It is often said these days that Islam needs a liberal interpretation. I thought a lot about this, spoke to many people and read deeply. I have understood that Islam in itself is liberal.  So what is the need for a liberal interpretation? The original scriptural Islam presented by the Prophet and adopted by his Companions doesn’t have anything to be liberalized; it is already liberal. The original Islam is not extremely ritualistic, or extremist or even excessively strict about customs and forms. What is today considered Islam is Muslims' own practice: they are Muslims' own innovations. They have nothing to do with the original Islam.

I kept thinking on this and realized that Islam has a liberal outlook. Then why do people say that there should be a liberal interpretation of Islam? They mean that there should be a non-extremist interpretation of Islam. These days the Islam which Muslims are presenting everywhere has aspects of extremism. People consider this to be real Islam.

For example, if a woman goes to the mosque, the imam would stop her saying women aren't allowed in mosques. People consider this to be Islam, although this is extremism and not Islam. Fatwas are issued on Sania Mirza's dress claiming that it is un-Islamic. But such a fatwa is in itself un-Islamic. A fatwa is an opinion.

What is the meaning of a fatwa? When a person has a personal problem, he himself consults a mufti. The mufti gives his opinion to him.  A fatwa is an opinion of an individual. In a fatwa, there is a person who questions and a person who answers. But in the above case, there wasn’t anyone who asked the question. Sania Mirza never asked whether her dress was Islamic or un-Islamic. Any fatwa issued about her dress would in itself be un-Islamic. Such examples are considered extemist aspects of Islam. This fatwa activism is extremism. Preventing women from going to mosques is extremism. Giving instant triple talaq to women and separating from them in a day is extremism. All this is not Islam. The violence happening everywhere in the name of jihad is also extremism. It isn't Islam. You have to differentiate between extremism and Islam. People are troubled with this extremist interpretation of Islam. They find it irrelevant today. This is why they ask for revision and a liberal interpretation of Islam. They should instead ask for the true interpretation of Islam.