al-Afghani Research Articles

Development of Theoretical Study of Social Interpretation (Social Relations)

This reserach explores the application of Qur'anic social interpretation in social relations to address the complexity of contemporary social issues. This research aims to bridge the understanding of the Qur'anic teachings with their application in daily social dynamics, given the urgency of increasing social problems. Using a qualitative content analysis method, this study identifies and explains various social interpretations, evaluates their relevance in the modern social context, and examines the methodological differences between classical and contemporary interpretive approaches. The research focuses on the historical development of social tafsir, the influence of important figures such as Al-Sayyid Jamaluddin al-Afghani and Muhammad 'Abduh, and the application of tafsir in the context of multiculturalism and social justice. The results of this study are expected to produce strategies to promote social harmony through the application of inclusive and adaptive tafsir. The implications of the research show that a more inclusive understanding and application of social tafsir can be a solution in facing modern social challenges.

The Concept of Civilizational Revival in the Thought of Sayyid Jamal Al-Din Al-Afghani

The issue of Islamic civilizational revival has been a significant concern for Muslim thinkers in past ages and continues to be relevant today. This underscores the critical importance of this topic and its role in the Islamic renaissance. Mr. Jamal al-Din al-Afghani was one of the pioneers in researching this issue. He endeavored to liberate the Islamic community from its state of decadence through various means. Although his efforts encompassed many aspects of reform, his primary focus was on religious and political reform. Consequently, we investigated the reasons behind the emergence of the idea of civilizational revival as articulated by Mr. Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, how this idea developed, and some of the methods of revival he sought to implement in Islamic society. In this research, we employed a descriptive analytical approach along with a historical approach. The most important findings of the research indicate that Mr. Jamal al-Din al-Afghani concentrated his efforts on revitalizing Islamic society to restore its civilization from decadence by emphasizing rigorous diligence, while respecting religious texts, avoiding imitation of others, combating colonialism and tyranny, and achieving unity among Muslims so that they are not separated by sect or nationality.

Jamaluddin Al-Afghani's Thoughts on Islamic Education

Jamaluddin Al-Afghani's Thoughts on Islamic Education

Konsep Pembaharuan Pendidikan Islam Versi Jamaluddin Al-Afghani

The aim of this research is to analyze Jamaluddin Al-Afghani's Version of the Concept of Islamic Education Reform. This type of research is a library study. Data collection with documentation. Data analysis with SLR. The research results obtained are that Jamaluddin Al-Afghani's version of the concept of Islamic education renewal is that Islamic education must continue to develop according to the needs of the times and can be integrated with modern science. Afghani emphasized the importance of education that fosters a critical, innovative and progressive spirit in thinking and promotes universal human values. Through its progressive and inclusive approach, Afghani advocates for Islamic education to play an active role in preparing individuals to face global challenges and strengthen Islamic civilization in the contemporary context.

The Landscape of the Interplay between Religion and Science: The Experience of Islamic Discourse

This study explores current viewpoints on how science and Islam can coexist in the Islamic context, delving into the dynamic conversation at the intersection. It discusses key figures and occasions influencing the interaction between religion and science in Islam, following the dynamic interplay from the modern to post-modern periods. One of the findings is that scholars who initially brought these discussions to the forefront in the modern age, such as Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, and Muhammad Abduh, coincided with the rise of nation-states and the dissolution of the caliphate in 1924. The paper also delves into the ideas of Tantawi Jawhari’s “scientific miracle” and Naquib al-Attas’s “Islamization of science and knowledge.” It also sheds light on the ongoing discourse that aims to synthesise these domains and promote interdisciplinary convergence, particularly in the areas of religion and science.

Sejarah Pembaharu Islam di Mesir: Jamaluddin Al-Afghani dan Muhammad Abduh

This article discusses two significant figures in the history of Egypt, namely Jamaluddin al-Afghani and Muhammad Abduh. Jamal a-Din al-Afghani and Muhammad ‘Abduh were two influential figures in the development of Islam in Egypt. Their thoughts were not only admired in Egypt but also by the Islamic generation in other countries. This research is a literature study with a historical approach. Research data were obtained from various books and articles. Based on the research results, it can be stated that Jamaludin Al-Afghani is one of the Islamic reformist figures with creative ideas to revive the spirit of the Islamic community. He is known as the initiator of the concept of Pan-Islamism. On the other hand, Muhammad Abduh is a rationalist thinker who had a significant impact on the history of Islamic thought. For Abduh, reason holds a high position in religion because through reason, humans can recognize God and understand what must be implemented.

