Islamic fundamentalism

Islamic fundamentalism is primarily used in the Western world to describe Islamist groups. However, usage of the term is often expanded to include all of the following aspects of Islam and the modern Islamic world:

As a way of reading one's religious texts

Muslims believe that the Qur'an was dictated by Allah, through the Arch-Angel Jibril, to Muhammad and that the current text of the Qur'an is identical to what was said by Muhammad to be the Qur'an. Islam traditionally has also taught that the correct interpretation of the Qur'an must rely solely on the Qur'an and Hadith (the oral accounts of Muhammad's teachings and practices), and nothing else. This excludes tradition, popular practice and all but the simplest reasoning.

Related Topics:
Qur'an - Allah - Jibril - Muhammad - Hadith

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

While reading the Qur'an does not allow one to unambiguously know the will of God, reading the Qur'an in reference to the practices of Muhammad does allow one to unambiguously determine how Muslims should behave on important issues. This view, commonly associated with Wahhabism by Western sources hostile to islamic ideals, rejects Shi'a Islam, and the four common schools of jurisprudence in Sunni Islam.

Related Topics:
Wahhabism - Shi'a Islam - Schools of jurisprudence - Sunni Islam

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~