Maulana Muhammad Ali' Radical Interpretation of Islam

II The Cow (??) 189 They ask thee of the new moons. Say: They are times appointed for men, and (for) pilgrimage. And it is not righteousness that you enter the houses by their backs, but he is righteous who keeps his duty. And go into the houses by their doors; and keep your dty to Allah, that you may be successful.

2:190 And fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you but not be aggressive. Surely Allah loves not the aggressors.

2:191 And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from where they drove you out, and persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, so if they fight you (in it), slay them. Such is the recompense of the disbelievers.

The month of Ramadan begins with a new moon and ends with the new moon of Shawwal. The latter is followed by three months, Dhu-l-Qa'dah, Dhu-l-Hijjah (with which the year closes) and Muharram (the first month of the new year). These three along with Rajab, the seventh month of the year, form the sacred months, which are referred to here in the word ahillah, pl. of hilal, meanings the new moon (Rimbaud's black moons, pale moons).

*they could fight only against those who waged war on them. Exactly the same limitation is placed on what was in all probability the first revalation permitting fighting: "Permission to fight is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed. It is clear from both these references that the Muslims were allowed to take up the sword only as a measure of self-defence. The enemies of Islam, being unable to suppress Islam by persecution, and seeing that Islam was now safe at Madinah and gaining strength, took up the sword to annihilate it. They knew that as yet the Muslims were very few in number and they thought they could extirpate Islam, by resorting to the sword. Their war against Islam was a war for the annihilation of Islam, as stated further on: "They will not cease fighting against you until they turn you back from your religion if they can" (217): No course was left for the Muslims but either to be swept off the face of the earth or take up the sword in defence against an enemy which was a thousand times stronger.
It shouldbe noted that it is in this defensive fighting which is called fighting in the way of Allah. Fighting for the propagation of faith is not once mentioned in the whole of the Qur'an.
(interesting eh? eh Washington)

2:275 Those who swallow usury cannot arise except as he arises whom the devil prostrates by (his touch). That is because they say, Trading is only like usury. And Allah has allowed trading and forbidden usury. To whomsoever then the admonition has come from his Lord, and he desists, he shall have what has already passed. And his affair is in the hands of Allah. And whoever returns (to it) - these are the companions of the Fire: therein they will abide.

Riba (literally, an excess or addition) means an addition over and above the principal sum that is lent, and includes usury as well as interest. The subject is introduced here very appropriately, for as charity is the broad basis of human sympathy, usury annihilates all sympathetic affection and leads to the extreme of miserliness. Thus from one point of view the subject of usury stands between these two subjects is, as pointed out in the two preceding sections and the verse with which this section opens, that, while the Muslims were promised great wealth and properity, they were warned against an inordinate desire for amassing wealth, to which usury would certainly have led them. Hence, those who devour usury are compared with those prostrated by the touch of the devil, which in this case stands for Mammon. The prohibition of usury in Islam is a very wide subject, and cannot be discussed within the limits of a footnote. But it may be noted in passing that Islam adopts the golden mean in all cases. It does not go to the extreme of the socialist idea which aims at the annihilation of all distinction of property rights, but it establishes institutions which give the poor a certain proportion of the riches of the wealthier members of society. Such is the institution of zakat, according to which tone-fortieth of the amassed wealth of every member of society is taken yearly to be distributed among the poor. Hence zakat is particularly spoken of in connection with this subject in v. 277. In perfect accordance with that insititution, Islam refused to allow the rich to grow richer by reducing the poor to still greater poverty, which is the real aim of usury. Usury, moreover, promotes habits of idleness; but its worst effect is on morals, as it causes man to be obsessed by love of wealth and selfishness; and this is, in fact, what is meant by the devil prostrating the devourer of usury.
It may also be mentioned in this connection that while Islam enjoins acts of sacrifice to carry on the struggle for national existence, it prohibits usurious dealings which are the basis of modern warfare. All wars are now carried on with the help of loans, interest on which ultimately is a source of ruin to both the conquerors and the conquered. A just war, a war in self-defence, would always lead a community to acts of sacrifice to which they would be impelled in the interest of their own existence, while an aggressive war can only be carried on by heavy loans whose burden is not felt at the time but which ultimately crush the community.

I'll be back with this in a bit...