Critical Examination of the Compatibility of Islamic Doctrinal Tradition and Political Liberalism

This critique targets Andrew March, and Mohammad Fadel, who advocate for a liberal/Islam reconciliation, for underestimating the significance of political legitimacy and stability. Here, I outline why I believe March claims to demonstrate the existence of Rawlsian OC between Islamic doctrines and the demands of the liberal conception of citizenship while his project ends up delivering Hobbesian modus vivendi, namely the conditional support of Muslims. I also unfold my argument that Fadel himself does not provide an explicit theological argument that supports Muslims’ commitment to liberal political order but expects ordinary Muslim citizens to engage in theological and moral reasoning to formulate their own Islamic theological argument which is too demanding and implausible for ordinary Muslims.