24 September 2026

The Evolution of Islam

I believe that the problem with Islam is that the shari'ah (the straight path) is a set of precise rules governing every aspect of life and is considered to have been dictated directly by God and therefore cannot be updated. Christianity, on the other hand (like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism), is based on general principles that can be applied according to the social context, and it is therefore possible for them to evolve over time.

Thus, the Christianity of the early martyrs, of the Christological controversies, of the Crusades, of the Counter-Reformation, and of the Second Vatican Council are very different from one another, whereas the shari'ah has always remained the same.