A magazine on Islamic Revival

7/26/2019 A magazine on Islamic Revival

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AW

AKE

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ISLAM

ICMuhammadAbduhsLife

Islamic

Awakening

in the

QuranicTeachings

The Ideal of the Islamic

Revolution: Identifcation and

Awakening of the Muslim World

2

7

14

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Managing Editor: Dr. Mahdi Goljan

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Muhammad Abduhs Thoughts

Islamic Awakening:From Wave to PowerParadigm

Leader: The PresentEra Is an Era ofAwakening


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MuhammadAbduhs Life

Compiled by Ibrahim Ali Khani

Abduh attendedthe Mosque Schoolin Tanta andsubsequently al-

Azhar Universityin Cairo, receivingthe degree of alim

(scholar) from thelatter in 1877.

After an earlyinfatuation withmysticism, in 1872he was inuencedby Jamaladdin

Assadabdi, therevolutionary pan-

Islamic preacherof Persian originwho had settledin Cairo andwho stimulated

Abduhs interestin theology,

philosophy, andpolitics.

T

he Egyptian reformerand Muslim apologist

Muhammad Abduh wasborn in 1849, Nile Delta area,Egypt and passed away on July11, 1905, near Alexandria. Hewas a religious scholar, jurist,and liberal reformer, who led thelate 19th-century movement inEgypt and other Muslim countriesto revitalize Islamic teachingsand institutions in the modernworld. As mufti (Islamic legalcounsellor) for Egypt (from1899), he effected reforms inIslamic law, administration, andhigher education and, althoughresisted by conservatives, brokethe rigidity of some ritual anddogma.

Abduh attended the MosqueSchool in Tanta and subsequentlyal-Azhar University in Cairo,receiving the degree of alim(scholar) from the latter in1877. After an early infatuationwith mysticism, in 1872 he

was inuenced by JamaladdinAssadabdi, the revolutionary pan-Islamic preacher of Persian originwho had settled in Cairo and whostimulated Abduhs interest intheology, philosophy, and politics.

Although he was a pupil andfriend of Jamaladdin Asadabadiand deeply inuenced by

him, Abduh was less inclinedto political activism andconcentrated on religious, legal

and educational reform.In punishment for his politicalactivities, Assadabadi was

expelled from Egypt in 1879and Abduh was exiled to his

village, but the next year Abduhsfortunes changed. He becameeditor of the governmentsofcial gazette, which he made a

platform for preaching resistanceto Anglo-French politicalencroachment and the need forsocial and religious reform. Hewas implicated in Urabi Pashasrebellion against foreign controlin 1882 and, following the Britishmilitary occupation of Egypt,was exiled. Rejoining Assadabadiin Paris for several months in1884, Abduh helped his mentorpublish the revolutionary journalal- Urwat alwuthqa (The FirmestBond), which was smuggled toEgypt, India, and elsewhere.After brief visits to England andTunisia, Abduh settled for threeyears in Beirut and taught in anIslamic college there.

In 1888 Abduh was permittedto return to Egypt, where he

began a judicial career thatspanned the rest of his life. Hewas appointed a judge in theNational Courts of First Instance,then in 1891 at the Court ofAppeal; in 1899, he became muftiof Egypt. In the latter post heeffected several reforms in theadministration of Islamic lawand of religious endowments.He also issued advisory opinionsto private petitioners, including

such controversially liberaljudgments as the permissibilityof eating meat slaughtered by

2 ISLAMICAWAK E N I N G

No. 9, December 2013


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Christian and Jewish butchers.Abduh also lectured at al-Azharand, against much conservativeopposition, induced reformsin the administration andcurriculum of that ancientinstitution. He established abenevolent society that operatedschools for poor children.

He served on the LegislativeCouncil, preaching politicalcooperation with Britain and along-term effort to bring aboutlegal and educational reformsin Egypt; these views, differingmarkedly from those he hadespoused earlier in life underAssadabadis inuence, earned

him the approval of Lord Cromer,the British Resident, but alsothe hostility of the khedive(ruling prince) Abbas Hilmi and

of the nationalist leader MustafaKamil. Late in life Abduh learned

French and pursued an interest inEuropean thought.

AchievementsIn addition to his numerous

articles in the ofcial gazette

and al-Urwat al-wuthqa, Abduhsmost important writings includedRisalat at-tawhid (Treatise

on the Oneness of God); apolemic on the superiority ofIslam in its inherent receptivityto science and civilization; anda fragmentary commentary onthe Quran, completed after hisdeath by a disciple. In theologyAbduh sought to establishthe harmony of reason andrevelation, the freedom of thewill, and the primacy of theethical implications of religiousfaith over ritual and dogma. He

deplored the blind acceptance oftraditional doctrines and customs

and asserted that a return to thepristine faith of the earliest ageof Islam not only would restorethe Muslims spiritual vitality butwould provide an enlightenedcriterion for the assimilation ofmodern scientic culture.

In matters of Islamic law,which governed Muslim family

relationships, ritual duties, andpersonal conduct, Abduh triedto break through the rigidities ofscholastic interpretation and topromote considerations of equity,welfare, and common sense,even if this occasionally meantreinterpretation of the literaltexts of the Quran. From hisdeath to the present day, Abduhhas been widely revered as thechief architect of the modernreformation of Islam.

Ibrahim Ali Khani is a PhDstudent at Pune University, India.

Al-Azhar

Universit

y

ISLAMIC 3AWAK E N I N G



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Renaissanceof Political

IslamBy: Ahmad F. Islam




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A

bduh favorably embracethe ideas of modernity,

which principally gearedto the advancement of Muslimsociety. The basic foundationof modern ideal proposedby him was largely groundedin rationalism, liberalism,nationalism and universalism ofIslam. Abduh believed the rigidstructures of Islamic culture wereholding back what was essentiallya logical and uid religion.

The practice of Islam isessentially rooted in ontologicalpremise of rational and logicaltruth and its teaching is lucid andclear for common understandingand comprehension. He craftedessential framework for reformclamoring for change andadvocating a more modernconception of Islam, makingsignicant effort to enlighten

classical tradition and ideas. Thestruggle represents his ground forrevival of Islamic ideals in modern

society, and the expansion offreedom and the renaissance ofpolitical Islam.

Abduh advocated the necessityto accept modernity founded inIslamic construct and civilization,for it is only as Islam is reformedto agree with modern conditions,it is believed, that its truecharacter as a world religionwill be apparent.(C.C. Adams,204). Abduhs modern ideals and

inspirations can be seen fromvarious impacts he made in theeld of tafsir (exegesis), hadith

(tradition), philosophy, science,aqidah (Islamic theology),traditional ruling and commentaryand modern Islamic movement, asclearly mentioned by MuhammadAsad in his explanation of theQuran: His importance in thecontext of the modern world ofIslam can never be sufciently

stressed. It may be statedwithout exaggeration that everysingle trend in contemporary

Islamic thought can be tracedback to the inuence, direct or

indirect, of this most outstandingof all modern Islamic thinkers.The Quran commentary plannedand begun by him was interruptedby his death in 1905; it wascontinued (but unfortunatelyalso left incomplete) by hispupil Rashid Rida under the titleTafsir al-Manar, and has beenextensively used by me.

Abduhs formidable work inespousing his modernist ideasis Tafsir al-Manar, his greatestlegacy and contribution inexposing modern and rationalinterpretation of the Quran.Abduh believed that it was notonly possible but imperative toshow how modern values andinstitutions could be reconciledwith authentically Islamic ideals.His inclusivity in taking moreconciliatory and evolutionaryapproach characterized hisworldview and principle outlook

of modernism, with strongconviction that adopting theWestern ideals will liberatethe Muslim from stagnation,decadence and backwardness,leading the ways to reap thebenet of science and technology.

Modern Reform MovementInaugurated by AbduhMuhammad Abduh is the

rst advocate and pioneer

of Islamic reform in Egyptand a great modernist of the20th century with immensecontribution in the revival andreform of Islamic intellectualthought and movement. Theprinciple characteristic of reformmovement inaugurated byAbduh was chiey determined

by three individuals, whoare chiey responsible for

this movement: Jamal al-DinAssadabadi, Muhammad Abduhand Muhammad Rashid Rida.

They have direct inuence




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in the reform plan, and determine tofurnish signicant and vital inuence

to realize its objective, sharing thecommon platform and commitment to:(1) reproduce the genuine and mostcharacteristic of religious ideas, in itsinward and outward form; (2) reformthe religious conception of Islam andrevive the religious practices and beliefsof the Muslims of to-day; (3) emphasisupon the direct study and exegesis of theQuran rather than the ponderous tomesof theology, in order that faith mightbe derived from its proper source (4)to bring the dogmas of theology withinthe comprehension of the commonpeople; (5) ght against the bidah and

corruption of to-day; (6) reclaimedthe right of independent investigation(ijtihad) and went back to rst sources

and principles in everything.The idea of reform has been

germinated and magnied from his

encounter with Europe, and the dynamicinuence he received from the leading

exponent of Pan Islam, Jamal al-dinAssadabadi. (Youssef Michael 1985, 54)

Assadabadi, the revivalist and greatreformist from Asadabad, was describedas the Socrates of the (modernist)movement (Zaki Badawi 1978, 7) andthe Awakener of the East, seeks tointegrate the entire ummah and torevive and crafted the political destinyof Islam.

During his campaign in Egypt, India,Sudan, Iran and Istanbul he called forsocial reform and independent thinkingand the dismantling of taqlid (blind

following or emulation) which has beenpervasive in the traditional norms ofMuslim society. Assadabadi violentlycritic the colonial agenda in the East,as stated in his famous and momentousjournal, al-Urwatul-Wuthqa: TheEnglish deny the wealth of India to theIndians. They take it as their own simplybecause the Indians are weaker thanthemselves. He also rejected the notionof European

supremacy, and the notorious tacticof imperialist to control the sourcesand wealth of the conquered land,by their deceitful propaganda and

machinery: All the scientic gains and

whatever good these (Western) nations

(civilizations) have, if weighed againstthe wars and sufferings they cause,the scientic gains would undoubtedly

prove to be too little and the wars andsufferings too great. Such a progress,civilization and science in this fashionand with these results are undilutedignorance, sheer barbarism and totalsavagery. Man in this respect is lowerthan animal. (Ana Belen Soage 2008,1). Abduh was greatly inuenced by

Assadabadis profound aspiration, andbecame his arduous supporter andstudent, trying to emulate his voice andcharacter, and expanding his effort andstruggle. Abduhs world of socio-politicalactivism has broaden his philosophicalenquiry to embrace philosophy, theology,law, social and political science andmysticism, which strengthen his resolveto reinterpret classical Islamic text andespoused radical change and reformin al-Azhar. This was partly inspiredby the creative and dynamic ideas ofAssadabadi, in instilling and proclaiming

to his students, the urgency of resistingEuropean intervention in the life oftheir country and the importance ofseeing the Islamic peoples as one unied

community.

Ahmad F. Ismail is a member ofKulliyyah of Engineering, InternationalIslamic University Malaysia.

ReferencesAdams, Charles. C. 1929. Mohammed

Abduh: The Reformer, Moslem World,xix, Jan, 266. Adams, C. C. 2010. Islamand Modernism in Egypt: A Study of theModern Reform MovementInauguratedby Muhammad Abduh. Kuala Lumpur:Islamic Book Trust.

Ana Belen Soage. 2008. Rashid RidasLegacy The Muslim World. vol. 28.

The Open Press.Youssef, Michael. 1985. Revolt Against

Modernity: Muslim Zealots and the West.Leiden, The Netherlands: E.J. Brills.

Zaki Badawi. 1978. The Reformers ofEgypt: A Critique of al-Afghani, Abduhand Ridha. N.p.:




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Abduhs best-known

writings are a theologicaltareatise, Risalat al-tawhid (translated into English asThe Theology of Unity), and anunnished Quranic commentary,

Tafsir al-manar (The ManarCommentary), on which hecollaborated with Rashid Rida.One of the key themes of theseworks is that since modernity isbased on reason, Islam must becompatible with it. But Abduhsmodernism went hand in handwith returning to an idealizedpast, and his rationalism wastempered by a belief in divinetranscendence which limits thescope of intellectual inquiry. Inethics as in theology, he regardedthe classical debates as arid anddivisive, although on the issuesof free will and moral law hisposition was in fact similar tothat of the Mutazila.

