Discovering Islam - Rescuing Revelation from Tradition

This work explores the relationship between revelation, reason and tradition. It focuses on the way willing jurists re-interpreted the teaching of revelation to justify the expansionary aims of their rulers. The alleged abrogation of the verses counselling peace and reconciliation tainted the teaching of revelation. The teaching of abrogation transformed the religion of peace into a political agenda justifying wars of aggression, based on the misinterpretation of verses 9:29 and 9:05, within the alleged -clash- between the abode of peace (dar al-Islam) and the abode of non-belief (dar al-kufr). This misinterpretation accelerated the territorial expansion of Islam at first. It also accelerated its fall afterwards. The teaching of abrogation is not receiving the attention it merits. The repression of reason by tradition facilitated the militarisation of exegesis. The abandonment of reason facilitated the adoption of perceptions alien to revelation, aiming to serve the polit