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اسلام و مدرنیته: تحول یک سنت فکری
"As Professor Fazlur Rahman shows in the latest of a series of important contributions to Islamic intellectual history, the characteristic problems of the Muslim modernists—the adaptation to the needs of the contemporary situation of a holy book which draws its specific examples from the conditions of the seventh century and earlier—are by no means new. . . . In Professor Rahman's view the intellectual and therefore the social development of Islam has been impeded and distorted by two interrelated errors. The first was committed by those who, in reading the Koran, failed to recognize the differences between general principles and specific responses to 'concrete and particular historical situations.' . . . This very rigidity gave rise to the second major error, that of the secularists. By teaching and interpreting the Koran in such a way as to admit of no change or development, the dogmatists had created a situation in which Muslim societies, faced with the imperative need to educate their people for life in the modern world, were forced to make a painful and self-defeating choice—either to abandon Koranic Islam, or to turn their backs on the modern world."—Bernard Lewis, New York Review of Books
"In this work, Professor Fazlur Rahman presents a positively ambitious blueprint for the transformation of the intellectual tradition of Islam: theology, ethics, philosophy and jurisprudence. Over the voices advocating a return to Islam or the reestablishment of the Sharia, the guide for action, he astutely and soberly asks: What and which Islam? More importantly, how does one get to 'normative' Islam? The author counsels, and passionately demonstrates, that for Islam to be actually what Muslims claim it to be—comprehensive in scope and efficacious for every age and place—Muslim scholars and educationists must reevaluate their methodology and hermeneutics. In spelling out the necessary and sound methodology, he is at once courageous, serious and profound."—Wadi Z. Haddad, American-Arab Affairs
"In this work, Professor Fazlur Rahman presents a positively ambitious blueprint for the transformation of the intellectual tradition of Islam: theology, ethics, philosophy and jurisprudence. Over the voices advocating a return to Islam or the reestablishment of the Sharia, the guide for action, he astutely and soberly asks: What and which Islam? More importantly, how does one get to 'normative' Islam? The author counsels, and passionately demonstrates, that for Islam to be actually what Muslims claim it to be—comprehensive in scope and efficacious for every age and place—Muslim scholars and educationists must reevaluate their methodology and hermeneutics. In spelling out the necessary and sound methodology, he is at once courageous, serious and profound."—Wadi Z. Haddad, American-Arab Affairs
216 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 1982
About the author
Fazlur Rahman Malik
33 books83 followersFazlur Rahman Malik (September 21, 1919 – July 26, 1988) was a prominent Pakistani Islamic philosopher, modernist scholar, and reformist theologian. He is widely recognized as one of the most influential and learned Muslim thinkers of the 20th century, known for his efforts to reconcile traditional Islamic teachings with contemporary modern life through rational interpretation.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 17, 2020
Four decades ago when this book was written it was still plausible to imagine that there might be an alternative Islamic modernity that could exist in the world. I greatly respect Fazlur Rahman and credit his Major Themes of the Quran for having a decisive influence on me when I was younger and full of urgent questions. Reading this book however I can really sense how poorly his political thinking has aged. The contention that a genuine alternative modernity is somehow going to flow out of a new reading of the Quran today seems like an idea ranging somewhere from a waste of time to positively dangerous. This was written in 1982 and the two subsequent generations of Islamist calamity and stagnation that have occurred since then should disabuse anyone of taking seriously such ideas.
This book gives a superficial and dry overview of the failures of Islamic education over the years. Some of these criticisms are no doubt well-founded. The totality of ethical meaning of Islam and the Quran were broken apart over the centuries and a rigid orthodoxy grew in its place that cut a dynamic tradition into useless discrete portions. People lost sight of the broader worldview that their religion was supposed to promote, which is generally agreed to have been one of egalitarianism and justice. In Sunni Islam philosophy was successfully boxed in and ultimately defeated by the Asharis during the Abbasid period. A false division was created between “secular” and “religious” knowledge that resulted in the dangerous de-humanization of the former and stagnation of the latter. The polarization of knowledge is a troubling phenomenon noted by Western scholars in their fields as well. In the context of Islam, the split happened so long ago and had such a profound long-term impact that studying it now feels more like archaeology than useful social science.
