Book & Author
Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani: Islam and Modernism
By Dr Ahmed S. Khan
Chicago, IL
“The anti-religious modernism which now threatens Islam and Muslims everywhere can be fully understood only by understanding the religion of the civilization in whose bosom modernism first developed, against which it rebelled, and whose tenets it has been challenging through constant battle since the birth of the modern world in the Renaissance.”
― Seyyed Hossein Nasr ( A Young Muslim's Guide to the Modern World )
During the past two centuries evolution of new knowledge has led scholars to coin new terms like modernism and post-modernism to establish new epistemological foundations viz a viz Science, Philosophy and Religion. Reflecting on Modernism, prominent scholar Seyyed Hossein Nasr, in an interview (published in book form titled Dar Justajooe Amre Qudsi (In Search of the Sacred) observes: “ Modernism, philosophically speaking, is in a sense the ‘worship’ of time and the transient, a kind of deification of time and becoming and all that flows in the temporal order. That is why it resulted quickly in historicism and evolutionism and the theories all of those 19th-century philosophers such as Hegel and Marx and scientists such as Darwin…”
Seyyed Nasr further notes: “Modernism does not mean simply change and newness; it is a particular way of looking at the world, a particular philosophy based on the rejection of the theocentric view of reality — that is, removing God from the center of reality and putting man in His place. In a sense, it is a substitution of the kingdom of man for the Kingdom of God, therefore paying special attention to the individual and individualism and to the different powers of the individual human being such as reason and the senses. Therefore, its method of cognition, its epistemology, is based essentially upon either rationalism or empiricism, and it makes human values, the values of terrestrial man, the supreme set of values and the criteria for all things.”
Islam and Modernism (2002) by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, is a collection of articles — earlier published in journal Al-Balagh — that address the Islamic perspectives on the issue of Modernism. The book consists of eleven articles covering an array of topics: 1. Islam and modernity, 2. Islam and industrial revolution, 3. The demands of time, 4. Research or distortion, 5. New interpretation of Islam, 6. Scholars of Islam and papacy, 7. Science and Islam, 8. The Conqueror of Space, 9. Islam and conquer of the universe, 10. Ijtihad, and 11. Aggressive and defensive jihad. The book has been translated into English by Dr. Mohammed Swaleh Siddiqui, and revised and edited by Mohammad Wali Raazi.
Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (b. October 5, 1943), a prominent Islamic scholar and former Judge, has authored more than 140 books in Urdu, English and Arabic, which include a translation of the Qur'an in English and Urdu, a six-volume commentary on the Sahih Muslim in Arabic, Takmilat Fath al-Mulhim and Uloomu-l-Qur'an. He is an expert par excellence in the fields of Islamic law, Economics and Hadith, and serves as a professor at Darul Uloom, Karachi. He chairs the Shariah Board of the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), Bahrain. He is also a permanent member of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy , Jeddah, an organ of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) . He has served as a Judge on the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (198-2002), and on the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan (1981-1982).
Commenting on modernity, the author observes: “Search for ‘Modernity’ by itself is a commendable desire and a natural urge of humankind. If this urge was not there, man would not have reached from stone-age to atomic era, could not have gained access to aeroplanes and spacecrafts from camels and bullock carts nor would have progressed to electric bulbs and searchlights from wax candles and earthen lamps. All these material advancements and scientific achievements, which have put nooses on the planets and conducted their buckets to the bottom of sea, are in fact an importunate effect of man's inherent trait that he is a ‘modernist’ and avaricious of ‘better to best’ achievements. Hence Islam, being a natural religion, is not opposed to modernism as far as it implies to be modern in simple sense of the word. Very often it has been appreciated and given due encouragement.”
Discussing the Islamic perspective on modernity, the author states: “Islam has not objected to any modern advancement just because it is recent and modern. Rather, it has encouraged modernity for rightful purposes and within rightful limits. However, in its own sphere it remains a reality that whereas modernity has elevated man's material status to great heights, given him newer inventions and provided him with better means of comfort and ease in life, it has, at the same time, caused man to suffer from many depravities and led him to many disastrous ends. It is due to the same modernity that human history is full of Pharaohs and Shiddads who were not contented with any limit of power and authority…In fact, there are very few matters which Islamic Law has explicitly defined as Obligatory, Incumbent, Traditional, Desirable, Forbidden and Detestable, and are unalterable. On the contrary, most of the affairs of life fall under the category of ‘permissible’ and decisions about their adoption or rejection can be made according to requirements. We can see that the field of activity with regard to modernism as provided by Islam is very vast in which one can live a modern life without deviating from the way of Allah in the least. In them the man may apply his intellectual abilities and may achieve enormous heights of knowledge and discoveries as well as Science and Technology, and make them more and more useful for mankind.”
Expounding on the major challenge the Islamic world faces today, the author notes: “The greatest challenge for the Islamic world today is to recognize these limits of ‘Modernity’, without interfering the confined limits of unalterable injunctions of Islam. Unfortunately, the present attitude of Islamic world is in clear contrast to it. Our scholars have been markedly slow in the spheres which demanded their active efforts, while they are actively busy modernizing the unalterable Commandments of Allah with the consequence that Muslims are deprived of the amenities and comforts that modern time has provided to humanity and the evils of modernism are at liberty to prevail in our society with no check from our side. May Almighty Allah give us the ability and courage to fulfil our obligations to modern times while safeguarding our ideological heritage.”
Referring to principles of Islam viz a viz changing times, the author observes: “The principles and laws of Islam would always suffice for all times to come. But it is a pity that a group of people in Islamic world known as ‘Modernists’ have been unable to get at this reality. That is why, in taking their lead from other religions, they have started a campaign of alterations and innovations.”
