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Interesting History.... [Muhammad Abduh?]
Anonymous
08/01/01 at 16:27:09
Assalaamuaialikum! I was doing some history studying in my spare time, and would like to know your opinion of a man called Muhammad Abduh (1849-1905). "It was Abduh, who was first to proclaim that it was the duty of every Muslim to go directly to the Quran and teaching of the Messenger of Allah, without the mediation of either the Salaf, or those of the Khalaf. He proclaims that the later generations are not less, but more qualified to give their decisions on religious matters." I found this statment strange as since the Prophet (saws) said: "The best generation is my generation then those that follow them, then those that follow them". So this is an indication from the Prophet (saws) that the best people to turn to in order to see Iman and Islam being practised is the first three generations. I found it also interesting that Imam Abu Hanifa was from the al-Tabiin generation (people who saw/lived with the al-Sahabah) and that Imam Hanifa had access to some of the Sahaba. Even more interesting his two top students Muhammad ibn al-Hasan and Abu Yusuf were mutjihad mutlaqs and of the tabii al-Tabiin. Imam Malik, Imam al-Shafii and Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal had access to both the al-Tabiin and Tabi al-Tabiin. Subhanallah! To think that there are people who think they have the ability to scour hundreds of thousands of hadith (not knowing which have been abborgated or the context in which they were said) and the Quran and to derive their own ruling. "Ask the people of Remembrance if you do not know".

Re: Interesting History.... [Muhammad Abduh?]
Saleema
08/01/01 at 16:56:13
[slm] What's the name of the book? [wlm] Mujahida

Re: Interesting History.... [Muhammad Abduh?]
Merimda
08/01/01 at 23:38:49
Assalamu Alaikum,' First post.. <<"It was Abduh, who was first to proclaim that it was the duty of every Muslim to go directly to the Quran and teaching of the Messenger of Allah, without the mediation of either the Salaf, or those of the Khalaf. He proclaims that the later generations are not less, but more qualified to give their decisions on religious matters." >> I think when judging Muhammad Abduh you must acknowledge the historical context in which he was living in. Muhammad Abduh was living at a time when the Ottoman empire and the rest of the Islamic world was decaying and where being subjugated by the west(particularly the British). It was at this time that the Muslims were faced with the problem of westernisation and modernity. Part of the problem was that many of the Ulama where very traditional in thought and rejected any idea of Muslim's adopting anything European.  Muhammad Abduh rejected the blind following of tradition and advocated an interpretation of Islam that would demonstrate its relevance to contemporary thought and life in the modern world. He beleived that Muslims should selectively take what is best from European civilization.  When he became Mufti of Egypt and head of Egypt's Shariah law courts he reinterpreted Islamic law in light of Modern Conditions. He was a disciple of Jamal Al din an Afghani, and Rashid Rida was Abduh's disciple. They all fought against British imperialism and sought to reform the Muslim world to effectively counter the European threat. The goal of these men where to reawaken the Islamic umma and to restore it's strength through Islamic reform so that they may overthrow European imperialism in the Muslim world. They advocated a middle ground between the traditionalist and securalists. So I beleive your comments were taken out of context. Muhammad Abduh I do not think was advocating us to abandon the way of the Salaf.. far  from it. What I think was meant was that Muslims should not blindly follow the salaf or tradition without understanding the context.  I think we today can learn a lot from men like Abdou, Afghani and Rida. Wa Allahu Alam. Salam, Meri

Re: Interesting History.... [Muhammad Abduh?]
Anonymous
08/02/01 at 00:43:39
Interesting, since Muhamamd Abduh's methods did seem to help the ummah. We are still divided as ever..... As for the book, i forgot to mention it.... its quite new, "The Broken Chain" by Aftab Ahmad Malik.  Its quite facinating and a good read. It published by Amal Press. www.amalpress.com

Re: Interesting History.... [Muhammad Abduh?]
se7en
08/02/01 at 06:25:04
Hey, I recently heard some good things about this book.  InshaAllah I'll try to find the review I read of it a few days back.

