On the Sociology of Islam: Lectures

by Ali Shariati, Hamid Algar (Translator)

In preparing the way for the unparalleled surge of Islamic revival in Iran, many factors have been at work. One of the most important is the legacy of Dr. Ali Shari'ati (1933-1977). A teacher, scholar and writer, Shari'ati and a dynamic influence on the young people of Iran with his classes, discussions, free lectures and articles during the 1960's and 1970's. Shari'ati was a sociologist, educated in Mashhad and Paris, as well as a student of history and philosophy. He subjected contemporary society to careful examination, using the terms, experiences and concepts found in Islamic philosophy and culture for his analysis. He formulated and presented to his students and readers a coherent Islamic world-view and an ideology of social, political and economic change. His views have contributed much to the Iranian Islamic revolution. Shari'ati works are constantly reprinted and eagerly studies through-out Iran. This anthology is the first systematic presentation in English of some of his major ideas.

Genres: Islam, Sociology, Religion, Nonfiction, Theology, Philosophy, Theory

133 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Ali Shariati was an Iranian revolutionary and sociologist who focused on the sociology of religion. He is held as one of the most influential Iranian intellectuals of the 20th century and has been called the ideologue of the Iranian Revolution. He was born in 1933 in Kahak (a village in Mazinan), a suburb of Sabzevar, found in northeastern Iran, to a family of clerics.

Shariati developed fully novice approach to Shi'ism and interpreted the religion in a revolutionary manner. His interpretation of Shi'ism encouraged revolution in the world and promised salvation after death. Shariati referred to his brand of Shi'ism as "Red Shi'ism" which he contrasted with clerical-dominated, unrevolutionary "Black Shi'ism" or Safavid Shi'ism. Shariati's works were highly influenced by the Third Worldism that he encountered as a student in Paris — ideas that class war and revolution would bring about a just and classless society. He believed Shia should not merely await the return of the 12th Imam but should actively work to hasten his return by fighting for social justice, "even to the point of embracing martyrdom", saying "everyday is Ashoura, every place is Karbala." Shariati had a dynamic view about Islam: his ideology about Islam is closely related to Allama Iqbal's ideology as according to both intellectuals, change is the greatest law of nature and Islam.

Persian:

دکتر شریعتی‌ در سا‌ل‌ ۱۳۱۲ در خا‌نواده‌ ای‌ مذهبی‌ چشم‌ به‌ جها‌ن‌ گشود پدر او استا‌د محمد تقی‌ شریعتی‌ مردی‌ پا‌ک‌ و پا‌رسا‌ و عا‌لم‌ به‌ علوم‌ .نقلی‌ و عقلی‌ و استا‌د دانشگا‌ه‌ مشهد بود علی‌ پس‌ از گذراندن‌ دوران‌ کودکی‌ وارد دبستا‌ن‌ شد و پس‌ از شش‌ سا‌ل‌ وارد دانشسرای‌ مقدما‌تی‌ در مشهد شد. علا‌وه‌ بر خواندن‌ دروس‌ دانشسرا در کلا‌سها‌ی‌ پدرش‌ به‌ کسب‌ علم‌ می‌ پرداخت‌. معلم‌ شهید پس‌ از پا‌یا‌ن‌ تحصیلا‌ت‌ در دانشسرا به‌ آموزگا‌ری‌ پرداخت‌ و کا‌ری‌ را شروع‌ کرد که‌ در تما‌می‌ دوران‌ زندگی‌ کوتا‌هش‌ سخت‌ به‌ آن‌ شوق‌ داشت‌ و با‌ ایما‌نی‌ خا‌لص‌ با‌ تما‌می‌ وجود آنرا دنبا‌ل‌ کرد.