The shining light of Islamic philosophy died out a long, long time ago. At the dawn of modernity an appealing idea was suggested by Rahman and others that this tradition might be revived after centuries of dormancy. In my personal view this idea can now be discarded. It’s not asleep, it’s dead. The reasons for this can be debated but the fact can hardly be avoided. What is worthwhile today is preserving the perennial spiritual values that can exist within any political system, and perhaps finding a way to package modern political ideas in a way that appeals to the emotional needs of people by portraying them as being in harmony with their cultural and religious backgrounds. I'm extremely skeptical of both Islamism and Islamic Modernism. This doesn't mean of course that whatever I think should be imposed on others or that I can't be wrong.
This book gives a superficial and dry overview of the failures of Islamic education over the years. Some of these criticisms are no doubt well-founded. The totality of ethical meaning of Islam and the Quran were broken apart over the centuries and a rigid orthodoxy grew in its place that cut a dynamic tradition into useless discrete portions. People lost sight of the broader worldview that their religion was supposed to promote, which is generally agreed to have been one of egalitarianism and justice. In Sunni Islam philosophy was successfully boxed in and ultimately defeated by the Asharis during the Abbasid period. A false division was created between “secular” and “religious” knowledge that resulted in the dangerous de-humanization of the former and stagnation of the latter. The polarization of knowledge is a troubling phenomenon noted by Western scholars in their fields as well. In the context of Islam, the split happened so long ago and had such a profound long-term impact that studying it now feels more like archaeology than useful social science.
The shining light of Islamic philosophy died out a long, long time ago. At the dawn of modernity an appealing idea was suggested by Rahman and others that this tradition might be revived after centuries of dormancy. In my personal view this idea can now be discarded. It’s not asleep, it’s dead. The reasons for this can be debated but the fact can hardly be avoided. What is worthwhile today is preserving the perennial spiritual values that can exist within any political system, and perhaps finding a way to package modern political ideas in a way that appeals to the emotional needs of people by portraying them as being in harmony with their cultural and religious backgrounds. I'm extremely skeptical of both Islamism and Islamic Modernism. This doesn't mean of course that whatever I think should be imposed on others or that I can't be wrong.
September 13, 2019
فضل الرحمان در این کتاب تاریخچهی نهاد آموزش در ملل مطرح مسلمان را آسیبشناسی میکند. بعد از بررسی دورهی تکوین و شکلگیری علوم اسلامی —که از نظر مؤلف همزمان دورهی فاصلهگرفتن از متن قرآن و سیرهی پیامبر نیز هست— او سروقت مدرنیستهای مسلمان در کشورهایی مثل مصر، ترکیه و ایران، و البته ناتوانیشان در شکلدادن به نوعی سیستم آموزشی که هم مدرن باشد و هم متعهد به اسلام، میرود، و ریشهی مشکلات معاصر مسلمانان در مواجهه با مدرنیته را در همین ناتوانی ردیابی میکند
August 9, 2017
A critical inspection of scrutinizing the reasons behind inactive (جمود) state of Muslim societies in the world (on bases of Major Muslim countries: Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, Iran and to some extent Indonesia), ''Indoctrination, however, necessarily occurs only where dogmas come in: the greater the dogma content, the greater the need for indoctrination; the greater the ethical content, the less the need for indoctrination.''
Replete with sensible suggestions based on scientific approaches pertinent to fluctuating human attitudes, Dr. Fazlur Rahman focuses on how to cope with present situation (through differences of opinion including his own, inevitably, for HIGH POSITIVE VALUES) than what will happen in offing.
The book is divided in chapters; The heritage, Classical Islamic Modernism and Education, Contemporary Modernism and Prospects and some suggestions. And to me the method he advised for systematic study of Islam is in the same grades as he divided the book; Past is important to examine with all its faults and mischief for construction of current Islamic methodology.
Being a modern Islamic historian, Fazlur Rahman belaboured the role of incorporation of Social Sciences, History, Philosophy and Science in constructing modern institutions of practical Islamic Islamic studies.
