The Religions Book

288

B

y the end of the 18th century,
the world’s great Muslim
powers were in decline.
The Ottoman and Mughal empires
had lost political influence, and
Western powers were colonizing
the predominantly Muslim areas
of northern Africa and parts of
Asia—French North Africa, British
India and the Middle East, and
Dutch Indonesia. Some Muslims
welcomed the changes and
modernizations that came with
the Western presence. For others,
however, the influence of the West
forced them to consider the place

that science and technology,

Western politics and economics,

and even fashion had in their lives.

Some wished simply to protect

Islam against the secularization

that came with modernization;

others were more militant and

anti-Western, seeking to overthrow

imperialist governments; others

still were prepared to accept a

degree of Western influence, but

sought clear dictinctions between

what was Islamic and un-Islamic.

Out of this context emerged a

number of very influential Islamic

thinkers and reformers. Although

each had their own contexts and

emphases, they were all aware of

the weakness of the global Islamic

community at the time, and felt

that Muslims straying from Islam

under Western influence were

responsible. As a result, they sought

to revive the role of Islam as the

dominant influence in their societies.

Many Muslim revivalists felt

that the best way forward was to

restore Islam by not only shedding

the influence of the West, but by

emphasizing the superiority of

Islam as well. To do this, they

argued for the central role of jihad

THE RISE OF ISLAMIC REVIVALISM

IN CONTEXT

KEY FIGURE

Sayyid Qutb

WHEN AND WHERE

20th century, Egypt

BEFORE

1839–97 Activist and writer

Jamal al-Din al-Afghani

criticizes the colonial presence

in Islamic countries.

1849–1905 Egyptian

scholar, jurist, and reformer

Muhammad ‘Abduh decries

Western influence.

1882 British forces occupy

Egypt. The British presence

and influence grow with time.

AFTER

1903–79 Abul A’la Mawdudi,

a revivalist thinker, becomes

one of the most widely read

Muslim writers.

1951 Ayman al-Zawahiri, a

friend of Sayyid Qutb, plays

a major role in the militant

group al-Qaeda.

Islam grows weak

under the influence of

Western powers and

ideas.

Muslim countries

and communities

must be governed

well, according to

Islamic principles.

Such governance will

guide Muslims back

to the message of

the Qur’an.

Islam must be strong to

offer itself as the best

system of living for

the world.

We must return to the

example of Muhammad

and the Qur’an to

regain Islam’s

purity.

Islam must shed

the influence of

the West.