“Pre-modern vs. Modern Revivalists”
Globalization, among other factors, introduced turbulence in the Muslim world. As such, there have been cases in Muslim countries where political and social movements began to arise in a form of revival to strengthen or bring back Islamic philosophy in such countries. In his book Global Political Islam, Peter Mandaville discusses case studies of early revivalist movements and their continuing legacy in the modern world. Mandaville explains that the term ‘political Islam’ is a political movement that is fundamentally “a state whose governmental principles, institutions and legal system derive directly from the shari’ah” (Mandaville pg.57). Thus all these movements are essentially linked by a goal to revive and retrieve a fundamentalist political ideology and practice. This paper will explore the revivalist movements in the case studies presented in Mandaville’s book. The movements will be divided in time periods covering pre-modern and modern revivalists. Lastly, this paper will conclude that pre-modern and modern political movements in Islam mainly differ in their responses to revivalism. In the case of pre-modern revivalists, the response was an internal solution where as the modern revivalists sought to abolish external factors that they saw as a threat.
The revivalist philosophy seeks to implement a poltitcal movement or practice that is a form of recovery from Westernization and secularism. Subsequently, revivalist thinkers and the major founding fathers sought to return to the pure form if Islam in which Muslim societies would be rid of these ill trends. This political reform that offers a solution for the threat of colonization by returning to practices as referenced in the Quran and a ...
... middle of paper ...
... message, each of these developments is formed by neighborhood and/or national state.
There is no immediate connection between Islam in the seventh century and the prevalent Islamist movements in the last some piece of the twentieth century. A partition occurred in Islam between the religious and political circles that reinforce renouncement of political dominance. Furthermore, conventions of secularism and modernization were overwhelming for no less than two centuries in different Muslim states, starting with modernizing changes established by different Muslim rulers, then emulated by further changes executed by common nationalist authorities after anti-colonial battles. Political Islam, along these lines, is better seen in light of late political and economic improvements—advancements, also, that have offered ascent to religious revival in different social orders.
Ansary, Mir Tamim. Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World through Islamic Eyes. New York: PublicAffairs, 2009. Print.
The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror is a book written by Bernard Lewis that ‘in particular charts the key events of the twentieth century leading up to the violent confrontations of today.’(Lewis) Lewis clearly and entirely pointed out key events explaining the choices to be made by the people of the Islamic faith. They must determine whether their religion takes its place alongside other religions in a global community, or whether it will revert back into conflict with non-Muslim nations.
One of the best illustrations of its institutionalization can be found in the previously discussed Millet System established in the Ottoman Empire that doubtlessly contributed to making this regime “highly legitimate” for Muslims as well as for non-Muslim due to the “dual role of religion as an institution and a system of beliefs” . Indeed, the Muslim religious life and law encompassed within the same institutional framework didn’t hinder a state law to stand beside in this bureaucratically organized empire , opening the way for this “system of autonomous self-government under religious leader” of the millets (in arabic « millah », which can be found in the Qur’an as meaning “religion, nation, community, or rite” ).
The article also discusses the origins of Islam as well as the beliefs of Islam. The theme in volume two is the “relationship between the expansion and fragmentation of Islamdom into autonomous, local dynasties” (Turner 192). According to the author, “The background of Islam was the emergence in the Axial Age of a new conception of religion, not as a tribal commitment” (Turner 192). The main issue of the religion was the fact that other Muslim communities were challenged by different religions and the refusal to accept the teaching of Islam. The author also discusses the rise of sufism. The author refers to sufism as relgious cement (Turner 193). Turner mentions that the author of The Venture of Islam would like to see Islamic influences in technological advances because of the moral roots of
Ayoob, M. (2007) The Many Faces of Political Islam: Religion and Politics in the Muslim
“The Reality and Truth of the Muslim World – Islam.” Underground Hope. 18 Dec 2001: 1-2.