JAMALUDDIN AL-AFGHANI’S THOUGHTS IN SAREKAT ISLAM AND MUHAMMADIYAH MOVEMENT EARLY 20TH CENTURY

The global political struggle between Muslims and Western imperialists produced new Islamic thinkers. One of them was Jamaluddin Al-Afghani, a pioneer of pan-Islamism whose ideas spread to different parts of the world. His idea of ??political independence for Muslims became the compass for the figures of the early 20th-century movement in the Dutch East Indies, which carried out a movement against colonialism-imperialism. Some major organizations inspired by Jamaluddin Al-Afghani's thoughts are Sarekat Islam and Muhammadiyah. Both organisations play an important role in the machinery of the national movement. Written based on a literature study with a historical approach, the article attempts to explain the influence of Jamaluddin Al-Afghani's thoughts on the political dynamics of Islamic groups during the nationalist movement of the early 20th century.

JAMALUDDIN AL-AFGHANI'S EDUCATIONAL AND POLITICAL RENEWAL IDEAS

The aim of this research is to examine in depth the figure of reform in both the fields of education and modern Islamic politics, Al-Afgani, whose discussion includes biography, career history, works, thinking, or educational development put forward by these figures. The author uses library research methods, namely research by collecting various books, scientific journals, theses, and other information that is used as a source of information. Result analysis explained that Jamaluddin Al Afghani is a popular Muslim figure in educational and political reform and represents a modernist-rationalist fashion group that is responsive to developing knowledge. Jammaluddin Al-Afghani There is a person known as a political activist or pessimistic PAN. Islamism aims to unite people in Islam and fight colonialism.

Corpse Politics and the Traveling Bones of Jamaluddin al-Afghani

Abstract Forty-seven years after his death, Jamaluddin al-Afghani was reburied in Kabul. Amid the chaos of World War II, Afghanistan had enlisted the governments of British India, Turkey, and Iraq in a scheme to bring the bones of this nineteenth-century intellectual and Pan-Islamist out of exile in Istanbul, where they had lain buried since 1897. The subsequent exhumation, transnational corpse transfer, and reinterment in Kabul provoked the ire of the Iranian state, which contested Afghanistan's claim to be Jamaluddin's natal state. The significance of Jamaluddin's corpse was inseparable from certain aspects of his self-curated hagiography as a consummate wanderer and anti-imperial Pan-Islamist. Consequently, the two states competed for custody of his remains. This transregional case study engages multidisciplinary scholarship on commemoration of the dead and remaking nationalist spaces. The article proposes that the physical location of the dead conjoined with individual hagiographies is key to disrupting or reifying nationalist narratives.

The Falsafa Prophetology in Modernist Discourse

The article shows how the concept of «natural prophecy», which developed within the framework of Falsafa (the Hellenizing philosophy of classical Islam) and traditionally qualifi ed as heterodox, was revived in the works of Muslim modernists of the 19th-20th centuries (especially Jamalad-din al-Afghani, Muhammad Abdo and their followers), who focused on the reconstruction of theological discourse in the spirit of openness to religious and confessional diversity, scientifi c rationality and socio-cultural progress. In reformist theology were accumulated both rational substantiations of prophetism, which were characteristic of Falsafa: (1) socio-teleological, proceeding from the necessity of a prophet as a legislator, and (2) psycho-noetic, which appeals to the presence of a man with the ultimate exalted soul, especially in terms of intellectual intuition and creative imagination. Developing the Falsafa’s thesis about two types of miracle as proof of the authencity of prophetic missions — «external» (material) and «adequate» (spiritual), modernists teach about the Quranic message as focusing exclusively on the second type. This marks the transition of humanity to the phase of adulthood, and with it the «sealing of the prophethood».

