Mawdudi and the Making of Islamic Revivalism

by Vali Nasr

Nasr examines the life and thought of Mawlana Mawdudi, one of the first and most important Islamic ideological thinkers. Mawdudi was the first to develop a modern political Islamic ideology, and a plan for social action to realize his vision. The prolific writings and indefatigable efforts of Mawdudi's party, the Jamaat-i-Islami, first in India and later in Pakistan, have disseminated his ideas far and wide. His views have informed revivalism from Morocco to Malaysia.

Nasr discerns the events that led Mawdudi to a revivalist perspective, and probes the structure of his thought, in order to gain fresh insights into the origins of Islamic revivalism. He argues that Islamic revivalism did not simply develop as a cultural rejection of the West, rather it was closely tied to questions of communal politics and its impact on identity formation, discourse of power in plural societies, and nationalism. Mawdudi's discourse, though aimed at the West, was motivated by Muslim-Hindu competition for power in British India. His aim, according to Nasr, was to put forth a view of Islam whose invigorated, pristine, and uncompromising outlook would galvanize Muslims into an ideologically uniform and hence politically indivisible community. In time, this view developed a life of its own and evolved into an all-encompassing perspective on society and politics, and has been a notable force in South Asia and Muslim life and thought across the Muslim world.

Genres: Religion, Islam, Pakistan, Politics, History, Biography, Nonfiction

232 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Son of renowned Iranian academic Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Vali Nasr was born in Tehran in 1960, went to school in England at age 16, and immigrated to the U.S. after the 1979 Revolution. He received his BA from Tufts University in International Relations summa cum laude. He earned his masters in International Economics and Middle East Studies from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1984, then went on to earn his PhD in Political Science from MIT in 1991.

Reviews

[Syed Nouman Hasany · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times, it felt like the author tried to impose some conclusions of his own, but overall this was very well researched.

[Ali Anwaar · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The real relation between al-Fatihah (the first chapter of the Qur'an) and the rest of the Qur'an is not that of an introduction to a book but that of a prayer and its answer. The Qur'an,was not merely to be recited, pondered, or investigated for hidden truths; it was rather to be read at face value and implemented. As an answer to mankind's prayers, the Qur'an would solve social maladies."

Abul A'la Maududi is regarded as one of the most important modern Islamic ideological thinkers, philosophers and jurists. As a writer of over 73 books and virtually the creator of a whole sect, his works not only shaped South Asia but also bear their marks across a large number of Muslim nations. It can easily be concluded that Maududi is to "Political Islam" what Karl Marx is to "Communism".

Nasr gives us a rare insight into the life of the great revivalist, showing how Maududi's ideas took shape in the unconventional circumstances of communalism in pre-partition India and the secular governments of Pakistan. Written in a progressive manner, this book isn't just a biography but goes on to explain the origin of Maududi's perspectives on Islam, society and politics.

"The Paradise us not reward for mere profession of the bargain (covenant with God), it is the reward for the faithful execution of it."

For anyone who wishes to read into the deeper aspects of Maulana Abul A'la Maududi's personality and his ideology, this book is a most recommended read.

[Khalid Mahbub]

The man behind the mythology of one of India's most influential de-colonizing statesman and scholar. His theoretical work has helped shape South Asia, and continue to inspire and influence millions still. Maududi was a man of his age, and Nasr helps to visulaize the confluence of realities that shaped him as a man; and concomitantly to invite his readers to consider Mauadudi's theories and real-politik in light of the post-colonial communalist paradigm . The writer has taken care to treat his weaknesses with compassion and understanding, and invites the reader to relate to Maududi as a man rather than a myth. I believe this study will serve as a spring-board for future theologians to build upon the foundations Maududi has created for South Asian Muslims.