Monica M. Ringer
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- January 2022
- ISBN:
- 9781474478731
- eISBN:
- 9781474491211
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9781474478731.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This book studies the complex relationship of religion to modernity, arguing that modernity should be understood as the consequence, not the cause, if the new intellectual landscape of the 19th ...
More
This book studies the complex relationship of religion to modernity, arguing that modernity should be understood as the consequence, not the cause, if the new intellectual landscape of the 19th century. The lens of Islamic Modernism is used to uncover the underlying epistemology and methodology of historicism that penetrated the Middle East and South Asia in this period, forcing and enabling a recalibration of the definition, nature, function and place of religion. Muslim Modernists engaged in a sophisticated project of theological reform designed to marry their twin commitments to religion and modernity; they were in conversation with European scholarship and Catholic Modernism, but more importantly, with their own complex Islamic traditions. This book provides a new framework for conceptualizing the relationship between Western and non-Western modernities. It demonstrates that Islamic Modernists adopted intellectual frameworks that first emerged in Europe, then deployed them to argue for the superiority of Islam. For Islamic Modernists, Islam had historically been, and could once again become a motor of modernity and the solution to contemporary ‘backwardness.’ Islamic Modernists considered in this book include Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (Iran), Imam Bayezidof (Russia), Namik Kemal (Ottoman Empire) and Syed Ameer Ali (India).Less
This book studies the complex relationship of religion to modernity, arguing that modernity should be understood as the consequence, not the cause, if the new intellectual landscape of the 19th century. The lens of Islamic Modernism is used to uncover the underlying epistemology and methodology of historicism that penetrated the Middle East and South Asia in this period, forcing and enabling a recalibration of the definition, nature, function and place of religion. Muslim Modernists engaged in a sophisticated project of theological reform designed to marry their twin commitments to religion and modernity; they were in conversation with European scholarship and Catholic Modernism, but more importantly, with their own complex Islamic traditions. This book provides a new framework for conceptualizing the relationship between Western and non-Western modernities. It demonstrates that Islamic Modernists adopted intellectual frameworks that first emerged in Europe, then deployed them to argue for the superiority of Islam. For Islamic Modernists, Islam had historically been, and could once again become a motor of modernity and the solution to contemporary ‘backwardness.’ Islamic Modernists considered in this book include Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (Iran), Imam Bayezidof (Russia), Namik Kemal (Ottoman Empire) and Syed Ameer Ali (India).
Ann Wainscott
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780748696857
- eISBN:
- 9781474412247
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748696857.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This chapter studies the impact of al Azhar University on the Moroccan nationalist movement and specifically its independence leader Allal al Fasi, whose ten-year exile in Egypt exposed him to the ...
More
This chapter studies the impact of al Azhar University on the Moroccan nationalist movement and specifically its independence leader Allal al Fasi, whose ten-year exile in Egypt exposed him to the ideas of Muhammad Abduh and influenced the ideological position of the Moroccan independence party, Istiqlal. The chapter emphasises the impact that Abduh's ideas had on the educational policies of the independence party and their continued importance in Moroccan educational politics throughout the twentieth century. Graduates of the university, including Abdullah ibn Idris al Sanusi and Abu Shu'ayb al Dukkali, brought ideas of Islamic modernism back to Morocco. These ideas were shared with Moroccan religious students through lectures at the Qarawiyyin University in Fez and flourished into a movement for religious reform.Less
This chapter studies the impact of al Azhar University on the Moroccan nationalist movement and specifically its independence leader Allal al Fasi, whose ten-year exile in Egypt exposed him to the ideas of Muhammad Abduh and influenced the ideological position of the Moroccan independence party, Istiqlal. The chapter emphasises the impact that Abduh's ideas had on the educational policies of the independence party and their continued importance in Moroccan educational politics throughout the twentieth century. Graduates of the university, including Abdullah ibn Idris al Sanusi and Abu Shu'ayb al Dukkali, brought ideas of Islamic modernism back to Morocco. These ideas were shared with Moroccan religious students through lectures at the Qarawiyyin University in Fez and flourished into a movement for religious reform.
KATE ZEBIRI
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198263302
- eISBN:
- 9780191682469
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198263302.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This concluding chapter sums up the key findings of this study on the contribution of Shaykh Maḥmūd Shaltūt to Islamic modernism. It suggests that the importance of Shaltūt's work lies not only in ...
