9. The Real Task Ahead
In view of the analysis presented above, the most critical need at the
present moment is as follows: powerful intellectual movement must
arise that would revolutionize the thinking and viewpoint of the most
intelligent classes and the best educated elite of the society. A
movement is needed, in other words, that would liberate the members of
the intellectual minority from the cold night of disbelief and
materialism, bringing them into the warm daylight of faith and enriching
them with the treasures of God-consciousness and self-awareness.
Obviously, this goal is impossible to realize except through a cogently
reasoned affirmation of religious beliefs as well as a coherently argued
refutation of all forms of disbelief and materialism.
In this regard, a crucial point must be borne in mind. Since in our age
physical distance has become inconsequential and the entire world has
become a virtual family, the intellectual level of discourse in the
requisite movement cannot be set according to the academic standards
of any particular society. Rather, the proposed movement must function
in accordance with the highest standard of intellectual and academic
sophistication that is found anywhere in the world.
There can be no doubt that what is being proposed here is an extremely
arduous and challenging task, but it should be equally obvious that
dreaming of a renaissance of Islam without undertaking its essential
prerequisite is tantamount to living in a fool’s paradise.
The first step for launching this intellectual movement is to identify
bright and talented young individuals who are naturally endowed with
an intense thirst for knowledge. They must feel an inner restlessness—a
dissatisfaction with conventional wisdom and an irrepressible yearning
for finding the truth. Such individuals must have reached the realization
that ultimate reality is far beyond what can be known through ordinary
sense perception. Their motivation to uncover the veiled reality should
be so intense as to create a burning desire for dedicating their lives to
this end—disregarding in the process all the worldly ambitions of status,
comfort, and attractive careers.
These young inquirers will have to review the entire range of human
thought, which will involve a thorough and penetrating study of
intellectual history from its earliest stages to the present day. In this
regard, the main arenas for their research and reflection will include the
disciplines of logic, metaphysics, psychology, ethics, and theology. In
addition, they will complement their main inquiry by giving due
attention to what is indispensable in the social and physical sciences.
Along with this deep and critical examination of human thought, they
will undertake a focused and thoughtful study of the Holy Qur’an—the
last and most comprehensive of divine revelations—with the aim of
discovering for themselves the true nature of reality.
And if, after a laborious study of human thought and revealed guidance,
the radiance of the Qur’an comes to illuminate their hearts, if its
message sounds like the voice of their own souls, if their innermost
beings resonate with its teachings, if they find compelling answers to all
of their fundamental questions about the nature of reality, and if, in the
ecstasy of this enlightenment, they experience a profound inner
satisfaction and fulfillment—then they will know that they are tasting
the sweetness of iman.
Only such individuals will be capable of acquiring rusukh fil ‘ilm, i.e., a
firm and authentic grounding in the knowledge of reality (cf., Surah Al-
‘Imran 3:7). Instead of moral waywardness and intellectual caprice, their
knowledge will lead them to ever greater piety and fear of divine
judgment. Their personalities will bear witness to the Qur’anic ayah: “. . .
verily, those who fear God from among His servants are the ones who
possess abundant . . .” (Surah Al-Fatir 35:28). Their characters will be
such that instead of being mere readers of the Qur’an, they will become
the living embodiments of divine revelation. This is so because the
essence and core of the Qur’an is precisely this “knowing” of reality
which is otherwise called iman. While the laws and practical injunctions
of the Qur’an—collectively known as the Shari‘ah—are definitely of great
importance when considered in their own right, they are of much less
significance when judged against the immense value of iman. The Sufi
poet Rumi has even used the metaphor of “marrow” to emphasize the
primacy of faith, while referring to the debates and controversies
surrounding the law as mere “bones.” The truth of the matter is that any
intellectual inquiry into the laws and practical injunctions of the Qur’
an is completely futile so long as such activity is not preceded and
accompanied by the cultivation of a deep and authentic religious faith. It
is this subtle point that has been very aptly conveyed in the following
statement by ‘Abd-Allah bin ‘Abbas (R): “We acquired iman first, and
learned the Qur’an later.”
A convincing refutation of Western thought and a demolishing critique
of Western culture can only be produced by individuals who have
thoroughly imbued the refreshing knowledge of reality that flows from
the Holy Qur’an. Only such individuals will find it possible to write a
new “incoherence” in response to today’s philosophers and mount a
crushing “refutation” upon the claims of today’s logicians. It will be the
efforts of these individuals alone that will finally check the flood of
disbelief and materialism—the same flood whose momentum has been
carrying the human mind for the last two hundred years.
Besides this negative work of demolition, they will have to undertake the
positive task of laying down the foundations for a new philosophical
theology of Islam, otherwise known as kalam. The aim of the latter
enterprise is to allow the facts that have been discovered so far in the
domains of mathematics, physics, cosmology, biology, and psychology to
occupy their proper places within the framework of Islamic beliefs. After
all, these facts are nothing other than partial details of the same Reality
whose fullest manifestation is found in the “knowing” that we call iman.
About thirty-five or forty years ago, Muuammad Iqbal initiated this task
through his work The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. A
portion of this work dealing with religious law and the issues of ijma‘ and
ijtihad is rather controversial; but that discussion is not directly related
to the main topic of the book. Concerning the reconstruction of the
philosophical theology of Islam, Iqbal’s work is very important and
thought-provoking. He himself observed in the preface: “As knowledge
advances and fresh avenues of thought are opened, other views and
probably sounder views than those set forth in these lectures, are
possible. Our duty is to watch carefully the progress of human thought
and to maintain an independent critical attitude towards it.” Had other
scholars pursued this task by continuing to reflect along the lines
suggested by Iqbal, and had only a few steadfast individuals devoted
their lives for this purpose, a great deal of valuable and substantial work
would have been produced. It is regretful that not even a single
individual from Iqbal’s own circle of influence chose to enter this arena.
In any case, unless a considerable amount of truly high quality work is
accomplished in the field of philosophical theology, the hope of
attracting the intelligentsia towards religion will be nothing more than a
mirage.
After the “reconstruction of religious thought in Islam,” the second most
important task is to elaborate in a cogent and coherent manner the
practical guidance of Islam concerning the various spheres of human
life, such as politics, jurisprudence, culture, and economics. As
mentioned earlier, a substantial amount of work has been accomplished
in this field during the last fifty or sixty years, particularly in Egypt and
the Indian Subcontinent. The Jama‘at-e Islami and al-Ikhwan al-
Muslimun have given particular attention to themes like the “Islamic
way of life” and “social justice in Islam.” However, all of this work can be
described only as a useful beginning or merely as an initial step in the
right direction. More recently, the tendency of mindlessly repeating the
same ideas—and publishing them under different titles—has diluted the
significance of even that earlier effort, which was quite valuable in itself.
The enterprise of publishing unoriginal works by amateur authors and
self-proclaimed scholars, and selling them within a niche market, may
bring economic benefit to a few but does not accomplish any positive
and lasting service to Islam. In today’s world, persons of high
intellectual caliber do not have the leisure to study the writings of
unqualified authors, i.e., those who lack the appropriate academic
training and the relevant credentials. It is imperative, therefore, that a
high academic standard is maintained in whatever intellectual work is
brought out, and that quality—as opposed to quantity—is given
maximum attention.
To engage in this kind of work, it is obviously essential to have an
accurate understanding of the affairs and problems of the contemporary
world, as well as first-hand knowledge of the latest trends and
developments in the various fields of social sciences. Side by side with
this modern knowledge, one must have deep familiarity with the primary
sources of Islam, i.e., the Qur’an and the Sunnah. It is futile to expect
high quality results without the application of the same degree of
meticulous attention and analytical rigor to both sides of the equation.
In view of the analysis presented above, the most critical need at the
present moment is as follows: powerful intellectual movement must
arise that would revolutionize the thinking and viewpoint of the most
intelligent classes and the best educated elite of the society. A
movement is needed, in other words, that would liberate the members of
the intellectual minority from the cold night of disbelief and
materialism, bringing them into the warm daylight of faith and enriching
them with the treasures of God-consciousness and self-awareness.
Obviously, this goal is impossible to realize except through a cogently
reasoned affirmation of religious beliefs as well as a coherently argued
refutation of all forms of disbelief and materialism.
In this regard, a crucial point must be borne in mind. Since in our age
physical distance has become inconsequential and the entire world has
become a virtual family, the intellectual level of discourse in the
requisite movement cannot be set according to the academic standards
of any particular society. Rather, the proposed movement must function
in accordance with the highest standard of intellectual and academic
sophistication that is found anywhere in the world.
There can be no doubt that what is being proposed here is an extremely
arduous and challenging task, but it should be equally obvious that
dreaming of a renaissance of Islam without undertaking its essential
prerequisite is tantamount to living in a fool’s paradise.
The first step for launching this intellectual movement is to identify
bright and talented young individuals who are naturally endowed with
an intense thirst for knowledge. They must feel an inner restlessness—a
dissatisfaction with conventional wisdom and an irrepressible yearning
for finding the truth. Such individuals must have reached the realization
that ultimate reality is far beyond what can be known through ordinary
sense perception. Their motivation to uncover the veiled reality should
be so intense as to create a burning desire for dedicating their lives to
this end—disregarding in the process all the worldly ambitions of status,
comfort, and attractive careers.
These young inquirers will have to review the entire range of human
thought, which will involve a thorough and penetrating study of
intellectual history from its earliest stages to the present day. In this
regard, the main arenas for their research and reflection will include the
disciplines of logic, metaphysics, psychology, ethics, and theology. In
addition, they will complement their main inquiry by giving due
attention to what is indispensable in the social and physical sciences.
Along with this deep and critical examination of human thought, they
will undertake a focused and thoughtful study of the Holy Qur’an—the
last and most comprehensive of divine revelations—with the aim of
discovering for themselves the true nature of reality.
