Islamic Reform Research Articles

Salafism and the local: Negotiation, accommodation and Re-localization of Ethiopian Salafism

ABSTRACT This article investigates changes within Salafism – Ethiopia’s main Islamic reform current – over the last decade. We argue that these changes are driven by a new generation of Muslims increasingly embedded in the broader Ethiopian society and who find the more established Salafi ideas’ narrow emphasis on personal piety and on maintaining religious boundaries as insufficient in addressing questions related to their immediate realities. These young Muslims have subsequently started to question Salafi thought and practice, contested claims of religious knowledge, which in turn have forced senior Salafi leaders to re-negotiate their earlier isolationist and exclusivist positions. Our key question is whether these developments can be understood as the emergence of what has been labelled post-Salafism. We argue that such changes within Ethiopian Salafism – and Salafism more broadly – are not necessarily the results of detached ideological developments or caused by trans-local ideological flows. Instead, we believe that the local and situated discourses are far more important than previously assumed. We argue for the need to duly consider aspects beyond what is commonly imagined as the religious and to acknowledge how each locality is shaped by particular historical developments, contemporary cultural dynamics, changing demographics, socio-economic realities and political discourses.

Ibn Khaldūn's reception in colonial South Asia

Abstract Scholars commenting on the reception of the historian and theorist ‘Abd al-Raḥmān Ibn Khaldūn (1332–1406) in modern South Asia have held that it was orientalists and Westernised intellectuals rather than indigenous intellectuals who popularised him in the region. Contesting these impressions, I argue that local intellectuals displayed their agency in using the historian's work to respond to various crises of colonial modernity. They read, translated, and appropriated Ibn Khaldūn to seek inspiration for modern Muslim nationalism, as validation for sectarian convictions and the rhetoric of Islamic reform, and to resist colonial and Hindu revivalist narratives of despotic Muslim rule in India.

Denying “The Right to Have Rights”: Europe’s Imposition of Mandates in Greater Syria and the Rise of Islamist Movements

Abstract In 1920, the Syrian Congress at Damascus ratified a democratic constitution that would have been beyond the dreams of activists in the 2011 Arab Spring. Under the leadership of the leading Islamic reformer of the day, Sheikh Rashid Rida, the constitution disestablished Islam as a state religion, guaranteed one-third of parliamentary seats to non-Muslim minorities, and promised autonomy to the majority Christian territory of Mount Lebanon. Unlike the Ottoman constitution that had once reigned in Greater Syria, the Syrian document granted the preponderance of power to parliament, not the monarch. Nonetheless, the British and French colluded in the willful destruction of this nascent democracy. And with League of Nations’ support, they divided the Syrian Arab Kingdom into sectarian mandatory states. By stripping Syrian Arabs of a self-determined political community, Europeans denied them the “right to have rights,” as Hannah Arendt argued. The political backlash against European rule transformed the minority question in Syria into a polarized and violent contest, leading to the sectarian conflicts that overwhelmed Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine in the remainder of the 20th century.

Hamka and the Rise of Kaum Muda (the Modernist) in Indonesia

The paper aims to study the historical background of the Islamic reform movement in West Sumatra with particular reference to the idea of Haji Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah or his pseudonym Hamka (1908-1981). His religious ideal was instrumental in driving the new consciousness and unprecedented religious struggle that erupted in the late 20th century in the Malay Archipelago, which reflected the force of modern ideas of Shaykh Muhammad Abduh (1849-1905) that had brought decisive and greatest influence in the region. The reform movement he inaugurated was carried out by Kaum Muda (the young faction) in the Malay Archipelago, who disseminated his dynamics ideas and aspirations through journals and newspapers such as Al-Imam, Al-Munir, and Saudara. One of the leading figures and pioneers in the struggle of Kaum Muda was Haji Rasul dan Kiyai Ahmad Dahlan, whose legacy was continued by Hamka, who was hailed as the foremost advocate of Abduh’s reformist ideas through his influential writing and activity. To highlight this significant work and idealism, this research presents and analyzes Hamka’s struggle to lead this unprecedented religious movement for reform (islah) and renewal (tajdid) in the Malay world. This research aims to develop his legacy and monumental contribution to the history and tradition of reform in the Malay world.

