Abstract
The modernist impact on Muslim societies is attributable both to an indigenous process of reformation based on internal dynamics and as a direct outcome of the infiltration of Western ideas during the colonial period of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Muslim response to the cultural and intellectual hegemony of the West was manifested in diverse ways ranging from complete rejection of Western ideas by religious scholars to their complete acceptance. There were calls for renewal and reform of Muslim societies in response to this new and emerging challenge. Various movements were initiated to counter this new challenge which was perceived as a threat as well. However, the major response was the rise of Islamic modernist movement which led to stimulating intellectual discourses to reform Muslim societies. In contrast to eighteenth century revivalist movements, Islamic modernism wished to reformulate its Islamic heritage in response to the political and scientific challenges posed by the West. It provided an Islamic justification for accepting modern ideas and institutions, whether scientific, technological or political. These developments generated a new worldview, which sought expression in hostility to imperialism and love for nationalism, and also produced an urge to modify Islamic tradition in a manner that it could effectively operate in the newly emergent areas of public policy. Islamic Modernism presented a variety of thought from being apologetic to strong critiques of Western culture and values also included strong criticism of fellow Muslim scholars for not understanding the élan of the Qur‟an and also for not undertaking ijtihad. Almost all modernists were unanimous in their calls for conducting Ijtihad. Another important element of the modernist response was the emergence of Muslim feminist critics who were skeptical of patriarchal exegesis of Qur‟an and Hadith. The rejection of these modernist ideas can be traced in the writings of influential fundamentalists like Syed Qutb. This paper aims to present a critical analysis of the Muslim response to Modernity while focusing on different aspects of the modernist discourse.
Keyword(s)
Islamic Modernism, Ijtihad, Apologetic rationalism, Islamic Feminism, Extremism