More
This concluding chapter sums up the key findings of this study on the contribution of Shaykh Maḥmūd Shaltūt to Islamic modernism. It suggests that the importance of Shaltūt's work lies not only in his contribution as an Islamic scholar, but in the example he set as a Muslim religious leader. As a religious leader he was a force for moderation, tolerance, and Muslim unity and he always sought to raise the religious consciousness of ordinary Muslims. As a scholar he demystified the Islamic disciplines of fiqh and tafsīr to make them accessible to lay Muslims.Less
This concluding chapter sums up the key findings of this study on the contribution of Shaykh Maḥmūd Shaltūt to Islamic modernism. It suggests that the importance of Shaltūt's work lies not only in his contribution as an Islamic scholar, but in the example he set as a Muslim religious leader. As a religious leader he was a force for moderation, tolerance, and Muslim unity and he always sought to raise the religious consciousness of ordinary Muslims. As a scholar he demystified the Islamic disciplines of fiqh and tafsīr to make them accessible to lay Muslims.
Henri Lauzière
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780231175500
- eISBN:
- 9780231540179
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231175500.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Middle East History
Some Islamic scholars hold that Salafism is an innovative and rationalist effort at Islamic reform that emerged in the late nineteenth century but gradually disappeared in the mid twentieth. Others ...
More
Some Islamic scholars hold that Salafism is an innovative and rationalist effort at Islamic reform that emerged in the late nineteenth century but gradually disappeared in the mid twentieth. Others argue Salafism is an anti-innovative and antirationalist movement of Islamic purism that dates back to the medieval period yet persists today. Though they contradict each other, both narratives are considered authoritative, making it hard for outsiders to grasp the history of the ideology and its core beliefs. Introducing a third, empirically based genealogy, The Making of Salafism understands the concept as a recent phenomenon projected back onto the past, and it sees its purist evolution as a direct result of decolonization. Henri Lauzière builds his history on the transnational networks of Taqi al-Din al-Hilali (1894–1987), a Moroccan Salafi who, with his associates, participated in the development of Salafism as both a term and a movement. Traveling from Rabat to Mecca, from Calcutta to Berlin, al-Hilali interacted with high-profile Salafi scholars and activists who eventually abandoned Islamic modernism in favor of a more purist approach to Islam. Today, Salafis tend to claim a monopoly on religious truth and freely confront other Muslims on theological and legal issues. Lauzière’s pathbreaking history recognizes the social forces behind this purist turn, uncovering the popular origins of what has become a global phenomenon.Less
Some Islamic scholars hold that Salafism is an innovative and rationalist effort at Islamic reform that emerged in the late nineteenth century but gradually disappeared in the mid twentieth. Others argue Salafism is an anti-innovative and antirationalist movement of Islamic purism that dates back to the medieval period yet persists today. Though they contradict each other, both narratives are considered authoritative, making it hard for outsiders to grasp the history of the ideology and its core beliefs. Introducing a third, empirically based genealogy, The Making of Salafism understands the concept as a recent phenomenon projected back onto the past, and it sees its purist evolution as a direct result of decolonization. Henri Lauzière builds his history on the transnational networks of Taqi al-Din al-Hilali (1894–1987), a Moroccan Salafi who, with his associates, participated in the development of Salafism as both a term and a movement. Traveling from Rabat to Mecca, from Calcutta to Berlin, al-Hilali interacted with high-profile Salafi scholars and activists who eventually abandoned Islamic modernism in favor of a more purist approach to Islam. Today, Salafis tend to claim a monopoly on religious truth and freely confront other Muslims on theological and legal issues. Lauzière’s pathbreaking history recognizes the social forces behind this purist turn, uncovering the popular origins of what has become a global phenomenon.
Fatma Kızıl
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- May 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781474441797
- eISBN:
- 9781474491228
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9781474441797.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
The Turkish Republic has recently become another major centre of hadith scholarship. Fatma Kızıl identifies two pioneers as Mehmed Said Hatiboğlu, relatively friendly toward Ignaz Goldziher’s ...
More
The Turkish Republic has recently become another major centre of hadith scholarship. Fatma Kızıl identifies two pioneers as Mehmed Said Hatiboğlu, relatively friendly toward Ignaz Goldziher’s scholarship, and Talât Koçyiğit, hostile. As in the Arab world, students of hadith have been involved in political controversy, both internally (different evaluations of Westernisation and secularism, also very much the continued relevance of medieval jurisprudence) and externally (defence against European scepticism). Islamic modernists have piled up examples of dubious hadith reports but so far failed to come up with an alternative basis for Islamic law such as their criticisms seem to imply.Less
The Turkish Republic has recently become another major centre of hadith scholarship. Fatma Kızıl identifies two pioneers as Mehmed Said Hatiboğlu, relatively friendly toward Ignaz Goldziher’s scholarship, and Talât Koçyiğit, hostile. As in the Arab world, students of hadith have been involved in political controversy, both internally (different evaluations of Westernisation and secularism, also very much the continued relevance of medieval jurisprudence) and externally (defence against European scepticism). Islamic modernists have piled up examples of dubious hadith reports but so far failed to come up with an alternative basis for Islamic law such as their criticisms seem to imply.
Andrew F. March
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195330960
- eISBN:
- 9780199868278
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195330960.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This chapter examines Islamic arguments for three basic principles of civic loyalty: that non-Muslim states may enjoy permanent recognition; that a Muslim citizen may forswear any violent activities ...
More
This chapter examines Islamic arguments for three basic principles of civic loyalty: that non-Muslim states may enjoy permanent recognition; that a Muslim citizen may forswear any violent activities against their non-Muslim state; and that it is permissible to contribute to the self-defense efforts of a non-Muslim state. Central is the idea of contract, particularly the aman, a contract of mutual security between Muslims and non-Muslims, often used to assert a general social contract in non-Muslim states, and thus obligation to them. Arguments for actively defending a non-Muslim state tend to be that no explicit prohibition exists or that doing so may be beneficial to Muslims. However, it is also clear that political liberalism’s notion of public neutrality on controversial truth claims is attractive to Islamic scholars. On the question of permanent recognition, it is argued that Muslim citizens must adopt a form of the Modernist jihad doctrine.Less
This chapter examines Islamic arguments for three basic principles of civic loyalty: that non-Muslim states may enjoy permanent recognition; that a Muslim citizen may forswear any violent activities against their non-Muslim state; and that it is permissible to contribute to the self-defense efforts of a non-Muslim state. Central is the idea of contract, particularly the aman, a contract of mutual security between Muslims and non-Muslims, often used to assert a general social contract in non-Muslim states, and thus obligation to them. Arguments for actively defending a non-Muslim state tend to be that no explicit prohibition exists or that doing so may be beneficial to Muslims. However, it is also clear that political liberalism’s notion of public neutrality on controversial truth claims is attractive to Islamic scholars. On the question of permanent recognition, it is argued that Muslim citizens must adopt a form of the Modernist jihad doctrine.
Robert R. Bianchi
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195171075
- eISBN:
- 9780199835102
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195171071.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
The international relations of the hajj are a fascinating interplay of power, law, and religion. Debates over hajj policy frame the struggle for power in Islamic international organizations, ...
More
The international relations of the hajj are a fascinating interplay of power, law, and religion. Debates over hajj policy frame the struggle for power in Islamic international organizations, promoting greater bargaining and cooperation between blocks of Arab, Asian, and African states. The hajj is an evolving international regime based on customary international law but, more important, it is the clearest embodiment of a worldwide religion subordinating the interests of nation-states to the universal duty to comply with God’s commands. Advocates of Islamic modernism rely on the ideals of the hajj to support calls for greater world community and morality that are strikingly similar to the arguments of Western writers who are leading the current theoretical revolutions in international relations and international law.Less
The international relations of the hajj are a fascinating interplay of power, law, and religion. Debates over hajj policy frame the struggle for power in Islamic international organizations, promoting greater bargaining and cooperation between blocks of Arab, Asian, and African states. The hajj is an evolving international regime based on customary international law but, more important, it is the clearest embodiment of a worldwide religion subordinating the interests of nation-states to the universal duty to comply with God’s commands. Advocates of Islamic modernism rely on the ideals of the hajj to support calls for greater world community and morality that are strikingly similar to the arguments of Western writers who are leading the current theoretical revolutions in international relations and international law.
KATE ZEBIRI
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198263302
- eISBN:
- 9780191682469
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198263302.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This introductory chapter explains the coverage of this book, which is about the contribution of Egyptian Islamic scholar Shaykh Maḥmūd Shaltūt to Islamic modernism. Shaltūt's vision of Islam is ...