Islamic reform with or without Ulama? A comparative study between al-Kawakibi and Naini

ABSTRACT Through historical analysis and literature review, the current article compares the works of two contemporaneous leading Muslim advocates of reform: Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi and Ayatollah Muhammad Husain Naini. The comparison is confined to the primary political treatises of the authors, namely Tabaiʿ al-ʾIstibdad wa-Masariʿ al-ʾIstiʿbad and Tanbih al-Ummah va Tanzih al-Milla. The article delves into the multifaced factors that shaped both the style and content of the two works. Al-Kawakibi and Naini hailed from different Middle Eastern countries, belonged to distinct Islamic schools and occupied varying social strata. These differences have influenced the ways in which they conceptualized the relationship between Islam and political reform. Furthermore, despite their shared diagnosis of tyranny as a malady afflicting Islamic societies, the two authors have prescribed divergent remedies. Consequently, these two works represent the culmination of two discrete approaches to reform, rendering them not merely distinct, but in certain aspects, diametrically opposed.

ROLES AND CHALLENGES OF PESANTREN INTELLECTUAL NETWORKS

Islamic boarding schools, known as pesantrens, serve as institutions dedicated to the preservation of knowledge passed down by their respective kiyai. The significance of pesantrens in Indonesia within the national education framework has expanded, influencing various sectors. Their impact on both national and international education has increased progressively, emphasizing modernization, educational quality, community dynamics within Islamic boarding schools, and human capital. The primary objective of this research is to elucidate the role played by the intellectual network of pesantrens in Indonesia. This investigation is conducted through a comprehensive review of existing literature using qualitative research methods. The analytical approach employed encompasses both descriptive and critical analyses. The study reveals that present-day pesantrens encounter a multitude of challenges that necessitate appropriate solutions. Among these challenges is the emergence of the Islamic reform movement. The enduring presence of pesantrens in Indonesia can be attributed to deep-rooted socio-historical foundations and the robust support of the intellectual network within these institutions. Consequently, these schools continue to fulfill a crucial function in disseminating knowledge within the community. It is evident from this study that the intellectual network of pesantrens plays a pivotal role in shaping societal dynamics. Moreover, this network must be attuned to contemporary challenges in order to ensure the sustained relevance and enhanced quality of pesantrens as key sources of scholarly expertise.

Development Of Tafseer Of The Quran In Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 83, On Islamic Education In Indonesia

The current interpretation of the Al-Qur'an has the impact of shifts or changes in education creating problems with its integrity. This research aims to determine the development of Al-Quran Tafsir in Surah Al-Baqarah verse 83 towards Islamic Education in Indonesia. This research uses library research methods. This research will examine various library sources that are the main issues being discussed. What is clearer is to examine the development of the interpretation of the Qur'an on Islamic education, what is in Surah al-Baqarah verse 83: a study of the interpretation of Ibn Katsir written by Ibnu Katsir and Tafsir al-Maraghi written by al-Maraghi, although some In his interpretation, he also uses verses, but he uses ro'yi more dominantly. From the results of this research, we can conclude that the development of Al-Quran interpretation in Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 83 towards Islamic education in Indonesia involves the history and dynamics of writing interpretations, and is influenced by various factors such as changing times, changes in thinking, and changes in social structure. The development of Al-Quran interpretation in Indonesia has had a significant impact on people's thinking, both in terms of improving the quality of Al-Quran interpretation, the influence of Islamic reform, and the dynamics of writing Al-Quran interpretations which influence various aspects of people's thinking.

