What is the Liberal Islam? The end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century marked a hectic time period in world history. Europe was the cultural capital of the world, and ideologies such as nationalism and secularism were driving scientific evolution and social norms. However, the Muslim community at this time was experiencing an identity crisis, and was a civilization in transition. The once great Ottoman Empire was crumbling from internal and external pressure, Egypt experienced a brief stint of independence under Muhammad Ali before falling under colonial rule, and the Arab community was divided and lacked any sort of leadership from the Ulama. As a result, a new European educated group of Muslim scholars introduced a liberal mindset
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He believed that Egypt was the center of Arabic culture and that Egyptians should work to spread the modern sciences through the Arabic language by circulating books and periodicals, the loan of teachers, the good reception of Arab students in Egypt, and the establishment of more effective primary and secondary schools (Hourani 335). Husyan goes on to explain that the first purpose of education is culture and science; but it also plays a vital role in teaching civic duties and conditions in which democratic government can exist (Hourani 336). Husyan believes the history of Islam should be taught not as a national religion, but as a cultural and historical aspect of Egyptian culture. Husyan is essentially promoting the separation of church and state within education, which is extremely revolutionary. Husyan and the Young Turks understand that as the world evolves and modernizes the teachings of Islam must as well to stay relevant. Therefore, liberal Islam allowed scholars to justify the transformation out of date …show more content…
The word liberal means that one is open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values (). This is essentially what Muslim scholars were attempting to do. Muslim liberal scholars were purposing new interpretations on Islamic texts, so that the same all traditions could be reinvented and relevant in the modern era. Muhammad Abduh is considered to be one of the greatest Muslim thinkers. He is also one of the first Muslim scholar to reinterpret Muslim texts for his own personal philosophy. As a result, once the traditional interpretation of Islam was abandoned, and the way to open private judgment, it was difficult if not impossible to say what was in accordance with Islam and what was not (Hourani 144). Abduh set the standard of reinterpretation of Islamic texts, which led to hundreds of liberal scholars following the standard Abduh’s example. All of these liberal scholars were connected by the need for Islam to modernize by adopting European institutions, such as a constitutional monarchy, and justifying their beliefs through their own interpretation of Islamic texts. Other than Abduh, very few of these new liberal scholars were educated in Islamic law, which only further cemented the idea of adopting European
He believed that Egypt was the center of Arabic culture and that Egyptians should work to spread the modern sciences through the Arabic language by circulating books and periodicals, the loan of teachers, the good reception of Arab students in Egypt, and the establishment of more effective primary and secondary schools (Hourani 335). Husyan goes on to explain that the first purpose of education is culture and science; but it also plays a vital role in teaching civic duties and conditions in which democratic government can exist (Hourani 336). Husyan believes the history of Islam should be taught not as a national religion, but as a cultural and historical aspect of Egyptian culture. Husyan is essentially promoting the separation of church and state within education, which is extremely revolutionary. Husyan and the Young Turks understand that as the world evolves and modernizes the teachings of Islam must as well to stay relevant. Therefore, liberal Islam allowed scholars to justify the transformation out of date …show more content…
The word liberal means that one is open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values (). This is essentially what Muslim scholars were attempting to do. Muslim liberal scholars were purposing new interpretations on Islamic texts, so that the same all traditions could be reinvented and relevant in the modern era. Muhammad Abduh is considered to be one of the greatest Muslim thinkers. He is also one of the first Muslim scholar to reinterpret Muslim texts for his own personal philosophy. As a result, once the traditional interpretation of Islam was abandoned, and the way to open private judgment, it was difficult if not impossible to say what was in accordance with Islam and what was not (Hourani 144). Abduh set the standard of reinterpretation of Islamic texts, which led to hundreds of liberal scholars following the standard Abduh’s example. All of these liberal scholars were connected by the need for Islam to modernize by adopting European institutions, such as a constitutional monarchy, and justifying their beliefs through their own interpretation of Islamic texts. Other than Abduh, very few of these new liberal scholars were educated in Islamic law, which only further cemented the idea of adopting European