Re: Interesting History.... [Muhammad Abduh?]
se7en
08/02/01 at 06:28:25
Here's the review I read.. The Broken Chain: Reflections upon the Neglect of a Tradition by Aftab Ahmad Malik (Bristol: Amal Press, 2001), ix + 139 pp., £ 5:99 How many young Muslims have rediscovered their faith only to find themselves caught up in a sectarian whirlwind at university, college or the local mosque? We have all encountered the resultant perversions of this uninformed bickering: spiritual burnout, intellectually incoherent inclusivity, cultic superiority, the misapprehension of anger as sincerity and the rise of the amateur mujtahid. And herein lies the significance of The Broken Chain, a mature first fruit of reflection upon sectarian fitna in Britain that seeks to re-articulate the broader classical consensus. Written as a guidebook for students at university, Malik addresses the key issues of the day. He examines how we now misconstrue decontextualised "information" mediated by print, audio-visual and digital technologies as true "knowledge", even though the latter should be an unveiling of our relation with Allah at the feet of pious scholars possessing an unbroken chain going back to the Prophetic origin. The author traces this secularisation of religious learning wherein Muslims imbibed the colonial critique of tradition (read "religion" ) as fixed and outdated, and cast it aside in the name of Progress. In social terms, this meant that a new Westernised elite took upon themselves the role of the authoritative interpreters of Islam and sought to exclude the `ulama. The work crucially highlights the need to accept one's own place within a religious hierarchy (which piety demands we always see as unsure) and to recognise the signs of piety and learning among those whom Allah has favoured. Malik points out that modern egalitarianism has everything to do with an unrestrained egotism or a tyranny of mediocrity that threatens to equate Islam with dull sloganeering, while hierarchy has nothing to do with unjust elitist exploitation but rather with the Divine decree that ranks humanity in the world and in the hereafter. To illustrate this thesis, Malik discusses the traditional veneration of the Prophet (s) in Islamic piety that is now so misunderstood. A couplet from a eulogy of the Prophet (s) that closes the work encapsulates the modern dilemma: "Upon you your ashiqs (lovers) lavish great praise/To those who do not understand, they simply dismiss this as a craze." Defiant in his right to do so but conciliatory in tone, Malik outlines the tradition of Prophetic praise from Hasan ibn Thabit (the poet of the Companions) onwards. A joyful witnessing that was once so uncontested now seems drowned out by an ugly dirge of carping criticism. Yet we would do well to heed the words of the contemporary mystic al-Shaghouri, "Those who would prevent love have no action/The forbidding of love is naught but sent from the Bestower of Gifts."In reality, such criticism is a test of our sincerity. The Broken Chain is also a departure from the schizoid sectarianism that arose from the imbalances of the colonial period; we feel the welcome breeze of clarity from the learned words of the great masters of the past. Malik reminds those who bicker heedlessly that it is impermissible to object to the juristic reasoning (ijtihad) of a recognised scholarly authority and that an objection is only possible when there is a consensus (ijma`) about the prohibition or obligation of an act. And herein lies the road to sanity and the new entente. This essay is also in reality two books for two audiences. The main text (24 pages) is an impassioned and accessible oration that sets out the main argument and ends with the poem. The much longer footnotes (86 pages) are designed with the bookish and the curious in mind. Although some might find this format cumbersome, it is worthwhile persevering because the footnotes are really a series of well-referenced mini-essays on a variety of issues that are a mine of knowledge. There are historical analyses of the rise of reformist movements, the decline of the caliphate before colonialism, the impact of print on notions of sacred knowledge and the new widespread problem of tampering with classical texts. There are also learned discussions, replete with proofs and the views of the classical `ulama, on hierarchy, the celebration of the Prophet's birthday, the tradition of Prophetic eulogy, the nature of religious innovation (bid`a), and the unparalleled rank and special qualities of the Prophet (s). Writing of the dangers of print replacing person and books replacing transmission, Malik is no doubt aware of the irony of using a book to call for the relegation of print in service of the Prophetic mode of learning whereby that intangible grace is conferred in the figure of the venerable sheikh. And this is the challenge that lies ahead of us today: to revive the Sunna of transmission in an increasingly media-intensive world. This is an important, accessible and timely work that summarises the traditional scholarship that has become available to English-speaking Muslims in the last decade or so. [i]Abu Sulayman Zufar[/i]

Re: Interesting History.... [Muhammad Abduh?]