Conjuring Sovereignty: How the “Constitution” of Medina became an Oracle of Modern Statehood

Although the legal institutions of postcolonial Egypt and much of the Arab world had been reconstituted along the lines of Napoleonic civil code in the 1940s, Islamic political discourse remained encumbered by claims in which the nation, the umma, was defined by faith rather than territorial boundaries, and lacked a notion of secular citizenship and sovereignty. South Asian scholar Hamidullah’s apologetic recasting of the Ṣaḥīfat al-Madīnā in the 1930s as the "world’s first written constitution" may have handed Egyptian Islamic reformists like the Islamic reformist and lawyer Salim El-Awa the solution to this problem. Wildly successful, El-Awa’s strategically ahistorical reading in Sadat’s Egypt pitted the purportedly liberal Prophetic politics against a constrictive juristic tradition. The resulting discourse made the Ṣaḥīfa available to anyone who wished to get past the structural incompatibility between Islamic politico-legal tradition and the territorially constituted nation-state. Besides disarticulating the relationship between Islamic law and politics, the Ṣaḥīfa may have performed another unintended function. As a treaty that placed no limits on a sovereign’s power, now elevated as the true Islamic constitution that had been obscured by later tradition, it became something of a modern oracle, providing the perfect instrument of legitimation to the modern Arab authoritarian states looking to deploy Islam but to bypass the tradition of Islamic jurisprudence.

A female imam in Paris: Islam, gender, and secular normativity

ABSTRACT This article discusses Kahina Bahloul’s political and religiousengagement and her project to create the liberal ‘Fatima Mosque’, founded in 2019 in Paris. Bahloul is a complex figure, and her political and religious project touches on several dimensions: she was inspired by Sufi doctrines (Ibn ʿArabi and the ʿAlāwiyya) and Islamic modernist philosophy (Mohammed Arkoun). Furthermore, she advocates for a liberal and secular Islam, proposing radical reform and implying the compliance with secular constraints, the merging of social sciences with Islamic sciences, and the polarisation between liberal Muslims and ‘fundamentalist’ Muslims. Thisarticle will show that 1) Sufism is mainly used to justify an individualistic approach to Islam; 2) Bahloul’s epistemological hybridity, based on Islam andsocial sciences, implies a strong tension between her role as a scholar and as a religious authority; and 3) Bahloul’s reform of Islam is not new or radical. The peculiarity of her political and religious project is her compliance with the whimsical French debate on Islam and laïcité, which implies accepting new bans, the privatisation of Islam, and the polarisation between ‘good Muslims’ and ‘bad Muslims’.

How do Islamic movements in the 19th and 20th centuries in Egypt help define Islamic modernity?

This research article explores the concept of multiple “modernities” as a counter to Western modernity, with a specific focus on the modernization of Islam. The paper provides a historical context to the modernization of Islam by examining 18th, 19th, and 20th-century Islamic reforms and their impact on the religion while staying true to its core principles. It also examines the influence of globalization on Islamic nations, using Egypt as an example. The article challenges the Western-centric narrative of modernity by emphasizing that modernity is not confined to Europe and can emerge under different conditions in diverse regions. The study highlights the Tajdid movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Salafat movement as examples of Islamic modernization efforts. The research demonstrates how these movements aimed to reform Islam while addressing global political, social, and economic changes. The article concludes that Islamic modernity is a dynamic and multifaceted phenomenon that combines traditional Islamic teachings with contemporary contexts.

Ghirah dalam Tafsir fi Zilal Al-Qur’an (Analisis Semangat Bela Agama pada QS Al-An’am Ayat 68-70)

This article addresses what should be done when one’s religion is insulted or harassed. Namely the spirit of passion or jealousy when one’s religion is insulted. This problem is caused by the large number of cases of insults against the Islamic religion. Sayyid Qutb’s thoughts were used as the basis, because he was an Islamic reformer and active against tyranny. For this reason, this article contains several problems: a.) what is meant by ghirah?; b.) how is the interpretation of QS. al-An’am verses 68-70 in the interpretation of Fi Zilal Al-Qur’an?; and c.) how is the relationship between ghirah and the spirit of defending religion in QS. al-An’am verses 68-70? The research uses a literature-based qualitative approach. As for the results of this research: first, Sayyid Qutb interpreted this verse as a command to Muslims to let people who make fun of religion, cut ties with them and avoid them. Apart from just reminding, correcting deviant opinions within the boundaries of muamalah. Second, defending religion cannot be separated from the obligations of every Muslim. Religious followers certainly will not accept it if their religion is insulted. The order to distance oneself and not associate with religious mockers is a response based on feelings of enthusiasm for the spirit of defending one’s religion. The implications of the research can provide direction for Muslims in navigating these challenges in a way that is in accordance with Islamic teachings and inspires a strong attitude in defending the truth of their religion.

