Criticizing the Hegemony of “Iman” and the Interpretation of “Islam”

Indeed, this battle of political and religious discourses provides fertile ground for the growth of interpretation of plural religious principles. Moreover, the definition of iman of Ahmad bin Hanbal which has been carved into the religious consciousness of the Muslim community is not a single interpretation. Long before the mihnah tragedy, Abu Hanifah provided a definition of iman which supported tolerance and provided the legal basis for human liberty.