More
This introductory chapter explains the coverage of this book, which is about the contribution of Egyptian Islamic scholar Shaykh Maḥmūd Shaltūt to Islamic modernism. Shaltūt's vision of Islam is universalistic and he always sought to address contemporary problems from within an Islamic framework and to make the fruits of the Islamic tradition accessible to ordinary Muslims. He was also involved in reform issues and was one of the pioneers of the movement for the conciliation between the schools of law.Less
This introductory chapter explains the coverage of this book, which is about the contribution of Egyptian Islamic scholar Shaykh Maḥmūd Shaltūt to Islamic modernism. Shaltūt's vision of Islam is universalistic and he always sought to address contemporary problems from within an Islamic framework and to make the fruits of the Islamic tradition accessible to ordinary Muslims. He was also involved in reform issues and was one of the pioneers of the movement for the conciliation between the schools of law.
Marwa Elshakry
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- May 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780226001302
- eISBN:
- 9780226001449
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226001449.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
This chapter examines the career of one of the best-known Muslim intellectuals of colonial Egypt, Muhammad ‘Abduh. It looks in particular at his efforts at the curricular reform of al-Azhar. ...
More
This chapter examines the career of one of the best-known Muslim intellectuals of colonial Egypt, Muhammad ‘Abduh. It looks in particular at his efforts at the curricular reform of al-Azhar. Following his discussion of the need to revitalize the Muslim sciences, it explores his understanding of “new subjects” of study or the “new sciences” (al-‘ulum al-haditha). For much of his life, ‘Abduh was at odds with the Azhari rank and file: his reformism was one reason why he was often denounced as a “Wahhabi.” His lectures on scriptural hermeneutics, or tafsir also gathered much criticism at the time; yet in other circles, these helped him acquire the label of one of the founding “Islamic modernists.” It was in these lectures that ‘Abduh would make passing references to evolution and to Darwin. An avid fan of Herbert Spencer, ‘Abduh’s engagement with contemporary evolutionary thought was nowhere as extensive as al-Jisr’s. Nevertheless, it provided further fodder for his critics who were as wary of ‘Abduh’s reform efforts as they were of his close relations with British advocates in Egypt. This chapter thus explores the politics of evolution alongside educational and religious reform through the experience of Egypt’s Grand Mufti.Less
This chapter examines the career of one of the best-known Muslim intellectuals of colonial Egypt, Muhammad ‘Abduh. It looks in particular at his efforts at the curricular reform of al-Azhar. Following his discussion of the need to revitalize the Muslim sciences, it explores his understanding of “new subjects” of study or the “new sciences” (al-‘ulum al-haditha). For much of his life, ‘Abduh was at odds with the Azhari rank and file: his reformism was one reason why he was often denounced as a “Wahhabi.” His lectures on scriptural hermeneutics, or tafsir also gathered much criticism at the time; yet in other circles, these helped him acquire the label of one of the founding “Islamic modernists.” It was in these lectures that ‘Abduh would make passing references to evolution and to Darwin. An avid fan of Herbert Spencer, ‘Abduh’s engagement with contemporary evolutionary thought was nowhere as extensive as al-Jisr’s. Nevertheless, it provided further fodder for his critics who were as wary of ‘Abduh’s reform efforts as they were of his close relations with British advocates in Egypt. This chapter thus explores the politics of evolution alongside educational and religious reform through the experience of Egypt’s Grand Mufti.
Yufeng Mao
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781474402279
- eISBN:
- 9781474422468
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9781474402279.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
As a part of a broader Islamic modernist program, Chinese Muslim students went to Egypt—to al-Azhar University in Cairo—in the 1930s to bring home not only true Islamic teachings but also means of ...
More
As a part of a broader Islamic modernist program, Chinese Muslim students went to Egypt—to al-Azhar University in Cairo—in the 1930s to bring home not only true Islamic teachings but also means of empowerment for Muslims in China. Influenced by their personal backgrounds, their interactions with local Muslims, and their aspirations within the Chinese Republican state apparatus, these cultural intermediaries between Chinese Muslims and the Islamic heartlands chose to highlight modernist thought in the Islamic world and to emphasize Chinese nationalism and a cooperative relationship with the Chinese state.Less
As a part of a broader Islamic modernist program, Chinese Muslim students went to Egypt—to al-Azhar University in Cairo—in the 1930s to bring home not only true Islamic teachings but also means of empowerment for Muslims in China. Influenced by their personal backgrounds, their interactions with local Muslims, and their aspirations within the Chinese Republican state apparatus, these cultural intermediaries between Chinese Muslims and the Islamic heartlands chose to highlight modernist thought in the Islamic world and to emphasize Chinese nationalism and a cooperative relationship with the Chinese state.