Introduction to the Forum: Muslim modernity in South Asia

AbstractThis short article introduces the Forum on Muslim modernity in South Asia, placing its four articles—by Muhammad Qasim Zaman, SherAli Tareen, Julia Stephens, and Justin Jones—in the context of existing scholarship. I highlight the authors’ contributions to the study of Islamic reform and of women’s agency, in particular, in understandings of Muslim modernity in South Asia. Each of the contributions is on a discrete topic; this introduction therefore endeavours to pull at the threads within each that underscores their interventions in the study of Muslim modernity and that tie them together in this Forum.

The history of the birth of the secular Islamic state of Turkey and the idea of the renewal of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

This article discusses the history of the birth of the secular Islamic State of Turkey and the ideas of reform carried out by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in various fields and its transformation into a modern, secular state. The method used in this research is a literature review using a qualitative approach. The analysis used to analyze the data is content analysis. The research results show that Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was one of the qualified Islamic reformers of the 19th century. He has made a major contribution to changing the mindset of Turkish society. By changing the old order that had become a tradition in the Ottoman Empire, and forming it into a new face with a style of thinking that actually did not change "Islam" but only changed the mindset and order of life of Muslims to adapt to the demands of the times. Islamic values were formed, a caliphate, a republic and even a secular one. Even though symbols are also important, what is more important is that the people are able to convey the substance of Islam in every movement of their people's lives. His ideas have brought Turkey to become a developed country that is on par with the international world as well as proving that Islamic government is a government that is in line with the demands of the times.

Colonialism and Islamic Reform

Abstract This essay engages a broad geographic, demographic, and chronological scope on the topic of colonialism and Islamic reform to avoid the reinforcement of colonial era inventions and gender(ed) myths across education, the law, enslavement, hierarchies of gender, and Islamic reform. This essay argues that understanding women and gender in various colonial contexts is an important avenue for recovering the restorative work that women have done to reject colonial ideologies throughout history. Reflecting upon scholarship situated at the intersection of modern Islamic thought and feminism, new possibilities emerge to reframe the meaning of justice and freedom in this historiography and beyond.

The Social and Political Thought of Sayyed ʿ⁠Ali Moḥammad Širāzi, the Bāb

Abstract Sayyid ʿ⁠Ali Muḥammad Širāzi (1819–50), known as “the Bāb”, is one of the most important modernizers of the 19th century in Iran. He is one of the first thinkers, within the Islamic thought’s modern framework, who challenged the forces of tradition such as the Shiite clergy and the Persian absolute monarchy by offering a new religious view, which went beyond Islamic religion. This article, after a brief reconstruction of the intellectual biography of the Bāb, will analyse his social and political thought, highlighting his main ideas regarding the role of rationality; the role of education and pedagogy; the economy and industrialization; the environment and the importance of civic cohabitation. The article will focus on Bāb’s views concerning the role of the women in the society and the abolition of the clergy from the religious sphere. This work will also show how Bāb’s thought contributed, together with secular and Islamic reformist intellectuals, to the Iranian constitutional revolution (Mašrūṭe) in the early 20th century.

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.

Life Trajectories in the Language Games of Islamic Reform and Pentecostalism in Cape Town

I present two individuals in Cape Town as they became religious leaders in Islamic reform and Christian Pentecostalism respectively. This essay pays at-tension to the place of charisma generated in their practices, how they relate to existing traditions and institutions, and how they introduce innovations over their life trajectories. Unlike most studies on Pentecostalism and Islamic reform, this essay analyses lesser-known leaders in their respective congregations and communities to illustrate what Wittgenstein has called a 'language game'. The latter offers a perspective on how individuals inhabit a movement without being constrained by it. The language games of these movements come alive in the life trajectories of my subjects.