And if, after a laborious study of human thought and revealed guidance,
the radiance of the Qur’an comes to illuminate their hearts, if its
message sounds like the voice of their own souls, if their innermost
beings resonate with its teachings, if they find compelling answers to all
of their fundamental questions about the nature of reality, and if, in the
ecstasy of this enlightenment, they experience a profound inner
satisfaction and fulfillment—then they will know that they are tasting
the sweetness of iman.
Only such individuals will be capable of acquiring rusukh fil ‘ilm, i.e., a
firm and authentic grounding in the knowledge of reality (cf., Surah Al-
‘Imran 3:7). Instead of moral waywardness and intellectual caprice, their
knowledge will lead them to ever greater piety and fear of divine
judgment. Their personalities will bear witness to the Qur’anic ayah: “. . .
verily, those who fear God from among His servants are the ones who
possess abundant . . .” (Surah Al-Fatir 35:28). Their characters will be
such that instead of being mere readers of the Qur’an, they will become
the living embodiments of divine revelation. This is so because the
essence and core of the Qur’an is precisely this “knowing” of reality
which is otherwise called iman. While the laws and practical injunctions
of the Qur’an—collectively known as the Shari‘ah—are definitely of great
importance when considered in their own right, they are of much less
significance when judged against the immense value of iman. The Sufi
poet Rumi has even used the metaphor of “marrow” to emphasize the
primacy of faith, while referring to the debates and controversies
surrounding the law as mere “bones.” The truth of the matter is that any
intellectual inquiry into the laws and practical injunctions of the Qur’
an is completely futile so long as such activity is not preceded and
accompanied by the cultivation of a deep and authentic religious faith. It
is this subtle point that has been very aptly conveyed in the following
statement by ‘Abd-Allah bin ‘Abbas (R): “We acquired iman first, and
learned the Qur’an later.”
A convincing refutation of Western thought and a demolishing critique
of Western culture can only be produced by individuals who have
thoroughly imbued the refreshing knowledge of reality that flows from
the Holy Qur’an. Only such individuals will find it possible to write a
new “incoherence” in response to today’s philosophers and mount a
crushing “refutation” upon the claims of today’s logicians. It will be the
efforts of these individuals alone that will finally check the flood of
disbelief and materialism—the same flood whose momentum has been
carrying the human mind for the last two hundred years.
Besides this negative work of demolition, they will have to undertake the
positive task of laying down the foundations for a new philosophical
theology of Islam, otherwise known as kalam. The aim of the latter
enterprise is to allow the facts that have been discovered so far in the
domains of mathematics, physics, cosmology, biology, and psychology to
occupy their proper places within the framework of Islamic beliefs. After
all, these facts are nothing other than partial details of the same Reality
whose fullest manifestation is found in the “knowing” that we call iman.
About thirty-five or forty years ago, Muuammad Iqbal initiated this task
through his work The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. A
portion of this work dealing with religious law and the issues of ijma‘ and
ijtihad is rather controversial; but that discussion is not directly related
to the main topic of the book. Concerning the reconstruction of the
philosophical theology of Islam, Iqbal’s work is very important and
thought-provoking. He himself observed in the preface: “As knowledge
advances and fresh avenues of thought are opened, other views and
probably sounder views than those set forth in these lectures, are
possible. Our duty is to watch carefully the progress of human thought
and to maintain an independent critical attitude towards it.” Had other
scholars pursued this task by continuing to reflect along the lines
suggested by Iqbal, and had only a few steadfast individuals devoted
their lives for this purpose, a great deal of valuable and substantial work
would have been produced. It is regretful that not even a single
individual from Iqbal’s own circle of influence chose to enter this arena.
In any case, unless a considerable amount of truly high quality work is
accomplished in the field of philosophical theology, the hope of
attracting the intelligentsia towards religion will be nothing more than a
mirage.
After the “reconstruction of religious thought in Islam,” the second most
important task is to elaborate in a cogent and coherent manner the
practical guidance of Islam concerning the various spheres of human
life, such as politics, jurisprudence, culture, and economics. As
mentioned earlier, a substantial amount of work has been accomplished
in this field during the last fifty or sixty years, particularly in Egypt and
the Indian Subcontinent. The Jama‘at-e Islami and al-Ikhwan al-
Muslimun have given particular attention to themes like the “Islamic
way of life” and “social justice in Islam.” However, all of this work can be
described only as a useful beginning or merely as an initial step in the
right direction. More recently, the tendency of mindlessly repeating the
same ideas—and publishing them under different titles—has diluted the
significance of even that earlier effort, which was quite valuable in itself.
The enterprise of publishing unoriginal works by amateur authors and
self-proclaimed scholars, and selling them within a niche market, may
bring economic benefit to a few but does not accomplish any positive
and lasting service to Islam. In today’s world, persons of high
intellectual caliber do not have the leisure to study the writings of
unqualified authors, i.e., those who lack the appropriate academic
training and the relevant credentials. It is imperative, therefore, that a
high academic standard is maintained in whatever intellectual work is
brought out, and that quality—as opposed to quantity—is given
maximum attention.
To engage in this kind of work, it is obviously essential to have an
accurate understanding of the affairs and problems of the contemporary
world, as well as first-hand knowledge of the latest trends and
developments in the various fields of social sciences. Side by side with
this modern knowledge, one must have deep familiarity with the primary
sources of Islam, i.e., the Qur’an and the Sunnah. It is futile to expect
high quality results without the application of the same degree of
meticulous attention and analytical rigor to both sides of the equation.
Islamic Renaissance
The Real Task Ahead
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. The Pervasive Ascendancy of
Western Thought
2. The Fundamental Point of View
3. Political and Intellectual Onslaught
of the West on the Islamic World
4. Early Defensive Attempts and their
Outcome
5. The Development of the Social
Sciences
6. The Conception of an "Islamic
System" and the Twentieth Century
Islamic Movements
7. The Shortcoming in the Revivalist
Interpretation of Islam
8. Renewal of Faith: The Precondition of
Islamic Renaissance
9. The Real Task Ahead
10. A Blue Print for Action
Quotes and Insights
Bibliography
Introduction
1. The Pervasive Ascendancy of
Western Thought
2. The Fundamental Point of View
3. Political and Intellectual Onslaught
of the West on the Islamic World
4. Early Defensive Attempts and their
Outcome
5. The Development of the Social
Sciences
6. The Conception of an "Islamic
System" and the Twentieth Century
Islamic Movements
7. The Shortcoming in the Revivalist
Interpretation of Islam
8. Renewal of Faith: The Precondition of
Islamic Renaissance
9. The Real Task Ahead
10. A Blue Print for Action
Quotes and Insights
Bibliography
Commentary
The modern condition has created a tremendous problem of plausibility for all religious
traditions. While religion tries to focus human attention on the spiritual and
metaphysical dimension of reality, the powerful forces of history have already
succeeded in directing most of human attention towards the material and physical
dimension of reality. The result so far has been a pervasive process of secularization in
its various manifestations—intellectual, psychological, social, political. In the face of
this powerful challenge posed by modernity, all religious traditions are facing an uphill
struggle in trying to regain their lost status and relevance. Islam, too, is facing the
same challenge, but it enjoys a very distinctive advantage.
According to the Qur’an, the physical universe, the material body, and the life of this-
world consist of innumerable “signs” of what is spiritual and metaphysical. The Qur’an
does not deny or denigrate the concrete, material reality, nor does it view that reality
as evil. In contrast to many other forms of religious sensibility—including certain
trends within the Islamic tradition itself—the Qur’an affirms and embraces the
empirical world by interpreting all of its phenomena as so many “signs” of God. This
means that by emphasizing the material universe, the physical body, and the life of
this-world, modernity has caused the human attention to focus on the realm of divine
“signs.” Furthermore, by discovering and systematizing a tremendous amount of
knowledge relating to the concrete, material reality, modernity has done the greatest
possible service to the human understanding of the “signs” of God.
This is a key moment in the argument of “Islamic Renaissance,” though the text itself
does not emphasize its significance in any obvious way. We may recall that the treatise
started by saying that the modern age is characterized by the pervasive ascendancy of
Western thought, which means that modernity encourages a disregard for the
transcendent and the metaphysical; it ends, however, by turning that statement on its
head. Since the Qur’an treats all empirical phenomena as “signs” of God, in the final
analysis the modern shift of emphasis towards the concrete, material reality does not
pose any impediment for religious faith. On the contrary, modernity itself has opened
up new possibilities for a postmodern revival of authentic religious faith.
The fact that the spirit of the Qur’an has something crucial in common with the spirit
of modernity constitutes a momentous discovery, one that can cause a powerful
paradigm shift in a wide-range of contexts. This is precisely why the work of
Muhammad Iqbal requires serious attention today. Indeed, his claim has tremendous
weight that certain key elements of Western modernity, particularly its empirical
attitude, represent a flowering of what is a genuinely Islamic contribution. In effect,
Iqbal has shown us that Muslims ought to approach modernity as a friend and ally of
religious faith, and not its enemy. This is so because each and every step in the progress
of the natural and social sciences, every bit of reality that is unveiled through human
effort, exposes—and makes accessible—the truth of a divine “sign.” As human
knowledge relating to the material and physical world goes on increasing, the task of
affirming the spiritual and metaphysical realities posited by the Qur’an becomes that
much easier.
Since the unprecedented growth of knowledge under the conditions of modernity is
nothing but the latest stage in the revelation of divine “signs,” Muslim theologians do
not have to start from scratch as they try to secure a rational foundation for religious
beliefs. All they have to do is study the various aspects of modern knowledge, and
interpret that knowledge in the service of their faith—not by forcing unwarranted
conclusions on the data but by exercising an honest commitment to the pursuit of
truth. If the Reality that is revealed in the Qur’an is identical to that which is revealed
in the concrete, material reality, then each “fact” about the latter will only illuminate,
rather than obscure, the teachings of the Qur’an.