Commenting on the demands of changing times and new scientific developments, the author states: “…we should acquire science and technology with deep insight and open mind in a manner that Islamic values are not injured…No doubt many injunctions of Islam are flexible enough to accept changes in varying circumstances. But there are certain prescribed rules which must be observed when applying these to new problems. It does not mean that every Islamic injunction can be dissolved in the ready-made mixture of modern necessities. It may be understood that the Islamic injunctions prescribed by the Qur'an, the Sunnah and by the consensus of the Ummah are fixed and unalterable. They cannot be changed in any period. However, in matters, which can be influenced by changes of time, the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah have provided us with some basic principles without giving specific commandment for a specific condition. These principles can be used as a basis for the deductions of new injunctions.”
Referring to the contradictory and distorted scholarship pursued by the Institute of Islamic Research, the author observes: “It was obligatory for the Islamic researchers of our time to acquire and explore the guideline of Islam provide about the problems being faced with the mankind in twentieth century. How can it be put into practice? How can the practical difficulties in this way be removed? It was their duty to have surveyed the Western civilization with a view of research and criticism rather than counterfeiting them. They should have discarded the things that clashed with the laws of Islam, and should have suggested alternate ways which conformed to Islamic laws and at the same time fulfilled the legitimate needs of time. But the line of action of research of the Institute of Islamic Research is quite in contradiction to this…the Institute of Islamic Research and its co-workers are basically wrong in their very mode of thinking. As a result of it they have not only been unable to do any service to the country and the nation but in fact created disruption, uneasiness, confusion and anxiety throughout the country.”
Discussing the role and duty of a researcher, the author notes: “The duty of a research worker is not to collect arguments for a predetermined idea but to determine an idea in the light of arguments. He does not drag the arguments towards his judgment, but the arguments drive him towards a judgement. But the process of working of our modernists is quite the opposite. They believe that arguments are to serve a decision rather than the decision being dependent on arguments. This is what they think is the correct method of research and this is what they teach as a methodology of research. They commonly make suggestions in their oral and written statements that: ‘We want to interpret the Qur'an and the Sunnah in a manner that it conforms to the needs of our time’. It is a clear admission to the fact that they want to bring the Qur'an and Sunnah to reconcile with their decisions and not make their decisions to correspond with the Qur’an and the Sunnah.”
Expounding on the process of deducing new injunctions in light of new demands of time, the author states: “Who should be competent to interpret and explain the Qur'an and Sunnah (Prophetic traditions) and to deduce various injunctions for problems arising in new circumstances. What are the conditions and requirements necessary for this job? We find the answers to these questions in an authentic Tradition reported by Hazrat Ali [RA] in which he said: ‘I said, O messenger of Allah! If we are confronted with a problem which has not been described in the Qur'an and Prophetic traditions, with no injunctions in favor or against it, what am I to do in such a situation?’ He [PBUH] said: ‘Take advice of the jurists and faithful worshippers and do not employ your individual opinion’. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) has explicitly stated in this narration that two conditions must be fulfilled by a person who wants to deduce laws and injunctions from the Qur'an and Prophetic traditions. Firstly, he must be a jurist and secondly, he must be a devotee to worship. The importance of the first condition is obvious because objectives of the Qur'an and traditions can be well conceived only by those who possess vast and deep knowledge, who are fully aware of the rules laid down by the earlier jurists and who have spent their lives in understanding the intentions of divine laws …”
Discussing the requirements for conducting Ijtehad the author observes: “Some people think that ‘ljtehad’ allows taking decision through personal opinion in religious matters. That must be fully understood that this practice has never been regarded as ‘Ijtehad’ in Islam. The one who considers it as ‘Ijtehad’ has in fact fallen into great error. The door of ‘Ijtehad’ had been opened by the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Hadith reported by Ma’az bin Jabal has made it clear. The Prophet [PBUH] asked Ma'az ‘How will you decide on a thing not found in the Book of Allah?’ He replied, ‘I will follow the Prophetic traditions (Sunnah).’ The Prophet [PBUH] then asked, ‘What would you do if you find nothing in the Sunnah?’ He replied, ‘I will do ‘Ijtehad’ with my personal opinion.’ It is quite apparent from this Hadith that there is no room for ‘Ijtehad’ in matters explicated by the Qur'an and the Sunnah. If someone attempts Ijtehad in such matters it will not be called ‘Ijtehad’ but fabrication or distortion. If ‘Ijtehad’ could be permitted in matters where explicit injunctions from the Qur'an and Hadith are present, there was no need for the advent of Prophets and Messengers. The purpose of Wahy (Divine Revelation) was that the right way be shown to people through Wahy in matters, where man cannot make correct decisions through his intellect. Had it been an open field for everyone to do as he or she thinks proper there was no need to follow the Qur'an or Prophetic tradition…”
Addressing the opinions of some scholars who say that the door of the Ijtehad has been closed for ages, the author states: “This is sheer propaganda that the door of Ijtehad is closed. Nobody has ever closed it. This door has been opened by the Holy Prophet [PBUH] and shall remain open till the Last Day, and as long as this Ijtehad remains in capable hands nobody can close it. This is the type of Ijtehad that is needed in the present time. Countless problems have come up before us about whom we find no explicit injunctions or there are practical difficulties in their implementations. The door of Ijtehad is open for solving these problems."
Islam and Modernism is an important book. Mufti Muhammed Taqi Usmani has eloquently presented various issues and challenges related to modern times and outlined processes for finding their solutions in light of Qur’an and Sunnah. It is a must read for students of Religion, Philosophy and Islamic law.
(Dr Ahmed S. Khan ( dr.a.s.khan@ieee.org ) is Fulbright Specialist Scholar -2017-2022)