Carool Kersten
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190851279
- eISBN:
- 9780190943028
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190851279.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
Within the context of Indonesia’s encounters with liberalism in late colonial and postcolonial times, this chapter examines Muslim discourses that are critical of both Western liberal ideology and ...
More
Within the context of Indonesia’s encounters with liberalism in late colonial and postcolonial times, this chapter examines Muslim discourses that are critical of both Western liberal ideology and its Islamist detractors. After problematizing the existing categories of Islamic neo-modernism, Liberal Islam, and Islamic liberalism, the chapter focuses on alternative discourses formulated by Muslim intellectuals from both traditionalist and modernist-reformist Islamic backgrounds during the Reformasi era when Indonesia transitioned from a military autocracy to a democratic system of governance. Islamic Post-Traditionalists draws on poststructuralism and postcolonial theory to offer an emancipatory trajectory for Indonesian Muslims in the twenty-first century, while modernist-reformist intellectuals have drawn on the social sciences to develop a new paradigm referred to as Transformative Islam. Instead of presenting sweeping ideas, this younger generation is more concerned with translating new regimes of knowledge into applied thinking about concrete issues, such as democratization, development, justice and battling corruption.Less
Within the context of Indonesia’s encounters with liberalism in late colonial and postcolonial times, this chapter examines Muslim discourses that are critical of both Western liberal ideology and its Islamist detractors. After problematizing the existing categories of Islamic neo-modernism, Liberal Islam, and Islamic liberalism, the chapter focuses on alternative discourses formulated by Muslim intellectuals from both traditionalist and modernist-reformist Islamic backgrounds during the Reformasi era when Indonesia transitioned from a military autocracy to a democratic system of governance. Islamic Post-Traditionalists draws on poststructuralism and postcolonial theory to offer an emancipatory trajectory for Indonesian Muslims in the twenty-first century, while modernist-reformist intellectuals have drawn on the social sciences to develop a new paradigm referred to as Transformative Islam. Instead of presenting sweeping ideas, this younger generation is more concerned with translating new regimes of knowledge into applied thinking about concrete issues, such as democratization, development, justice and battling corruption.
Etty Terem
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780804787079
- eISBN:
- 9780804790840
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804787079.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, Middle East History
This chapter challenges the ways in which Islamic modernism has been constructed and theorized, and elaborates upon the conception of Islamic tradition and historical change that is central to the ...
More
This chapter challenges the ways in which Islamic modernism has been constructed and theorized, and elaborates upon the conception of Islamic tradition and historical change that is central to the book's argument. In addition, it introduces al-Mahdī al-Wazzānī and his New Miʻyār within the wider historical context of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Morocco.Less
This chapter challenges the ways in which Islamic modernism has been constructed and theorized, and elaborates upon the conception of Islamic tradition and historical change that is central to the book's argument. In addition, it introduces al-Mahdī al-Wazzānī and his New Miʻyār within the wider historical context of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Morocco.
Benjamin F. Soares
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748622856
- eISBN:
- 9780748670635
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748622856.003.0008
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, African Studies
Chapter 7 looks at so-called Islamic reform, particularly the activities and influence of Muslim reformists, their discourses, and efforts to change the way Islam has been practiced in West Africa ...
More
Chapter 7 looks at so-called Islamic reform, particularly the activities and influence of Muslim reformists, their discourses, and efforts to change the way Islam has been practiced in West Africa and in Mali in particular. It also considers some of the ways reformists and those within the Sufi tradition they criticize have certain shared objectives and values. At the same time, it points to the influence of reformist discourses on the Sufi tradition in spite of their limited success.Less
Chapter 7 looks at so-called Islamic reform, particularly the activities and influence of Muslim reformists, their discourses, and efforts to change the way Islam has been practiced in West Africa and in Mali in particular. It also considers some of the ways reformists and those within the Sufi tradition they criticize have certain shared objectives and values. At the same time, it points to the influence of reformist discourses on the Sufi tradition in spite of their limited success.
Nathan Spannaus
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- August 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190251789
- eISBN:
- 9780190251802
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190251789.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam, Religion and Society
This chapter addresses the question of modernity, arguing that the changes to Volga-Ural Muslims’ relationship with the Russian state remade their society, dismantling the Islamic social order, based ...
