You deserve a positive rating for your detailed and generally unbiased fine post.
@Dubious,
@Indus Pakistan and
@Moonlight , I request you to do this.
I have a Quran in English gifted to me by a friend and I have not read it. It seems that it is the Hadees works that contain the method of prayer ( one of the few rituals allowed in Islam as mentioned by you ). As far as I know the Quran itself doesn't define the method of prayer. Less ritualism, as you have pointed out.
I posted in another thread recently that in Islam there is no priest system - no agent between Man and God. Thus it is stressed that every Muslim must read the Quran ( This is similar to how the Chinese are exhorted to read Mao's Red Book or the Libyans were exhorted to read the Green Book ). This however has been defeated from time to time, especially in the recent decades, with the mullahs gaining influence.
I am left-leaning and I point to you that especially in many Muslim-majority societies, modern socialism made relatively easy gains than in societies where other religions had/have majority. It is because Islam is an older form of socialism.
I don't pray, and even so I identify myself as a Muslim.
Islam is less a movement about Godly worship ( even about the One God ) and more about practical rules governing socio-political-economic events. You yourself made mention of few. The part about "There is no God but the One God and Muhammad is His Messenger" is all about saying "Okay, you have recognized God, now get going about your life".
Lastly, Islam's future is for it to meld with a socialist/communist social order. Islam may have been perfect for its time but certain things like allowing of private land ownership is a bit less scientific than the modern socialist/communist idea of collectivist farms and ownership of land by the system on behalf of the citizens.
@Zibago @django @Mentee @RealNapster @BDforever @Bilal9 @Indos