| Where do you see the mental gymnasium in what I wrote? I think the source I cited was very clear. I just gave an example about a well-learned scholar refuting ISIS's leadership in a way to show how well established Islam's position is about this topic, that any single person who is well versed in the matter can tear down their ideology. And yes, there is historic precedence with something similar happening with the Kharijites. This might be of interest: http://www.lettertobaghdadi.com/ The Quran does acknowledge the fact that different parts of it may be allegorical: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhkam_and_Mutashabih_(tafsir) At the same time, there are many parts which are clear, and which all well-learned scholars have agreed upon since the very beginning, which are not up for interpretation (e.g. what ISIS is doing today). Any well-learned scholar can tell you about the Kharijites and how they went astray, citing the Quran and the Hadith, as well as narrations from Companions about how they dealt with them. It is established Islamically that the behavior of the Companions as a whole is something we are ordered to follow, and those same companions dealt with an ISIS-like group that emerged during their time. This is not up for debate. Other things which are not as grave as bloodshed and which have not been firmly established throughout the history of the Muslims can be up for debate, no problem. It happens all the time. And such topics do not touch the "core" of the religion, only "branches" if that makes any sense. |