With all his biases and individual opinion (which has a positive slant) it is must-read book for all sensible readers of religious methodology, I reckon.
Replete with sensible suggestions based on scientific approaches pertinent to fluctuating human attitudes, Dr. Fazlur Rahman focuses on how to cope with present situation (through differences of opinion including his own, inevitably, for HIGH POSITIVE VALUES) than what will happen in offing.
The book is divided in chapters; The heritage, Classical Islamic Modernism and Education, Contemporary Modernism and Prospects and some suggestions. And to me the method he advised for systematic study of Islam is in the same grades as he divided the book; Past is important to examine with all its faults and mischief for construction of current Islamic methodology.
Being a modern Islamic historian, Fazlur Rahman belaboured the role of incorporation of Social Sciences, History, Philosophy and Science in constructing modern institutions of practical Islamic Islamic studies.
With all his biases and individual opinion (which has a positive slant) it is must-read book for all sensible readers of religious methodology, I reckon.
October 12, 2015
Fazlur Rahman is my new hero.
November 24, 2017
One of the best books I've read on Islam so far. It's remarkable that after all these years it is still very relevant.
October 28, 2016
الكتاب يتمحور عن آسباب عجز المؤسسة الدينية من التطور و مواكبة الآحداث المستمرة من حولنا .ناقش عن الموسسات الدينية في كل من تركيا، مصر باكستان ، ايران ، الهند ، اندونيسيا و كيفية تأثرها من الاستعمار و التغريب و سلطة الدولة و الشعب عليها . الكتاب واضح و متسلسل.
December 26, 2025
A really interesting read that, while not intented as an introduction, served as an introduction to islamic theology. This book explained concepts well, reasoned through its points clearly and gave historical examples and context when presenting arguments.
The author introduces and explains the interpretation of the Qur’ān and how this has been used to inspire law and guide ethics. The author then proceeds to criticise these and put forward the modernist "double-movement" approach to interpreting the Qur’ān, explaining that it is impossible to understand the values of the Qur’ān devoid of the context that it was revealed. The author's thesis is that the Qur’ān contains values embedded inside it but that these are separate from the dictums in the Qur’ān which are often answers in response to a question which the author argues cannot be considered independent of the historical context and the specifics of the situation. Despite this, the author argues that one can uncover these values and furthermore use them to motivate an ethics compatible with modernity and that this is the only sensible to understand the values of the Qur’ān.
This book doubled as a discussion of the modern day (20th century) Islamic political scene with commentary on the situation in Turkey, Iran and Pakistan. The author argues that these movements in these countries lacked in that they failed to build a education system that encourages independent thinking rather than dogmatic recitation.
It was incredibly interesting to engage with this from a secular perspective and I'm curious about how this compares to theology from other religions.
The author introduces and explains the interpretation of the Qur’ān and how this has been used to inspire law and guide ethics. The author then proceeds to criticise these and put forward the modernist "double-movement" approach to interpreting the Qur’ān, explaining that it is impossible to understand the values of the Qur’ān devoid of the context that it was revealed. The author's thesis is that the Qur’ān contains values embedded inside it but that these are separate from the dictums in the Qur’ān which are often answers in response to a question which the author argues cannot be considered independent of the historical context and the specifics of the situation. Despite this, the author argues that one can uncover these values and furthermore use them to motivate an ethics compatible with modernity and that this is the only sensible to understand the values of the Qur’ān.
This book doubled as a discussion of the modern day (20th century) Islamic political scene with commentary on the situation in Turkey, Iran and Pakistan. The author argues that these movements in these countries lacked in that they failed to build a education system that encourages independent thinking rather than dogmatic recitation.
It was incredibly interesting to engage with this from a secular perspective and I'm curious about how this compares to theology from other religions.
