You've heard the terms "radicalized Muslims" and "fundamentalist Muslims." We use those terms to make sure everyone knows we're not talking about "normal" or "moderate" Muslims. There is a good reason to try to make this distinction.
The main reason is because if you say "Muslim," you might mean all Muslims, and clearly all Muslims are not behaving the same.
The only piece of information missing from most peoples' understanding is that the "radicalized" Muslims are not really radical. They are orthodox. They are simply doing what it says in their scriptures they are supposed to do. They're not "hijacking" their religion or misinterpreting it. Most non-Muslims are unaware of this.
The first definition for "orthodox" in Answers.com is: Adhering to the accepted or traditional and established faith, especially in religion. That's perfect. And it is easily understood by most Westerners. It's a term we're already familiar with.
And in Answers.com, heterodox means: Not in agreement with accepted beliefs, especially in church doctrine or dogma. You can delete the word "church" and that's a great definition for what has been termed "moderate" Muslims. It's accurate and makes the distinction very clear.
So I'll be using the term "orthodox" to describe someone who strictly follows the teachings in the Quran and the Hadith, and who tries — as a good Muslim is supposed to do according to the doctrines — to follow Mohammad's example.
To learn more about some of these basic teachings and what kind of example Mohammad set, refer to the article, What Makes Islam So Successful?
Orthodox and Heterodox Muslims: Definitions
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Congratulations on using the correct term "orthodox" to describe those Muslims who follow the actual demands of Allah and Mohammad. The radicals are those like Irshad Manji, who are trying to modernize a barbaric ideology. I wish there were more Muslim "radicals".
ReplyDeleteExactly, Kingsley.
ReplyDeleteAll praise be to Allah, I am so thankful that someone had sense enough to properly define what we are as Muslims, and what our true mission is. My the blessings of Allah fall fresh on you!
ReplyDeleteAnd your destiny, apparently, is to be a jerk to strangers five years late on the internet.
Deleteisn't it a bit 'christian wannabe' that we use words such as orthodox and heterodox?are ortodox mslims sunni or shia?
ReplyDeleteOrthodox muslims are sunnis.
DeleteJust catching up thanks for posting this information for those of us who want to protect freedom, and sanity.
ReplyDeletethank you for defining orthodoxy so clearly now i an answer to all who considers me an orthodox just because i dress according to islamic norms in hindu university.
ReplyDeleteAllahu akbar. May 12, 2012..... before year's ending, a new phrasing will be on everyone's tongue. the Reform Orthodox Islam. Wahhabism isn't correct orthodoxy. Correct interpretation, of Qu'ran, has beeen ongoing,in these N.E. united states of shaytaan. 2012
ReplyDeleteAbdullah, will the intolerance against non-Muslims be removed from the Koran in this reformed Islam?
ReplyDeleteWell as u said that that there is intolerance and hatred against non muslims in Islam, well that's also a BIG misconception. There is no hatred against non Muslims and specially there is no hatred in Qur'an against Jews and Christians. In Quran it's mentioned to never ever make fun of any religion and its practices. Islam teaches to respect others' religions. How can u even say that Quran doesn't tolerate non Muslims without a proof. My brother first check it out then come to a conclusion!
DeleteRegards
Anix Bilal
Heterodox - I haven't heard that terms before. Good term.
ReplyDeleteAlso I like the term orthodox Muslim versus the commonly used radical or fundamentalist. The latter sound somehow like a fringe element - but orthodox, very clear and understandable term that does not define someone as outside what is accepted in a religion.
Elsa, terminology matters a lot. And we've spent some considerable time trying to name the legitimate and important difference between two kinds of Muslims, but we wanted a word that did not carry a value judgment but was also accurate. We once had an online discussion where our readers helped us work out the terminology and when a woman suggested "orthodox," we knew that was it.
ReplyDeleteHere's more on terminology:
“Radical” is a Misleading Term
Are All Fundamentalists Dangerous?
Heres some more terminology :
ReplyDelete"Islam in its entirety, with its evils and injustices, hatred of non muslims,paedophillia, murdering and stink, should be completely irradicated from our shores".... Alahu Akbar, upya jumpa. fk u too
Radical Orthodoxy Islamists!