The Influence of Jamaluddin Al-Afghani's Pan-Islamic Movement on the Fighting Spirit of Muslims in Various Countries

Pan-Islamism is commonly known asnationalism is a movement pioneered by Jamaluddin al-Afghani, a reformer from Afghanistan. This movement aims for Muslims to unite and fight together to fight colonialism from the West. The movement spread to various countries which at that time were experiencing setbacks in the hope that this Pan-Islamism political movement could have an influence on the rise and independence of Muslims to become more advanced. So the purpose of this study is to describe the influence of the Pan-Islamism al-Afghani movement in several countries on the fighting spirit of Muslims. Method used is a library by collecting primary and secondary data then grouped and analyzed systematically so that conclusions can be drawn. The results of the research show that the influence of the Pan-Islamism movement carried out by al-Afghani is able to bring Muslims to a better direction, and his thoughts spread to various countries ranging from India, Afghanistan, Paris, Egypt, Turkey to Indonesia.

Islam and Nationalism in the Thought of Jamal Al-Din Al-Afghani

The dynamic of nationalism’s theoretical position has facilitated the unfolding complexities throughout history; and it still triggers an intellectual debate among the contemporary scholars. Carved out as a formidable socio-political force, nationalism today stands out as a substantial brand of resistance that defies all odds. This study has employed the qualitative method of analysis to build a framework to explore the ideas and thoughts of Jamal al-Din al-Afghani pertaining to the concepts of Islam and nationalism. Furthermore, this study argued that Afghani’s conception of Islam and nationalism was an effective tool in balancing the principles of modernity. In similar vein, Afghani’s core ideas and its underlying values suggested some different trajectories of fundamental synthesis of the nationalism and Islam. To elucidate further, Islam is viewed as a dominant force that perpetuated the development of Afghani’s comprehension on nationalism. This study culminates that Afghani’s concept of nationalism is the fundamental source of social unity that has consolidated the backbone of Islamic movement within the framework of Pan-Islamism by emphasizing the concept of unity and ummah.
 Keywords: Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, Nationalism, Pan-Islamism, Social-unity, Western thought

The Relevance of Sayyid Jamaluddin al Afghani's Thoughts for Indonesia in Facing the Challenges of Globalisation

This article discusses the life journey of Sayyid Jamaluddin Al Afghani (1938-1897), his thoughts and teachings on Islamic modernisation and their relevance for Indonesia in facing today’s free trade. Using the historical narrative writing method, this article describes the history of Afghani’s life and works. Furthermore, the author analyses the main points of Afghani’s thoughts, especially in terms of rationalism, the six principles of truth (Arkan al-Sittah) in dealing with materialism, Qadha and Qadar, and the role of government, and writes down their relevance for Indonesia in facing competition in the era of globalisation. In the face of global competition, the author argues that Afghani’s thinking can be applied to Indonesia at two levels. At the country level, Indonesia can use it to improve its economic diplomacy strategy. Meanwhile, at the community level, the Indonesian people can apply it in determining the choice of social and economic activities to be more in favour of domestic products. With the collective strength of the community, it is hoped that Indonesia can be economically independent. Keywords: al-Radd ‘ala al-Dahriyyin, Arkan al-Sittah, Globalisation, Jamaluddin al-Afghani, Qadha and Qadar

Menelaah Pandangan Jamaluddin Al-Afghani Tentang Teologi Rasional

Jamaluddin al-Afghani (1838-1897) is one of the Islamic modernists who is famous for his slogan of Pan-Islamism. Apart from his discourse on Islam and politics, al-Afghani also developed a system of rational theology. This article will explore al-Afghani's rational theology, especially about reason and revelation and human actions. This article employs a qualitative, explorative-analytical method. This article concludes that in al-Afghani’s theology, reason and revelation are two sources of knowledge that do not contradict each other, which both lead to the truth. Regarding human action, al-Afghani maintains that human being has the power to determine what they want to achieve.

“Panislamism” as a political factor

This article is devoted to the history of "pan-Islamism", developed in the late XIX century by the Afghan politician Said Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, which emerged in the Middle East and became the ideology of groups operating under the guise of Islam in the XX-XXI centuries. An analysis of the views expressed in the research work of scholars engaged in the interpretation of the doctrine of "Pan-Islamism" in the last century and today. It is reflected in the article the brotherhood and unity of all Muslims, the history of the idea of ​​pan-Islamism, the emergence of two different tendencies towards the ideology of "pan-Islamism", the dominance of the idea of ​​"pan-Islamism" in the Middle East in the late twentieth century. The article also describes the methodological basis of the idea of ​​"pan-Islamism", its pros and cons, the modern image of what is now called "neopanislamism" and the factors that contribute to the rise of Islamophobia. In the last century, "pan-Islamism" emerged as a geopolitical force, considered an imperial ideology in the Ottoman Empire. The reasons for the leadership of the ideology of Islamism, the formation of religious political parties in the Middle East, the idea of ​​"pan-Islamism" and the fact that it has become a weapon of fanatical groups operating under the guise of Islam have been revealed on the basis of philosophical analysis.

