"...in Islam. Faith is often expressed through the observance of the law. The failure to follow Islamic law is a reflection of the believer’s lack of faith and unwillingness to submit to God. Salvation is impossible without law. This has implications for the nature of the Islamic state. If following the sharia—for example, refraining from alcohol and adultery, observing the fast, and praying five times a day—is a precondition for salvation, then political leaders and clerics alike have a role in encouraging the good and forbidding evil, a role they played, to various degrees, for the entirety of the pre-modern period."
"...in Islam. Faith is often expressed through the observance of the law": Mr. Hamid here extrapolates from his false argument about Christianity and law. This is going to get ugly...
"The failure to follow Islamic law is a reflection of the believer’s lack of faith...": If you break most laws and especially morality-based laws in Christian nations, especially those with heavy Protestant influence, you are not considered a good Christian, you have sinned; you are not considered a good moral person since Anglo-American law is founded upon Christian morality; you are not considered a good citizen and are, in fact, stripped of full rights of citizenship for felony convictions.
"Salvation is impossible without law:" That is one of the things that does make Islam "exceptional"! ISLAM IS UNFORGIVING! "Salvation is impossible."
"...refraining from alcohol and adultery, observing the fast, and praying five times a day—is a precondition for salvation...": That is key! Islam has law against use of alcohol, the U.S. had a law, the 18th amendment, prohibiting use of alcohol. In no event however was violation of the 18th amendment considered by any Christian Church as bar to salvation. In Islam, it is! So Islam is far more unforgiving of "sin" than is Christianity and Islam has far more offenses that are unforgivable.
I am not a good Christian but man, I would be a terrible Muslim. I'd be a damned dead Muslim is what I'd be.
