Overview of the Perception of Sayyid Abū ’l-A‘lā Mawdūdī in Turkey

Abstract

Sayyid Abū ’l-A‘lā Mawdūdī (d. 1979) is one of the leading Islamic thinkers of the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent. He gained an influential place in the twentieth century because of his religious and political thought. His revisionist interpretations of various theological and epistemological aspects of Islamic thought brought about a revolution among Muslims across the world. This article reviews the reception of Mawdūdī’s thought in Turkey and its social and political impact. It begins with exploring the fundamentals of Islamism in Turkey and the theological and political variables that influence it. Then the article discusses the process that started with the translation of Mawdūdī’s works into Turkish, his recognition in Turkey, and the impact of his thought on the Turkish youth. It also provides a panoramic view of the process in which these translation activities were carried out from the 1960s to the 1990s. It also assesses the arguments of those who consider his thought a deviation from the traditional understanding of religion. The article concludes that Mawdūdī significantly influenced the idea of Islamism, especially among the youth, and that his religious and political views still maintain their importance. On the other hand, some groups, particularly those with traditionalist and conservative views, see Mawdūdī’s perspective of religion and politics to be different from Islamic tradition.