در سا‌ل‌۱۳۵۲، رژیم‌، حسینیه‌ء ارشا‌د که‌ پا‌یگا‌ه‌ هدایت‌ و ارشا‌د مردم‌ بود را تعطیل‌ نمود، و معلم‌ مبا‌رز را بمدت ‌ ۱۸ما‌ه‌ روانه‌ زندان‌ میکند و درخ‌ خلوت‌ و تنها‌ ئی‌ است‌ که‌ علی‌ نگا‌هی‌ به‌ گذشته‌ خویش‌ می‌افکند و .استراتژی‌ مبا‌رزه‌ را با‌ر دیگر ورق‌ زده‌ و با‌ خدای‌ خویش‌ خلوت‌ میکند از این‌ به‌ بعد تا‌ سا‌ل‌ ۱۳۵۶ و هجرت‌ ، دکتر زندگی‌ سختی‌ را پشت‌ سرخ‌ گذاشت‌ . سا‌واک‌ نقشه‌ داشت‌ که‌ دکتر را به‌ هر صورت‌ ممکن‌ از پا‌ در آورد، ولی‌ شریعتی‌ که‌ از این‌ برنا‌مه‌ آگا‌ه‌ میشود ، آنرا لوث‌ میکند. در این‌ زما‌ن‌ استا‌د محمد تقی‌ شریعتی‌ را دستگیر و تحت‌ فشا‌ر و شکنجه‌ قرار داده‌ بودند تا‌ پسرش‌ را تکذیب‌ و محکوم‌ کند. اما‌ این‌ مسلما‌ن‌ راستین‌خ‌ سر با‌ز زد، دکتر شریعتی‌ در هما‌ن‌ روزها‌ و سا‌عا‌ت‌ خود را در اختیا‌ر آنها‌ میگذارد تا‌ اگر خواستند، وی‌ را از بین‌ ببرند و پدر را رها‌ کنند

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http://drshariati.org

Reviews

[Abdullah Mushtaq · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compilation of lectures that Ali Shariati gave at Husayniya-yi Irshad seminary. The edition I read had some translation or editing mistakes. There's a tint of Marxist influence over the views of Ali Shariati, but he himself subtracted and added novelty to what Marx had previously said.

One of my favorite aspects of this book was a particular passage that bolstered a view of mine — in opposition to what a group of Sufis believed — that I previously thought no one else held:

"This movement is from clay toward God, but where is God? God is in infinity. Man, then, can never attain a final resting place and take up residence in God. The distance between clay and God is the distance that man travels in his search for perfection; but he travels unceasingly, in ascent and upward striving to Him Who is infinite, unbounded and unlimited. Thus the movement of man is from infinite lowliness toward infinite exaltation, and the destination is God, the spirit of God, eternity; it is impossible for him ever to stop!"

Following are a few major points discussed in the book.

APPROACHES TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF ISLAM

Migration is not merely a historical phenomenon — it is the stimulus that gives rise to newer civilizations. All 27 of the civilizations Shariati examines were preceded by some sort of migration.

A major question that has baffled many thinkers is: what is the main factor behind the rise and fall of human society? Several schools of sociology have answered it differently:

(1) Social Anarchism — believes all historical developments are by accident
(2) Social Determinism — believes in positivism; immutable laws govern human society throughout the ages and people have no say in it
(3) Heroism — society is changed by powerful personalities; laws of nature and lay people have no role in it. This has two subtypes:
— Pure Heroics: only exceptional personalities like Prophets change society
— Elite Heroics: a great personality appears, is joined by an elite, and together they change society

In Islam and the Quran, none of the foregoing theories is found. From the Islamic point of view, the Prophet ﷺ is the greatest of all personalities, yet he is not recognized as the main factor behind societal change. Allah repeatedly reminded the Prophet ﷺ that he is merely a messenger, a warner, and a bearer of glad tidings — he shall not worry if the disbelievers don't accept the truth; his job is merely to convey the message. Similarly, accidents cannot be taken in a literal sense, as everything that happens, happens by the will of God.

So what are the true factors of societal change? Shariati identifies four fundamental factors according to Quran:

(1) Tradition of a Nation — the natural character or Fitrah of each nation; immutable laws or character. But individuals and society are both responsible as well, and these two things are not contradictory. There are immutable botanical laws according to which crops are grown and harvested, but the responsibility and success depends on the farmer. Man must participate in those immutable behaviors of society and work to better them. The Will of Man vs. the Norm of Society creates a median way.
(2) Personality — great personalities are not futile. Prophets are those individuals who, with divine help, are able to recognize immutable societal laws better than any other reformer and make use of them most efficiently.
(3) Accident — not possible in a literal sense, since there can be no accident in God's plan. But certain sudden cataclysmic events — like the appearance of Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire — might be considered that sort of accident.
(4) Al-Nas (الناس) — the Mass — the most fundamental factor. The masses comprise the whole people taken together as an entity, without concern for class distinctions. "Mass" means the people as such, without any particular class or social form.