Haniff
08/03/01 at 23:14:35
Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Here is a long essay on Sheikh Muhammad Abdou, written by an Egyptian scholar and journalist. I hope this will be of benefit to the [i]anonymous guest[/i] who started this thread, and to others as well. Sheikh Muhammad Abdou If the two Arabic words, Ustath and Imam, are used together as titles referring to one person, then there is no confusion that the reference is made to Sheikh Muhammad Abdou. The first of these titles means,"teacher" and the second means, "leader." Such is the standing of Muhammad Abdou among the leading figures in highly educated circles in Egypt, particularly in the last part of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. Muhammad ibn Abdou ibn Hassan Kheirallab was bom in 1845 in a village called Hissat Shabsheer in the Gharbiyah County in Northern Egypt. He first learnt to read and write in his family home, before moving on to read the Qur'an and learn it by heart, completing this memorization of the whole Qur'an by the age of 10. He belonged to a well respected, well off farming family. His father recognized that Muhammad was endowed with sharp, native intelligence. Thus, he decided that, unlike his two other sons who worked with him on the farm, Muhammad was to pursue his learning further. He decided to send him to the mosque school in Tanta, where the young Muhammad, by now 15, spent a highly miserable period of one and a half years. He says that he learnt absolutely nothing throughout this period. This was due to the obsolete method of teaching, which meant that students only had to learn by heart terms that they could not understand. Therefore, he decided to quit. His father felt that this would be a waste of talent. He therefore got him married and, 40 days after his marriage, he sent him back to the same school, dispatching with him a strong man to ensure that he would go to the school. However, he managed to escape before reaching the school and went to a nearby village, where his father's maternal uncles lived. One of them, Sheikh Darwish, was a well-educated man who had traveled widely. He took him home and was able, with kindness and wisdom, to overcome Muhammad's seemingly total hatred of schooling.  Thus, Muhammad Abdou went back to school at the Mosque in Tanta to pursue his studies with a new spirit, showing much enthusiasm. When he completed his studies there, he moved to Al-Azhar in Cairo in 1865. Muhammad Abdou visited his uncle, Sheikh Darwish, every summer. His uncle would say to him: "Have you learnt anything of logic, arithmetic, geometry, physics?" When he returned to Cairo, he would look for a way to learn these. Apparently, Muhammad Abdou learnt from his great uncle two more lessons: the first was that he needed to be with the people in order to have any role in reforming their lives; and the second was that the door should be open to all aspects of knowledge. Then, when Jamaluddin Al-Afghani arrived in Egypt in1871, Muhammad Abdou learnt from him much, particularly in mathematics, philosophy and logic. He also encouraged people to learn from him. In 1871 Muhammad Abdou graduated from Al-Azhar and was appointed a teacher at the same university. However, this did not discourage him from further pursuit of his studies, taking three different lines: 1) The age-old traditional approach followed at Al-Azhar; 2) The method he learnt from Jamaluddin Al-Afghani who gave him insight well beyond what can be learnt from books; and 3) Acquiring modern knowledge through translations of Western books. He then learnt French and was able to read French books. He was met with great opposition in Al-Azhar because he was foremost in his advocacy of introducing modern disciplines into Al-Azhar. He continued to teach theology, logic and ethics in Al-Azhar for five years, then he was appointed a lecturer of history at Dar Al-Uloom, a college affiliated to Al-Azhar. There he taught lbn Khaldoun's Muqaddimah, the book that established sociology as a branch of study, and he was fond of analyzing history on the principles laid down by Ibn Khaldoun. Muhammad Abdou was the most prominent of Al-Afghani's disciples. He used to attend his talks at his own home or in a cafe Al-Afghani used to frequent, where he would be attended by many admirers. Abdou acquired through him a new insight with regard to the place of the Muslims in the world at large. However, Al-Afghani was soon out of favor with the Egyptian authorities and was ordered to leave the country. It was not    surprising that this also affected Abdou, who was removed from his two teaching posts and confined to his village for one year, 1876. However, he had friends in high places, and Riyadh Pasha worked hard to obtain a pardon for him. Thus, Abdou returned to Cairo in 1879 where he became editor of a paper known as Al-Waqa'I Al-Masriyah. He introduced a literary and social section in the paper, calling for reform. In this section, he criticized social faults, corruption and the obsolete methods of education followed in Egyptian schools. His work in the paper contributed greatly to the use of fine and meaningful Arabic style, away from superficial refinements which had been fashionable for long. Perhaps his main preoccupation in this period was the need to discredit and eradicate social, and religious practices that were immersed in ignorance and had no basis in