More
This chapter addresses the question of modernity, arguing that the changes to Volga-Ural Muslims’ relationship with the Russian state remade their society, dismantling the Islamic social order, based on sharia, that had historically predominated in the region. The result was the disembedding of Muslim society, the removal of overarching social structures with a religious basis; this broke the link between the individual and communal institutions, with the latter weakened by tsarist control. In effect, any adherence to Islamic legal norms was functionally rendered a personal choice. Addressing the social and religious impact of disembedding, this chapter connects it with secularity, itself a massive shift in the religious construction of society, and argues that such a transformation represents the beginning of modernity. Therefore, the elements of Qūrṣāwī’s thought that respond to these changes can be considered examples of Islamic modernism.Less
This chapter addresses the question of modernity, arguing that the changes to Volga-Ural Muslims’ relationship with the Russian state remade their society, dismantling the Islamic social order, based on sharia, that had historically predominated in the region. The result was the disembedding of Muslim society, the removal of overarching social structures with a religious basis; this broke the link between the individual and communal institutions, with the latter weakened by tsarist control. In effect, any adherence to Islamic legal norms was functionally rendered a personal choice. Addressing the social and religious impact of disembedding, this chapter connects it with secularity, itself a massive shift in the religious construction of society, and argues that such a transformation represents the beginning of modernity. Therefore, the elements of Qūrṣāwī’s thought that respond to these changes can be considered examples of Islamic modernism.
Julian Millie
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781501713118
- eISBN:
- 9781501709609
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9781501713118.003.0002
- Subject:
- Anthropology, Asian Cultural Anthropology
Chapter Two documents waves of novelty in preaching styles, plotting successive embraces by West Javanese Muslims of new preaching forms that remain valid for contemporary audiences. The sketch is ...
More
Chapter Two documents waves of novelty in preaching styles, plotting successive embraces by West Javanese Muslims of new preaching forms that remain valid for contemporary audiences. The sketch is constructed around clusters of terms that correspond to historically-specific understandings of Muslim subjectivity.Less
Chapter Two documents waves of novelty in preaching styles, plotting successive embraces by West Javanese Muslims of new preaching forms that remain valid for contemporary audiences. The sketch is constructed around clusters of terms that correspond to historically-specific understandings of Muslim subjectivity.
Nathan Spannaus
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- August 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190251789
- eISBN:
- 9780190251802
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190251789.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam, Religion and Society
Abu Nasr Qursawi (1776–1812) was a major figure in the history of the Muslim communities of the Russian Empire. An important religious scholar, he wrote works calling for the reform of the Islamic ...
More
Abu Nasr Qursawi (1776–1812) was a major figure in the history of the Muslim communities of the Russian Empire. An important religious scholar, he wrote works calling for the reform of the Islamic scholarly tradition that shaped the religious discourse of these communities into the 20th century. Qursawi focused on the construction of Islamic scholarship in the postclassical period (14th–19th centuries), criticizing scholars’ overreliance on taqlid, which had led them to hold incorrect theological views and prevented them from engaging with scripture in legal interpretation (through ijtihad). He argued that all scholarly positions must be verified (tahqiq) to ensure their correctness, and ijtihad was an obligation upon all Muslims to determine their own actions. Though critical, his reformism was grounded within the existing scholarly tradition, and its content was not subject to European influence. Nevertheless, it can be seen as a response to the incorporation of Islamic institutions into the bureaucracy of the Russian imperial state in the late 18th century, which remade the exercise of Islamic law and religious authority in the empire. This book analyzes his reformism in reference to its antecedents and sources and in light of these historical shifts. It also addresses the issue of modernity, arguing that although his reformism is grounded in the postclassical tradition, it is also an early example of Islamic modernism. It is, however, distinct from Jadidism, the 20th-century reform movement, despite frequent claims to contrary, as Jadidism instead grew out of transformations in the Volga-Ural religious environment postdating Qursawi.Less
Abu Nasr Qursawi (1776–1812) was a major figure in the history of the Muslim communities of the Russian Empire. An important religious scholar, he wrote works calling for the reform of the Islamic scholarly tradition that shaped the religious discourse of these communities into the 20th century. Qursawi focused on the construction of Islamic scholarship in the postclassical period (14th–19th centuries), criticizing scholars’ overreliance on taqlid, which had led them to hold incorrect theological views and prevented them from engaging with scripture in legal interpretation (through ijtihad). He argued that all scholarly positions must be verified (tahqiq) to ensure their correctness, and ijtihad was an obligation upon all Muslims to determine their own actions. Though critical, his reformism was grounded within the existing scholarly tradition, and its content was not subject to European influence. Nevertheless, it can be seen as a response to the incorporation of Islamic institutions into the bureaucracy of the Russian imperial state in the late 18th century, which remade the exercise of Islamic law and religious authority in the empire. This book analyzes his reformism in reference to its antecedents and sources and in light of these historical shifts. It also addresses the issue of modernity, arguing that although his reformism is grounded in the postclassical tradition, it is also an early example of Islamic modernism. It is, however, distinct from Jadidism, the 20th-century reform movement, despite frequent claims to contrary, as Jadidism instead grew out of transformations in the Volga-Ural religious environment postdating Qursawi.