Of these four, two are most important: Al-Nas (the will of the people) and the tradition of a nation (immutable laws governing their society).

In certain cases — like the tribalistic society of Arabia — the personality of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ mattered most, which is why Allah ﷻ took special measures in his upbringing. There are five factors that essentially affect the upbringing of a person:

(1) Mother
(2) Father
(3) School
(4) Surrounding Environment
(5) General culture of society

The Prophet ﷺ was unaffected by all of these. He lost his father before birth and his mother at a very young age. He was unlettered (ummi), with no formal tutor. Like many other prophets, he was a herdsman who spent most of his time away from society in solitude with nature, and he was sent to a remote peninsula, away from the tantalizing effects of civilization.

TWO METHODS FOR LEARNING ISLAM

Shariati believed that the Aristotelian method of analogical reasoning was behind the stagnation of Europe during the Middle Ages — that the method of investigation is the prime factor behind the rise and fall of civilizations. He contends that a multi-faceted religion requires various methods in order to fully grasp its complexities:

(1) Reading its ideas — i.e., its scripture, the Quran
(2) Reading its history
(3) Method of Typology — classifying topics and themes of Islam according to type and comparing them with other religions

Shariati identifies five distinguishing characteristics of every religion:

(1) The god or gods worshipped by its followers
(2) The prophet who proclaims its message
(3) The book that forms the foundation of its law
(4) The circumstances of the prophet's appearance and the audience he addresses
(5) The exemplary individuals the religion nurtures and presents to society and history

MAN AND ISLAM

What is the idea of man in Islam? To know the answer, we must first understand the idea of man's creation. Key insights from the Quranic description of Adam's creation:

(1) Man is the vicegerent of God — divinely entrusted with a mission to fulfill on God's earth
(2) Man is an amalgamation of mud (the lowliest in stature) and God's spirit (the highest in stature) — he has the choice to incline toward either
(3) Man is endowed with the "Names of Things" — knowledge, the truth of science — which makes him superior to the angels and all other creation
(4) Man was the only one to accept the heavy divine trust when all other creations rejected it

Only Man and God possess free will (and, Islamically, the jinn as well). Man must fashion his own destiny. Unlike past religions such as Zoroastrianism, which saw nature as the ultimate battleground between two opposing forces (God and Satan), the Islamic perspective considers only Man as the battleground. Satan is not battling against God — he is battling against the godly, divine half of man. Nature apart from man is exclusively the realm of God and knows only a single hypostasis.

THE WORLD VIEW OF TAWHID

Tawhid is a wholistic concept which regards the entire world as one whole, without bifurcating it into this profane world and the hereafter. Tawhid sees the world as an empire ruled by one absolute God; shirk sees it as a feudal system.

Shariati considers the world a living being with will and purpose — a unity between three hypostases: Man, God, and Nature. The world consists of sensible and suprasensible aspects. Energy and matter are two manifestations of that suprasensible being. The division into Unseen and Seen is in reality an epistemological one, not an ontological one. Sensible nature is a combination of signs (ayat) and manifestations — not illusions, but indications toward truth.

ANTHROPOLOGY: THE CREATION OF MAN AND THE CONTRADICTION OF GOD AND IBLIS, OR SPIRIT AND CLAY

Here the Marxist influence over Shariati comes to the forefront. The dual and contradictory nature comprising man makes him a dialectical reality:

God's Spirit (thesis) vs. Putrid Clay / Satan (antithesis) → a struggle that produces the synthesis called Man.

Man exists between minus infinity (Satan) and plus infinity (God). This is not akin to Zoroastrian duality, in which Ahura Mazda and Ahriman are pitched against each other in a cosmic battle. Satan is not antithetical to Allah — he is his submissive creature. Satan is antithetical to the divine half of Man, permitted by God to engage in enmity with man's divine nature. The world of nature is the undisputed realm of Allah.

God exists in man as potentiality — a direction in which man can strive toward God's absolute essence. The dialectic in man creates continuous motion, a continuous evolution toward perfection. This upward progress never ends because God is unlimitedly perfect.

Religion (مذهب) is the path from putrid clay to God — not the aim itself, but a means toward the aim. Many Islamic terminologies carry "path" in their meaning: din, mazhab, tariqa, umma, sharia.