April 15, 2020
فەزل الرحمن نوسەرێکی پاکستانی ، خاوەن ئادییایەکی تایبەت و نوێیە ، کەسایەتیەکی فەلسەفی و ئەکادیمی و زمانزان کە پێی وایەئ پەروەردە تاکە رێگەیەکی کاریگەر و بنچینەیی نوێگەری ئیسلامییە ، لە بەشێکی کتێبەکەیدا باسێکی مێژووی نوێگەری و پەروەردە دەکات لە مێژووی وڵاتە ئیسلامییەکانی وەکو تورکیا ، میسر ، پاکستان و هیندستان و ئیندونیسیا ، بەهەمانشێوە باسی ئەو کەسایەتییە ئیسلامییانە دەکات کە رەنگدانەوە و کاریگەری بەرچاویان هەبووە بەسەر رەوتی تازەگەری ، لە کۆتابەشیدا باسی رێگەچارە و بیروراو پشنیاری ی نوسەر دەکات لەبواری پەروەردە لەهەموو لایەنەکانی لاهوت و ئەخلاق و فەلسەفە و فیقهی ئیسلامی بەشێوەیەک موسڵمانان و کۆمەڵگە ئیسلامیەکان بتوانن هاوئاهەنگ بن لەگەڵ پێشکەوتنە تەکنەلۆجییەکان .
June 5, 2021
The call for action remains powerful. I was hoping the whole book's content would be like its fourth section - suggestions for moving forward. A lot of this book, though, is a history of the differences between the Egyptian and Turkish education systems. This information may have proved relevant to making the point 40+ years ago, but the world has changed and this book feels a little dated in that respect.
June 24, 2026
I enjoyed the last chapter, but the rest of the book is a bit outdated. It is a good overview of the evolution of Islamic education in the 20th century, but I expected more discussion on what is needed, as the book focused too much on history and the education system, not the core theme of transformation.
Want to Read
December 23, 2012The author in his work Islam and modernity, states about the islamization of education.It refers to main goals; Firstly to spread the light of Islamic values in the character of students, Secondly to achieve the learning in the respective fields through the medium of modern education.
But unfortunately the Islamic education is given at the primary and minute level only and higher fields of learning are alienated from the interpretation and intellectual work done on Quran.,the author called pious fraud because the students exposure to education at higher level is completely secular and in contarast which was thought in his childhood. The author observes this gap due to the lack of deep intellectual vision of islam in the disciplines taught at higher level. He urged that muslim do intellectual work in the disciplines like law,economics and psychology to combat the innovative issues due to modernity as Quran covers the whole sphere of life regarding every aspect of life. But mostly it is limited to pay lip service in the muslim societies. The authors urges to explore the factual knowledge of Quran to demolish the difference in the attitudes of muslims and demands of the Holy book. The moderenist claims the issues like standard of democracy ,science ,woman status and the neo fundamentalist force challange it only that it is westernizing propaganda which tries to harm the islamic principles and the clash between moderenity and islam remains . He talked about the moderenity that it is vested or particularized to the west. In the muslim socities islam is exploited by the politicians for their selfish interest. This misuse of islam can be detained to the introduction of modern intellectual and spiritual wisdom of Quran in the education. The understanding of Islam in the true spirit can resolves the whole problems of muslims in the contemporay world with provision of intellectual work of islam. The understanding of Islam lies in the deep work in insight of the historical background which formulates Islam.
But unfortunately the Islamic education is given at the primary and minute level only and higher fields of learning are alienated from the interpretation and intellectual work done on Quran.,the author called pious fraud because the students exposure to education at higher level is completely secular and in contarast which was thought in his childhood. The author observes this gap due to the lack of deep intellectual vision of islam in the disciplines taught at higher level. He urged that muslim do intellectual work in the disciplines like law,economics and psychology to combat the innovative issues due to modernity as Quran covers the whole sphere of life regarding every aspect of life. But mostly it is limited to pay lip service in the muslim societies. The authors urges to explore the factual knowledge of Quran to demolish the difference in the attitudes of muslims and demands of the Holy book. The moderenist claims the issues like standard of democracy ,science ,woman status and the neo fundamentalist force challange it only that it is westernizing propaganda which tries to harm the islamic principles and the clash between moderenity and islam remains . He talked about the moderenity that it is vested or particularized to the west. In the muslim socities islam is exploited by the politicians for their selfish interest. This misuse of islam can be detained to the introduction of modern intellectual and spiritual wisdom of Quran in the education. The understanding of Islam in the true spirit can resolves the whole problems of muslims in the contemporay world with provision of intellectual work of islam. The understanding of Islam lies in the deep work in insight of the historical background which formulates Islam.