Etty Terem
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780804787079
- eISBN:
- 9780804790840
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Stanford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.11126/stanford/9780804787079.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Middle East History
This book inquires into the composition, function, and meaning of Islamic tradition, and by extension, into the larger question of the relationship between tradition and historical change. It is ...
More
This book inquires into the composition, function, and meaning of Islamic tradition, and by extension, into the larger question of the relationship between tradition and historical change. It is commonplace to characterize Islamic modernism as a rupture with tradition. This characterization maintains that modern Islamic reformist thought in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries promulgated a sharp critique of the classical Islamic scholarship, rejection of the principle of legal schools, and condemnation of taqlīd. Focusing on al-Mahdī al-Wazzānī's New Miʻyār (1910), the book demonstrates that fidelity to a madhhab and the authoritative rulings and opinions that had accumulated over centuries of juristic creativity did not exclude the reform, transformation, and re-creation of tradition. A detailed analysis of the five fatwās that were carefully designed by al-Wazzānī and assembled in his New Miʻyār shows how he negotiated with the new needs, norms, and sensibilities shaped by Moroccan modernity from within Islamic legal tradition. In elaborating his interpretation, al-Wazzānī, in effect, composed a new Islamic orthodoxy infused with meaning relevant to his changed world.Less
This book inquires into the composition, function, and meaning of Islamic tradition, and by extension, into the larger question of the relationship between tradition and historical change. It is commonplace to characterize Islamic modernism as a rupture with tradition. This characterization maintains that modern Islamic reformist thought in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries promulgated a sharp critique of the classical Islamic scholarship, rejection of the principle of legal schools, and condemnation of taqlīd. Focusing on al-Mahdī al-Wazzānī's New Miʻyār (1910), the book demonstrates that fidelity to a madhhab and the authoritative rulings and opinions that had accumulated over centuries of juristic creativity did not exclude the reform, transformation, and re-creation of tradition. A detailed analysis of the five fatwās that were carefully designed by al-Wazzānī and assembled in his New Miʻyār shows how he negotiated with the new needs, norms, and sensibilities shaped by Moroccan modernity from within Islamic legal tradition. In elaborating his interpretation, al-Wazzānī, in effect, composed a new Islamic orthodoxy infused with meaning relevant to his changed world.
Nathan Spannaus
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- August 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190251789
- eISBN:
- 9780190251802
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190251789.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam, Religion and Society
The religious and intellectual landscape of the Volga-Ural region changed significantly over the course of the 19th century. This chapter addresses those changes, focusing on three main historical ...
More
The religious and intellectual landscape of the Volga-Ural region changed significantly over the course of the 19th century. This chapter addresses those changes, focusing on three main historical phenomena: the adoption of European approaches and subjects in Islamic education and pedagogy, the introduction of Arabic-script printing and periodical publishing, and the fragmentation of Islamic religious authority. These phenomena all contributed to a new religious and intellectual landscape that arises following the 1905 Revolution, which is marked by debates over the ulama’s stature as foremost religious interpreters and non-ulama elites speaking for Islam and for Muslims alongside scholars. Characterized by conflicts over the continued validity of the Islamic scholarly tradition and the role of ulama, the discourse of this period included new debates and movements, including Jadidism, which emerges out of the broad changes taking place.Less
The religious and intellectual landscape of the Volga-Ural region changed significantly over the course of the 19th century. This chapter addresses those changes, focusing on three main historical phenomena: the adoption of European approaches and subjects in Islamic education and pedagogy, the introduction of Arabic-script printing and periodical publishing, and the fragmentation of Islamic religious authority. These phenomena all contributed to a new religious and intellectual landscape that arises following the 1905 Revolution, which is marked by debates over the ulama’s stature as foremost religious interpreters and non-ulama elites speaking for Islam and for Muslims alongside scholars. Characterized by conflicts over the continued validity of the Islamic scholarly tradition and the role of ulama, the discourse of this period included new debates and movements, including Jadidism, which emerges out of the broad changes taking place.
