Transcript slides

How to apply Islam to the modern, secular
world?
Three major strands of thought:
Traditionalists
Islamists
Modernists
Traditionalists
Look to rigid adherence to Islamic past for
guidance, but tradition has changed over
time
Question of how to legitimise change esp. in
face of long-established life patterns
“Neo-Traditionalists” advocating cautious
change
Islamists a.k.a “Literalists”
or “Fundamentalists”
Advocating return to Qur’an and hadith as
sources of wisdom, rejecting traditional
interpretations. See this as leading to
revival of Islam
Often anti-intellectualist and anti-philosophy
Extremist Islamists tend to dominate media.
Advocating armed struggle, Sayyid Qutb
with polarised worldviews
(d. 1966)
Modernists
See Islam as needing to adapt to modern world,
often looking to moral precepts behind
legal injunctions
Embrace useful modern developments, but leave
faith to individual
Law needs to be adapted to circumstances
through thoughtful interpretation of
Qur’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 as
personal life, but needs to be flexible
Strong advocates of use of reason in
interpretation of texts. Interpretations
may be radical in light of modern
ideas of democracy, freedom, equality,
tolerance and social justice (seen as
values inherent in Islam anyway)
Case Study - Polygamy
Traditionalists accept polygamy, because it has
always been practiced
Islamists look to Qur’an and say
that it was advocating monogamy but allowed
for older practices that are no longer relevant
Modernists say that since the sexes are equal, and
monogamy aims for social welfare while
polygamy is potentially problematic, should
stick with monogamy. View Qur’an as
supporting position
How do we approach a 7th c. scripture in
the modern day?
Muhammad Abduh (d. 1905)
Modernist, seeking to use Islam as filter for
modern progress
Seeking to make Qur’an more accessible and
applicable to modern day
Tafsir al-Manar (Interpretation of the
Lighthouse/Minaret)
Muhammad Abduh (d. 1905)
Qur’an as encouraging reason, education and
political independence
Ambiguities encouraging attention to spiritual
world
Rulings as tied to context in which revealed
Sayyid Qutb (d. 1966)
Radical Islamist and extremist member of
Muslim Brotherhood
Initially attracted to westernisation, then
rejected it after visit to America in
1949-51
Advocated Islamic state in Egypt with Islamic
institutions
Sayyid Qutb (d. 1966)
Fi Zilal al-Qur’an (In the Shade of the
Qur’an)
Qur’an as complete blueprint for society,
needing group like Muslim Brotherhood
to implement it properly
Emphasis on Qur’an’s artistic/literary merits
Sayyid Qutb (d. 1966)
World divided into good and evil. Individual
obligation to fight evil
Military jihad
Muslims who do not fight evil are apostates,
may be killed
Issues at stake:
Qur’an as eternal, uncreated word of God
How do we understand and implement it?
Questions of historical context, degree to
which it should be taken literally
Impact on law
When does interpretation lead to heresy?
Abdullah Yusuf Ali (1872-1953)
Indian scholar best known for translating
Qur’an into English
Originally Shi‘ite, but was concerned
for all Muslims. Also mystical
tendencies
Abdullah Yusuf Ali (1872-1953)
Born Bombay. Educated at Muslim school in
India, then degree at Cambridge.
Worked in Indian civil service.
Supported British presence in India.
Died in London
Translation of Qur’an shows modernist and
mystical tendencies, has led some
Islamists to try and expurgate what they
see as unorthodox
Muhammad Abduh (1849-1905) and
Muhammad Rashid Rida (1865-1935)
Abduh was pupil of al-Afghani. Rida was
pupil of Abduh. Both were modernists,
advocating Islamic reform in face of
modern world
Together worked on Abduh’s journal Al-Manar,
which included Tafsir al-Manar,
commentary on Qur’an