Old Blue: something to consider.

Four major leaders – 4 schools of law – still in existence today. Differ mainly on emphasis to the Quran, or the Hadif, or Ijma

Abu Hanifa (d. 767) Hanifi School of Law – largest and most liberal. “A Muslim is permitted to marry a Christian or a Jew “people of the book” “. They use kiia (analogy) from the Quran/Hadith to apply to a wide range of situations. The idea of tempory marriage came from this school. Big in Turkey and much of Asia. As you move away from Saudi Arabia, you get more liberal.

Malik ibn Anas (d. 796) Malikite School of Law –  Sudan/North Africa. They use mostly the Hadith.

Muhammad al-Shafi (d. 819) Shafite School of Law – lower Egypt. Big on Ijma (consensus)

Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 855) Hanbalite School of Law – Saudi Arabia. Very literal interpretation of the Quran. Wahabbis are in this group. This very extreme group believes that the other schools have fallen from the faith.

About the time that the West was exiting the dark ages, Islam entered theirs. Most of their rejection of anything “new” (i.e. post 10th century AD) came from the belief that “things are going bad for us because Allah has rejected our surrender (Islam)”. As the West has prospered, the Middle East has remained frozen in time. So they still burn the whole goat in the fire and pick out the parts with their fingers – and live to a ripe old age of 35. Just as it was 1000 years ago.

If it wasn’t for the house of Saud conquering the peninsula, the Wahhabbists would be in the dumpster of history. But the ultra-conservative movement that gave us great governments like the Taliban, got a lease on life with oil money.

What will collapse will be Saudi-funded Wahhabbism – just like the rusty, moldy old Soviet Union. And then Islam will be free to evolve. I just wish that day would come soon.