Lafraie, Najibullah (2009). Revolutionary Ideology and Islamic Militancy : The Iranian Revolution and Interpretations of the Quran. Tauris Academic Studies. Retrieved March 23, 2012, from Ebook Library.
Although Islam has made substantial progress, many would argue that Islam is incapable of change. Understanding Islam’s past is imperative to understanding its future. Since its inception, Islam has been a vio...
With every culture there comes a point in their history where someone or something comes along, changes the way things were being done, and becomes a precedent to carry out standards which become a part of their antiquity. The Middle East has grown to be one of the most globalized nations based its people, culture and its religion of Islam. The induction of Muhammad and his teachings originated reason and alertness for major changes that would make the Middle East what it is today. The advent and the spread of Islam were the leading cause for key changes such as, the emphasis of religion, the importance of education, and, women’s rights in the Middle East.
Many contemporary and former Islamic parties, religious movements, and radical groups across the world assume that the Quran requires establishing an Islamic state based on the instructions of the Quran and the hadiths. Therefore, they are so active and vibrant in the political sphere to realize this idea. They also commonly consider Islam as an unchangeable and essentialist political framework to carry out this command. Hence, many Islamic movements by and large have emerged through the
The Islamic tradition, as reflected in Naguib Mahfouz’s Zaabalawi, has over the course of history had an incredible impact on Arab culture. In Mahfouz’s time, Islamic practices combined with their political relevance proved a source of both great power and woe in Middle Eastern countries. As alluded to in Zaabalawi, Mahfouz asserts the fact that not all Muslims attain religious fulfillment through this common tradition, and other methods outside the scope of Islam may be necessary in true spiritual understanding.
There is a strong belief that Islam and politics are directly tied. They are tied in the sense that the building blocks of the religion dictate how they ought to behave in the political environment. Through this mandatory follow up behavior that the religion delineates, many have come to believe that its teachings are a form of terrorism. Mandaville argues that what has challenged the Islamic link between politics and religion was the emergence of secularism, which went against the belief that politics and religion could go together. Islam has been a religion that has been accused of supporting terrorist activities in the world. Different assumptions have been brought up to understand better the linkages between what really lies behind the Islam religion and politics. Peter Mandaville argues that Islam is dynamic and that it has changed over time; situated within time and politics.
There is and has been a clash between Islam and the Western nations which has been becoming more and more apparent, increasingly so in in the 21st century. The clash is based on a fallacious understanding that has shaped the worldview of generations of Europeans and Americans that has progressively found its way into Western scholarship. This worldview’s roots were developed early on in the European-Christian ethos and its ideological tree now produces fruits that are fed mouth to mouth by the talking heads of modern political movements. This paper will attempt to present the recent perception of Islam in the West and how it developed and effected American society.
Rahman, Fazlur. Islam & Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1982. Print.
“Are political Islam and democracy compatible?” This question has been troubling both Muslims and non-Muslims living in East and West for a long time now. Contemporary Islamic political thought has become deeply influenced by attempts at reconciling Islam and democracy. Muslim thinkers who deal with political debates cannot disregard the significance of the democratic system, as it is the prevailing theme of modern western political thought. Hence, it is necessary for any alternative political system, whether it is religious or secular, to explore its position with regards to democratic government. In fact, a large literature and media publications have developed over the last century on this heated discourse of democracy versus Islam. While many argue that Islam has all the ingredients of modern state and democratic society, many other reject the phenomena “modernism” and “democracy” as a whole because of their “foreign nature”—alien to “Islamic values”. For Islamists and modernists, the motivation for such effort to either embrace or reject democracy often is to remove suspicion about the nature and goals of Islamic movements and Islamic revivalism or resurgence. But before diving into this discourse, one needs to understand the definition and origins of “democracy.” Although purely a Western ideology in its origin, there is no consensus on the definition of “democracy” as a political system. The Oxford English Dictionary describes democracy as: “A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives” (“democracy, n.”). In my paper, I will examine whether or not democracy and Sunni political Islam are compatible through the eyes of three revolutionary Sun...