Navigating Intellectual Crossroads: Intersections of Modern Western Thought and Islamic Reformism

Introduction: The article begins by outlining the historical and intellectual context of the interaction between Modern Western Thought and Islamic Reformism. It highlights the challenges and opportunities arising from the convergence of these two intellectual traditions, noting the significant impact of Western secularism, scientific inquiry, and rationality on global discourse, including Islamic societies. The introduction sets the stage for a detailed exploration of the exclusivist and inclusivist movements and their implications for Islamic societies. Objectives: The primary objective of this article is to examine the intellectual challenges and opportunities presented by the interaction between Modern Western Thought and Islamic Reformism. It aims to provide insights into the diverse perspectives within Islamic societies, the clash between tradition and modernity, and the potential for reconciling religious faith with reason. The article also seeks to foster a deeper understanding of the historical and cultural contexts that shape these debates and to promote respectful dialogue and critical inquiry. Conclusion: The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of fostering mutual understanding and respectful dialogue between Eastern and Western philosophies. It underscores the need for a nuanced approach that considers historical and cultural contexts to bridge the epistemological gap between these two intellectual traditions. By promoting critical inquiry and embracing pluralism, the article suggests that both Islamic and Western societies can engage in a productive exchange of ideas, ultimately contributing to intellectual advancement and societal progress.

Weaving Modernity in Salafism

This study examines the parallels between Muhammadiyah, the oldest and largest modernist Islamic movement in Indonesia, and Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’a Wa Ikamatus Sunnah, also known as Izala, the most significant Islamic reformist movement in West Africa, which originated in northern Nigeria. Concurrently, these groups share a common focus on socio-religious reform and a commitment to puritan Islam. It is undeniable that various Islamic movements/groups have existed and continue to exist outside the Arab world, but relatively few studies have focused on Islamic groups operating in West Africa or Southeast Asia, for example. This study highlights the importance of examining Islamic movements in regions beyond the Arab world, particularly in West Africa and Southeast Asia. The large Muslim populations in Indonesia and Nigeria offer a rich context for exploring the dynamics of Islamic movements. The research reveals, despite the groups’ Salafi-inspired ideologies, they mediate socio-religious reform, indicating the modernising rather than conservative aspects of Indonesian and Nigerian Islam. Within their respective contexts, these groups represent forms of reconstructed alternative modernity, or distinctly Islamic interpretations of modernity, which they define through executing their reform activities within Islamic frameworks. They navigate the complexities of modernity by balancing adherence to traditional values with adaptation to contemporary developments. Notably, the study is driven by a belief that comparative studies across different Salafi-inspired groups in distinct contexts could provide broader understanding of the evolving relationship between Salafism and modernity.

Restorasi Filsafat, Dialog Mutual, dan Syari'ah: Ibn Rusyd dan Reformasi Islam dalam Fashl al-maqal

Ibn Rushd is one of the most important philosophers in the classical world of Islam. Without him, Aristotle would have remained a great mystery to the Western scientific world. It was he, who managed to provide the longest commentary on almost all of Aristotle's works, and his commentary, along with some of the doctrines of Averroism, created the great rationalist movement in the Latin West. However, unlike his philosophical dimension, which some Muslim scholars find too Aristotelian and therefore more impactful in the West and not in the Islamic world, Ibn Rushd's Islamic reform dimension has not received enough attention. I expose Ibn Rusyd's reform, in this study, as contained in one of his books, Fasl al-maqal fi taqrir ma bayna ash-shari'ah wa al-hikmah min al-ittisal (The decisive book on the certainty that there is a connection between shari'ah and philosophy). There are at least three main themes in his reform: restoration of philosophy, restoration of mutual dialogue, and restoration of the shari'ah. With these three themes of reform, we will realize not only Ibn Rushd's contribution to philosophy, but also his great concern for a number of crises in Islam, and for solutions to resolve them.