THE PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY: CAIN AND ABEL

There exists a certain historical determinism in Islam. Man is the manifestation of God's will on Earth. Just as Adam's story is the source of our philosophy of Man, the story of Cain and Abel is the source of our philosophy of History.

Abel the pastoralist (fishing, hunting, collective ownership of the means of production) was killed by Cain the landowner (private ownership, agriculture). But Shariati inverts Marx's theory here: it is not ownership that is a factor in the acquisition of power, but the converse — power and coercion were the factors that first bestowed ownership on the individual.

Abel and Cain were from the same environment; the only difference was occupation. The death of Abel was the end of primitive communism. Life, society, and history are built on contradiction.

Shariati opposed idealists who saw religious belief, truth, and morality as the primary historical drivers. He considered economy and sexuality more significant — but also argued sexuality is not the primary factor, since what truly caused Cain to act as he did? Cain would have sacrificed his best for his sexual desire (marrying the sister intended for his brother), yet he brought the most miniscule of his possessions for the sacrifice. The Abel-Cain struggle represents two wings of human society that will continue until the eventual defeat of Cain's system.

THE DIALECTICS OF SOCIOLOGY

Only two structures can exist in society — that of Abel and that of Cain — under which different modes of production operate. Slavery, feudalism, capitalism, imperialism, etc. are not fundamentally different social structures. They are merely different expressions of one deeper structure: the "structure of Cain."

Shariati contends that Marx confused three distinct entities in his philosophy of history: the form of ownership, the form of class relations, and the form of the tools of production — causing his classification of social stages to become confused.

Society can therefore be divided into two poles:

(1) The Pole of Cain — the ruler: king, owner, aristocracy — the representatives of political, economic, and religious power, constantly engaged in dominating, exploiting, and deceiving the people
(2) The Pole of Abel — the ruled: God and al-nas. Confronting the threefold class of king-owner-aristocracy is the class of the people. In class society, Allah stands in the same rank as al-nas — Allah and al-nas are virtually synonymous, such that "Rule belongs to God" means rule belongs to the people. (Shariati gets carried away by revolutionary fervour here.)

My issue with this: earlier, Shariati defined al-nas as "the whole people taken together as an entity without concern for class distinctions." But here, we must differentiate al-nas from the king-owner-aristocracy — which sounds contradictory.

THE IDEAL SOCIETY — THE UMMA

Umma is a society working toward a collective goal. The economy of the Umma is justice and equality. Its politics is not democracy, liberalism, or dictatorship, but purity of leadership — the Imamate. The Imam is he who does not perceive his perfection as lying in a private relationship with God to the exclusion of men, but rather in struggle for the perfection of the entire human race. Here Shariati presents his conception of Imamate, a central belief in Shi'ite theology.

[Muhammet Şavklıyıldız · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ali Şeriati, İran İslam Devrimi’ne fikirsel anlamda ciddi katkılarda bulunmuş fakat kendisi bu devrimden kısa bir süre önce İngiltere’de ölmüştür (belki de İran istihbaratı tarafından öldürülmüştür). Aydın bir aileden gelmiş, kırsalda büyümüştür. Hayatı boyunca Şah rejimiyle sorunlar yaşamış, bu sebeple susturulmuş, kimi zaman hapsedilmiştir. Düşünce dünyasında bir çeşit İslami sosyalizmin öne çıktığı görülebilir. Kendisi Marx’tan yararlansa da zaman zaman ona yönelik eleştirilerini de sakınmamaktadır. Bu kitabının önemli bir bölümü burjuva ve proleterya, ezenler ve ezilenler, yönetenler ve yönetilenlerin ilişkisine ayrılmıştır. Zannımca, İslam’ın sembolik anlatımından faydalanarak kıssaları ve terimleri zorlayarak sınıfsız topluma uygun hale getirmeye çalışmıştır. Her ne kadar İslam’ın sosyalizmle uyumsuz olduğunu düşünmesem de sosyalizme dair İslam’a dayalı böyle bir gerekçelendirmeyi de dinin aşırı bir yorumlanması (overinterpretation) olarak görüyorum. Bunların yanında Şeriati, kitapta topluma ve insana dair birçok önemli tespitte bulunmuştur. Kişisel olarak ilgi çekici bulduklarımı aşağıda özetlemeye ve fikirlerimi belirtmeye çalışacağım:

Şeriati, kurulan bütün medeniyetlerin hicret neticesinde ortaya çıktığını, tarihte bildiğimiz yirmi yedi medeniyetin tamamının böyle inşa edildiğini aktarır. Ardından toplumların değişmesini ve kalkınmasını sağlayan temel etkenler nedir sorusunu sorarak devam eder. Tespit edebildiği dört etken vardır: toplumda öne çıkan kişiler, toplumların gelenekleri ve kaçınılmaz kuralları, rastlantılar ve halk. İslam’da öne çıkan kişiler, hatta peygamberler bu değişimin müsebbibi değildirler zira onların görevi topluma belli bir mesajı iletmektir. Onların üstünlükleri içinde bulundukları toplumu ve tabiattaki kuralları çok iyi tanımaları ve bunlar üzerinden insanlara amaçlarını hatırlatmalarıdır. Rastlantı da İslam’da temel bir etken değildir, zira hiçbir şey rastlantılara bağlı değildir ve her şey Allah tarafından kontrol edilmektedir. Toplumun her ne kadar kuralları ve gelenekleri olsa da bunlar halk üzerinde mutlak kısıtlayıcı etkiye sahip değillerdir, bu sebeple halk yapıp ettiklerinden sorumludur. Dolayısıyla, İslam’a göre en temel etken halk olmalıdır. Halk eğitimli ve kültürlü olursa toplumda şahsiyetlerin rolü kısıtlanır. Medeniyet seviyesi düştükçe önderlerin etkisi de artmaya başlar. Toplumların durumlarına göre üstte sayılan etkenlerin birisi diğerine baskın duruma gelebilir. Şeriati burada mühim bir tespit yapar:
İslam medeniyetinin kuruluşunda ise Peygamberimiz en önemli etkiye sahiptir. Zira içerisinde bulunduğu toplum medeniyetten çok uzak, ahlaki anlamda krizdedir. Bu sebeple bir önder olarak kendisi ana etken olarak öne çıkma imkanına sahiptir ve bugün baktığımızda İslami devrimi onun kişiliğine bağlamak zorunda kalıyoruz. Ardından Şeriati, insanın kişiliğini belirleyen 5 temel etkeni inceleyerek devam eder. Bunlar annesi, babası, standardize eğitim, toplum ve çevre ve kültürdür. Fakat Peygamberimiz bütün kalıpları kırmak üzere gönderildiğine göre kişiliğinin oluşmasında bu beş etkenin de başat rol oynamaması beklenirdi. En başta kişinin annesi gelir demiştik. Fakat Peygamberimiz 2 yaşına kadar Arap gelenekleri neticesinde süt annesiyle kalmıştır, ardından geleneklerden de farklı olarak 5 yaşına kadar süt annesiyle büyümeye devam etmiş ve ardından öksüz kalmıştır. Bu sebeple kişiliğinin oluşmasında annesi ana etken olamaz. İkinci etken ise babasıdır, Peygamberimiz ise yetimdir. Üçüncüsü okul, ya da standardize eğitim alabileceği bir yerdir. Peygamberimiz ise ümmidir. Şeriati bunu okuma yazma bilmemek olarak yorumluyor. Peygamberin ümmiliği konusunda okuma yazma bilmemesi mi yoksa kutsal kitapları okumamış olmaması mı konusu tartışmalı, fakat her iki durum da üçüncü etkenin de kişiliğini belirleyemeyeceğini gösteriyor. Dördüncü faktör toplum ve çevredir. Beşinci faktör ise kültürdür. Fakat Peygamberimiz vaktinin önemli bir bölümünü çölde yahut dağda inzivada geçirmiştir. Dolayısıyla toplum ve çevre ve kültür ona ciddi bir etkide bulunamamıştır. Neticede, kendisi normal bir insanın kişiliğini etkileyen faktörlerden azade bir biçimde, görevini ifa edebilmek üzere istisnai bir hayat şartlarında yetişmiştir.