Faith and ReasonAbduh trained as an alim

(religious scholar) at al-Azhar

where, under Seyed Jamalsinuence, he developed aninterest in Islamic philosophyand a revulsion for traditionalteaching methods whichencouraged taqlid, theacceptance of received opinionin certain religious issues. Therational liberalism which heimbibed from Seyed Jamal was,however, only one facet of histhought. In his youth he wasdrawn to Susm and, despite his

subsequent attacks on popularsuperstition, he seems never tohave lost his respect for thosewho in some conditions haveaccess in part to the ultimatemysteries and true insights intothe visionary world (Risalatal-tawhid, in Musaad and Cragg1966: 97) (see Mystical philosophyin Islam). A third inuence - the

one which is dominant in theRisalat al-tawhid (The Theology

of Unity) and the Tafsir al-manar(The Manar Commentary) - is that

of Hanbalite teachings. Abduhhad

an unrest desire to purify Islamof later accretions and returnto the essentials of the faith aspracticed by the rst generations

of Muslims.Abduh believed that Islam was

the one true religion based onreason and revelation, but thatin the course of time some ofIslamic teachings had becomedistorted by various extrinsicfactors. For instance, whereasthe Quran fosters the scientic

spirit by directing man to inquirerationally into the workingsof the universe, the Islamicphilosophers had uncriticallyaccepted the theories of matterand physics propounded by Platoand Aristotle, with the resultthat the Islamic world had cometo lag behind Europe in scienceand technology. His rejectionof Greek philosophy in favor ofmodern science was, however,

only partial. He accepted thedistinction between necessary

Muhammad Abduhs ThoughtsBy Neal Robinson




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being, possible things andimpossible things, using it toprove the existence of God. Healso accepted the distinction

between essences and accidents,arguing that reason gives usknowledge of the latter butnot of the former. A corollaryof this is that it is pointless fortheologians to argue about thedivine attributes because wecannot know their nature.

EthicsOn the issue of free will versus

predestination, Abduhs startingpoint is the recognition that the

man of sound mind is conscious ofacts which stem from his volition:

He weighs them and theirconsequences in his mind andevaluates them in his will, andthen effectuates them by an

inward power. To deny any of thiswould be tantamount to a denialof his existence itself, so opposedwould it be to rational evidence.(Risalat al-tawhid, in Musaad andCragg 1966: 62)

However, Abduh is equallyinsistent that all events in theworld are ordered by God inaccordance with his knowledgeand will.

In discussing the moral law,Abduh again begins with an

appeal to common sense, arguingthat we have no difculty in

recognizing our voluntary actionsas good or bad in themselves orby reference to their particularor general consequences.

In matters of right andwrong, rational proof will notobviate conict because people

differ in intelligence, thevast majority being unable tounderstand Platonic philosophyor Aristotelian logic. Moreover,because of its stress on Godspleasure and wrath, religion hasa greater impact on ordinary folkthan the moralists claim thatsome acts are benecial and

others harmful. In any case there

are some elements of the Quranicrevelation which could not be




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known by unaided reason. Theseinclude the certainty of the

afterlife, and the various ritualprescriptions.All this is far-removed from

the traditional Asharite position.It is possible that here Abduhwas inuenced by Mutazilism

as mediated by Seyed Jamalsthoughts based in Shiism, orless probably that we shoulddetect the inuence of Kantian

philosophy. There seems littledoubt, however, that his ethicalthinking was molded by the needsof apologetics. This is particularlyclear in his essay on Islam andChristianity, in which he repliedto Hanotaux, a French cabinetminister who had contrastedthe Semitic mentality of Islam- with its transcendentalism,predestinarianism and contemptfor individuals - with the Aryanhumanism of Christianity, whichthrough the Trinity raised humandignity to that of God.

List of WorksAbduh, M. (1874) Risalat

al-waridat (Treatise of MysticalInspirations), Cairo.

Abduh, M. (1876) Hashiyyaala sharh al-Dawwani li l-aqaidal-adudiyya (Gloss on DawwanisCommentary on the Sentences ofAdud al-Din al-Iji), Cairo.

Abduh, M. (1897) Risalat al-tawhid (The Theology of Unity),

Cairo; trans. I. Musaad and K.Cragg, The Theology of Unity,London: George Allen & Unwin,1966. (One of Abduhs majorworks on philosophical theology.)

Abduh, M. (1902) al-Islamwa-l-nasraniyya maa al-ilmwa l-madaniyya (Islam andChristianity in Relation to Scienceand Civilization), Cairo.

Abduh, M. and Rida, M.R.(1927-36) Tafsir al-Quran al-hakim (Commentary on the WiseQuran), Cairo. (Commentary onthe Wise Quran usually referred

to as Tafsir al-manar because itoriginally appeared in instalments

in the journal al-Manar).

ReferencesAbu Rabi, I. (1996) The Arab

World, in S.H. Nasr and O.Leaman (eds) History of IslamicPhilosophy, London: Routledge,ch. 64, 1082-1114. (Detaileddescription of the various ways inwhich modern Arabic philosophyhas responded to the issues ofmodernity and Westernization.)

Adams, C.C. (1933) Islam andModernism in Egypt, London:Oxford University Press. (Classicwork, unsurpassed despite itsearly date.)

Amin, O. (1944) MuhammadAbduh essai sur les idesphilosophiques et religieuses(Muhammad Abduh, Essay onhis Philosophical and ReligiousIdeas), Washington, DC. (Englishtranslation of the standard Arabicbiography.)

Badawi, M.A.Z. (1978) TheReformers of Egypt, London:Croom Helm. (Critical analysis byan Egyptian scholar of the viewsof al-Afghani, Abduh and Rida.)Hourani, A. (1983) Arabic Thoughtin the Liberal Age 1798-1939,Cambridge: Cambridge UniversityPress. (Devotes only thirty pagesspecically to Abduh, but strongly

recommended for anyone whowishes to situate his work in its

historical context.)Jomier, J. (1954) Lecommentaire coranique duManar: tendances modernes delexgse coranique en gypte(The Manar Commentary onthe Quran: Modern Trends inQuranic Exegesis in Egypt),Paris: Maisonneuve. (Painstakingthematic analysis of the Quraniccommentary by a FrenchDominican; particularly valuablebecause of the way in which itdistinguishes between the viewsof Abduh and Rida.)

It is possible thatAbduh was inuencedby Mutazilism asmediated by Seyed

Jamals thoughtsbased in Shiism, orless probably thatwe should detect the

inuence of Kantianphilosophy. Thereseems little doubt,however, that hisethical thinking wasmolded by the needsof apologetics. Thisis particularly clearin his essay on Islam

and Christianity, inwhich he replied toHanotaux, a Frenchcabinet minister whohad contrasted theSemitic mentalityof Islam - with itstranscendentalism,

predestinarianismand contempt forindividuals - with the

Aryan humanism ofChristianity, whichthrough the Trinityraised human dignityto that of God.




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Abduh is a strong

advocate of womensrights. His struggle

for the education of womenand reforms on their behalf(Charles Adams, 232) hadsignicant impact on many greatMuslim idealists and reformistssuch as Zainal Arin Abbas,(Azyumardi Azra 2002, 184-5)Qasim Amin (1863-1908), ZainalAbidin Ahmad (1895-1973),Syed Sheikh Ahmad al-Hadi

(1867-1934), Syeikh MuhammadTahir Jalaluddin (1869-1956)

and others. Abduhs principal

struggle was to correct themisconceptions of the status ofwomen among Muslim society(zanariah Noor, 2007) and reformthe law relating to Egyptianfamily life, emancipation ofwoman, and uplifting theirstatus and rights. (CharlesAdams, 232). He maintained thatmen and women are equal inrights and duties; they are alsoequal in reason, feelings and

sense of self. Many inuentialfatwa (legal opinion) issued

GenderEqualityBy Abdi O. Shuriye




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by Abduh in Fatawa al-Manar(Charles Adams, 205) conrm

and strengthen this notionwhene he spoke out stronglyfor family reform and the rightsof women, championing issuesregarding the status and positionof women, and espoused hisstand on polygamys issues, andpropose rulings to enhance theposition of women in politicsand society. (Zanariah Noor2007).

Abduh also spoke relentlessly

about the nature of Islamicfeminism which he distinguishedfrom the Western-stylefeminism. It was a genuineframework based on Islamicmodel which he ideallyconstructed according to thespirit of the Quran and Sunnah.His struggle to uphold the rightof women was meticulouslypropounded by Dr. Ahmad FaroukMusa in his article entitled

Feminism through the lens ofIslamists: It was in the late19th and early 20th centuriesthat the struggle for what isknown as feminism started in theMuslim world. And it was fromthe work of one exceptionallybrilliant man that this movementhad spread across the Muslimcontinents and reached theshores of our country. Thisexceptional man was MuhammadAbduh. (Farouk Musa,2011).

Abduh advocates thoroughreform in legal sphere, whichaffects the rights of Muslimwomen. He consistentlyupheld the dignity and equalrights of women and man andmaintained that polygamy wasonly permissible when equaljustice and impartiality wereguaranteed. He concluded thatconsidering the impossibilityof achieving this, the Quranicideal must be monogamy. Thiswas practically consistent with

the texts highest and ultimateaim to preserve equality. It was

a signicant moral foundation ofthe Quran, which he skillfullyarticulated in Tafsir al-Manar:God has ordained that the basisof His legislation (concerningmarriage) is the condition thatone keep far from injustice. Thisconrms the fact that justiceis enjoined as a condition andthat duty consists in thrivingfor it. Polygamy is like one ofthose necessities which are

permitted to the one to whomit is allowed (only) with thestipulation that he act fairly withtrustworthiness and that he isimmune from injustice. In viewof this restriction, when onenow considers what corruptionresults from polygamy in moderntimes, then one will know forcertain that people cannot betrained so that their remedy liesin polygamy, since, in a family

which a single man has twowives; no benecial situationand no order prevails. (Farouk,2011).

Abdi O. Shuriye is a memberof Kulliyyah of Engineering,International Islamic UniversityMalaysia.

References

Azyumardi Azra. 2002.Jaringan Global dan Lokal IslamNusantara. Bandung: Mizan.

Adams, Charles. C. 1929.Mohammed Abduh: theReformer, Moslem World, xix,Jan, 266.

http://en.harakahdaily.net/index.php/columnist/ahmad-farouk-musa/388-feminism-through-thelens-of-islamists.html.

Zanariah Noor. 2007. GenderJustice and Islamic Family Law,Kajian Malaysia, 40:4, 512-

517.

Abduh also spokerelentlessly aboutthe nature of Islamicfeminism which hedistinguished fromthe Western-stylefeminism. It was agenuine frameworkbased on Islamic

model which he ideallyconstructed accordingto the spirit of theQuran and Sunnah.His struggle to upholdthe right of womenwas meticulouslypropounded by Dr.Ahmad Farouk Musain his article entitled

Feminism throughthe lens of Islamists:It was in the late19th and early 20thcenturies that thestruggle for what isknown as feminismstarted in the Muslimworld. And it wasfrom the work of oneexceptionally brilliantman that this movementhad spread across theMuslim continents andreached the shoresof our country. Thisexceptional man wasMuhammad Abduh.(Farouk Musa,2011).




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Abduhs Contributions to

ModernityBy: Ahmad N. Amir




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The reform movement

inaugurated by ShaykhMuhammad Abduhin Egypt had signicantlycontributed to reforming andliberating the educationalsystem, and reviving thereligious ideals and thoughts.His work and struggle hasbrought unprecedentedchange in legal, social, andpolitical structures of Egypt,and helped to revitalize

modern Islamic aspiration.The modern worldview heprojected had signicantimpact on engineering theforce of rational spirit andreviving modern and liberalideas and contributing todynamic change in social,cultural, educational, politicaland religious paradigms ofmodern Egypt.

Educational Reform

Abduhs passion for reformhad begun to develop atAhmadi Mosque, Tantaand Jami al-Azhar, Cairo.The encounter with theconservative system oflearning inspired him toundertake reforms andembark on transforming theobsolete curricula where: thestudents were to read texts,their commentaries, theglosses on the commentaries,and the superglosses on theglosses, (Amin, Uthman1953, 3) without criticalanalysis and comprehension.He introduced groundbreakinginitiatives to systematize theteaching classes, syllabus andmethod of learning, capableof competing with scienticstyles of Western education.He included relevant ethical

and moral disciplines,

science, philosophy, history

and other classical literarytraditions in his style. Abduhsstrategic focus to endeavorand undertake change atal-Azhar institution washighlighted by Yvonne Haddadin an article on Abduhsreform program: His rstexperience with learningby memorizing texts andcommentaries and laws forwhich he was given no tools of

understanding was formativein his later commitment toa thoroughgoing reform ofthe Egyptian educationalsystem. Shaykh MuhammadMustafa al-Maraghi describedthe condition of suchunmotivated learning activity:[Muhammad Abduh] grewup in a lusterless agehe,and others like him, went onstudying dull, lifeless rules cutoff from their wellsprings inthe Quran and the canonicalwritings, shorn of theirroots in the language of theArabs

In his letter to his Europeancompatriot, Abduh criticizedthe educational policyintroduced by Egyptiangovernment and administeredby the British. He tried toembark on reform initiativeand

transforming the wholestructure of curricula,fees, subject, and teachingcomponents as well asimproving basic necessitiesof schools and teachers.He emphasized the need touplift the level and standardof al-Azhar University: TheEgyptian government spendsonly two hundred thousandEgyptian pounds on education

out of an income of twelve

million pounds. It also keeps

raising schools fees to thepoint where education isbecoming a luxury thatornaments a few rich homesThere are only three schoolsfor higher education inEgypt: the schools of law,medicine and engineering.The other components ofhuman knowledge are deniedto the Egyptian who is onlysupercially exposed to some

of them in secondary schoolsThe governments plan seemsto be rst: to assist primaryschools where reading andwriting are taught. Second:reducing the spread ofeducation in the countryas much as possible. Third:limiting secondary and highereducation to very narrowcirclesI do not see what theBritish will gain from this. Onthe contrary, it should be inthe interest of the British tohave a strong and free nationin Egypt. The more wealthywe are, the richer the sourcethey draw upon. (Khoury,Nabil Abdo 1976, MuhammadImara 1972, 170-172).

Ahmad N. Amir is a memberof Kulliyyah of Engineering,International IslamicUniversity Malaysia.

References

Amin, Uthman. 1953. Mu-hammad Abduh. Translated byCharles Wendell. Washington,D.C.: n.p.

Khoury, Nabil Abdo. 1976.Islam and Modernizationin the Middle East: Muham-mad Abduh, An Ideology ofDevelopment (Ph.D. Thesis,State University of New York,

Albany).




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Islamic

Awakening:From Wave toPower Paradigm

By Mahdi Goljan (PhD)

Morteza Mutahari Ali Shariati Sayyid Qutb




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The rst sparks of new wave

of Islamic Awakening overthe past few years began

with the uprising of the Tunisianpeople against the dictatorshipof Zine El Abidine Ben Ali andsoon after engulfed a large partof the Middle East and North ofAfrica. These popular revolutions

in the Arabian and Africancountries, which led to the fall ofdictatorships of Hosni Mubarakin Egypt, Muammar Gadda in

Libya, Zine El Abidine Ben Aliin Tunisia, Ali Abdullah Saleh inYemen, caused many academictheories in the eld of humanities

to face serious challenges inaddition to causing a majorchange in the security and politicstructure of the Middle East and

North of Africa.Western and Zionist media

including BBC, CNN, Al-Jazeera,etc tried to prevent the spreadof Islamic Awakening phrasein the media literature by usingterms such as Arab Springor Arab Awakening. But theprudence of the Leader of theIslamic Revolution in usingand repeating the Islamic

Awakening term foiled theirplot. Time and again the Leaderdescribed the uprising of Muslimpeople in the Arab and Africancountries as Islamic Awakeningand inspired by the IslamicRevolution of Iran; for examplein a meeting with Palestinianresistance groups AyatollahKhamenei said, Today we are ina sensitive period, and if I wanttell you my take on the issue,

it is that the global arrogancecenters are making their last

efforts in countering the Islamicmovement, the real symbol ofwhich is the Islamic Republic,or said in his message to Hajjpilgrims that, the spread ofIslamic Awakening wave intodays world is a truth thatheralds a bright future for theIslamic Ummah. This powerful

uprising began three decades agowith the victory of the Islamicrevolution and the establishmentof the Islamic Republic, andout great nation has progressedand removed obstacles from itspath.

The wave of Islamic Awakeningis not limited to Muslim countriesin the Middle East and North ofAfrica, and has gradually spreadto European countries and even

the United States. A protestmovement has begun in the West,

The wave ofIslamic Awakeningis not limited to

Muslim countriesin the MiddleEast and North of

Africa, and hasgradually spreadto European

countries andeven the UnitedStates. A protestmovement hasbegun in theWest, Occupation

Movement, themost famous ofwhich is Occupy

Wall Street.Muhammad Rashid Rezaayyid Jamaluddin Assadabadi




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Occupation Movement, the mostfamous of which is Occupy Wall

Street. Thousands of people inthe European countries and theUS took to the streets in protestto economic problems, classdiscriminations and injustice oftheir rulers, demanding changeand reform.

Professor Joan Martos,the head of Islam and Arabdepartment of ComplutenseUniversity in Madrid, said inreference to these protests andmovements that, A new waveof approach towards Islam hasspread in the world. Even thepropaganda wave against Islam(Islamophobia) has led peopleto seek more information aboutIslam. Revolutions in the Arabcountries, that some call ArabSpring, shows that IslamicAwakening has spread in theworld and has even reachedthe Europe and the Westerncountries. This is what the global

Zionism is terried of.The movement that has swept

across many Arabian and Africancountries and has even fannedout to Europe and the US didnot take place overnight, it isrooted in a movement that wasfounded by Seyyed Jamal ad-Din Asadabadi more than 150years ago and has been referredto as the rst wave of Islamic

Awakening.

150 years ago, Seyyed Jamalsaid the only salvation for thepeople of the East, particularlyMuslims enslaved by thecolonialism was awakening,returning to the pure principlesand basics of Islam. Heconsidered the awakening ofMuslims from ignorance the onlyway of this-worldly and otherworldly salvation; a path thatleads to salvation in the materiallife on one hand and spiritualityon the other hand.

Seyyed Jamal introduced

several issues as the foundationsof Islamic Awakening which

are still ghting strategies forachieving independence, progressand development in the Muslimworld after more than onecentury. The rst pivot is ghting

despotism of dictators who ruleMuslim countries like pharaohs.The next step is returning tothe original Islam, an Islamwithout heresy and superstitionwhich also reviving the spirit ofJihad and ghting in the Islamic

society.The third step is ghting

foreign colonialism; colonialistsare one of the reasons ofunderdevelopment in Muslimcountries. Another point stressedby Seyyed Jamal and one ofthe issues of Islamic Awakeningis maintaining the unity in theMuslim world. Not only religiousbut also political unity in orderto form a united front againstcolonialism.

The second wave was initiatedby Imam Khomeini, the founderof the Islamic awakening, in the20th century and in the form ofIslamic revolution. The Islamicmovement of Imam Khomeiniwas the epitome of all Islamicmovements during the history ofIslam and Shiism and embodimentof all revolutionary ideals ofprevious movements.

Imam Khomeinis movement

had its roots in Madnat al-Nab (city of the prophet)

and the Islamic civilization,and revived the lost glory ofMuslims. By relying on originalIslamic theology and completeknowledge about Islamiccivilization and the situation ofMuslims and the latest ploys ofthe West, Imam Khomeini tried torevive Islam and carried out hismission in the best way possible.Religious and civilization modelof Imam Khomeini, which isrooted in Islamic teachings,

provides suitable responds tothe needs of humanity and its

comprehensiveness has enabledthis model of political Islam tocontinue on its path towardsrealization.

Currently the third wave ofIslamic Awakening has begun inthe Muslim world, a wave thathas targeted puppet regimescontrolled by colonialism and hasoverthrown many of them. Themost important characteristicof the third wave is that it hasoverthrown dictators who hadpowerfully ruled more than 30years through creating terror andfear, but their era came to anend in a few month after peoplelost their patience with them.

