Mapping Neo-Modern and Postmodern Qur’ānic Reformist Discourse in the Intellectual Legacy of Fazlur Rahman and Mohammed Arkoun
Renewal and Reform have been the most discussed and dominant themes of Muslim intelligentsia, as they lived through the subjection of the greater part of the Muslim world by the Western colonial powers during the 18th and 19th centuries. The intellectual discourse on reform by the early Muslim refor...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/5/595 |
| _version_ | 1797598554144899072 |
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| author | Humaira Ahmad |
| author_facet | Humaira Ahmad |
| author_sort | Humaira Ahmad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Renewal and Reform have been the most discussed and dominant themes of Muslim intelligentsia, as they lived through the subjection of the greater part of the Muslim world by the Western colonial powers during the 18th and 19th centuries. The intellectual discourse on reform by the early Muslim reformers pivoted to the adoption of Western science and values and to the struggle of developing a new <i>ilm al kalām</i> (theology) complementary to modern science and western ideologies. The subsequent reformers, however, were more critical of Western ideas of civilization. Fazlur Rahman and Mohammed Arkoun belonged to the later wave of Muslim reformist movement of the 20th century and are the most well-known trail blazers of this reformist discourse, which centered on the Qur’ān. This article provides insight into the reform strategies of Dr. Fazlur Rahman and Mohammed Arkoun by mapping out key concepts in their discourses and their influence on later generations of reformers. Fazlur Rahman identified the stagnant intellectual legacy as the sole cause of the downfall of Muslim Civilization, caused by the absence of <i>Ijtihād</i> (independent legal reasoning). In his opinion, blind imitation based on precedence and consensus has only created a new hierarchy of traditional <i>ulama</i> (religious scholar) whose retrogressive mindset monopolized the interpretation of the Qur’ān. Making the Qur’ān as the center point for reform, he advocated its rereading based on the comprehension of the <i>élan</i> (spirit) of the Qur’ān. Similarly, Mohammed Arkoun, being trained in postmodern literary theory, adopted post structural methods for re-reading the Qur’ānic text. Arkoun’s critique and approach is interwoven with complex terminologies. He advocated desacralizing the text and the radical rethinking of Islam as a cultural and religious system. This appraisal promotes a philosophical perspective in combination with an anthropological and historical approach. Both these reformers have their own set of advocates and detractors. Undeniably, however, as this paper argues, Arkoun’s approach of understanding the Qur’ān can disturb the conventional prevalent belief system. |
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| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:22:49Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-c9f2830a46d94016872424cb99db19ba2023-11-18T03:04:26ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442023-05-0114559510.3390/rel14050595Mapping Neo-Modern and Postmodern Qur’ānic Reformist Discourse in the Intellectual Legacy of Fazlur Rahman and Mohammed ArkounHumaira Ahmad0Department of Islamic Thought and Civilization, School of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), University of Management and Technology, Lahore 54770, Punjab, PakistanRenewal and Reform have been the most discussed and dominant themes of Muslim intelligentsia, as they lived through the subjection of the greater part of the Muslim world by the Western colonial powers during the 18th and 19th centuries. The intellectual discourse on reform by the early Muslim reformers pivoted to the adoption of Western science and values and to the struggle of developing a new <i>ilm al kalām</i> (theology) complementary to modern science and western ideologies. The subsequent reformers, however, were more critical of Western ideas of civilization. Fazlur Rahman and Mohammed Arkoun belonged to the later wave of Muslim reformist movement of the 20th century and are the most well-known trail blazers of this reformist discourse, which centered on the Qur’ān. This article provides insight into the reform strategies of Dr. Fazlur Rahman and Mohammed Arkoun by mapping out key concepts in their discourses and their influence on later generations of reformers. Fazlur Rahman identified the stagnant intellectual legacy as the sole cause of the downfall of Muslim Civilization, caused by the absence of <i>Ijtihād</i> (independent legal reasoning). In his opinion, blind imitation based on precedence and consensus has only created a new hierarchy of traditional <i>ulama</i> (religious scholar) whose retrogressive mindset monopolized the interpretation of the Qur’ān. Making the Qur’ān as the center point for reform, he advocated its rereading based on the comprehension of the <i>élan</i> (spirit) of the Qur’ān. Similarly, Mohammed Arkoun, being trained in postmodern literary theory, adopted post structural methods for re-reading the Qur’ānic text. Arkoun’s critique and approach is interwoven with complex terminologies. He advocated desacralizing the text and the radical rethinking of Islam as a cultural and religious system. This appraisal promotes a philosophical perspective in combination with an anthropological and historical approach. Both these reformers have their own set of advocates and detractors. Undeniably, however, as this paper argues, Arkoun’s approach of understanding the Qur’ān can disturb the conventional prevalent belief system.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/5/595Fazlur RahmanReformismArkounRenewalCritique of Modernitypostmodern |
| spellingShingle | Humaira Ahmad Mapping Neo-Modern and Postmodern Qur’ānic Reformist Discourse in the Intellectual Legacy of Fazlur Rahman and Mohammed Arkoun Religions Fazlur Rahman Reformism Arkoun Renewal Critique of Modernity postmodern |
| title | Mapping Neo-Modern and Postmodern Qur’ānic Reformist Discourse in the Intellectual Legacy of Fazlur Rahman and Mohammed Arkoun |
| title_full | Mapping Neo-Modern and Postmodern Qur’ānic Reformist Discourse in the Intellectual Legacy of Fazlur Rahman and Mohammed Arkoun |
| title_fullStr | Mapping Neo-Modern and Postmodern Qur’ānic Reformist Discourse in the Intellectual Legacy of Fazlur Rahman and Mohammed Arkoun |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mapping Neo-Modern and Postmodern Qur’ānic Reformist Discourse in the Intellectual Legacy of Fazlur Rahman and Mohammed Arkoun |
| title_short | Mapping Neo-Modern and Postmodern Qur’ānic Reformist Discourse in the Intellectual Legacy of Fazlur Rahman and Mohammed Arkoun |
| title_sort | mapping neo modern and postmodern qur anic reformist discourse in the intellectual legacy of fazlur rahman and mohammed arkoun |
| topic | Fazlur Rahman Reformism Arkoun Renewal Critique of Modernity postmodern |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/5/595 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT humairaahmad mappingneomodernandpostmodernquranicreformistdiscourseintheintellectuallegacyoffazlurrahmanandmohammedarkoun |