Falsafa’s foundations of the modernistic theology of dialogue

Philosophical theology, which developed within the framework of the Falsafa school, is a vivid example of a constructive dialogue between classical Islam and other religions and cultures. The universalist ideas put forward by al-Farabi, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Ibn Rushd (Averroes) and other thinkers of this school inspired the reformers of the 19th–20th centuries (especially Jamaladdin al-Afghani, Muhammad Abdo and their followers) to develop theological principles that serve as the foundation for the modernizing, inclusive-pluralistic concept of interfaith and intercivilizational dialogue. In addition to the basic ideas of Falsafa’s philosophy of religion, the article highlights the main aspects of the activities of the founders of Islamic modernism to reveal the teachings of the Quran about the unity of the revealed religions, about religious and confessional diversity as God’s predestination, and about the inconsistency of exclusivist claims. Founded on Koranic evidence, the principle of freedom of religion, including the right to change one's faith, is put forward. The militantistic interpretation of the Quran and the Sunnah (especially the “ayat on the sword” and “ayat on jizya”) is criticized. As the “golden rule” of the dialogue, the modernists affirm the principle: “Cooperate on those things on which we agree; and forgive one another concerning things on which we differ”.

Strategi Politik Ekonomi Islam dalam Menciptakan al-Falah menurut Jamaluddin Al-Afghani

Islamic economic development everywhere will not have a significant impact without strong political support, including the development of Islamic economy in Indonesia. Jamaluddin Al-Afghani as an 18th-century Muslim reformist figure had the idea of a political movement of unity of Muslims known as Pan-Islamism in response to the deterioration of Muslim nations due to colonialism and imperialism of western nations. The purpose of this study was to explore the political ideas and ideas of Jamaluddin Al-Afghani to strengthen the position of Muslims, especially in the economic field. This research method uses literature review, which is research with a focus on the study and analysis of the primary materials of the literature with the approach of character studies, which examines systematically the thoughts and ideas of a figure as a whole or in part. The results of this study show that in order to strengthen the economic position of Muslims and the development of Islamic economy, strong economic politics is needed to support economic policies related to Islamic economy. Jamaluddin Al-Afghani pan-Islamism as a political movement against the materialism of western nations and the concept of arkan al-sittah as the spirit of his struggle can be implemented in the form of Islamic economic politics to strengthen Islamic economic development.