Given the current situationof the world and particularlygiven the increasing awarenessof the Muslims of the world, thewave is expected to form a newaspect of Islamic civilizationwith the support of the Islamic

revolution and turn into aparadigm for countering thedominant paradigm of the West,i.e. globalization.

The prominent aspectof Islamic Awakening andparticularly the third wave ispeoples move towards ghting

the hegemonic order and itspuppet governments, reformingand/or replacing it with agovernment based on Islamic

principles and democracy. Thethird wave of Islamic Awakeningheralds Muslims movementtowards establishing IslamicUmmah based on the theory ofpower paradigm.

Islamic Ummah is acomplicated concept comprisedof the various views ofcommentators during differentperiods that has not beenrealized except for the durationof Caliphate. This concepthas been mostly used duringthe contemporary era in the




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literature of idealistreformers in the Muslim

world such as SeyyedJamal ad-Din Asadabadi,and its literature hasbecome a commonconcept for certaintheoretic formulationsin political literature ofMuslim thinkers. Realizingthe concept of IslamicUmmah at rst requires

comprehensive theorizingand then executives whotry to materialize it in linewith developments in theMuslim world. Althoughrealizing the concept ofIslamic Ummah is difcult,

but acceleration in theformation of this frameworkis not implausible justas the people of theworld witnessed swiftdevelopments in the MiddleEast and Africa.

The concept of power

paradigm is different fromthe concept of power in thetheories of Thomas Cohnand Sheldon Wolin (Sattari,2011, 45, 73). The conceptof power paradigmis used in reference tostructure of dominantpower in the society (suchas the power paradigm ofthe Islamic Republic) andfor explaining the relation

of this power paradigmwith the society and socialforces.

According to thisapproach, everyparadigm has agency andunique structure and isincomparable to any otherpower paradigm. Theavant-garde of a powerparadigm, such as ImamKhomeini in the powerparadigm of the IslamicRepublic, is consideredits founder and also a

turning point in the historyof developments in the

society (such as Iranscontemporary society).The theories and ideas ofthe founder of a paradigmgradually form the coreor its structural causality.These theories andthoughts are interpretedand promoted by the maincommentators of this powerparadigm (Sattari, 2011,45, 73). Therefore, as themain agents of a powerparadigm, the founder ofthe paradigm and its maincommentators producenew values and explainthe content of structuralcausality or central coreof that paradigm basedon knowledge system,cognitive collection andtheir perceptions.

This knowledge systemhas a historic characteristic

and is on one hand underthe inuence of sources

such as tradition (like thetraditions of political Islamin the power paradigm ofIslamic Republic) and onthe other hand is affectedby the mental imagecaused by class structureof the main commentatorsof the power paradigm(such as class, social origin,

economic situation ofcommentators of the powerparadigm of the IslamicRepublic).

Islamic Revolution of Iranis the prime example ofthis denition. By founding

the Islamic Revolutionthrough using spiritualpower, Imam Khomeinidisrupted the structureof hegemonic order thathas been formed based onmaterial power and offereda new translation of power




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paradigm by using the conceptof just jurisprudence, causingdevelopments in the region andoutside of it.

In one of his speeches in 1982,Imam Khomeini said, We haverevived Islam, before there onlyremained a name from Islam butit was not the real Islam, theywanted to destroy Islam.

The importance of thisachievement is so great thatAyatollah Khomeini describedit as one of the two featsof revolution: The IslamicRevolution managed two greatfeats, one was establishing theIslamic system and the otherreviving Islamic identity in theworld.

Therefore every powerparadigm enforces a certainorder and certain model ofidentity and legitimacy in the

society which is compatible witha certain knowledge system,

cognitive system and perceptiveexperience of the founder andcommentators of that paradigmwhich distinguishes it from otherparadigms.

Power paradigm in Islam isconnected to Imam and theProphet. Its components arehizbollah (party of God) andJundallah. Although some mighthave prevented the possibilityof a favorable interpretation bymisrepresenting Jundallah andal-Qaeda, but misunderstandingdoes not always spoil the originand the essence.

Structural causalities of apower paradigm must be viewedas a structural whole whichrst, there are dynamic and

powerful relations between itscomponents and second, anychange in one component ofstructure will cause relative

transformation in other elementsof structural causalities because

of interrelation between thesecomponents (Sattari, 2011, 45,73).

In the current situation,power paradigm of the USand the Europe dominates theinternational arena. But thereare weak and marginal powerparadigms in various societiesparticularly in the Middle Eastand Africa some of which dependon the dominant power paradigmand some of them have risenagainst it.

Therefore according to thetheory of power paradigm it canbe said that Islamic Awakening isan agent for creating solidarityamong weak and marginalparadigms and forming a unitedpower paradigm according to thecharacteristics of Islamic Ummah.

The Islamic Awakeningmovement, comprised of

public and their authoritiesincluding reformers, elite and




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Structural cau-salities of a

power paradigmmust be viewedas a structuralwhole. First,there are dy-

namic and pow-erful relations

between its com-ponents and sec-

ond, any changein one compo-

nent of structurewill cause rela-tive transfor-

mation in otherelements of

structural cau-salities because

of interrelationbetween thesecomponents.

intellectuals, will engage in ahistoric and perpetual conict

with the dominant internationalparadigm in the form of theIslamic Awakening paradigm.This conict will be driven by a

demand to revive and reconstructthe Islamic civilization and willchallenge the dominant powerparadigm and its structure or

its desired order at least in theMiddle East.Needless to say, power

paradigm of the Islamic Ummahrequires founder or leaderswho will be turning point inthe history of social-politicaldevelopments of the Middle East(Just like the Islamic revolutionand the leadership of ImamKhomeini), and this founder andthe main commentators shouldexplain the identity structureand legitimacy of this powerparadigm within the frameworkof their own knowledge system.The founder and commentatorsof this power paradigm mustthink globally and according tothe Islamic civilization and haveno thoughts other than reform(against Quranic vices).

Structural base of this powerparadigm is a ethical societybased on monotheistic teaching

of Quran and its focal point iscreating justice, rationality,

knowledge and attention to thematerial and spiritual aspectsof the man. Islamic Awakeningseeks an Islamic solution to theproblems of Muslim countries;and seeks generosity, glory,politic and economy within itsIslamic culture and civilizationnot in other cultures andcivilizations.

Mahdi Goljan (PhD) is anassistant professor at TarbiatModarres University, Tehran.

SourcesSattari, Sadjad, Power

Paradigm as a New TheoreticalApproach and Alternative forTheories on Government andPolitical System, PoliticalSciences Journal, Vol. 6, No, 3,September 2011.

Tabatabaei, Mohammad Mohit,1973, Role of Seyyed Jamal al-DinAssadabadi in the Awakening ofthe East, Qum, Dar ul TablighIslami.

