مجلة المواقف
Volume 6, Numéro 1, Pages 19-32
2011-12-31

Intellectual Interaction And Malaysian Dakwah Activism

Authors : Amini Amir Abdullah .

Abstract

The ideas of Muhammad bin 'Abd al-Wahhab, Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, Muhammad 'Abduh and Muhammad Rashid Rida made a great impact on the Muslim world especially in the late nineteenth century and the middle of the 20th century. They played a major role as Islamic reformists whose understanding of the al-Qur'an and al-Sunnah could be conceived of as post-taqlid renewal. The writing of these reformists constituted a critique of the taqlid tradition. Their influence on the Islamic world can hardly be underestimated as has often been documented in biographical and other studies. The reformists have constantly argued for a return to the al-Qur'an and al-Sunnah as the principal spiritual source of guidance. Except for Muhammad bin 'Abd al-Wahhab, the three other reformists emphasized the temporal aspect of human development; a result of their exposure to developments in the western world. Their thinking appears to reflect an intellectual reaction to contemporary issues both temporal and spiritual. Both Muhammad 'Abduh and Jamal al-Din al-Afghani exhibit a certain attitude towards problems arising out of the meeting with both Islamic and Western culture and behavioral modes. Nevertheless, both have appeared to have inevitably acculturated western ideas of progress, science and philosophy.

Keywords

Muslim world; Islamic reformists; Post-taqlid renewal; Critique; Dawah