Muslims submit to the Will of Allah. This is the essence of their religion, the belief that there is but one God–not many–and that that God communicated His will to Muhammad via the angel Gabriel, and that that Word was transcribed exactly as intended, and not corrupted, as they believe the transmissions to the Jews and Christians were.
Yet, only the Quran is uncorrupted. Only the Quran is perfect. Nothing else. The Hadith may have been corrupted just as they believe the Jewish and Christian faiths were. The hadith is the product of man, even if inspired by God. To be clear, Moses and Abraham were Prophets too, but their faiths still had to be supplemented and corrected by the final revelation of the Quran. They were mortal and imperfect, as of course were their followers.
A few interesting facts:
Quite obviously, the central element is the belief in one God, but according to the Quran, they also believe in what was passed down to the Jews and Christians: according to Sura 2:136 “We believe in GOD, and in what was sent down to us, and in what was sent down to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Patriarchs; and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and all the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction among any of them. To Him alone we are submitters.”
I, too, believe in God and that the universe is one. I believe in a difference between Good and Evil, and between submission to the laws which God put in this universe, and the laws of man. Here is the central point, though: Sharia and the Hadith are not the Quran. They are the work, even according to Muslim tradition, if looked at with sincerity and an open mind, of men. Muhammad was blessed–as Abraham and Jesus were blessed–but only the Quran itself came from God.
In my view, when verses contradict one another–such as verses calling for killing infidels, and verses calling for mercy, and charity–what has happened is that room has been created for the use of the judgment and conscience which has been implanted in you as a result of having an immortal soul. The call to submit to God is the call to do what is right and just.
If you believe that the Quran is perfect, then this would be a part of its perfection: it allows you to choose what is ultimately the Will of God, and what is merely the will of Man; between what is right, and what is wrong.
There is no reason to suppose God would ask us to be faithful to His Will and not give us the tools to ascertain it. There is no reason to suppose that a book filled with calls to charity would condone blind hatred and unreasoning violence.
Such are my views, at any rate. I believe they are tenable theologically.
I will add that Sharia law must be seen to benefit some members of Islamic society, at the expense of others. It helps men and hurts women. It helps the wealthy, who can afford their four wives, and hurts the poor, who may not marry at all. It entrenches Kings, and offers little recourse for the Many whose voices may not be heard.
If you look at the institution of Ramadan, it is a very positive thing. We Americans would benefit from it. If you look at the belief in one God, it what all Christians and Jews already believe. All believers pray, so there is no inconsistency there, and we all believe in the importance of helping those who are less fortunate, and who are in trouble for whatever reason.
In my view, one has to look at the unreasoning hatred and death that has flowed from certain interpretations of Islam as originating in the minds of men who benefit from cultivating that hate, and who are in many cases simply evil, and using the cover of religion, as has been done so many times in history, by members of all religions on the planet.
What is done in the name of religion says nothing about that religion, except to the extent members of that religion condone and do not oppose it.