It is in this background that Dr. Israr Ahmad’s insight about the nature of the “the real
task” can be best appreciated. He suggests that the most fundamental form of activism
that is required in order to pave the way for a renaissance of Islam is neither social nor
political. It is, first and foremost, intellectual. Unfortunately, the word “activism” has
acquired connotations of visible activity with immediate and tangible results, while the
word “intellectual” carries connotations of dusty libraries and sterile hairsplitting; at
the same time, there is a certain amount of suspicion in Muslim communities against
anything “intellectual,” a strange development in a religion otherwise known for its
vibrant intellectual tradition. The entire argument of “Islamic Renaissance,” however,
comes down to the following two claims: First, a thoughtful and disciplined reflection on
the “signs” of God is necessary for developing the kind of faith that is capable of
becoming one’s state of being. Second, no substantial transformation can occur in a
society without the approval and cooperation of its intellectual minority. These two
claims, in turn, lead to the following conclusion: A particular form of intellectual
activism must be undertaken in order to make possible the rebirth and “renaissance” of
Islam. Calling the required intellectual activism “the real task” does not mean that the
social and political varieties of Islamic activism are useless pursuits; on the contrary, it
is to acknowledge that other forms of activism, while necessary in their own right, will
not take us closer to our goal so long as this fundamental need remains unfulfilled.
To sum up, those who are seriously concerned with the goal of achieving a true and
lasting renaissance of Islam must pay attention to the following issues: a) the social and
political fortunes of Islam are directly dependent upon the cultivation of authentic
religious faith, among both the intelligentsia and the masses, b) the religious needs of
the intelligentsia are of a very different nature than the religious needs of the masses,
and c) instead of spreading our limited energies and resources too thin by getting
involved in a wide range and levels of activism, there is a need to focus on what is most
important, most essential, and most fundamental for the cultivation of religious faith
among the intelligentsia.
The practical form that “the real task” must take is obvious. It is to launch an
intellectual movement that can appropriate modern discoveries in both the physical
and social sciences for the purpose of showing their spiritual and metaphysical
“significance” in accordance with the teachings of the Qur’an. Such an intellectual
movement is the essential prerequisite for the revitalization of religious faith among
the intelligentsia, which, in turn, is necessary for the cultivation of faith among the
masses in general.
The nature of the “real task” is intellectual, and to fulfill its demands an academic
movement has to be launched. Given the fact that rapid means of communication have
led to an unprecedented rise in the ease and speed with which information and ideas
travel around the globe, the academic movement in question cannot succeed if it limits
itself to a parochial level. In other words, a movement that meets the intellectual
standards of one particular country but then fails to meet the higher standards of
another country will not be able to remain competitive in the global marketplace of
ideas; ultimately, such a movement will be an exercise in futility. Ideas and arguments
that do not meet the highest standards of intellectual sophistication are quickly
challenged, refuted, and replaced—or simply ignored. In order for the required
academic movement to have any chances of success, it must avoid the temptation of
taking the easy way; preaching to the choir, in other words, is not an option. It must
aim at meeting the highest standards of academic rigor in the world.
The academic work required to fulfill the practical demands of “the real task” is
obviously very important, yet it is not required from everyone. While everyone who
comes to recognize its need can and should contribute to this movement in one way or
another, the creative labor that has to form the core of this movement requires certain
special qualities and commitments for which, generally speaking, only a tiny fraction
of any given population is suitable at any given time.
The first step, then, is to find the right kind of human resources, i.e., men and women
who possess the necessary motivation and aptitude, a strong desire for achieving
genuine knowledge, and an irrepressible urge to experience truth rather than accept it
second-hand. The sort of individuals most suitable for this undertaking are those who
feel compelled to do so as a result of a desire that they feel arising from within their
souls, rather than an imperative that is artificially imposed upon them from the
outside. They must feel “called” to take this route.
The second step is to develop the financial and institutional resources that would
provide the kind of training and mentoring necessary for preparing these men and
women for participating in “the real task.”
What kind of education is required? Given the nature of the required academic
movement, these men and women would have to be well-versed in the teachings of the
Qur’an and appropriately grounded in the traditional sources of Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh,
and Tasawwuf. That this would require a thorough knowledge of classical and literary
Arabic, and perhaps other languages, goes without saying. The main emphasis will be
on acquiring the necessary tools and skills that will help the individuals establish a
close and personal relationship with the Holy Qur’an. At the same time, they should
acquire the necessary capabilities that would allow them to undertake a thorough and
critical study of the entire range of human thought, particularly of those areas that
they find most congenial to their own interests as well as most relevant to the demands
of “the real task.”
In terms of human thought, the most relevant subjects include philosophical theology
and metaphysics, as well as those branches of philosophy that deal with psychology,
ethics, anthropology, and logic (including epistemology and philosophy of science)
The above mentioned are the most crucial or “core” disciplines, but they are far from
sufficient for our purpose. In the second place are the social sciences, including
economics, political science, sociology, psychology, and anthropology. From the
perspective of “the real task,” the emphasis has to be placed on the philosophical and
theoretical aspects of these social sciences, though a basic acquaintance with empirical
research will be necessary as well.
Closely related to the social sciences are the fields of study that are classified under the
rubric of humanities. In addition to philosophy, humanities include the important
areas of literature and history. These fields are valuable mainly due to their multiple
connections with our “core” disciplines as well as with the disciplines in the social
sciences.
Finally, some attention must be given to the physical or the natural sciences, such as
physics, cosmology, biology, and experimental psychology. The emphasis, again, is not
on the technical and applied aspects of these sciences but on their philosophical
implications for the “core” disciplines identified above. For instance, the men and
women hoping to participate in “the real task” would be less interested in the actual
mathematical modeling of chaotic systems or in looking for black holes or dark matter,
but they would be deeply interested in the philosophical and theological implications of
these discoveries as they relate to their “core” disciplines.
The above survey, quick and cursory as it might be, paints a daunting picture. Who, in
this age of information explosion, could hope to master a single discipline, let alone all or
most of them? If the answer is “no one,” then what does this say about the prospects of
“the real task”? Two relevant points should be noted in this regard. First, the proposed
academic movement will be a collaborative enterprise led by a network of scholars; as
such, it will not require everyone to become an authority in every discipline, which is
impossible in any case. Such a movement will require the putting together of a team of
like-minded scholar-activists who are experts in their own particular areas of inquiry
but who are also, at the same time, sufficiently knowledgeable about other areas so as
to be able to communicate intelligently among themselves across disciplinary
boundaries.
Second, the very idea of “the real task” involves the building of bridges across diverse
modes of thinking that are considered too far apart to have anything meaningful to say
to each other; such a goal requires a synthetic approach that goes beyond the analytical
trend of hyper-specialization. In other words, while specialization is necessary and
unavoidable, the very nature of “the real task” demands an extraordinary degree of
inter-disciplinary competence from those who would undertake it. Since the goal
involves viewing both the verses of the Qur’an and the discoveries of science as “signs”
of the same Ultimate Reality, only men and women with a wide range of interests and
the ability to move comfortably among various disciplines will be able to make the best
and most useful contributions.
The purpose of all this study is not to gain information for its own sake; it is to acquire
the tools and skills needed for a thoughtful contemplation of divine “signs.” The aim of
the entire activity is to create the necessary conditions in which faith can prosper as a
natural and organic inner experience.
As discussed in the previous section, the religious needs of the “masses” are significantly
different from those of the “intellectuals.” Consequently, when it comes to acquiring
religious faith, at least two different approaches are needed depending on the unique
temperament of the individual in question. Generally speaking, religious faith tends to
develop gradually within a person’s inner being through a combination of factors,
including, most importantly: (1) absorption or assimilation from one’s social
environment, and (2) personal realization or “enlightenment.” People who fall in the
category of the “masses” are more likely to develop their faith by keeping the company
of pious and faithful individuals; this is because their temperament allows them to
absorb or assimilate from their surroundings the kinds of feelings and tendencies that
are associated with religious faith. On the other hand, people who fall in the category of
the “intellectuals” are also influenced by the company they keep, but, in addition, they
usually have to go through a variable period of questioning and intense reflection
before faith can begin to take root in their hearts. For such individuals, the need for the
experience of personal realization or “enlightenment” often takes the form of an
irrepressible urge for truth that keeps them restless and dissatisfied. The only thing
that can bring them lasting peace is the personal experience of finding the truth within
their own souls. In rare case, such “enlightenment” may happen purely as a result of
divine grace, with little or no human effort. More often, however, the experience of
personal realization must be actively cultivated with the help of appropriate guidance,
a disciplined intellectual inquiry, a contemplative attitude, a life of service and prayer,
and a practice of silent meditation.
Of course, the two categories of the “masses” and the “intellectuals” are gross
generalizations or ideal-types. A large number of individuals may not easily fit in
either one of these categories, which is why it would be more fruitful to imagine these
categories as opposite poles of a wide spectrum. Furthermore, people also change
somewhat during their lives, and hence at different ages they may be found at different
locations on the spectrum. In very general and approximate terms, however, it may be
possible to speculate that the people who fall in the former category (or who are closer to
the “masses” pole on our spectrum) are likely to have one kind of religious faith, while
the people who fall in the latter category (or who are closer to the “intellectuals” pole of
our spectrum) will have a different kind of faith. If a person’s faith is mostly acquired
through absorption or assimilation from the surroundings, then such a faith may be
called “naïve.” On the other hand, if a person’s faith is mostly the result of personal
realization, then such a faith may be named “critical.”
