Over 120 Muslim scholars and Imams from around the world have signed an open letter addressed to the "fighters and followers" of the Islamic State (IS), denouncing them as un-Islamic and explaining to them the true meaning of 'Islam' in a meticulously written 18-page theological case.
Relying heavily on the Quran and its verses, the letter released on Wednesday blasts the extremist ideology of the militants as the hardliner group continues to baffle the world with its heinous crimes of beheading, mass killing, rape and so on.
The letter explains in detail that the teachings of Quran and Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ought to be interpreted as a whole, and Muslims should refrain from picking and choosing verses to suit their personal opinion and outlook, particularly while issuing fatwas.
It also further explains that Islam prohibits torture and the killing of innocents or other "people of the scripture" like Christians and Yazidis.
The authors of the detailed letter also raised their objection on how the IS declared itself a Caliphate with the support of only a few thousand extremist supporters. "It is forbidden in Islam to declare a caliphate without consensus from all Muslims," they write.
The letter is signed by renowned Imams and Islamic scholars from around the world, including from the UK, Egypt, Jordan, Dubai, Morocco, Yemen, the UAE, Palestine, Pakistan, Indonesia, Syria, Iraq, the US, and many other nations.
The letter, when translated into English, will still sound alien to most Americans, analysts who have read the letter, note.
"The letter is written in Arabic. It uses heavy classical religious texts," Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council of American-Islamic Relations in Washington told the Religion News Service.
"This letter is not meant for a liberal audience," he said adding that even mainstream Muslims may find it difficult to understand the letter, which has sought to explain the philosophy of Islam "point-by-point" to refute the ideologies of IS and the violence it has perpetrated.
