Campusalam

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Some Sunni adhere strictly to the teachings of one of the Islamic legal schools, and refer to the Qur’an and the Sunnah largely mediated through the scholars of their school. This style is usually insistent on following a traditional approach as applied to the essentials of worship, dress, and rules for applying and practicing Islam. Some would discourage the use of independent reasoning or interpretation.

Another stance is that Muslims need to return to the sources afresh, the root (salaf) of Islam, and for that reason are often called 'Salafi'. They may feel that undesirable interpretations or innovations have crept into Islam and need renewal; they often do not hold the traditional legal schools in the same regard and as they would say prefer to follow the salaf, the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) with direct recourse to the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Many Salafis emphasise a more literalist reading of the text and discourage ‘interpretation’. Behaviour, religious practice, beliefs and attitudes, dress should in their view be justified by direct reference to the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

Some Muslims have taken on an activist political stance. This historically can be seen to have evolved as a form of resistance to the oppression and repression in the Muslim world, whether by the governments of Muslim-majority countries or as a reaction against colonialism. When fused to a particular reading of the sources of Islam, it has taken on distinctive characteristics and traits, such as an interest in Islamic forms of government seen as a Caliphate.

On the other hand, others who appear religiously traditional or conservative in this way concentrate their attention on religious practice and are uninterested in politics. They may be sceptical about what they perceive as Western values, behaviour, or lifestyle; and they may be unenthusiastic about social or civic engagement. They might even be actively hostile to the non-Islamic realm, but they nevertheless remain politically unmotivated.

Therefore ‘traditionalism’ or ‘literalism’ in matters of faith, practice and theology should be distinguished from political activism or radicalism, which is a mistake that can be made by some unfamiliar with this area. The two may occur together, but often they do not. Islamic dress, a long beard and reluctance to shake hands with women often co-exists with an apolitical attitude.

Meanwhile, there are movements towards development in Islamic thinking. Some tendencies can be seen as ‘liberal’, similar to the ‘liberal’ movements within Western culture and other religions such as Christianity and Judaism. Those who favour this approach will seek greater integration or assimilation of Muslims into the communities in which they live. They may accept a division of religious and secular, seeing religion as lived out above all in spirituality that is part of the private sphere. They may favour the use of reason in the understanding and application of the Texts and sources of Islam; and an accommodation of understanding and religious practice to the changing times.

At the same time, an interest in religious revival and ‘reformation’ of Islam can arise within strongly religious or indeed Salafi roots. A strong commitment to the authority of the Qur’an and Sunnah, and an interest in returning directly to these sources rather than staying within the strict boundaries laid down by the legal schools, can co-exist with an acceptance of the use of reasoning and interpretation. A response to the social, political and economic challenges of the time no less than the religious requirements of the religion are the desired outcome of this reading of the Texts.