Whether it is naïve or critical, the subjective feelings and tendencies associated with
faith tend to remain the same. By definition, faith is characterized by a state of trust,
contentment, peace, lack of concern for the past or the future, a confidence that reality
is ultimately benevolent, etc. Practically, it is characterized by modesty and self-
restraint, honesty and fairness, a willingness to serve fellow humans and other
creatures, a lack of interest in wealth or power, a tendency to forgive and overlook
people’s mistakes, etc. These feelings and tendencies are unaffected by the process
through which faith has been acquired. We may think of these qualities as the “depth”
dimension of faith. In other words, the difference between naïve faith and critical faith
lies in its breadth, rather than in its depth. Both kinds of faith can potentially attain
the same degree of depth, but critical faith tends to have significantly more breadth
than that attainable by naive faith. By definition, naïve faith (also known as “blind
faith) is the result of a person’s unreflective and uncritical—and sometimes even
unconscious—assimilation of certain feelings and tendencies from the social
environment; the intellectual or “critical” component is minimal, though it is never
entirely absent. On the other hand, while passive assimilation plays some role in the
development of critical faith as well, the latter is largely the result of a peculiar kind of
personal experience that cannot come about except through a process of searching,
questioning, observing, thinking, contemplating, reflecting, meditating, and so on.
There is often an element of innocence and wholesome purity in the experience of naïve
faith, along with an insufficient capacity for doubt or suspicion; as a result, inner
turmoil is rare and existential crisis is unknown. Perhaps for this very reason, naïve
faith is incapable of satisfying the religious needs of a significant minority of human
beings, i.e., of individuals who possess an “abnormal” tendency to be critical and
skeptical of the taken-for-granted beliefs and practices of their society. These
individuals demand something more than, or different from, what seems to satisfy the
vast majority of their peers. Typically, many of these “intellectuals” fail to progress
beyond the phase of skepticism, dissatisfaction, and criticism of all things conventional;
if they don’t receive appropriate guidance, they may end up in a state of cynicism or
get lost in the dark despairs of nihilism. A few, however, continue the process of
intellectual inquiry. Such individuals may experience, with the help of divine grace,
the personal realization or “enlightenment” that is the characteristic feature of critical
faith.
Those who wish to pursue “the real task” would want to know the process that may lead
them to a genuine experience of critical faith. There is no easy way to attain this goal,
however, for this kind of faith does not come to the seeker like the mother’s milk but
must be harvested as the fruit of disciplined effort. As discussed previously, these
individuals must embark upon a long and painstaking journey of intellectual inquiry
spanning traditional religious knowledge as well as modern humanities and social
sciences, focusing on particular areas or fields in accordance with their respective
aptitudes and preferences. In the course of this inquiry, each of them will inevitably
gravitate towards a more or less unique set of questions, problems, and issues. In
addition, they must cultivate spiritual awareness through the practice of ritual
prayers, night vigils, recitation, and fasting (both prescribed and supererogatory).
They must develop a contemplative attitude, particularly towards nature, and develop
the habits of humility and selfless service to others. Finally, they must learn to become
intensely aware of the moment by moment activities of their own minds, so that,
among other benefits of meditation, they are able to catch the negative urgings of their
own egos.
What happens next is beyond prediction or planning, for the results of this endeavor are
entirely in the hands of Allah. Even the availability of the best guidance and
mentoring, while useful, cannot guarantee a positive outcome in all cases. As the
intellectual inquiry continues at an ever higher level of sophistication—along with the
cultivation of spiritual awareness—we could hope that at least a few of these individuals
will receive the gift of grace. Those so blessed will be able to experience the perfect
harmony that already exists among all the “signs” of God; they will realize that the
“signs” on the “horizons and within their own souls” are indicating the same truths
that have been conveyed in the “signs” found in the Revealed Scripture, i.e., in the
ayat of the Holy Qur’an. They will thus experience the spiritual contentment that only
comes from a personal realization or “enlightenment.”
It is important to reiterate that the goal is not to turn one’s mind into a junkyard of
information; instead, the goal is to cultivate authentic religious faith that has a
significant intellectual component. Intellectual inquiry should not be allowed to become
an end in itself; for it is only a means to facilitate one’s journey towards critical faith.
This kind of faith is much more than mere belief or theory or information that one
carries around in one’s head, for it necessarily manifests itself in one’s character and
influences the concrete reality in both subtle and obvious ways. The individuals who
have been so blessed would naturally, and effortlessly, manifest the Qur’anic truths in
their thoughts, judgments, and actions. They would be able to “see” things as they are,
and not as their egos wish them to be. Right action would not have to be forced by the
exercise of one’s willpower; instead, it would organically flow from their “seeing.” Some
of them may achieve an even higher rank: instead of being preachers or teachers of the
Qur’an in the ordinary sense of these words, they may be chosen by Allah to act as the
living, embodied proofs of the truth of His Revealed Word.
Dr. Israr Ahmad goes on to say that “faith is the heart of religion.” Here again, he is
drawing our attention to the core of his thesis, i.e., that iman is more fundamental than
anything else in the Islamic tradition, including law and ethics. Faith is primary and
practice is secondary, even though these two elements of religious life are supposed to be
intimately intertwined as well as mutually supportive.
Contemporary Muslims who become concerned with the reform and revival of Islam
tend to focus their attentions on the legal and ethical aspects of religion, i.e., the Shari
‘ah. The realize, correctly, that the historical development of Islamic juristic tradition,
or Fiqh, has not kept pace with the rapid changes in the social, political, economic, and
cultural spheres that have taken place during the last two hundred years or so.
Recognizing the need for filling that vacuum and for updating the various dimensions
of the Shari‘ah, they naturally turn to the practice of ijtihad.
There is nothing wrong with this endeavor per se; from a practical point of view it is
often urgently needed in order to address the everyday needs of Muslim populations.
The problem, however, is that in their desire to update the legal and ethical aspects of
the Isl┐mic tradition, modern reformers tend to disregard the correct order of priorities.
They do not realize that this important endeavor cannot be carried out in an authentic
fashion without a prior revitalization of religious faith. While the Shari‘ah is a central
and indispensable element of our tradition, it does not constitute its entirety. There is
something else in Islam that is more basic and more essential to the goal of living in
submission to Allah than even the Shari‘ah—and that is the need to acquire, cultivate,
and maintain the inner state of peace and trust that we call iman. While the legal and
ethical tradition—collectively known as Fiqh—represents one of the greatest
achievements of Muslim civilization, the legitimacy of that tradition is itself based on
the foundation of religious faith. If our iman is in trouble, then all the work we do in the
realm of Fiqh may not bring us the desired results.
Today, the most urgent and immediate challenge is not a reconstruction of Islamic law
and jurisprudence, even though that too needs to be accomplished if the Islamic
tradition as a whole is to undergo a true revival and a genuine renaissance. The most
urgent and immediate challenge is the reconstruction of Islamic theology on sound—i.
e., scientific—foundations, for our ability to experience authentic religious faith is
directly related to such a reconstruction. This is not to say that law and ethics are
unimportant, but to emphasize that faith takes priority over law and ethics.
The correct order of priorities is evident from the Qur’an itself. As any student of the
Isl┐mic scripture would testify, the Qur’an is primarily concerned with having its
audience achieve a vision of reality as it truly is. In other words, the primary aim of the
Qur’an is to inculcate in us that knowledge of reality which alone can bring us inner
peace and contentment, and which alone can enable us to live in harmony with God’s
will, i.e., iman. It is for this reason that less than ten percent of the Qur’anic text deals
with matters of the law, and the rest deals with discussions of divine “signs” that are
scattered all around us in history and society and nature, as well as within our own
souls. The main emphasis of the Qur’an is on drawing our attention toward these
“signs,” to guide us in ways that we can interpret them correctly, and, through our
engagement with them, attain the knowledge of things as they really are. If this basic
and essential step is not accomplished, then merely focusing on the ten percent of verses
that talk about legal matters will not contribute to an Islamic renaissance. In fact, the
true work of the reconstruction of Fiqh can be carried out only by those men and
women who have already attained a high degree of faith, not by those who are still
wondering in the valleys of doubt and suspicion.
‘Abd-Allah bin ‘Abbas (R), a companion of Prophet Muhammad (S) has reported: “We
first learned iman and then we learned the Qur’an.” Here, the Prophet’s companion is
pointing out the natural order of priorities; according to this saying, the details about
legal and ethical matters were given to the companions of the Prophet (S) only after
they had become receptive to it, that is to say, only after they had acquired a
sufficiently strong foundation of faith. The word “Qur’an” in this saying has misled
many, but it simply stands for kitab, which means “law” or “practice.” The implication
of this saying is that practical commandments and instructions cannot be forced on to
people unless they have developed an inner state of acceptance, receptivity, and
readiness that comes only from having tasted the sweetness of iman.
Only such scholars as have attained a strong faith of the critical kind can undertake
“the real task” that will truly pave the way for an Islamic renaissance. In Muslim
history, examples of such individuals would include Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (R) and Ibn
Taymiyah (R). The former wrote Tahafat al-Falasifah, or “The Incoherence of the
Philosophers,” to refute certain un-Islamic claims made by philosophers like Ibn Sina,
who were influenced by Greek thought. The latter is known for his work al-Radd ‘ala ‘l-
Mantiqiyin, or “The Refutation of the Logicians,” in which he challenged the
foundations of Greek logic. Both of these giants of Muslim history produced works that
may be called “negative,” in the sense that they were aimed at negating and refuting
certain notions that had become influential at the time but which these two scholars
had judged to be un-Islamic. Such work needs to be done in our times as well.
According to Dr. Israr Ahmad, “the real task” involves not only the negative work of
refuting what is false; it also involves the positive work of supporting, affirming,
synthesizing, and constructing what is true. The most crucial and absolutely central
aspect of the positive work requires a reconstruction of Islamic philosophical theology,
otherwise known as kalam. Dr. Israr Ahmad argues that a new kalam—a new way of
understanding, explaining, and defending the Qur’anic view of reality—must be the
cornerstone of “the real task.”