Malakotian, Mostafa, 2008,Reviewing the TheoreticalReasons of Islamic Revolution,Tehran, Tehran, IslamicCulture and Thought PublishersOrganiztion.

Alami Fariman, Hadi, Can

Islamic Ummah be Built Accordingto the Power Paradigm Theory?




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From the moment thatthe opponents of theoverthrown Egyptian

President Mohamed Morsi startedto gather on the streets andinsist on his ouster up to thepositive answer that the Egyptianmilitary gave to the oppositionsdemand by staging a coup againstMorsis government, the recentpolitical developments in Egyptcan be considered a majorturning point in the North Africancountrys political life since itsoriginal revolution triumphed onJanuary 25, 2011. This turningpoint, however, more than beingencouraging has been actually a

cause for concern.Apart from Mohamed Morsis

performance in ofce, which

has been characterized byvarious degrees of approval andopposition, the reality whichcannot be ignored is that he wasthe legal president of Egypt whohad come to ofce about a year

ago and following the countryspopular revolution through a freeelection whose healthiness hadbeen conrmed by all parties.

Therefore, it was not betting to

the Egyptian revolution to haveits new government, which hademerged out of peoples votes,overthrown only a short timeafter the revolution which endedthree decades of the military and

authoritarian rule of the countrysformer dictator, Hosni Mubarak.

However, it seems that the maindevelopment which paved theway for the Egyptian army tostage the coup was a phenomenonthat has more or less turnedinto an epidemic in the politicalatmosphere of Egypt followingthe rule of Mubarak. Thisphenomenon, which is rapidlyspreading not only in Egypt, butalso through other countries inthe Middle East and North Africa,is nothing but what the analystscall the street politics.

From about two and a halfyears ago, the streets in manyMiddle Eastern countries,which were once only a passing

route for various vehicles andpedestrian trafc, have turned

By Mohammad KhajoueiStreet Politicsin Middle East and North Africa




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into an effective elementthat has inuenced large-

scale political equations inmany countries of the MiddleEast, including Egypt. In fact,the widespread and colorfulpresence of people from varioustheoretical and political schoolson the streets and in the squaresof important Middle Eastern citieswas the main factor which madesuch dictatorial rulers as those ofEgypt (Hosni Mubarak) and Tunisia(Zine El Abidine Ben Ali) to stepdown after having been in powerfor many long years.

Although streets have playeda positive role in the overthrowof dictatorial regimes, they havegradually turned into an obstacleon the way of later developmentsin revolutionary countriesfollowing the victory of thepopular uprisings. It seems thatthe persistent presence of peopleon the streets for a diversity ofreasons is turning into a routine

development as everybody isreaching the conclusion thatthe street is the sole meanswhich can be used effectively toachieve their political goals.

Although streets are one ofthe most important public placeswhich can be used to bring uppeoples political and socialdemands, they can only playa positive role in the politicalprocess as long as they are not

used for the purpose of takingthe political process out of itsmain logical path, which is rivalryover power through legal andlawful means.

During recent days, however,a group of the Egyptian peoplesought to overthrow the countryslegal president by gatheringon the streets and they nally

achieved their goal. Thisdevelopment can be consideredthe climax of the phenomenonwhich is known as the streetpolitics. To make a long story

short, bringing the politicsonto the streets will amount

to total standstill of legal andinstitutional procedures thatare related to such politicaldevelopments as establishingand changing the government. Inthis state, people prefer to bringabout the aforesaid changes bygathering on the streets, whereemotions usually take precedenceover rationality.

All revolutions and democraticmovements can only bearfruit under conditions when

all the necessary institutionswhich give strength to and

protect democracy have beenestablished. One of the most

important pillars of democracyis the central role played bythe ballot boxes and electionsin determining or changingpeople who should run thepower institutions. Therefore,the overthrow of an electedgovernment, regardless of themotives and goals behind it, willbe a clear ignorance of legal andlawful processes which shouldguide the normal transfer ofpower. Bringing politics onto the

streets will act like a two-edgedsword. If today, the opponents of




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Morsi succeeded to achieve theirgoal through this means, theremay be a tomorrow when theywould be also deposed of powerthrough the same means.

Perhaps, one may accept theallegations by the opponentsof Morsi that he and theMuslim Brotherhood aimed

to monopolize the politicalpower and phase out all otherpolitical currents. However,even in that case, it does notseem that the path chosen byhis opponents to achieve theirgoal that is, to overthrowthe elected government by, infact, ignoring the importanceof election as an institution would be less harmful than theperformance of Morsi and the

Muslim Brotherhood. In otherwords, damages resulting fromstaging a coup against an electedgovernment and turning it intoa routine procedure will bemuch more destructive than theperformance of Morsi and theMuslim Brotherhood during thewhole period that they swayedthe political power.

One cannot claim to bepromoting democracy merelyon the ground that they arepursuing democratic motivesand goals. Although the goal is

the most important issue, theway one chooses to achievetheir goals is also very importantfrom a logical viewpoint. Themain damage during the latestpolitical developments in Egypthas been done to the election asan institution and to the centralrole of the ballot boxes. As aresult, it would be very difcultto restore that institution to itsoriginal state, forge nationalconsensus over it, and guaranteeeverybodys compliance withdemocratic mechanisms.

Bringing the politics ontothe streets, like what we havebeen witnessing in Egypt, willpresent various political playerswith a new model: that havingenough force in the faceoff on

the streets is the most importantfactor that inuences a countryspolitical processes. It goeswithout saying that there willbe no end to this process as allpolitical players will keep invitingtheir supporters to carry outstreet protests. In fact, the mostimportant outcome of this modelwill be nothing but an epidemicof anarchy and instability.

It seems that settling politicalscores on the streets has notremained limited to Egypt. Justa while ago, protesters in Turkey

took to the streets calling onthe government [of the PrimeMinister Recep Tayyip Erdogan] tostep down. Even now, a similarTamarod movement (meaningdisobedience in Arabic) hasbeen already launched in Tunisia,which pursues the declared goalof overthrowing the Tunisian

government and the ConstituentAssembly [National ConstituentAssembly (NCA)] both of whichare the results of free electionsin the North African country.

This article is by no meanstrying to defend the performanceof such Middle Easterngovernments as that of Morsi.However, it aims to provide aclear image of the new and greatproblem and challenge which is

currently facing the entire MiddleEast region. If an urgent solutionis not found for this problem,it will soon face the regionalmovements, which seek changein their respective countriesand aim to build law-abidingand democratic societies, withunimaginable challenges andrisks, and will bar them fromachieving their real goals.