Şeriati, ardından insana dair fikirlerini aktararak devam eder. İnsan balçıktan yapılmış ve ona ruh üflenmiştir. Bu sebeple insanı Allah’ın ruhu ve balçığın birleşimi olarak görür. İnsanın hareketi sonsuz aşağılardan (balçık) sonsuz yukarılara (Allah’ın ruhu) doğrudur. Bu göç sonsuza kadar devam eder. Bu aradaki yola ise din denir. Din başlı başına bir amaç değildir, asıl amaç olan Allah’ın ruhuna erişmek, imanlı bir insan olabilmek adına oluşturulmuş bir yoldur. Bu araç, amaç haline dönüştürülürse, din belli ritüellere sıkıştırılır, teknik ve karmaşık hale getirilir, din adamları amaca dönüştürülen bu amacın neticesinde kutsallaştırılmaya başlanırsa insan yolunu kaybeder.

Şeriati, şöyle bir önemli tespitte daha bulunur: Yalın, tek boyutlu ve düz bir dille anlatılan hiçbir öğreti kalıcı olamaz. Çünkü bir öğretinin hem içinde bulunduğu toplumun her kesimine hem de tarih boyunca her topluma seslenebilmesi için sembolik bir anlam taşıması zorunludur. Böylece farklı zihin yapısına sahip insanlar onu okuduklarında asli temellere sadık kalarak yorumlayabilir ve evrenselliğini sağlayabilirler.

Şeriati’nin değindiği başka bir mesele ise Habil ile Kabil’in çatışmasıdır. Geleneksel yorum bu kıssadan, öldürmenin kötülüğünü ve insanın iyi (Habil) ve kötü (Kabil) yanının bulunuşunu anlamıştır. Şeriati ise burada bana göre aşırı bir yoruma gider. Kıssada Hz. Adem aralarındaki sorunun çözüme kavuşabilmesi için Allah’a adak adamaları gerektiğini söyler. Habil adak olarak en sevdiği devesini adarken Kabil bir avuç sararmış hububat adamıştır. Şeriati buradan yola çıkarak Kabil’in din adıyla bir kandırmacaya giriştiğini söyler. Fakat bununla sınırla kalmaz. Ona göre Habil sınıfsız, eşitlikçi bir göçebe avcı toplayıcı toplumunu temsil ederken Kabil ise bireysel ve tekelci mülkiyete dayalı iktisadi sistemi savunmaktadır. Bu sonuçlara adaklardan yola çıkarak varmıştır. Kabil’in Habil’i öldürmesi eşitlikçi olan ilk toplumların yerini sınıfsal toplumların alınışını temsil eder. Habil de Kabil de neticede insandır, hatta kardeştirler. O zaman Habil neden Habil, Kabil neden Kabil olmuştur? Ona göre bunun sebebi yaptıkları meslekler neticesinde edindikleri zihin yapısıdır. Çoban olan Habil eşitlikçi, kardeşliğe önem veren bir insan olmuşken tarımla ilgilenen Kabil doğal olarak özel mülkiyetçi, bireyselci ve zalim bir insana dönüşmüştür. Kabil özünde kötü değildir, aslında hiçbir insan kötü değildir, fakat Kabil’i kötü yapan içinde bulunduğu insanlık dışı düzendir. Bu mesajların yanına şunu da ekler: Hem Kabil hem de Habil’in silahı dindir. Problemi adak adayarak çözmek isterler. Fakat Kabil Allah’a şirk koşanların, onu aldatmaya çalışanların dinini, Habil ise tevhidi ve eşitliğin dinini savunmaktadır.

Son olarak, Şeriati’nin aşırı yorumlarından birisi olarak itikadi konular hariç tutulursa en-nas (halk) ve Allah arasında kimi zaman özdeşlik kurmaya çalışmasını görüyorum. Kendisi Kuran’da hüküm Allah’ındır ilkesini hüküm halkındır yani yönetimde halk olmalıdır gibi zorlama biçimde yorumluyor. Oysa orada bahsedilen açık, Allah’ın hükümleriyle hükmetmemiz gerekiyor. Başka bir yorum, Mülk Allah’a aittiri mülk de halkındır yani sermaye bir sınıfın değil halkındır olarak yorumluyor. Oysa burada da mesele açık: Bütün mülkler Allah tarafından insanlara bahşedilmiştir ve insanlar geçici olarak bunları kullanmaktadırlar. Fakat bu durum özel mülkiyetin olmadığı anlamına değil, mutlak anlamda mülkiyetin olmadığı, Dünyevi bir değere bu kadar anlam atfedilmemesi gerektiğini vurgulamaktadır. Bunun gibi çeşitli aşırı yorumlardan söz edilebilir.