July 11, 2014
الكتاب يبحث في قضية التجديد في سياق التربية أو اسلامية المعرفة ويتناول الجهود الاصلاحية والتغريبية التي قامت في باكستان وتركيا وايران ومصر ويقارن بين النماذج.
الكتاب قديم وبعض افكاره اصبحت في عداد الماضي
الكتاب قديم وبعض افكاره اصبحت في عداد الماضي
Read
January 27, 2015عن التربية والدين فى كل من مصر وباكستان وتركيا .. يتضح من الكتاب عجز اى مؤسسة دينية على تغيير جلدها و واهم كل من يعتقد ذلك
April 15, 2020
I think in a way the author promotes a new understanding of islam in light of historical development of the ideas emerging in the society. His position is somewhere between the stagnant traditionalism which is free of critical thinking, the new fundamentalism which also lacks intellectual activity, and also modernism which is ignorant of the whole metaphysical reality. And his idea on how to solve the problem of stagnant islamic society is so fresh and enlightening.
Read
April 25, 2026Really, really disheartening to see that any hope Rahman had for a good-faith, intellectual, critical revival of Islam seems even more unlikely in the Eastern world at this point. Also suprised at his treatment of Batiniyya and Sufi interpretations considering how strongly he advocated for fresh and not overly literal perspectives on the Quran, the only source of which today are those very schools of thought.
October 29, 2021
Severely outdated, Rahman's book, which turned out to be mostly about modernization of education in the Islamic world (i.e. bring together Islamic and secular sciences in one educational program), successfully points out the problems in various attempts made at/before his time, but fails to provide any real method or guidance itself.
August 21, 2021
فضل الرحمان در این کتاب آسیب شناسی بسیار موشکافانه ای انجام داده درباره اسلام و قرآن و تبدیل شدن به یک آموزش کلاسیک و بلاهایی که در این سیر بر سر دین آمده را معرفی نموده . لکن دیگر دیر شده و هر کسی از ظن خود شد یار من در باره اسلام و قرآن شکل گرفته.
August 15, 2018
Decent read, but could make use of a larger variety of opinions.
August 8, 2023
Surprisingly vibrant read, written with an unmitigated urgency.
November 1, 2007
Guru Besar yang "tidak dianggap" di negaranya sendiri, namun meraih ketenarannya di Amerika ini boleh dibilang luar biasa. Dianggap sebagai guru-nya para liberalis -yang di Indonesia telah menelurkan tokoh semacam Cak Nur, Syafii Maarif, dan Amien Rais dengan beragam karakter mereka.
Pemikirannya, terlepas dari berbagai kontroversi dan hujatan dari berbagai pihak, patut dicermati. Awalnya, saya tak boleh menyentuh bukunya. Tapi, sekali saya dilarang, semakin saya ingin membacanya.
Bagus kok!
Pemikirannya, terlepas dari berbagai kontroversi dan hujatan dari berbagai pihak, patut dicermati. Awalnya, saya tak boleh menyentuh bukunya. Tapi, sekali saya dilarang, semakin saya ingin membacanya.
Bagus kok!
to-keep-reference
October 18, 2016...las formas actuales de fundamentalismo Islámico no deben ser entendidas como un retorno a formas sociales y valores pasados, ni siquiera desde la perspectiva de sus practicantes. Según Fazlur Rahman: “Actualmente es algo así como una confusión llamar „fundamentalistas‟ a dichos fenómenos del Islam, salvo porque enfatizan al Islam como la base de las dos fuentes: el Qur‟an y el Sunna del Profeta Muhammed. Por otra parte, enfatizan al ijtihad, el pensamiento original”.
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Imperio Pág.115
September 8, 2020
This a well rounded short review for those who are interested in an overview of intellectual history of Muslim tradition.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews