'No God but God" and the Muslim Reform Movement
In No God but God, Reza Aslan discusses the idea of creating a modern reform movement in Islam through the context of Muhammad's teachings. When Muhammad arrived in Medina in 622, then known as Yathrib, he worked with the varying tribes to set up a new community. In his teachings, there was a relatively even mix of secular and religious doctrine while in Medina - the rules of Yathrib were shaped by practicality, but had a religious view to them. By helping to create the Constitution of Medina, Muhammad united the eight Medinan tribes and those Muslims who had emigrated from Mecca under rules of good behavior. These ideals, according to Aslan, could affect a modern reform movement in a very interesting and powerful way. By applying Muhammad's ideals of reform to a modern society, a better way of life could be influenced in modern Islam.
The essence of Muhammad's ideals for Islam in Yathrib have to do with how he formed the Ummah, the social order that comprised this united Yathrib (p. 58). First, he reformed the tribal ethic found in Mecca; by uniting the people in an area, he could make it more likely that people would look out for each other, and diminish the plight of the unprotected (p. 40). Muhammad thought that he could escape the greed of the Quraysh he had escaped from by making a more equal, idealistic society in Yathrib.
Muhammad also sought to unite the Jewish tribes that existed there within the Ummah, a fairly controversial but idealistic move. With this strategy, Muhammad took one more step towards egalitarianism. In Muhammad's mind, everyone was equal under one God; therefore, he opted to include the Jews in the Ummah. At the same time, he put an end to usury and false contracts; instead of the poor becoming essentially enslaved to others, he made the rich responsible for their care. Instead of making all of these reforms and more from a religious standpoint, he wished to create a more just society. "If one were truly to rely on the Medinan ideal to define the nature and function of an Islamic state, it would have to be characterized as nothing more than the nationalist manifestation of the Ummah (a pluralist society)" (p. 265).
In Aslan's mind, the ideal of Medina has faded in modern Islam, to be replaced by fractured factions battling each other for what they feel the ideal version of Islam should be. Pakistan has turned into a military dictatorship, while the Muslims in India view Islam as part of their culture rather than part of their society (p. 263). The idea of what constitutes an Islamist state has been given multiple definitions, somewhat returning to the tribal ethic that Muhammad sought to fix. Iran has its authoritarian rule, Saudi Arabia its religion-fuelled theocracy, and so on - however, they all believe they are the definition of Islam. "Not only do all of these countries view themselves as the realization of the Medinan ideal, they view each other as contemptible desecrations of that ideal."
Aslan's view, and one I believe has merit, is that a return to Muhammad's true ideals of a pluralistic society (the Ummah) would definitely be a welcome change. There are many notions started by Muhammad that could spark the kind of change required to unite these nations and create a more unified, equalized society. First, there is the concept of unity that led to Muhammad uniting the various tribes. Instead of constantly being at odds regarding whose is the 'right' Islam, coming to a compromise based on ideals of pluralism and cooperation would create a stronger whole. What's more, people could cease their loyalties to authority figures and human leaders, and unite under their shared submission to God and their community (p. 265).
In order to achieve these goals, a democracy may have to be established. "It must be understood that a respect for human rights, like pluralism, is a process that develops naturally within a democracy" (p. 273). However, this falls in line with Muhammad's ideals of ensuring equality and fairness among both the rich and the poor. With Medinan ideals of the elimination of usury in place, authoritarian governments would no longer be allowed to subjugate its working class, and a better life would be created. Muhammad's ideals of pluralism, equality and economic fairness would all be welcome notions to a modern reform of Islam. In making these changes, Islam would not fundamentally change from what it is, or what it is supposed to be. Rather, it would return to a notion of temperance and respect that Muhammad itself created and established through the Ummah. With that pluralism being the basis of such reform, Islam could make itself into a prouder, more productive and united set of nations.
Works Cited
Aslan, Reza. No God but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam. Random House,
2005. Print.