Neticede, Şeriati'nin bu kitapta İslam'a dair önemli sosyolojik tespitlerde bulunduğunu, her ne kadar kimi zaman aşırı yorumlarda bulunsa da kritik bir okuma yapılarak bu kitaptan istifade edilebileceğini düşünüyorum.

[Kamran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ali Shariati, a pure genius of his own!

This book reminded me of Anayatullah Mashriqi's Tazkira in its context.

Based on lectures with different titles, Commencing with the methodological approach of understanding Islam to The Ideal Man of Isalm.

Ali Shariati, An Iranian Intellectual socialist enunciated a separate outlook of the events i read before i.e Cain and Abel. And also drew his "2 dimensional (stages)" ideological structure of Socialism:
1. The Pole of Cain (The ruler= king, owner, Aristocracy )
2. The Pole of Abel ( The ruled= God. the People)
Unlike Marx with 7 stages: Primitive Socialism, Slavery, Serfs, Feudal System, Bourgeoisie, Proletarian and Dialectical War where Classless Society evolves.

A piece from his lecture on 'Ideal Man in Islam'

"Ideal man passes through the very rnidst of nature and cornes to understand God; he seeks out mankind and thus attainS God. He does not bypass nature and turn his back on mankind. He holds the sword of Caesar in his hand and he has the heart of Jesus in his breast. He thinks with the brain of Socrates and loves God with the heart of I-lallaj. As Alexis Carrel desired, he is a man who understands the beauty of science arid the beauty of God; he listens to the words of Pascal and the words of Descartes.
Like the Buddha, he is delivered from the dungeon of pleasure-seeking and egoisnv, like Lao Tse, he reflects on the profundity of his pritnordial nature; and like Confucius, he Ineditates on the fate of society. Like Spartacus, he is a rebel against slaveowners, and like Abu Dharr, he scatters the seed for the revolution of the hungry. Like Jesus, he bears a message of love and reconciliation, and like Moses, he is the messenger of jihad and deliverance."

"He is not a man who has been formed by his environment; on the contrary, it is he who has formed his environment. He has delivered himself from all the forms of compulsion that constantly press down upon man and impose their stereotypes on him by means of science, technology, sociology and self- awareness, through faith and awareness. He is free of the compulsion of nature and heredity, the compulsion of history, the cotnpulsion of society and environment; guided by science and technology, he has freed himself from these three prisons. As for the fourth prison, that of the self, he has liberated himself from it by means of love. He has rebelled against the ego, subdued it and refashioned it."

[inside an airport · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shariati is one of the most predominant intellectuals in modern Iranian history. Almost all his works have been written in Farsi for the Iranians whom at time were living under the US-backed neo-colonial regime of the Shah. His death was under extreme suspicious circumstances in London. Taking into account that he was imprisoned and persecuted by the Shah’s secret police while he was living in Iran.

The book is a collection of his lectures on Sociological aspects of Islam, Islamic philosophy and Quranic stories. Sharati’s aim wasn’t to describe Islam to other academics. Rather his audience is young Iranian students who are fed up with the brutality of American puppet regime of the Shah. Majority of young people in pre-revolutionary Iran were thirsty to dig deeper into the roots of Iranian Islamic tradition/identity to understand their struggle. Shariati’s lectures was the best way for them to connect the dots between Islamic tradition and it’s resistance to forceful westernization (and neo-colonization) of Iran.

This was the first English translation of Shariati that I read. Great work by Hamid Algar on translation.

[Ali Akbar Madraswala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ali Shariati's ability to explain grand, deep and insightful thinking in simple language is a skill lost to many great intellectuals. Islam is a beautiful religon. Ali explains history as a continuous movement of time and Islam's meaning, view and deliverance in the history of the world. Ali reveals the value,Islam gives to creation and places the human being as the Crown of God's creation. Our ability to experience creation is in effect testament to the majesty of our creation. Ali's thinking is perceptive towards creator and creation. A cure from our overbearing trust on science and a reminder for continuous struggle to unveiling the purpose of life.

[Yvonne O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a compilation of some of Shariati's most famous and important lectures. As one of the most important voices of Islam in Iran in the 1970's, his voice and opinions are crucial to an understanding of modern-day Persia. Shariati makes the argument that Islam is the only (perfect) religion for a free and independent man. By using philosophy and history, he carefully goes through his proof for this assertion.

