Analytical Study of Fazlur Rahman's "Revival and Reform in Islam: A Study of Islamic Fundamentalism"

Abstract

In Islam, there is freedom of every thought and along with that, respect for every thought. In the present era, freedom of thought is considered the summum bonum. It is generally believed that this freedom is the result of the scientific revolution in the West. The immediate and proximate cause of this revolution is indeed the modern scientific revolution, but this scientific revolution itself was the result of the unified revolution of Islam. What is meant by the modern reconstruction of Islamic Thought? What this means is that the new intellectual and practical problems that have arisen in the present age should be addressed in such a way that it comprises the complete concession of the spirit and temperament of Islam on the one hand, and on the other hand, it fully embraces the modern requirements. A lot has been said and written about how modern Islamic thought developed in the current period. Probably the first person to write and draw attention to this subject was Syed Jamaluddin Afghani. Similarly, the names of Sheikh Muhammad Abdah, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Mohammad Iqbal, Syed Amir Ali, Namik Kamal, etc. can be taken in this regard. All these people tried to redefine Islam. It had two purposes. One is to make modern ideas compatible with Islamic principles, and at the same time to reassure Muslims that Islam is still important and relevant for their guidance. the current review paper is an endeavor to meticulously present the outline of the revivalist and reformist approach of Fazlur Rahman presented by him in his book "Revival and Reform in Islam: A Study of Islamic Fundamentalism".