“No to reformation, Yes to revival”
(A Muslim Community response to the Channel 4 Program ‘The Muslim Reformation’ Specifically and all ideas of Secularist ‘Reformation’ of Islam generally)
Before we discuss approaching the Quran with ‘fresh eyes’ and the need for ‘new’ Ijtihad, we must ask what is Ijtihad? Is it a method of allowing Islam to become compatible with whatever passes for ‘modernity’ throughout history? Or is it truly something greater than that, a way of defining the very meaning of what modernity should be and acting as examples for all nations of truly enlightened and responsible problem solving distinct from all other methods, viewpoints and ideologies?
Islam’s purpose never sought Muslims to imitate the current social and political circumstances they found themselves in. Rather, Islam throughout history, right from its inception, directed and dominated the current global agenda for humanity- it decided the bench mark for what a ‘modern’ nation should be- as an example to all other human nations. Thus Muhammed (saw) was never a ‘modernist’ (in the western sense of the word); he never called the culturally and intellectually backward Arabs to imitate the more advanced civilisations surrounding them.
Muhammed (saw) never created a feudal society (like the Byzantines), nor a divine autocracy (like the Persians), nor any other system that was currently used (or used since). Democracy itself predates Islam (and Christianity), yet we hear nothing of it mentioned by the Quran (or the Bible!) or even the early Islamic scholars who translated the Greek texts it was contained in.
This is because Islam is a comprehensive way of life. It is an ideology that contains a specific viewpoint to life (the Establishment of man’s purpose in life in the affairs of life) which forms an ideal and a basis for human society and whose solutions to human problems naturally and purposefully manifest themselves in the forms of Political, Economical, Ruling, Educational and Social systems as well as Universal Rights for Humanity. And as such, it was not for Ijtihad to work out how to change Islam to accommodate other ways of life, but rather Ijtihad’s purpose was to derive solutions from Islam to solve new problems such that the Islamic way of life, its purpose and basis is continued and strengthened.
A misconception is that Islam can borrow everything from other cultures and nations- this is historically and Islamically inaccurate- Islam actually divided what it found from other nations into two categories, Hadharah- that which is related to a particular viewpoint to life of a nation- its concepts about life, culture, systems of living, beliefs, politics etc; and Madaniyyah- that which is related to material progress, like science and technology. So, when the Muslims encountered the Persians, we took their tools of departmental accountancy (Diwan) but left out their ruling system (which is from Persian Hadharah) and likewise we took Indian numerals but left out its polytheism (Numerology,-an Indian Hadharah concept). And it was Ijtihad that the Muslims had to thank for this. Thus Islam has always used the modern technology of its time but it always distinguished and remained separate from the alien Hadharah ideas it encountered whether they be Ancient classical ideas or those veiled under the disguise of the term ‘modernity’.
Now, as for the discussion for approaching the Quran (Islam’s fundamental basis) with ‘fresh eyes’ (a selling slogan of secularist Muslims), we must look into what it meant by this.
When Tony Blair decreed new legislation to counter Terrorism, by introducing ‘glorification of terrorism’ as a ‘required’ new law, many rightfully viewed it with suspicion, arguing that the previous laws were adequate and that what was needed was better enforcement not new legislation. As it turned out, the new legislation was not for the stated purpose of countering terrorism, but it is actually being used now to clamp down on domestic political dissent and conscientious objectors to British foreign policy. Thus, the call for ‘new laws’ was used to corrupt and bypass the very freedoms Britain claims to uphold and protect!
It is with the same suspicion that we should speak of the need for new Ijtihad in Islam. Doing Ijtihad in itself is not a problem; it is in fact a continuous obligation. However the notion of viewing Ijtihad with ‘fresh
eyes’ and the desire to hunt for ‘new’ laws, smacks of an secular mentality exported from the West (AKA ‘a Colonialised mind’) by individuals which have adopted a secular viewpoint to life and fused it with Islam using Islamic principles taken out of context. As a result Islam becomes compatible with western ideology and is restricted to being merely a religious set of beliefs and rituals with no further political impact locally or globally. This inevitably ends in the Western-desired result where Muslims integrate into artificial nationalities which sever them from considering the affairs of Muslims in other parts of the world.
