresh and acceptable in modern time, as the world changes. This is also a problem with many other religions, such as Christian fundamentalism. Nothing static can exist and be realistically believable in a dynamic world which often changes and is undefined by the past, when these guidelines were written/given. It will often get too old-fashioned and/or lose context, which will cripple the ability of the faithful to accept those tenets and for the faith to survive well into the future. With regard to 'Ijtihad', I believe that - according to the fundamental beliefs of Islam, the truly faithful believe that they are not in a position to 'judge' or 'know the intention' in others' hearts and leave that up to Allah (or 'The God'). That may have been fine in the past but, with people in the modern day corrupting or 'weaponizing' the religion and 'co-opting' it for evil intent or to justify things that are clearly not within the tenets of that faith, it is probably time for leaders (Imams) to step up and encourage peaceful resistance to these actions by those who are truly faithful (and peaceful) in order to let those who may be misguided know they are doing more damage to their faith from within than those on the outside may be doing. This is only my opinion, but I have spent a great deal of time considering it. I hope that it helps to clear things up a bit and meets with understanding and approval...Insya'Allah (God-willing). _____________________________________________________ Ijtihad (Arabic: اجتهاد ijtihād, "diligence") is an Islamic legal term that means "independent reasoning" or "the utmost effort an individual can put forth in an activity." _____________________________________________________ 'Was the Gate of Ijtihad Closed?' http://ift.tt/29IP70i - We're keeping you up to date on the Nice attacks and everything else you need to know to start your day