Mohammad Fadel
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- June 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780190054151
- eISBN:
- 9780190054182
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190054151.003.0012
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
One of the aims of Professor Esposito’s scholarship has been to emphasize the pluralistic nature of Islamic thought. The North American Muslim community presents a vivid example of Islam’s pluralism, ...
More
One of the aims of Professor Esposito’s scholarship has been to emphasize the pluralistic nature of Islamic thought. The North American Muslim community presents a vivid example of Islam’s pluralism, with almost all major trends in global Islam represented. Ironically, the very pluralism of North American Islam undermines North American Muslims’ ability to speak collectively in the public square regarding the place of Islam in democratic life. The fragmentation of the Muslim public sphere effectively cedes control over the discourse about Islam to much better funded and better organized groups with a long history of anti-Muslim sentiments, especially Evangelical Christianity, for whom Islam and Muslims are demonic actors who must be defeated in order to usher in universal salvation. Until Muslims create institutions of sufficient scale to allow them to speak with one voice on matters of public concern, it is unlikely that scholarly endeavors alone can succeed in dispelling Islamophobia.Less
One of the aims of Professor Esposito’s scholarship has been to emphasize the pluralistic nature of Islamic thought. The North American Muslim community presents a vivid example of Islam’s pluralism, with almost all major trends in global Islam represented. Ironically, the very pluralism of North American Islam undermines North American Muslims’ ability to speak collectively in the public square regarding the place of Islam in democratic life. The fragmentation of the Muslim public sphere effectively cedes control over the discourse about Islam to much better funded and better organized groups with a long history of anti-Muslim sentiments, especially Evangelical Christianity, for whom Islam and Muslims are demonic actors who must be defeated in order to usher in universal salvation. Until Muslims create institutions of sufficient scale to allow them to speak with one voice on matters of public concern, it is unlikely that scholarly endeavors alone can succeed in dispelling Islamophobia.
Andrew Hammond
- Published in print:
- 2022
- Published Online:
- April 2022
- ISBN:
- 9780197532560
- eISBN:
- 9780197532607
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780197532560.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
This chapter looks at Salafi publishing and its critical role in the intense contestation among Islamic trends throughout the twentieth century over defining the Sunni mainstream and establishing ...
More
This chapter looks at Salafi publishing and its critical role in the intense contestation among Islamic trends throughout the twentieth century over defining the Sunni mainstream and establishing orthodoxy. It demonstrates how the discourse of Salafism was formed in the crucible of rivalry with Islamic modernism (the followers of Muhammad ʿAbduh), the Muslim Brotherhood, and conservative traditionalists (such as Zahid al-Kawthari), largely through the efforts of the Syrian cleric Nasir al-Din al-Albani, who established a clear standard of belief and practice under the designation “Salafi.” With its veneration of the creedal positions of Ibn Taymiyya and rejection of Muslim juridical culture, Salafism evolved its novel approach through the medium of modern print culture. Its activities were focused on, but not restricted to, Saudi Arabia, where Wahhabism’s esteem for Ibn Taymiyya created fertile ground for collaboration. The chapter closes by surveying Salafi literature, its message, and its global reach.Less
This chapter looks at Salafi publishing and its critical role in the intense contestation among Islamic trends throughout the twentieth century over defining the Sunni mainstream and establishing orthodoxy. It demonstrates how the discourse of Salafism was formed in the crucible of rivalry with Islamic modernism (the followers of Muhammad ʿAbduh), the Muslim Brotherhood, and conservative traditionalists (such as Zahid al-Kawthari), largely through the efforts of the Syrian cleric Nasir al-Din al-Albani, who established a clear standard of belief and practice under the designation “Salafi.” With its veneration of the creedal positions of Ibn Taymiyya and rejection of Muslim juridical culture, Salafism evolved its novel approach through the medium of modern print culture. Its activities were focused on, but not restricted to, Saudi Arabia, where Wahhabism’s esteem for Ibn Taymiyya created fertile ground for collaboration. The chapter closes by surveying Salafi literature, its message, and its global reach.