moslike:

There are Muslims who think that I follow an interpretation of Islam that is different to that of the majority because I wish to justify a liberal or haram lifestyle. That I just don’t want to follow the rules so I manufacture loopholes to get out of them. For them it is simply a given that I’m following my desires.

It’s sad but this is what actually passes for thinking amongst many Muslims. And I’ve seen this sentiment expressed countless times.

It never occurs to these people that the process might have been the other way round. It wasn’t that I didn’t like my religion and wanted a diluted version - in fact I loved what I thought was Islam and defended it. Instead, it was only after I was challenged to justify my religion from the Quran - which, as hard as I tried, I could not - did the process of reinterpretation begin.

I was faced with either showing loyalty to the Quran or not. I made my choice and have not regretted it since.