For it is the one who truly possesses a victimised mentality, that holds up his hands in defeat of the western cultural assault and intellectual neo-colonialism, that now tries to reconcile Islam with western ideas and call it a ‘reformation’. Even when the west themselves admit that Islam is incompatible with their ideologies:
The Orientalist Scholar and Author of international Best-seller book “Crisis of Islam”, Barnard Lewis said about Islam and Capitalism: “They are contradictory. There is no scope for dialogue.”
“The Capitalist system is the eternal salvation for man on earth. Islam, despite its weakness and disintegration, threatens this new victorious way of life (i.e. capitalism).”- Famous American philosopher and thinker, Francis Fukuyama in his book ‘End of history’ (famous book written after the fall of Communism).
Why is it that instead of engaging the West in an ideological discussion and debate about Islam as an superior alternative to Capitalism- we see those secularist Muslims, instead, rush to fellow Muslims and present Secular liberalism (aka Capitalism) as an alternative to Ideological Islam!
“Some people think that you cannot change Islam to please the west, I think they are wrong”
-Tariq Ramadan on his documentary Channel 4 program: ‘Dispatches, ‘The Muslim Reformation’’
Now, let us contrast that to the real solution for progression in the Muslim world, the call for the enforcement of the existing Islamic laws by the re-establishment of an Islamic vehicle that carries Ijtihad from the theoretical into the practical- the Islamic state (Al Khilafah). The Khilafah is the comprehensive establishment of Tawheed (Islamic sovereignty to God) and upon that basis, the complete implementation of Islamic solutions into life, human affairs and society through its social systems and state mechanisms.
Historically, the Islamic civilisation only degenerated when it stopped the application of Islam- this happened due to the doors of Ijtihad being closed as a result of its success and complacency during its zenith eras; this caused the understanding of Islam and its implementation to degrade over time, making the Muslims weak and ripe for colonisation by the Western forces and ideas.
In the call for change, “reformation” is a dangerous word to use, since it implies reforming Islam around the current situation (Western ideals and way of life- i.e. Secularism) – rather than changing the situation around Islam and its ideals (i.e. the re-establishment of the Islamic system and way of life in the Muslim world).
The Reformation of the Catholic Church was called for by Secularists under the banner of ‘Reforming Christianity’ and ‘need for new Bible Exegesis’ (Ijtihad) – thus they took the Bible verse “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s” and re-interpreted it to ‘prove’ that Secularism did not contradict Christianity- thus they twisted the Bible to fit their ideas and politics and make them palatable to fellow Christians; much like some ‘Muslims’ are doing today. Islam doesn’t need a Reformation but rather a Revival (a term used much more often in the Islamic texts- emphasising bringing the deen back to implementation in life and its affairs).
The key to Revival, is intellectually elevating the thinking of the Muslim world upon the Islamic basis and purifying it from foreign thoughts and ideas, while striving politically for the comprehensive implementation of Islam in all areas of life (i.e. a Islamic Khilafah), such that the true beauty and enlightened manner of Islam is appreciated and put on show for all humanity. Then Islam will be able to solve the multitude of problems facing not only the Muslims, but all humanity and use modern technology under the correct context and use of Ijtihad, that would develop science and technology at a much faster rate than that encountered in the west. And in a society based upon the Islamic purpose and use of Ijtihad- the world would truly witness a vibrant, enlightened and dynamic civilisation- just like it had in the past and will do again in the future soon inshallah. The Prophet (saw) said after three phases that the Muslims will face
“…Then there will be Khilafah on the method of Prophethood. The earth and the sky will bestow their treasures.” [musnad Ahmed bin Hanbal]
For more info refer to www.bringbackjustice.com (and see: Ijtihad, Applying Islam in the 21st Century)
