I refer to Mahdar Tahir's letter Muslims need to learn their religion properly .

While I agree with most of what he says, I have to point out the following misconception regarding the interpretations of Islamic texts and scholarly works.

Firstly, every interpretation is predicated on the socio-political context of the prevailing era. Perhaps Dar-ul-Harb and Dar-ul-Islam may have been the political situation back during the Crusades, but are they relevant today? Is parliamentary democracy and the concept of nation- states found in the interpretations of Islamic texts of the 10th century ?

Secondly, who is an 'ulama'? Only those equipped with knowledge of Islamic teachings ? If so, then how will the Muslim world grapple with new technology? We need scholars well-versed in biotechnology, astronomy etc.

The reality is that the world of today is very, very different in may ways from the world of the 10th to 12th century. We Muslims need - urgently - a contemporary interpretation of Islam. By the way, did you know that one-third of the world's Muslims live as minorities in non-Muslim countries? We need a 'Fiqh' for the minorities.