ReplyDeleteThis is merely a distinction between two kinds of people who call themselves Muslim. I agree with what you're saying. You're referring to Islam's "rule of numbers," which means when Muslims are a small minority, they keep their heads down and work to increase their numbers, and when the numbers get high enough, they become more aggressive, just as Muhammad did. Here's more about that:
ReplyDeleteIslam's Rule of Numbers
Muslims are not the problem, ISLAM is the problem. There is NO such thing as a MODERATE Muslim. Only INFIDELS and Confused wanna be Christian Muslims.
ReplyDeleteISLAM IS NOTHING MORE THAN AN IDEOLOGY OF DEATH TO ANY COUNTRY THAT GOES FOR IT! THE CRUSADES OF YEARS AGO UNDERSTOOD IT AND WE NEED TO BRING BACK THE CRUSADES TO REMOVE THIS SLIME FROM OUR FREE SOCIETIES OF THE WORLD ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE U S A!
ReplyDeleteMuslims are human beings who believe Islamic doctrine is filled with sacred teachings. It is not good news for us non-Muslims, and we definitely need to resist the Islamization of the world, but calling all Muslims animals is going too far. But for those Muslims who commit heinous acts of violence and torture, "animals" is appropriate.
ReplyDeleteI agree totally, it is an insult to all animals of the planet to be placed in the same category as a Muslim. Every animal serves a purpose.
DeleteA simple read of the Quran reveals that Allah can't give revelations to Muhammad as clearly a stone statue to the moon god can't do anything except take up space.
ReplyDeleteHere are the reasons that Muhammad was just a power hungry murdering necrophile and knew nothing about the world that aledgedly Allah created, if Allah was the creator either it was extremely forgetful of what it created or Muhammad made the whole lot up, I think the latter applies!
Blinding errors in the Quran!
Quran 86:5
So let man observe from what he was created.
Quran 86:6
He was created from a fluid, ejected,
Quran 86:7
Emerging from between the backbone and the ribs.
Clearly Allah knew nothing about the human anatomy that he aledgedly created and forgot about testicles. (Missed by that much)
Clearly Muhammad the power hungry murdering necrophile was making up the revelations as he knew nothing about semen production either.
Quran 13:3
And He it is Who spread out the earth and placed therein firm hills and flowing streams, and of all fruits He placed therein two spouses (male and female). He covereth the night with the day. Lo! herein verily are portents for people who take thought.
Here we go again Muhammad the power hungry murdering necrophile knew nothing about fruit trees but only about date palms which are male and female, but forgetful Allah didn't tell about the Orange, Apple, Avacardo trees etc. that he aledgedly made!
That is just 2 instances in the Quran of Muhammad the power hungry murdering necrophile pulling the wool over peoples eyes but that was the 7th Century when knowledge was very limited but the Muslims still believe that is correct.
And you totally ignore what a certain Christian Pope did.
DeleteMay Allah have mercy on the ones who don't believe
ReplyDeleteIslam, so called 'Religion' is obviously a Political Movement in Stealth by force and deception--- wake up.
ReplyDeleteSurely an adherence to Arabic text for the Quran is orthodox. Apart from obvious similarities to the Catholic theocracies leveraging the arcanity of Latin to rule the illiterate masses of Europe (Arabic is language of law and rule for the orthodox). Again, the power of words. God is a word.
ReplyDeleteI believe a concerted effort could be made to include permissible local language translations to serve as Quranic text. In the middle ages the Latin Church was transformed by the King James Bible. Think of the impact of a "Globally Certified Moderate Quran Standard."
An open-source Urdu, English, Bahasa, French or Uighur language Quran would reach more minds, and serve to delineate Orthodoxy from the modern moderates who patiently waited for their own Gutenburgian advances -- this time over the internet.
This move, and other key shifts away from Orthodoxy would sum up a more peaceful and harmonious faith. It would create a schism, yes, but as many have pointed out, Islam is heavily schismatic and fragmented already. This would be a laterally unifying schism and would clearly separate "orthodoxy" from "moderacy" regardless of the language, region, business or politics of the faithful:
- No rigid adherence to Arabic language text
- No instance on Sharia law -- local jurisdictions govern politically to agreed bodies of law
- agreeing theocracy is not required for folks to practice islam in a deep and meaningful way
- continue the community practices of the five pillars within a democratic and harmonious framework that recognizes it is only freedom of all religions which permits the practice of any one.