Afghanistan Nation-Building and Missed Critical Element of Unifying Ideology

Afghanistan Nation-Building and Missed Critical Element of Unifying Ideology Sayed Hassan Akhlaq (bio) Introduction This study introduces a crucial ingredient missing from the processes of nation-building in Afghanistan. It consists of six sections. The first discusses the concept of "nation" in the context of Afghanistan. The next section, "Nation-building from the 'Iron Amir' to the strange irony of new Taliban" surveys the dynamic effects of Islamization, centralization of government, reformation, leftism, Islamists, and the Taliban, on nation-building in Afghanistan. Discussion in the following section 'Afghanistan from 2001-2021' pays a close attention to the recent process of nation-building in Afghanistan by international aid and relief agencies. The two following sections discuss the nature of significance of an integrative ideology to build a nation and its intrinsic nature in Afghanistan. The section titled "The key missing ingredient," arguing for the necessity of an integrative ideology examines competing meanings of ideology. The "The Integrative [End Page 51] Ideology" develops an evaluation of the character of theology, politics, social mores, and culture in Afghanistan. This review of Afghan culture, values, and traditions shows the important role of curious pragmatism, moderation, and morality as the foundation for a unique Afghan ideology, to unify and persuade Afghans to build their nation. This leads to rejecting the popular portrayals of Afghanistan as the land of radicalism, tribalism, and xenophobia. This inter-disciplinary study relies on published literature in English and Persian on Afghanistan, nation-building, and personal experiences of the author. The Background During the late eighteenth century, the term "nation" developed as a political concept, and some individuals and groups were classified as "nationalists." In 1789, the anti-Jacobin French priest Augustin Barruel used the term "nationalism" for the first time in print. Classical political nationalism claimed the right of a people—a nation—to their own state, creating the overlap of nationality and citizenship. In the same period, Ahmad Shah Durrani (1722-1773), the "baba," or father brought political life to a new realm, the Kingdom of Afghanistan. Over the next century Afghans developed their understanding of the modern concepts of state and nation. The military confrontation with the European imperialism of the Russian Tsar and the British resulted in deformed concepts of a nation-state. Asta Olesen, a specialist in social development in Afghanistan wrote, this encounter with the Christian imperialist powers dramatically changed the Afghans' attitude toward the west and its fundamental concepts: They learned to mistrust all Europeans; to see the English and Russians not just as infidels but enemies; to reread Islam as a unifying force and means of mobilization, thereby creating Afghan xenophobia and cultural isolationism.1 Subsequently, Afghans pursued two developments through their following history: welcoming the Western concept of nation-state while staying alert to prevent the loss of cultural identity; and struggling to reconcile Islamism with local and ethnic traditions. Although Afghan Islamism developed as a defensive reaction to European imperialism, it also has its own roots and intellectual history. Afghans remember their historical contributions to global civilization: great scholars, artists, poets, Sufis, scholars, and scientists like al-Biruni (973-1048), Avicenna (980-1037), Ali Hujwiri or Data Ganj Bakhsh (1009-1077), Nasir Khusraw (1004-1088), Hakim Sanai (1080-1131), Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207-1273), [End Page 52] and Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (1838-1897) to mention a few. Afghans contributed greatly to Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, philosophy, Islamic theology (Kalaam), Persian literature, Sufism, art, medicine, astronomy, geography, and geodesy. However, Islamic intellectual contributions declined in the second half of its long history. Afghanistan particularly suffered from two events: First, the conflict between the Shi'a Safavids versus the Sunni Mughal Empire and against the Uzbeks in the north isolated Afghanistan. Second, the discovery of the sea route to India caused the decline of profitable and culturally enriching trade through Afghanistan. The Shi'ism of the Safavids moved Afghan literature, and in some extent religious scholarship, from its Persian roots toward Indian connections. The loss of long-distance trade weakened the flourishing urban culture of Afghanistan. In result, the economic and political center of gravity moved toward the countryside and the large landowners – an essential factor in the formation of the...

Time, Transcendence in Islamic Thought and an Embrace of “Catholic Modernity”

Abstract Taylor characterizes Western modernity as being very inhospitable to the transcendent, yet also as opening an opportunity for a renewed engagement with the transcendent from within modernity. This debate is also vivid in Islam and I will reconstruct it by focusing on the concept of time (dahr). Some strains in Islam condemned the posture of maximizing the “flourishing of life” within the limits of (a life)time as dahriya because it would, in their eyes, constitute a rejection altogether of the transcendent. This position was seen as the quintessence of “the philosophers” (al Ghazali) and of Western modernity (al Afghani). Opposing this view, I will then explain how and why I can make a rapprochement between Charles Taylor’s proposal of a “Catholic modernity” and Islamic modernity through the lenses of Muhammad Iqbal’s philosophy of time. Through his analysis of the hadith “Do not vilify time, because time is God,” Iqbal shows that time (dahr) should not be considered as the antithesis of transcendence, but that in time, from within dahr, transcendence is present: in “creative evolution” (Bergson), life is not enclosed in immanence, but on the contrary God is manifesting himself under his name dahr.

Ijtihad, Pendidikan, dan Politik dalam Pemikiran Muhammad Rasyid Ridha

The problem of religiosity is one of the themes that characterize the modern era today. This problem was marked by widespread issues of secularization, liberalization and pluralism which triggered reactions from Muslim scientists, such as Muhammad Rasyid Ridha. This text aims to examine Rosyid Ridha's thoughts on the theme of ijtihad, education and politics. By using the analytical descriptive method, this study concludes several important points. First, Rasyid Ridha contributed effectively from all aspects of benefit in the fields of ijtihad, education and politics. He includes religious elements that refer to the Al-Qur'an and Hadith, such as in his teacher Jamaluddin Al-Afghani. Second, he offers a well-known solution, namely by re-buzzing ijtihad. And third, taking modern thinking and then integrating it with Islam without eliminating syari'ah values. In Rida's concept of thought, he always combines Western and Islamic sciences but still prioritizes religion based on the Al-Qur'an and Hadith. Because of this, his thinking is considered to be a solution in facing the modern era today.