the true concepts and principles of Islam. This meant a true religious revival that would remove all traces of a long period of backward ignorance. In the early 1880s, Egypt witnessed a revolution led by Ahmad Urabi, and Abdou supported it with all his might. In this he was defending Egypt's position and independence. However, the revolution failed, and its failure paved the way to Egypt being colonized by the British in 1882. Abdou was arrested and sentenced to spend 3 years in exile. He left for Beirut where he spent a year teaching Arabic and Islamic studies in a private Islamic College. However, Jamaluddin Al-Afghani invited him to join up with him again in Paris, where the two published a magazine under the name of Al-Urwah Al-Wuthqa. The name originally belonged to a secret organization dedicated to fight the European imperialists, particularly the British. Its ultimate objective was to "restore the Islamic government that would establish purity and justice on the lines of the first Caliphate, taking present conditions into account." But Britain was able to bring about the closure of the magazine after the publication of only 18 issues in 8 months. Muhammad Abdou returned to Beirut after that, having decided to leave politics altogether and dedicate all his reformist efforts to education. He felt that education was the only way to ensure progress for Muslim communities. In a discussion with his mentor, Al-Afghani, he suggested that they should both select 10 young people and devote their energies to educating them properly. "If each one of them could educate 10 more young people, we would have, in a matter of a few years, 100 young people playing a leading role in society." In Beirut, Muhammad Abdou was invited to teach in the Sultaniyah school. He moved quickly to reform its curriculum, transforming the school into a high school. There he taught theology, logic, history and Fiqh. He also had a circle in two mosques in Beirut and a weekly seminar at home devoted to literature. He wrote books on some of the subjects he taught, including one on God's oneness and another on logic. He wrote regularly in papers and magazines. Moreover, he responded to the call of the Ottoman Sultan to reform education in Islamic schools by preparing two papers with plans for reform. The first he submitted to Sheikh Al-Islam in Istanbul, the top religious authority in the Ottoman government, while the second he submitted to Beirut's governor. In this second paper Abdou describes the bad educational conditions in Syria and Lebanon, as a result of there being too many foreign schools serving different political aims. He stressed the need for the establishment of a large number of national schools and the need for reforming religious education. His friends managed to obtain a permit for him to return to Egypt, which he did, having spent six years in exile. However, the Khedive did not allow him to return to education. He appointed him a judge, first in Banha, then in Zaqaziq and finally in Abidin in Cairo. However, Abdou was unhappy with this arrangement, saying: "I am not made to be judge. I am only fit to be a teacher." Lord Cromer, the strong man who represented Britain in Egypt, once said to Sheikh Muhammad Abdou: "If you would only remove your turban and wear western clothes, you could be Egypt's prime minister." At that time, Cromer could easily remove one prime minister and appoint another. Abdou replied: "I have been born a teacher and want to die as a teacher." This was Muhammad Abdou's own sum up of his career and purpose. How true it was. On his return from exile, he prepared a report outlining a plan to reform education in Egypt. During the years he spent as a judge, he supplemented his legal education and improved his French. He was then able to translate from French into Arabic a book on education written by the British scholar H. Spencer, whom he had met on a visit to London. Abdou was destined to resume his mission of reforming education. When Khedive Abbas II succeeded to the top seat of government in Egypt, he was keen to cooperate with all those advocating reform in the country. Thus, a close relationship was established between him and Abdou. The latter suggested to him that efforts should be concentrated on three areas where the British could not interfere. These were Al-Azhar, Religious Endowments and Islamic Courts. The Khedive approved a comprehensive report written by Abdou on reforming Al-Azhar, appointing in 1895 a new board of directors with Abdou as a member. Despite strong opposition from within, he managed to introduce reforms in the curricula, incorporating some modern disciplines. His relations with the Khedive were not always rosy. In fact the Khedive feared that if Abdou were to be given much authority, his reforms would be too far-reaching. Hence, he did not assign to him the post of Rector of Al-Azhar, which fell vacant more than once. This was the top religious post in Egypt, and had Abdou been given it, he would have had the chance to introduce his own program to reform that historic establishment for the betterment of Muslims in Egypt and throughout the Islamic world. But this was not to be. Abdon was given the post of Mufti, but then some of his critics were very hostile, particularly when they realized that the Khedive was in support. This led Abdou to resign his post as Mufti, shortly before his death in 