The Thinking Muslim Reform or Revolution: The Future of Islam & Politics | Dr Uthman Badar
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Aug 26, 2025 Dr. Uthman Badar, a lecturer at Western Sydney University, dives into the tension between reform and revolution in Islam. He discusses how to balance quick reforms with long-term ideals, using the revolutionary life of Prophet Muhammad as a guide. Historical examples from Turkey and Syria illustrate the challenges of reformism versus ideological purity. Badar calls for strategic compromise in political actions while navigating the complexities of Islamic governance in a secular world, emphasizing moral dilemmas faced by the Muslim community today.
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Debate Needs Strategic Humility
- The reform vs revolution debate needs careful, context-driven strategy rather than moralizing platitudes.
- Both approaches have valid elements and require honest, scholarly engagement to avoid depoliticising complex problems.
Seerah Offers Both Ends And Means
- The Seerah contains both radical ends and pragmatic means; the Prophet combined transformative goals with tactical flexibility.
- Examples like Hudaybiyyah and Khandaq show ends and tactics can diverge without abandoning the ideal.
Prophetic Compromises For Strategy
- Hudaybiyyah shows the Prophet accepted a seemingly unfavorable treaty for strategic benefit.
- In the Battle of the Trench he even offered a third of Medina's fruits to avoid catastrophe and buy time.
