how to apply islam to the modern, secular world? three major strands of thought: traditionalists...
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How to apply Islam to the modern, secularworld?
Three major strands of thought:
Traditionalists
Islamists
Modernists
Traditionalists
Look to rigid adherence to Islamic past forguidance, but tradition has changed overtime
Question of how to legitimise change esp. inface of long-established life patterns
“Neo-Traditionalists” advocating cautiouschange
Islamists a.k.a “Literalists”or “Fundamentalists”
Advocating return to Qur’an and hadith assources of wisdom, rejecting traditionalinterpretations. See this as leading torevival of Islam
Often anti-intellectualist and anti-philosophy
Extremist Islamists tend to dominate media.Advocating armed struggle,with polarised worldviews
Sayyid Qutb(d. 1966)
Modernists
See Islam as needing to adapt to modern world,often looking to moral precepts behindlegal injunctions
Embrace useful modern developments, but leavefaith to individual
Law needs to be adapted to circumstancesthrough thoughtful interpretation ofQur’an and hadith
Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (d. 1897)
Muhammad Abduh (d. 1905)
Muhammad Iqbal (d. 1938)
Modernists
Islam can be basis of political as well aspersonal life, but needs to be flexible
Strong advocates of use of reason ininterpretation of texts. Interpretationsmay be radical in light of modernideas of democracy, freedom, equality,tolerance and social justice (seen asvalues inherent in Islam anyway)
Case Study - Polygamy
Traditionalists accept polygamy, because it hasalways been practiced
Islamists look to Qur’an and saythat it was advocating monogamy but allowedfor older practices that are no longer relevant
Modernists say that since the sexes are equal, andmonogamy aims for social welfare whilepolygamy is potentially problematic, shouldstick with monogamy. View Qur’an assupporting position
How do we approach a 7th c. scripture inthe modern day?
Muhammad Abduh (d. 1905)
Modernist, seeking to use Islam as filter formodern progress
Seeking to make Qur’an more accessible andapplicable to modern day
Tafsir al-Manar (Interpretation of theLighthouse/Minaret)
Qur’an as encouraging reason, education andpolitical independence
Ambiguities encouraging attention to spiritualworld
Rulings as tied to context in which revealed
Muhammad Abduh (d. 1905)
Sayyid Qutb (d. 1966)
Radical Islamist and extremist member ofMuslim Brotherhood
Initially attracted to westernisation, thenrejected it after visit to America in1949-51
Advocated Islamic state in Egypt with Islamicinstitutions
Fi Zilal al-Qur’an (In the Shade of theQur’an)
Qur’an as complete blueprint for society,needing group like Muslim Brotherhoodto implement it properly
Emphasis on Qur’an’s artistic/literary merits
Sayyid Qutb (d. 1966)
World divided into good and evil. Individualobligation to fight evil
Military jihad
Muslims who do not fight evil are apostates,may be killed
Sayyid Qutb (d. 1966)
Issues at stake:
Qur’an as eternal, uncreated word of God
How do we understand and implement it?
Questions of historical context, degree towhich it should be taken literally
Impact on law
When does interpretation lead to heresy?
Abdullah Yusuf Ali (1872-1953)
Indian scholar best known for translatingQur’an into English
Originally Shi‘ite, but was concernedfor all Muslims. Also mysticaltendencies
Born Bombay. Educated at Muslim school inIndia, then degree at Cambridge.Worked in Indian civil service.Supported British presence in India.Died in London
Translation of Qur’an shows modernist andmystical tendencies, has led someIslamists to try and expurgate what theysee as unorthodox
Abdullah Yusuf Ali (1872-1953)
Muhammad Abduh (1849-1905) andMuhammad Rashid Rida (1865-1935)
Abduh was pupil of al-Afghani. Rida waspupil of Abduh. Both were modernists,advocating Islamic reform in face ofmodern world
Together worked on Abduh’s journal Al-Manar,which included Tafsir al-Manar,commentary on Qur’an
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