1905. Abdou sums up his career as a reformist, saying: "I speak out advocating two great matters: the first is liberating the minds from the shackles of blind following so that people would understand religion like the early generations did, before the emergence of divergent views. This means that they should receive their understanding of Islam from its main sources. Thus, religion becomes one of the criteria guiding the human mind and preventing its errors. In this way, religion will be seen as a friend of science, providing motivation to took into the universe and discover its secrets, taking full cognizance of proven facts. The second is reforming the style of written Arabic, whether in official documents or in private letters." A major contribution of Muhammad Abdou to Islamic knowledge is his commentary on the Qur'an. This was mainly given in his lectures in two mosques in Beirut, one mosque in the city of Cairo and in Al-Azhar, as well as in the schools run by the Islamic Charitable Association which he supervised. His work in this area was collected and edited, and then supplemented by his close disciple, friend and associate Sheikh Rasheed Redha in their major work, Tafseer Al-Manar. We need to mention here that Abdou and Redha were the leaders of what is known as the Rationalist school in religious thinking. This approach relies on reason in accepting or rejecting certain ways of understanding religious text. While there is nothing in Islam that cannot be understood rationally, there are matters the nature of which we cannot fathom, because they do not belong to our world, or what is familiar to us. For example, Abdou interprets the destruction of the Abyssinian army that tried to destroy the Kaabah before the advent of Islam as being accomplished by an infection of smallpox. This is a very narrow and unnecessary view of the event. As we have seen, the mission to which Abdou dedicated much of his life was a reform of education, particularly in Al-Azhar, the oldest university in the world. He felt that Al-Azhar must be turned into "a university, in the full sense of the word, where students receive sound education preparing them to contribute to the welfare of their community. Thus, Egypt and the world of Islam will have from among them fair judges, dedicated teachers, specialized scientists, proper educators who work diligently to promote sound Islamic principles and values among the Muslim community, leaving no room for superstition or deviant views." He felt that reform of Al-Azhar would render a great service to the Muslim world as a whole, as it would ensure that its graduates acquired a sound understanding of Islam, its principles and values. His main tool of reform was a good understanding of the Qur'an, outlining the Qur'anic method of bringing out the best in man and molding the community in a well-knit unit. Muhammad Abdou also contributed to the publication of some of the more important works of the Islamic heritage. He formed a society dedicated to this task, which managed to obtain many manuscripts from different countries. It then published a number of works, such as Al-Mukhassas, an old Arabic dictionary devoted to semantics, and two books on the literary aspects of the Qur'anic style by Abdul-Qahir Al-Jorjani. Although Muhammad Abdou was a religious and social reformer, he had a contribution to make in political reform. He was certainly no politician, and his approach, based on careful study and gradual action, was not suitable to swift moving political activity. While he advocated political freedom, he preferred that this should be achieved gradually, with a reform first of municipal councils. When the people had a chance to get used to such free institutions, the process would move on to include a parliament. If we are to sum up Abdou's political views, we would say that he belonged to a conservative trend, advocating a series of measures that ensure, eventually, a thorough reform of the political scene and victory over the colonial power. These include reforming education and making it available to all young people. It is important that education should also teach people their rights and duties. Secondly, the press must be used as a powerful tool in combating corruption and enhancing national awareness. Thirdly, there should be a committed approach to the implementation of reform by the government. Finally, there must be a gradual and steady progress toward representative government, starting with municipal councils paving the way for the people to learn how to conduct constructive and free dialogue. When this has become a reality and people get used to this sort of debate, a parliament can play its full role. This will ensure government accountability. There is no doubt that Muhammad Abdou was highly influential in Egyptian and Islamic society during his lifetime and for a long period after his death. Many social, religious and political reformers benefited by his guidance. Many were among his students and friends who were influenced by his work. May God bless his soul. [i]By Adil Salahi - Arab News - 09 & 16 April 2001[/i] Wassalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Haniff (with 2 f's)

Re: Interesting History.... [Muhammad Abduh?]
Merimda
08/10/01 at 23:53:53
JAK for that article it was real informative. I'm saving it insha-Allah.
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