THE RENAISSANCE OF ISLAMIC THOUGHT IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY: A STUDY OF SAYYID JAMAL AL-DIN AFGHANI
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Abstract
An architect of the modern Islamic intellectual revival, and an anti-imperialist thinker, Jamal al-Din Afghani was noted for the middle path that he took between traditionalism and modernism. Equally regarded in the East and West as the defender of Islam and the prime source of Islamic revolution in the 19th century, he is revered in the Arab as the ‘Hakeem al-Sharq’ (the sage of the East). The vision of Afghani was the reform of Islamic countries, and revival of early principles of Islam, holding extended conversations with both students and teachers on how the revival of Islam could be achieved through an application of philosophy to religion, modern education, especially in the physical sciences to prove that there was no conflict between contemporary knowledge and the teachings of the Qur’an. The modern movements for revival and the renewal in the nineteenth and twentieth century’s are more closely associated with the reformist strand represented by Jamal ul-din Afghani and many others. Jamal al-Din al-Afghani is regarded as the champion of Muslim solidarity (al-Wahdah al-Islamiyah). Aware of the increasing western encroachments into Islamic lands, disunity among Muslim nations and the propagation and popularity of the divisive western concept of nationalism among Muslims, Jamal al-Din Afghani called upon the Muslims to arise and strive for the solidarity and unity of the ummah. His idea of the world of unity of Muslims is of religious nature where by Muslims are joined together by the bond of Islam, in one ummah. Towards this end he spent whole of his time and resources. The paper attempts to highlight his immense contribution towards his revivalistic endeavours specially focusing on his vision of Islamic thought with respect to Muslim polity and educational policy.
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