[gotribe]

About as "simple", "rigorous" and "explicit" a "framework" for "rules" and "behavior" as one could possibly imagine. Or hope for.

Close but not quite. Even in the passages you cite there is room for doubt, questioning, and spiritual growth. I truly believe what the muslims like is the ritual. Islam simply lays it all out for you: do this, do this, don't do that, don't do that, pray facing east, pray 5 times a day, give X% of income to charity, etc, etc. It doesn't require a lot of thinking or soul-searching. And that is the problem. It's perfect for modern Europe.

[jailbird]

Close but not quite. Even in the passages you cite there is room for doubt, questioning, and spiritual growth. I truly believe what the muslims like is the ritual. Islam simply lays it all out for you: do this, do this, don't do that, don't do that, pray facing east, pray 5 times a day, give X% of income to charity, etc, etc. It doesn't require a lot of thinking or soul-searching.

From the aforementioned Sermon on the Mount, part II:

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

[GraniteStateConservative]

gotribe has it. The New Testament is plenty fuzzy. That's why you have liberal denominations, conservative ones, the Catholic Church, etc. Islam is all about ordering people to do specific things. You don't have authors speculating on possible meanings of words and verses, like in Christianity. There's no dissent in Islam.