Islam Rediscovered
12. Islamic Fundamentalism
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part made of flesh in the human body. If that is
purified and therefore in good order, the whole
body is in good order. And if rot sets in in this part,
the whole body is defiled. Listen, this piece of flesh
is the heart.” (
Al-Bukhari
,
Muslim
).
Through this symbol of the body, the example of
Islamic reform has been expressed. This means that
just as through the reform of the heart the human
body is reformed, similarly, if a man’s thinking and
his intentions are virtuous, in respect of his whole
existence, he will acquire that character of virtue
which is seen as desirable by Islamic standards.
WHAT IS FUNDAMENTALISM?
Fundamentalism is the laying of emphasis on strict
adherence to the fundamental principles of any set
of beliefs. The term was originally applied to a
particular group of Christian theologians who
gained prominence in the United States in the
nineteenth Century. They published a series of
booklets between 1909 and 1915 called
The
Fundamentals: Testimony to the Truth.
In these
booklets they defined what they believed to be the
absolutely fundamental doctrines of Christianity.
