Islam Must Be Reformd for the Sake of Humanity! - A Must Read by all Isamic Scholars
THE MERCY COVENANT
A Policy and Clerical Reform Manifesto for Islamic Scholars in the 21st Century
Preamble
Islam stands at a defining moment. Across the world, violence committed in its name—often without scholarly authority, lawful mandate, or ethical restraint—has distorted public understanding of the faith and endangered innocent lives, including Muslims themselves.
This manifesto affirms that preserving life (hifz al-nafs) is a higher objective of Shariah than militant ideology, and that unchecked reinterpretation of jihad by non-state actors is a theological emergency.
This document is a call for scholarly courage, moral clarity, and institutional reform.
I. FOUNDATIONAL DECLARATION
We, Islamic scholars and religious leaders, affirm that:
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Human life is sacred without qualification
“Whoever kills a soul… it is as if he has slain all of humanity.” (Qur’an 5:32)
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Violence is not the default condition of Islamic faith
Peace (sulh), mercy (rahmah), and justice (adl) are normative states. -
No individual or group has the authority to declare armed jihad
Outside legitimate, accountable state authority governed by law and ethics.
II. DOCTRINAL REFORM: RETIRING MISUSED VIOLENT INTERPRETATIONS
Policy Position 1: Reframe Jihad Authoritatively
Islamic institutions must formally declare that:
- Jihad is primarily moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social
- Armed jihad is:
- Defensive only
- State-regulated
- Time-bound
- Subject to international humanitarian norms
- Any call to violence by:
- Clerics without state authority
- Militias
- Online preachers is religiously invalid (batil)
📌 Action: Publish unified fatwas redefining jihad in modern plural societies.
Policy Position 2: Declare Violence Against Civilians Categorically Haram
There must be zero ambiguity on:
- Suicide bombings
- Kidnapping
- Attacks on worship places, schools, markets
- Killing of aid workers, journalists, or non-combatants
📌 Action: Establish a Global Register of Prohibited Acts under Islamic law, endorsed by major councils.
III. CLERICAL RESPONSIBILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY
Policy Position 3: End Theological Silence
Silence in the face of extremist distortion is complicity by omission.
Scholars must:
- Publicly rebut extremist interpretations by name
- Address youth radicalization directly
- Refuse “neutral language” that avoids condemning specific abuses
📌 Action: Require mosque leaders to include annual peace and ethics sermons mandated by councils.
Policy Position 4: Regulate the Pulpit
Not everyone with a microphone is a scholar.
📌 Action Steps
- Licensing of preachers
- Mandatory theological certification
- Removal of clerics who:
- Justify violence
- Promote takfir (excommunication)
- Encourage sectarian hatred
IV. INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
Policy Position 5: Reform Islamic Education
Curricula must:
- Teach historical context of warfare verses
- Emphasize maqasid al-shariah (objectives of law)
- Include peace ethics, pluralism, and conflict resolution
📌 Action: Revise madrasa and Islamic university syllabi within 3–5 years.
Policy Position 6: Decouple Religion from Political Militancy
Islamic institutions must formally reject:
- Political movements using Islam as a mobilization weapon
- Clerical endorsements of coups, insurgencies, or terror groups
📌 Action: Establish clear ethical boundaries between da‘wah and politics.
V. GLOBAL & LOCAL ENGAGEMENT
Policy Position 7: Interfaith and Civic Commitment
Scholars must:
- Promote coexistence
- Condemn violence regardless of perpetrator’s religion
- Participate in national peace-building efforts
📌 Action: Create local interfaith peace councils led by religious leaders.
VI. IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISM
Establish the Council for Ethical Islamic Renewal (CEIR)
Mandate:
- Monitor extremist narratives
- Issue rapid-response theological rebuttals
- Advise governments without becoming state propaganda
Membership:
- Sunni and Shia scholars
- African, Arab, Asian, Western representation
- Independent of militant or political groups
VII. FINAL DECLARATION
We declare that:
- Faith must never be a justification for cruelty
- Violence is not piety
- Martyrdom is not murder
- God is not glorified by bloodshed
Islam’s future credibility depends not on how loudly it defends itself, but on how clearly it defends life.
CLOSING VERDICT
Religions that reformed violent doctrines survived history with dignity.
Those that did not were consumed by their own rigidity.
Islam has the scholarship, ethics, and moral capital to lead this reform—if its scholars choose courage over comfort.
If you want next steps, I can:
- Localize this manifesto for Nigeria (Northern clerical councils, NSCIA, JNI)
- Turn it into a formal declaration document
- Or sharpen it for policy submission to governments & Islamic bodies
Just tell me the direction.
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