Traditionally, kalam has not been a central concern of our scholars, most of whom had
occupied themselves with the study of Fiqh and other practical matters. And yet, the
intellectual developments of the last two hundred years have made it clear that a
reconstruction of theology is the foremost task without which a true revitalization of
faith cannot be attained. The reason that so few of our classical authorities indulged in
the discipline of theology had to do with the general intellectual climate of their time.
In the pre-modern period, it was generally taken for granted that a spiritual
interpretation of the universe was the most satisfying one. In the modern period, this is
no longer true, for religious faith has now become one option from among many other
options. Consequently, philosophical theology has attained an importance today that it
did not enjoy a millennium ago.
The new kalam that is needed today must be founded on empirical foundations. This
means that modern Muslim theologians have to take into account all the discoveries
that have been made until today by the application of the scientific method. What has
been discovered through the scientific method constitutes a set of facts pertaining to the
world. The Qur’┐n too provides us with a set of facts pertaining to the world. All facts
are “signs,” as previously discussed, since they point toward the same Ultimate Reality
that we call “God.” Today, only that kind of theology is viable that embraces the results
of science wholeheartedly, and uses these results to show how they point beyond
themselves to God.
In the twentieth-century, it was Muhammad Iqbal who brought to the fore the urgent
need and the immense significance of developing a new kalam, i.e., of reconstructing
the Islamic philosophical theology in the light of modern knowledge and of rebuilding
the edifice of religious belief on the basis of newly available philosophical categories and
newly discovered scientific data.
Iqbal sought to demonstrate that the intellectual and scientific progress that was
achieved by Europe during the last few centuries was a manifestation of the Qur’anic
spirit. According to Iqbal, the birth of Isl┐m was the birth of inductive intellect; it was
the Qur’anic emphasis on observation and experience, as well as its stress on the
concrete and the finite, which gave rise to the scientific method of inquiry. The
scientific spirit was born as a result of the imperative by the Qur’an to give up all
superstitious and fanciful beliefs, to rely on the senses and the faculty of reason for
gaining knowledge of the material world, and to contemplate the physical and natural
phenomena because these are “signs” of God. It was under the influence of such Qur’
anic teachings that the inductive method of inquiry blossomed among the Arabs, before
being carried through the universities in Muslim Spain into Europe, paving the way for
the Renaissance and subsequently the Scientific Revolution. It was in this sense that
Iqbal saw the intellectual side of the European culture as “only a further development
of some of the most important phases of the culture of Islam.”
Iqbal argued that the religious thought in Islam had been practically stagnant during
the last half a millennium, while during the same period science and philosophy have
been rapidly progressing in the West. Muslims will disregard these developments at
their own peril. Part of the Muslim awakening in the twentieth-century has been the
demand for a new way of approaching the timeless teachings of the Qur’an that takes
into account these latest discoveries. Such a demand cannot be ignored. It is the duty of
modern Muslim theologians to “reconstruct” the religious thought of Islam, through a
critical examination of the classical Islamic tradition as well as the scientific and
philosophical knowledge that has been made available more recently. If Muslim
scholars failed to meet this demand, and if, instead of thoughtfully engaging with the
challenges of modernity, they were to seek refuge in the isolated fortress of classical
texts, then the gap between Muslims and their religious tradition will go on increasing
with the passage of time and the task of establishing faith on rational foundations will
become increasingly difficult.
Iqbal had recognized both the urgency and the immensity of the task. He knew that the
revival and reform of Islam cannot be achieved through political or economic means
alone. He understood that the vital element in any kind of reform work or activism was
inner transformation of the human soul, achievable only through personal realization
or “enlightenment.” Such an inner transformation can be attained through authentic
spiritual experience. Traditionally, the great mystical traditions of Islam had offered us
highly sophisticated approaches to the cultivation of such an experience. Many of these
techniques, however, have lost their appeal and effectiveness due to the radical change
in human mindset which we call “modernity.” New techniques are obviously needed,
but techniques derive their appeal and effectiveness from accurate and meaningful
understandings of the nature of reality. This means that what we call kalam has now
acquired a far greater significance than was the case in the medieval period.
Iqbal himself initiated the task of developing a philosophical theology of Islam that
would be more conducive to the modern mindset and its “concrete habits of thought.”
Using his broad and deep knowledge both of classical Muslim learning and of modern
philosophy and science, he sought to articulate a comprehensive Qur’anic worldview
for our times.
There can be no doubt that Iqbal made some remarkable progress. However, the project
of the reconstruction of religious thought is truly immense, which means that it can
only be carried out adequately by teams of scholars working over several generations
rather than by a single individual. Indeed, the load is so heavy that very few
individuals have shown the courage or the willingness to accept its responsibilities. The
vast majority of Muslim scholars have been content with merely repeating or
rephrasing past authorities. This is certainly true of Iqbal’s own “fans.” While there is
no lack of individuals who are enamored by Iqbal’s poetry or those who write books
showing their admiration for Iqbal’s philosophy, very few have actually taken up as
their own life mission what Iqbal had identified as the essential prerequisite for the
revival and reform in Islam, i.e., a fresh approach to the Qur’an in light of modern
scientific and philosophical discoveries.
The next item on the agenda is a cogent and coherent elaboration of those Islamic
teachings that have to do with human conduct, i.e., the practical spheres of culture,
law, social institutions, politics, and economics. Under the influence of modernity, the
doctrine of “secularism” has become widely accepted in much of the world. According to
this doctrine, religion is the private and personal affair of the individual believer, while
the public spheres of society should be established and managed on purely rational and
utilitarian foundations, with no input or interference from any religious teaching. This
understanding of “secularism” is contrary to Isl┐mic teachings, and modern revivalist
movements have been correct in rejecting it as such.
The other side of the problem, however, is equally worthy of our attention. As
mentioned above, the growth and expansion of Islamic Fiqh has not kept pace with the
historical changes that have been taking place during the last five hundred years or so.
These changes constitute the practical consequences of modernization,
industrialization, and secularization in relation to human conduct and institutions.
One of the main reasons for the relative stagnation in the growth and expansion of
Islamic Fiqh is the Muslim experience of colonialism; the classical institutions of Islamic
learning were systematically dismantled by European powers during the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries, mainly to establish and maintain their own hegemony. This,
however, is not the sole reason for the current state of juristic stagnation; a movement
against the continuing development of Fiqh had already appeared among Muslims even
before the European invasions began, a movement that is sometimes referred to as the
“closing of the gates of ijtihad.”
Irrespective of the cause, no one can deny that a significant gap now exists between the
classical or medieval ideals of an Islamic society and government on the one hand, and
the complex realities of the modern world on the other. This means that while anyone
can raise the slogan that “Isl┐m is the Solution,” it is an entirely different matter to
actually explain to the world exactly how the teachings of Islam are to be put into
practice today and exactly how would they solve the problems that humankind is
currently facing. It takes very little effort to proclaim that Isl┐m provides the best
system of social justice, which is why so many of us are inclined to make such a claim
without giving it as much as a second thought. On the other hand, it is going to take a
great deal of effort to actually go about establishing the truth of that claim in a cogent
and coherent manner, something that so few of us are willing to undertake.
Consequently, it is vital for us to reconstruct and rearticulate the practical teachings of
Islam in ways that are capable not only of reaching and influencing the modern
sensibilities but also of being put into practice under contemporary conditions. This
work is part and parcel of any effort at revival and reform. A great start was made in
this regard when scholars like Sayyid Qutb and Sayyid Abu ‘l-A‘la Mawdudi wrote
significant treatises in the 1930s and 1940s on social, political, and economic issues.
Unfortunately, the disciples and followers of both of these ideologues did not critique,
develop, or extend this initial work. Instead, they fell into a pattern of reiterating,
reorganizing, and repackaging the same ideas, giving rise to an endless series of popular
books and pamphlets that still adorn the shelves of religious bookstores while making
little or no original contribution to scholarship. Such publications give the readers a
false sense of security and confidence, usually confirming their existing beliefs rather
than challenging them to stretch their minds. Because of the low standard of these
writings, professional scholars and academics cannot be expected to read such books and
pamphlets, let alone be moved or influenced by them in the slightest way!
The modern condition has created a tremendous problem of plausibility for all religious
traditions. While religion tries to focus human attention on the spiritual and
metaphysical dimension of reality, the powerful forces of history have already
succeeded in directing most of human attention towards the material and physical
dimension of reality. The result so far has been a pervasive process of secularization in
its various manifestations—intellectual, psychological, social, political. In the face of
this powerful challenge posed by modernity, all religious traditions are facing an uphill
struggle in trying to regain their lost status and relevance. Islam, too, is facing the
same challenge, but it enjoys a very distinctive advantage.
According to the Qur’an, the physical universe, the material body, and the life of this-
world consist of innumerable “signs” of what is spiritual and metaphysical. The Qur’an
does not deny or denigrate the concrete, material reality, nor does it view that reality
as evil. In contrast to many other forms of religious sensibility—including certain
trends within the Islamic tradition itself—the Qur’an affirms and embraces the
empirical world by interpreting all of its phenomena as so many “signs” of God. This
means that by emphasizing the material universe, the physical body, and the life of
this-world, modernity has caused the human attention to focus on the realm of divine
“signs.” Furthermore, by discovering and systematizing a tremendous amount of
knowledge relating to the concrete, material reality, modernity has done the greatest
possible service to the human understanding of the “signs” of God.
This is a key moment in the argument of “Islamic Renaissance,” though the text itself
does not emphasize its significance in any obvious way. We may recall that the treatise
started by saying that the modern age is characterized by the pervasive ascendancy of
Western thought, which means that modernity encourages a disregard for the
transcendent and the metaphysical; it ends, however, by turning that statement on its
head. Since the Qur’an treats all empirical phenomena as “signs” of God, in the final
analysis the modern shift of emphasis towards the concrete, material reality does not
pose any impediment for religious faith. On the contrary, modernity itself has opened
up new possibilities for a postmodern revival of authentic religious faith.
