左翼和右翼的伊斯兰批判者在批判伊斯兰教时，都诉诸哲学自由主义，运用宗教自由、言论自由、着装自由、性别平等、政教分离等概念。

Both left and right wing critics of Islam appeal to philosophical liberalism in their critiques of Islam, employing concepts like freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of dress, gender equality, separation of church and state, etc.

请记住，一种失败的策略是：在这些批评者面前反驳说，这些自由主义观念确实是伊斯兰的，伊斯兰也认可这些主张。（的确，伊斯兰教的某些立场在一定条件下可以被理解为部分支持其中一些观念，但充其量只是附带很多条件的有限认可。）

Please keep in mind that a losing strategy is to argue back against these critics that these liberal concepts are indeed Islamic and that Islam endorses these notions. (Yes, there are Islamic positions that can be conceivably understood as partially supporting some of these notions, but it’s a highly conditioned endorsement at best.)

即使穆斯林接受当代西方在宗教自由、言论自由、着装自由、性别平等、婚姻平等等方面的所有做法，也永远不会足够。即便穆斯林今天就在麦加举行同性婚礼，明天西方也会问，为什么禁寺里没有跨性别、异装的伊玛目带领礼拜！而如果明天他们把跨性别伊玛目带进禁寺，后天就会出现新的批评，说伊斯兰“过于保守”，与不断演进、不断进步的西方相比落后了。

Even if Muslims accept every contemporary Western practice related to freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of dress, gender equality, marriage equality, etc., it will never be enough. Even if Muslims start performing gay weddings in Mecca today, tomorrow the West will ask why there are no transvestite, cross dressing imams leading prayers in the haram! And if tomorrow, they bring tranny imams to the haram, the day after, there will be a new criticism of Islam being “too restrictive” compared to the ever-evolving, ever-progressing West.

这就是进步主义的本质,它是西方思想与文化的支柱。按照这一哲学,持续的变化是必要的,也是好的。停滞不前就是落后,就会站到“历史的错误一边”。当然,这种哲学与伊斯兰教完全相悖,也与所有传统相悖,因为传统要求依靠过去。我们作为穆斯林都知道,最美好的时代在过去,即先知ﷺ和先贤(salaf)的时代,此后局势便一直在走下坡路。我们永远赢不了“谁更进步?谁更自由?”这场争论,所以不应当陷入这场注定失败的游戏。我们的制胜策略应当是:指出自由、解放等这些概念因某些原因而自相矛盾,它们无助于正义与善,而伊斯兰教因某些原因能为人类提供最好的替代方案。这就是与现代派进步主义者展开此类辩论的蓝图。

This is the nature of progressivism, which is the pillar of Western thought and culture. According to this philosophy, constant change is necessary and good. To remain stagnant is to fall behind and end up on the “wrong side of history.” This philosophy, of course, is completely contrary to Islam (and all traditions because traditions require depending on the past). We know as Muslims that the best of times were in the past, with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the salaf and things have been deteriorating ever since. We can never win the battle of “Who is more progressive? Who is more free?” So we shouldn’t play a losing game. Our winning strategy should be to say that these concepts of liberty, freedom, etc., are incoherent for such and such reasons and they don’t contribute to justice and goodness, and Islam offers the best alternatives for humanity for such and such reasons. This is the blueprint for all such debates with modernist progressives.