Although I am on the opposite spectrum from what these writings advocate, this was easy to understand and follow. I appreciated he methodical approach to the topic and the categorization of all possible modes of thinking in comparison. It is clear to see who these writings would have influenced people to revolt, but equally clear that his is an "ideal" rather than a truly attainable reality.

[Aly Lakhani]

An Amazing book, I only wish I had time to read it over and over again, because such fresh thinking is very rare. Although there are some problematic concepts which the translator points out, it does not diminish the value of the message.

[Ilmi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Melalui buku ini aku menangkap kesan kerinduan mendalam Syariati kepada keislamannya, sekaligus upaya pembaruan pendekatan terhadap pemahaman Islam. Syariati memaparkan bahwa agama bukan hanya monopoli para ruhaniawan, melainkan seorang rakyat kecil yang tidak pernah memiliki kesempatan mendalami agama melalui sekolah keagamaan juga berhak memaknai sendiri bagaimana Islam itu melalui sejarah dan kitab sucinya.

Syariati membawakan tema-teman keislaman yang disajikan dengan pemaparan sosiologi sejarah kontemporer. Sebagimana yang ia yakini bahwa agama Islam penuh dengan bahasa2 simbolik untuk dapat menembus sekat2 zaman, ia mencoba memberikan penafsiran2 qur'an melalui pendekatan sosiologi sejarah kontemporer.

Sebagaimana yang diharapkan dari seorang yang juga berangkat dari Matsnawi Rumi dan mengenyam pendidikan sastra, saya cukup menyukai ungkapan2 metaforis puitis yang ia sajikan sebagai tambahan kepada paparan2nya. Namun dalam beberapa titik, saya merasa justru Syariati terikat oleh simbol2 yang puncak ketidaksetujuan saya adalah melalui penyamaan sistem hidup Qabil-Habil dengan borjuis-proletar berdasarkan sosialisme jenis pekerjaan tani-gembala, sementara dalam pandangan saya jika mengambil kerangka pemikiran Ali Syariati yang sosialistis (menghendaki hak kepemilikian umum, bukan pribadi), baik pertanian maupun penggembalakan keduanya dapat dilangsungkan secara kolektif bersama2 maupun dengan sistem kepemilikan pribadi.

Saya juga menangkap kesan kemiripan Pandangan Tauhid yang dipaparkan dengan Roh Absolut dari GWF Hegel, yang menganggap alam seluruhnya adalah satu kesatuan universal, sementara organ2 di dalamnya seperti organ2 dalam sebuah makhluk hidup, yang meskipun berbeda, tetaplah juga satu kesatuan dalam tubuh alam yang memiliki kesadaran dan intelektualitas.

Ceramah2 ini dibawakan secara singkat dan tidak begitu berat. Itu satu poin positif lainnya. Namun sekali lagi saya tidak menemukan daftar rujukan atas ucapan2 yang dituturkan Ali Syariati dalam memaparkan pandangan tokoh2 lainnya. Kenapa daftar pustaka itu penting? Sebab bagi saya, daftar pustaka merupakan sebuah jejak akademik, sehingga ketika saya bilang, "dalam pandangan si anu.." saya tidak asal klaim "menjual ketokohan" orang lain, melainkan benar2 bisa dilacak asal gagasan tersebut berasal dari mana.

Yang paling saya sukai, tafsir2 kontemporernya cukup ekstrem dan out of the box. Merci!

[Brumaire Bodbyl-Mast · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quite thought provoking work, which while occasionally holding some questionable views of certain historical trends, merely uses those views, which are commonly held anyway, to illustrate its points beautifully.

[Syeda Momina. · Rating 4 out of 5]

brilliant.

[Faisal Jamal · Rating 4 out of 5]

مقاربة اجتماعية انثروبولوجية لمعرفة الاسلام حسب شريعتي

[Sherwin]

It is not scientifically so sound nowadays. but still a key text to understand the ideologies lead to Islamic revolution of Iran.

[Nanto]

Nama penulis buku ini terbaca Ali Syariati

[Imran Rasid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting thought in his time. But to be honest, some of the proposals and criticisms can be problematized today.

[ALI · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a compilation of dr. Shari'ati's lectures which covers some social-logical perspective of Islam