The fact that the spirit of the Qur’an has something crucial in common with the spirit
of modernity constitutes a momentous discovery, one that can cause a powerful
paradigm shift in a wide-range of contexts. This is precisely why the work of
Muhammad Iqbal requires serious attention today. Indeed, his claim has tremendous
weight that certain key elements of Western modernity, particularly its empirical
attitude, represent a flowering of what is a genuinely Islamic contribution. In effect,
Iqbal has shown us that Muslims ought to approach modernity as a friend and ally of
religious faith, and not its enemy. This is so because each and every step in the progress
of the natural and social sciences, every bit of reality that is unveiled through human
effort, exposes—and makes accessible—the truth of a divine “sign.” As human
knowledge relating to the material and physical world goes on increasing, the task of
affirming the spiritual and metaphysical realities posited by the Qur’an becomes that
much easier.
Since the unprecedented growth of knowledge under the conditions of modernity is
nothing but the latest stage in the revelation of divine “signs,” Muslim theologians do
not have to start from scratch as they try to secure a rational foundation for religious
beliefs. All they have to do is study the various aspects of modern knowledge, and
interpret that knowledge in the service of their faith—not by forcing unwarranted
conclusions on the data but by exercising an honest commitment to the pursuit of
truth. If the Reality that is revealed in the Qur’an is identical to that which is revealed
in the concrete, material reality, then each “fact” about the latter will only illuminate,
rather than obscure, the teachings of the Qur’an.
It is in this background that Dr. Israr Ahmad’s insight about the nature of the “the real
task” can be best appreciated. He suggests that the most fundamental form of activism
that is required in order to pave the way for a renaissance of Islam is neither social nor
political. It is, first and foremost, intellectual. Unfortunately, the word “activism” has
acquired connotations of visible activity with immediate and tangible results, while the
word “intellectual” carries connotations of dusty libraries and sterile hairsplitting; at
the same time, there is a certain amount of suspicion in Muslim communities against
anything “intellectual,” a strange development in a religion otherwise known for its
vibrant intellectual tradition. The entire argument of “Islamic Renaissance,” however,
comes down to the following two claims: First, a thoughtful and disciplined reflection on
the “signs” of God is necessary for developing the kind of faith that is capable of
becoming one’s state of being. Second, no substantial transformation can occur in a
society without the approval and cooperation of its intellectual minority. These two
claims, in turn, lead to the following conclusion: A particular form of intellectual
activism must be undertaken in order to make possible the rebirth and “renaissance” of
Islam. Calling the required intellectual activism “the real task” does not mean that the
social and political varieties of Islamic activism are useless pursuits; on the contrary, it
is to acknowledge that other forms of activism, while necessary in their own right, will
not take us closer to our goal so long as this fundamental need remains unfulfilled.
To sum up, those who are seriously concerned with the goal of achieving a true and
lasting renaissance of Islam must pay attention to the following issues: a) the social and
political fortunes of Islam are directly dependent upon the cultivation of authentic
religious faith, among both the intelligentsia and the masses, b) the religious needs of
the intelligentsia are of a very different nature than the religious needs of the masses,
and c) instead of spreading our limited energies and resources too thin by getting
involved in a wide range and levels of activism, there is a need to focus on what is most
important, most essential, and most fundamental for the cultivation of religious faith
among the intelligentsia.
The practical form that “the real task” must take is obvious. It is to launch an
intellectual movement that can appropriate modern discoveries in both the physical
and social sciences for the purpose of showing their spiritual and metaphysical
“significance” in accordance with the teachings of the Qur’an. Such an intellectual
movement is the essential prerequisite for the revitalization of religious faith among
the intelligentsia, which, in turn, is necessary for the cultivation of faith among the
masses in general.
The nature of the “real task” is intellectual, and to fulfill its demands an academic
movement has to be launched. Given the fact that rapid means of communication have
led to an unprecedented rise in the ease and speed with which information and ideas
travel around the globe, the academic movement in question cannot succeed if it limits
itself to a parochial level. In other words, a movement that meets the intellectual
standards of one particular country but then fails to meet the higher standards of
another country will not be able to remain competitive in the global marketplace of
ideas; ultimately, such a movement will be an exercise in futility. Ideas and arguments
that do not meet the highest standards of intellectual sophistication are quickly
challenged, refuted, and replaced—or simply ignored. In order for the required
academic movement to have any chances of success, it must avoid the temptation of
taking the easy way; preaching to the choir, in other words, is not an option. It must
aim at meeting the highest standards of academic rigor in the world.
The academic work required to fulfill the practical demands of “the real task” is
obviously very important, yet it is not required from everyone. While everyone who
comes to recognize its need can and should contribute to this movement in one way or
another, the creative labor that has to form the core of this movement requires certain
special qualities and commitments for which, generally speaking, only a tiny fraction
of any given population is suitable at any given time.
The first step, then, is to find the right kind of human resources, i.e., men and women
who possess the necessary motivation and aptitude, a strong desire for achieving
genuine knowledge, and an irrepressible urge to experience truth rather than accept it
second-hand. The sort of individuals most suitable for this undertaking are those who
feel compelled to do so as a result of a desire that they feel arising from within their
souls, rather than an imperative that is artificially imposed upon them from the
outside. They must feel “called” to take this route.
The second step is to develop the financial and institutional resources that would
provide the kind of training and mentoring necessary for preparing these men and
women for participating in “the real task.”
What kind of education is required? Given the nature of the required academic
movement, these men and women would have to be well-versed in the teachings of the
Qur’an and appropriately grounded in the traditional sources of Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh,
and Tasawwuf. That this would require a thorough knowledge of classical and literary
Arabic, and perhaps other languages, goes without saying. The main emphasis will be
on acquiring the necessary tools and skills that will help the individuals establish a
close and personal relationship with the Holy Qur’an. At the same time, they should
acquire the necessary capabilities that would allow them to undertake a thorough and
critical study of the entire range of human thought, particularly of those areas that
they find most congenial to their own interests as well as most relevant to the demands
of “the real task.”
In terms of human thought, the most relevant subjects include philosophical theology
and metaphysics, as well as those branches of philosophy that deal with psychology,
ethics, anthropology, and logic (including epistemology and philosophy of science)
The above mentioned are the most crucial or “core” disciplines, but they are far from
sufficient for our purpose. In the second place are the social sciences, including
economics, political science, sociology, psychology, and anthropology. From the
perspective of “the real task,” the emphasis has to be placed on the philosophical and
theoretical aspects of these social sciences, though a basic acquaintance with empirical
research will be necessary as well.
Closely related to the social sciences are the fields of study that are classified under the
rubric of humanities. In addition to philosophy, humanities include the important
areas of literature and history. These fields are valuable mainly due to their multiple
connections with our “core” disciplines as well as with the disciplines in the social
sciences.
Finally, some attention must be given to the physical or the natural sciences, such as
physics, cosmology, biology, and experimental psychology. The emphasis, again, is not
on the technical and applied aspects of these sciences but on their philosophical
implications for the “core” disciplines identified above. For instance, the men and
women hoping to participate in “the real task” would be less interested in the actual
mathematical modeling of chaotic systems or in looking for black holes or dark matter,
but they would be deeply interested in the philosophical and theological implications of
these discoveries as they relate to their “core” disciplines.
The above survey, quick and cursory as it might be, paints a daunting picture. Who, in
this age of information explosion, could hope to master a single discipline, let alone all or
most of them? If the answer is “no one,” then what does this say about the prospects of
“the real task”? Two relevant points should be noted in this regard. First, the proposed
academic movement will be a collaborative enterprise led by a network of scholars; as
such, it will not require everyone to become an authority in every discipline, which is
impossible in any case. Such a movement will require the putting together of a team of
like-minded scholar-activists who are experts in their own particular areas of inquiry
but who are also, at the same time, sufficiently knowledgeable about other areas so as
to be able to communicate intelligently among themselves across disciplinary
boundaries.
Second, the very idea of “the real task” involves the building of bridges across diverse
modes of thinking that are considered too far apart to have anything meaningful to say
to each other; such a goal requires a synthetic approach that goes beyond the analytical
trend of hyper-specialization. In other words, while specialization is necessary and
unavoidable, the very nature of “the real task” demands an extraordinary degree of
inter-disciplinary competence from those who would undertake it. Since the goal
involves viewing both the verses of the Qur’an and the discoveries of science as “signs”
of the same Ultimate Reality, only men and women with a wide range of interests and
the ability to move comfortably among various disciplines will be able to make the best
and most useful contributions.
The purpose of all this study is not to gain information for its own sake; it is to acquire
the tools and skills needed for a thoughtful contemplation of divine “signs.” The aim of
the entire activity is to create the necessary conditions in which faith can prosper as a
natural and organic inner experience.
As discussed in the previous section, the religious needs of the “masses” are significantly
different from those of the “intellectuals.” Consequently, when it comes to acquiring
religious faith, at least two different approaches are needed depending on the unique
temperament of the individual in question. Generally speaking, religious faith tends to
develop gradually within a person’s inner being through a combination of factors,
including, most importantly: (1) absorption or assimilation from one’s social
environment, and (2) personal realization or “enlightenment.” People who fall in the
category of the “masses” are more likely to develop their faith by keeping the company
of pious and faithful individuals; this is because their temperament allows them to
absorb or assimilate from their surroundings the kinds of feelings and tendencies that
are associated with religious faith. On the other hand, people who fall in the category of
the “intellectuals” are also influenced by the company they keep, but, in addition, they
usually have to go through a variable period of questioning and intense reflection
before faith can begin to take root in their hearts. For such individuals, the need for the
experience of personal realization or “enlightenment” often takes the form of an
irrepressible urge for truth that keeps them restless and dissatisfied. The only thing
that can bring them lasting peace is the personal experience of finding the truth within
their own souls. In rare case, such “enlightenment” may happen purely as a result of
divine grace, with little or no human effort. More often, however, the experience of
personal realization must be actively cultivated with the help of appropriate guidance,
a disciplined intellectual inquiry, a contemplative attitude, a life of service and prayer,
and a practice of silent meditation.
Of course, the two categories of the “masses” and the “intellectuals” are gross
generalizations or ideal-types. A large number of individuals may not easily fit in
either one of these categories, which is why it would be more fruitful to imagine these
categories as opposite poles of a wide spectrum. Furthermore, people also change
somewhat during their lives, and hence at different ages they may be found at different
locations on the spectrum. In very general and approximate terms, however, it may be
possible to speculate that the people who fall in the former category (or who are closer to
the “masses” pole on our spectrum) are likely to have one kind of religious faith, while
the people who fall in the latter category (or who are closer to the “intellectuals” pole of
our spectrum) will have a different kind of faith. If a person’s faith is mostly acquired
through absorption or assimilation from the surroundings, then such a faith may be
called “naïve.” On the other hand, if a person’s faith is mostly the result of personal
realization, then such a faith may be named “critical.”
Whether it is naïve or critical, the subjective feelings and tendencies associated with
faith tend to remain the same. By definition, faith is characterized by a state of trust,
contentment, peace, lack of concern for the past or the future, a confidence that reality
is ultimately benevolent, etc. Practically, it is characterized by modesty and self-
restraint, honesty and fairness, a willingness to serve fellow humans and other
creatures, a lack of interest in wealth or power, a tendency to forgive and overlook
people’s mistakes, etc. These feelings and tendencies are unaffected by the process
through which faith has been acquired. We may think of these qualities as the “depth”
dimension of faith. In other words, the difference between naïve faith and critical faith
lies in its breadth, rather than in its depth. Both kinds of faith can potentially attain
the same degree of depth, but critical faith tends to have significantly more breadth
than that attainable by naive faith. By definition, naïve faith (also known as “blind
faith) is the result of a person’s unreflective and uncritical—and sometimes even
unconscious—assimilation of certain feelings and tendencies from the social
environment; the intellectual or “critical” component is minimal, though it is never
entirely absent. On the other hand, while passive assimilation plays some role in the
development of critical faith as well, the latter is largely the result of a peculiar kind of
personal experience that cannot come about except through a process of searching,
questioning, observing, thinking, contemplating, reflecting, meditating, and so on.
There is often an element of innocence and wholesome purity in the experience of naïve
faith, along with an insufficient capacity for doubt or suspicion; as a result, inner
turmoil is rare and existential crisis is unknown. Perhaps for this very reason, naïve
faith is incapable of satisfying the religious needs of a significant minority of human
beings, i.e., of individuals who possess an “abnormal” tendency to be critical and
skeptical of the taken-for-granted beliefs and practices of their society. These
individuals demand something more than, or different from, what seems to satisfy the
vast majority of their peers. Typically, many of these “intellectuals” fail to progress
beyond the phase of skepticism, dissatisfaction, and criticism of all things conventional;
if they don’t receive appropriate guidance, they may end up in a state of cynicism or
get lost in the dark despairs of nihilism. A few, however, continue the process of
intellectual inquiry. Such individuals may experience, with the help of divine grace,
the personal realization or “enlightenment” that is the characteristic feature of critical
faith.
Those who wish to pursue “the real task” would want to know the process that may lead
them to a genuine experience of critical faith. There is no easy way to attain this goal,
however, for this kind of faith does not come to the seeker like the mother’s milk but
must be harvested as the fruit of disciplined effort. As discussed previously, these
individuals must embark upon a long and painstaking journey of intellectual inquiry
spanning traditional religious knowledge as well as modern humanities and social
sciences, focusing on particular areas or fields in accordance with their respective
aptitudes and preferences. In the course of this inquiry, each of them will inevitably
gravitate towards a more or less unique set of questions, problems, and issues. In
addition, they must cultivate spiritual awareness through the practice of ritual
prayers, night vigils, recitation, and fasting (both prescribed and supererogatory).
They must develop a contemplative attitude, particularly towards nature, and develop
the habits of humility and selfless service to others. Finally, they must learn to become
intensely aware of the moment by moment activities of their own minds, so that,
among other benefits of meditation, they are able to catch the negative urgings of their
own egos.
What happens next is beyond prediction or planning, for the results of this endeavor are
entirely in the hands of Allah. Even the availability of the best guidance and
mentoring, while useful, cannot guarantee a positive outcome in all cases. As the
intellectual inquiry continues at an ever higher level of sophistication—along with the
cultivation of spiritual awareness—we could hope that at least a few of these individuals
will receive the gift of grace. Those so blessed will be able to experience the perfect
harmony that already exists among all the “signs” of God; they will realize that the
“signs” on the “horizons and within their own souls” are indicating the same truths
that have been conveyed in the “signs” found in the Revealed Scripture, i.e., in the
ayat of the Holy Qur’an. They will thus experience the spiritual contentment that only
comes from a personal realization or “enlightenment.”
It is important to reiterate that the goal is not to turn one’s mind into a junkyard of
information; instead, the goal is to cultivate authentic religious faith that has a
significant intellectual component. Intellectual inquiry should not be allowed to become
an end in itself; for it is only a means to facilitate one’s journey towards critical faith.
This kind of faith is much more than mere belief or theory or information that one
carries around in one’s head, for it necessarily manifests itself in one’s character and
influences the concrete reality in both subtle and obvious ways. The individuals who
have been so blessed would naturally, and effortlessly, manifest the Qur’anic truths in
their thoughts, judgments, and actions. They would be able to “see” things as they are,
and not as their egos wish them to be. Right action would not have to be forced by the
exercise of one’s willpower; instead, it would organically flow from their “seeing.” Some
of them may achieve an even higher rank: instead of being preachers or teachers of the
Qur’an in the ordinary sense of these words, they may be chosen by Allah to act as the
living, embodied proofs of the truth of His Revealed Word.
Dr. Israr Ahmad goes on to say that “faith is the heart of religion.” Here again, he is
drawing our attention to the core of his thesis, i.e., that iman is more fundamental than
anything else in the Islamic tradition, including law and ethics. Faith is primary and
practice is secondary, even though these two elements of religious life are supposed to be
intimately intertwined as well as mutually supportive.
Contemporary Muslims who become concerned with the reform and revival of Islam
tend to focus their attentions on the legal and ethical aspects of religion, i.e., the Shari
‘ah. The realize, correctly, that the historical development of Islamic juristic tradition,
or Fiqh, has not kept pace with the rapid changes in the social, political, economic, and
cultural spheres that have taken place during the last two hundred years or so.
Recognizing the need for filling that vacuum and for updating the various dimensions
of the Shari‘ah, they naturally turn to the practice of ijtihad.
There is nothing wrong with this endeavor per se; from a practical point of view it is
often urgently needed in order to address the everyday needs of Muslim populations.
The problem, however, is that in their desire to update the legal and ethical aspects of
the Isl┐mic tradition, modern reformers tend to disregard the correct order of priorities.
They do not realize that this important endeavor cannot be carried out in an authentic
fashion without a prior revitalization of religious faith. While the Shari‘ah is a central
and indispensable element of our tradition, it does not constitute its entirety. There is
something else in Islam that is more basic and more essential to the goal of living in
submission to Allah than even the Shari‘ah—and that is the need to acquire, cultivate,
and maintain the inner state of peace and trust that we call iman. While the legal and
ethical tradition—collectively known as Fiqh—represents one of the greatest
achievements of Muslim civilization, the legitimacy of that tradition is itself based on
the foundation of religious faith. If our iman is in trouble, then all the work we do in the
realm of Fiqh may not bring us the desired results.
Today, the most urgent and immediate challenge is not a reconstruction of Islamic law
and jurisprudence, even though that too needs to be accomplished if the Islamic
tradition as a whole is to undergo a true revival and a genuine renaissance. The most
urgent and immediate challenge is the reconstruction of Islamic theology on sound—i.
e., scientific—foundations, for our ability to experience authentic religious faith is
directly related to such a reconstruction. This is not to say that law and ethics are
unimportant, but to emphasize that faith takes priority over law and ethics.
The correct order of priorities is evident from the Qur’an itself. As any student of the
Isl┐mic scripture would testify, the Qur’an is primarily concerned with having its
audience achieve a vision of reality as it truly is. In other words, the primary aim of the
Qur’an is to inculcate in us that knowledge of reality which alone can bring us inner
peace and contentment, and which alone can enable us to live in harmony with God’s
will, i.e., iman. It is for this reason that less than ten percent of the Qur’anic text deals
with matters of the law, and the rest deals with discussions of divine “signs” that are
scattered all around us in history and society and nature, as well as within our own
souls. The main emphasis of the Qur’an is on drawing our attention toward these
“signs,” to guide us in ways that we can interpret them correctly, and, through our
engagement with them, attain the knowledge of things as they really are. If this basic
and essential step is not accomplished, then merely focusing on the ten percent of verses
that talk about legal matters will not contribute to an Islamic renaissance. In fact, the
true work of the reconstruction of Fiqh can be carried out only by those men and
women who have already attained a high degree of faith, not by those who are still
wondering in the valleys of doubt and suspicion.
‘Abd-Allah bin ‘Abbas (R), a companion of Prophet Muhammad (S) has reported: “We
first learned iman and then we learned the Qur’an.” Here, the Prophet’s companion is
pointing out the natural order of priorities; according to this saying, the details about
legal and ethical matters were given to the companions of the Prophet (S) only after
they had become receptive to it, that is to say, only after they had acquired a
sufficiently strong foundation of faith. The word “Qur’an” in this saying has misled
many, but it simply stands for kitab, which means “law” or “practice.” The implication
of this saying is that practical commandments and instructions cannot be forced on to
people unless they have developed an inner state of acceptance, receptivity, and
readiness that comes only from having tasted the sweetness of iman.
Only such scholars as have attained a strong faith of the critical kind can undertake
“the real task” that will truly pave the way for an Islamic renaissance. In Muslim
history, examples of such individuals would include Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (R) and Ibn
Taymiyah (R). The former wrote Tahafat al-Falasifah, or “The Incoherence of the
Philosophers,” to refute certain un-Islamic claims made by philosophers like Ibn Sina,
who were influenced by Greek thought. The latter is known for his work al-Radd ‘ala ‘l-
Mantiqiyin, or “The Refutation of the Logicians,” in which he challenged the
foundations of Greek logic. Both of these giants of Muslim history produced works that
may be called “negative,” in the sense that they were aimed at negating and refuting
certain notions that had become influential at the time but which these two scholars
had judged to be un-Islamic. Such work needs to be done in our times as well.
According to Dr. Israr Ahmad, “the real task” involves not only the negative work of
refuting what is false; it also involves the positive work of supporting, affirming,
synthesizing, and constructing what is true. The most crucial and absolutely central
aspect of the positive work requires a reconstruction of Islamic philosophical theology,
otherwise known as kalam. Dr. Israr Ahmad argues that a new kalam—a new way of
understanding, explaining, and defending the Qur’anic view of reality—must be the
cornerstone of “the real task.”
Traditionally, kalam has not been a central concern of our scholars, most of whom had
occupied themselves with the study of Fiqh and other practical matters. And yet, the
intellectual developments of the last two hundred years have made it clear that a
reconstruction of theology is the foremost task without which a true revitalization of
faith cannot be attained. The reason that so few of our classical authorities indulged in
the discipline of theology had to do with the general intellectual climate of their time.
In the pre-modern period, it was generally taken for granted that a spiritual
interpretation of the universe was the most satisfying one. In the modern period, this is
no longer true, for religious faith has now become one option from among many other
options. Consequently, philosophical theology has attained an importance today that it
did not enjoy a millennium ago.
The new kalam that is needed today must be founded on empirical foundations. This
means that modern Muslim theologians have to take into account all the discoveries
that have been made until today by the application of the scientific method. What has
been discovered through the scientific method constitutes a set of facts pertaining to the
world. The Qur’┐n too provides us with a set of facts pertaining to the world. All facts
are “signs,” as previously discussed, since they point toward the same Ultimate Reality
that we call “God.” Today, only that kind of theology is viable that embraces the results
of science wholeheartedly, and uses these results to show how they point beyond
themselves to God.
In the twentieth-century, it was Muhammad Iqbal who brought to the fore the urgent
need and the immense significance of developing a new kalam, i.e., of reconstructing
the Islamic philosophical theology in the light of modern knowledge and of rebuilding
the edifice of religious belief on the basis of newly available philosophical categories and
newly discovered scientific data.
Iqbal sought to demonstrate that the intellectual and scientific progress that was
achieved by Europe during the last few centuries was a manifestation of the Qur’anic
spirit. According to Iqbal, the birth of Isl┐m was the birth of inductive intellect; it was
the Qur’anic emphasis on observation and experience, as well as its stress on the
concrete and the finite, which gave rise to the scientific method of inquiry. The
scientific spirit was born as a result of the imperative by the Qur’an to give up all
superstitious and fanciful beliefs, to rely on the senses and the faculty of reason for
gaining knowledge of the material world, and to contemplate the physical and natural
phenomena because these are “signs” of God. It was under the influence of such Qur’
anic teachings that the inductive method of inquiry blossomed among the Arabs, before
being carried through the universities in Muslim Spain into Europe, paving the way for
the Renaissance and subsequently the Scientific Revolution. It was in this sense that
Iqbal saw the intellectual side of the European culture as “only a further development
of some of the most important phases of the culture of Islam.”
Iqbal argued that the religious thought in Islam had been practically stagnant during
the last half a millennium, while during the same period science and philosophy have
been rapidly progressing in the West. Muslims will disregard these developments at
their own peril. Part of the Muslim awakening in the twentieth-century has been the
demand for a new way of approaching the timeless teachings of the Qur’an that takes
into account these latest discoveries. Such a demand cannot be ignored. It is the duty of
modern Muslim theologians to “reconstruct” the religious thought of Islam, through a
critical examination of the classical Islamic tradition as well as the scientific and
philosophical knowledge that has been made available more recently. If Muslim
scholars failed to meet this demand, and if, instead of thoughtfully engaging with the
challenges of modernity, they were to seek refuge in the isolated fortress of classical
texts, then the gap between Muslims and their religious tradition will go on increasing
with the passage of time and the task of establishing faith on rational foundations will
become increasingly difficult.
Iqbal had recognized both the urgency and the immensity of the task. He knew that the
revival and reform of Islam cannot be achieved through political or economic means
alone. He understood that the vital element in any kind of reform work or activism was
inner transformation of the human soul, achievable only through personal realization
or “enlightenment.” Such an inner transformation can be attained through authentic
spiritual experience. Traditionally, the great mystical traditions of Islam had offered us
highly sophisticated approaches to the cultivation of such an experience. Many of these
techniques, however, have lost their appeal and effectiveness due to the radical change
in human mindset which we call “modernity.” New techniques are obviously needed,
but techniques derive their appeal and effectiveness from accurate and meaningful
understandings of the nature of reality. This means that what we call kalam has now
acquired a far greater significance than was the case in the medieval period.
Iqbal himself initiated the task of developing a philosophical theology of Islam that
would be more conducive to the modern mindset and its “concrete habits of thought.”
Using his broad and deep knowledge both of classical Muslim learning and of modern
philosophy and science, he sought to articulate a comprehensive Qur’anic worldview
for our times.
There can be no doubt that Iqbal made some remarkable progress. However, the project
of the reconstruction of religious thought is truly immense, which means that it can
only be carried out adequately by teams of scholars working over several generations
rather than by a single individual. Indeed, the load is so heavy that very few
individuals have shown the courage or the willingness to accept its responsibilities. The
vast majority of Muslim scholars have been content with merely repeating or
rephrasing past authorities. This is certainly true of Iqbal’s own “fans.” While there is
no lack of individuals who are enamored by Iqbal’s poetry or those who write books
showing their admiration for Iqbal’s philosophy, very few have actually taken up as
their own life mission what Iqbal had identified as the essential prerequisite for the
revival and reform in Islam, i.e., a fresh approach to the Qur’an in light of modern
scientific and philosophical discoveries.
The next item on the agenda is a cogent and coherent elaboration of those Islamic
teachings that have to do with human conduct, i.e., the practical spheres of culture,
law, social institutions, politics, and economics. Under the influence of modernity, the
doctrine of “secularism” has become widely accepted in much of the world. According to
this doctrine, religion is the private and personal affair of the individual believer, while
the public spheres of society should be established and managed on purely rational and
utilitarian foundations, with no input or interference from any religious teaching. This
understanding of “secularism” is contrary to Isl┐mic teachings, and modern revivalist
movements have been correct in rejecting it as such.
The other side of the problem, however, is equally worthy of our attention. As
mentioned above, the growth and expansion of Islamic Fiqh has not kept pace with the
historical changes that have been taking place during the last five hundred years or so.
These changes constitute the practical consequences of modernization,
industrialization, and secularization in relation to human conduct and institutions.
One of the main reasons for the relative stagnation in the growth and expansion of
Islamic Fiqh is the Muslim experience of colonialism; the classical institutions of Islamic
learning were systematically dismantled by European powers during the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries, mainly to establish and maintain their own hegemony. This,
however, is not the sole reason for the current state of juristic stagnation; a movement
against the continuing development of Fiqh had already appeared among Muslims even
before the European invasions began, a movement that is sometimes referred to as the
“closing of the gates of ijtihad.”
Irrespective of the cause, no one can deny that a significant gap now exists between the
classical or medieval ideals of an Islamic society and government on the one hand, and
the complex realities of the modern world on the other. This means that while anyone
can raise the slogan that “Isl┐m is the Solution,” it is an entirely different matter to
actually explain to the world exactly how the teachings of Islam are to be put into
practice today and exactly how would they solve the problems that humankind is
currently facing. It takes very little effort to proclaim that Isl┐m provides the best
system of social justice, which is why so many of us are inclined to make such a claim
without giving it as much as a second thought. On the other hand, it is going to take a
great deal of effort to actually go about establishing the truth of that claim in a cogent
and coherent manner, something that so few of us are willing to undertake.
Consequently, it is vital for us to reconstruct and rearticulate the practical teachings of
Islam in ways that are capable not only of reaching and influencing the modern
sensibilities but also of being put into practice under contemporary conditions. This
work is part and parcel of any effort at revival and reform. A great start was made in
this regard when scholars like Sayyid Qutb and Sayyid Abu ‘l-A‘la Mawdudi wrote
significant treatises in the 1930s and 1940s on social, political, and economic issues.
Unfortunately, the disciples and followers of both of these ideologues did not critique,
develop, or extend this initial work. Instead, they fell into a pattern of reiterating,
reorganizing, and repackaging the same ideas, giving rise to an endless series of popular
books and pamphlets that still adorn the shelves of religious bookstores while making
little or no original contribution to scholarship. Such publications give the readers a
false sense of security and confidence, usually confirming their existing beliefs rather
than challenging them to stretch their minds. Because of the low standard of these
writings, professional scholars and academics cannot be expected to read such books and
pamphlets, let alone be moved or influenced by them in the slightest way!