Mohammad Khajouei hasMasters Degree in Middle EastStudies.




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The present era is an era of awakening, one in which Muslims can nd their true identity. The opposing

camp which cannot tolerate Islamic Awakening and the dignity of Muslims has entered the arena with all

its power and it is using all kinds of psychological, military, security, economic and propaganda tools to

suppress Muslims, make them inactive and busy them with trivial things.

AyatollahKhamenei,the Leader ofthe IslamicRevolution,delivered amessage tothis years Hajj

pilgrims. The following is the fulltext of this message issued onOctober 11, 2013.

In the Name of Allah, theBenecent, the MercifulAll praise is due to Allah, the

Lord of the Worlds and peaceand greetings be upon the Masterof Prophets and Messengersand upon his immaculate andpure household and chosencompanions.

The arrival of the Hajj seasonshould be regarded as the greatEid of the Islamic Ummah. Thegreat opportunity which theseprecious days provide for Muslimsthroughout the world is like a

miraculous elixir. If the value ofsuch days is appreciated and ifwe benet from such days in an

appropriate way, many of themaladies of the world of Islamwill be cured.

Hajj is the bubbling spring ofdivine blessings. Each and everyone of you happy pilgrims hasgained the opportunity to cleanseyour hearts and souls with thesereligious practices, which are full

of warmth and spirituality, andto collect many blessings for your

entire life by using this source ofmercy, dignity and power.

In this divine arena of self-edication you can expressyour humility before Allahthe Merciful, carry out theresponsibilities which have fallenon the shoulders of Muslims,show enthusiasm and dynamismin the affairs of the world andin your religious duties, offermercy and forgiveness when youinteract with Muslim brothers,demonstrate your courage anddetermination in the face ofdifcult events, become hopeful

about divine assistance in allarenas and, nally, build your

human character the way Muslimsshould.

When you are ornamentedwith these precious resourcesand when you have benetted

from them, then you can offeryourselves as gifts to yourcountry, your nation and theIslamic Ummah.

More than anything else, theIslamic Ummah needs individualswho can utilize thoughtsand actions as well as faith,sincerity and purity, who canshow resistance in the face ofthe spiteful enemies as well asexercising self-purication and

piety. This is the only way for theliberation of the great Muslimcommunity from the problemswhich have been created, either

by the enemy, or as a result ofthe lack of determination, faith

and foresight among Muslims.Muslims have suffered from these

things for a very long time.Without a doubt, the presentera is an era of awakening, onein which Muslims can nd their

true identity. This truth canbe easily discovered throughthe challenges which Muslimsare faced with. It is exactlyin such conditions that ourdetermination- which is based onfaith, reliance on God, foresightand wisdom- can help Muslimnations achieve victory againstthese challenges and bring abouta dignied and honorable fate for

Muslims.The opposing camp which

cannot tolerate IslamicAwakening and the dignity ofMuslims has entered the arenawith all its power and it isusing all kinds of psychological,military, security, economic andpropaganda tools to suppressMuslims, make them inactive and

busy them with trivial things.Taking a general look at

the conditions of West Asiancountries such as Pakistan,Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Palestineand countries surrounding thePersian Gulf, and North Africancountries such as Libya, Egypt,Tunisia, Sudan and a number ofother countries- reveals manytruths.

The existence of civil wars,

religious and denominationalprejudices and political

Leader: The Present EraIs an Era of Awakening




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instabilities, the prevalence ofcruel terrorism, the emergence

of extreme groups andorientations- which like savagetribes in history, cut open thechests of human beings andrip their hearts out with theirteeth- the emergence of armedmercenaries who kill women andchildren, cut off the heads ofmen and rape women and whodo such horrible and disgustingcrimes in the name of religion areall the products of the satanicand arrogant plots of foreignintelligence services and theirregional agents.

Such plots are implemented incountries in which the ground isprepared before-hand and as aresult, they create a disastroussituation for these nations andpeoples. In such conditions, itis clear that one cannot expectMuslim nations to remedytheir material and spiritualshortcomings and to achieve

security, welfare, scienticprogress and international dignitywhich are the results of achievingawakening and nding ones true

identity.These disastrous conditions

can abort the progress ofIslamic Awakening, destroy themental awareness which hasbeen created in the world ofIslam, drag Muslims- once more-towards stagnation, isolation and

decline and consign to oblivionimportant and fundamental issuessuch as the liberation of Palestineand other Muslim nations fromthe transgressions of the USA andZionism.

The most important cure forthis situation can be summarizedin two key phrases, both of whichare among the clearest lessons ofHajj:

First: unity and brotherhoodof Muslims under the ag of

monotheism.Second: knowing the enemy

and confronting his plans andmethods.

Strengthening the spirit ofbrotherhood and cooperation is agreat lesson of Hajj. During Hajj,even quarrelling and arguingwith others is forbidden. DuringHajj, wearing the same clothes,following the same practices,making the same moves andbehaving in a kind way,all meanequality and brotherhood for allthose who believe in and rely onmonotheism.

This means that Islam stronglyrejects any idea and beliefwhich views a number of Muslimsand believers in Kabah andmonotheism as people who areoutside the circle of Islam. Theseorientations which are based ontakrism, which have become

playthings in the hands of thetreacherous Zionist politiciansand their western supporters-commit serious crimes andshed the blood of Muslims and

innocent people, and the peoplewho claim to be religious, whocall themselves clerics and whofuel the re of tna between

Shia and Sunni and otherdenominations- should know thatthe Hajj pilgrimage will thwarttheir claims.

I, like many Islamic scholarsand sympathetic personalities inthe Islamic Ummah, announcethat any statement or action

which fuels the re of discordamong Muslims, any insult to thesacred beliefs of each one of theMuslim denominations and anyact of takrism against Islamic

denominations equals serving thecamp of atheism and polytheismand betraying Islam. All of thesethings are haraam.

Knowing the enemy and itsmethods is the second importantfactor. First, we should not forgetabout the existence of a spitefulenemy. Performing the ritual ofthe stoning of the jamarat during

Hajj is a symbolic sign of thisawareness. Second, we shouldnot make a mistake in knowingthe main enemy, who in thepresent time is global arroganceand the criminal Zionist network.

Third, we should properlyidentify the methods of thishostile enemy which is creatingdiscord among Muslims,promoting moral and politicalcorruption, threatening

and tempting outstandingpersonalities, exerting economicpressures on all nations andarousing doubts about Islamicbeliefs. Moreover, we shouldidentify their agents and thosewho are, knowingly or ignorantly,dependent on them.

Arrogant governments, headedby the USA, conceal their truecharacter with the help ofcomprehensive and advancedpropaganda tools. By claiming

that they support human rightsand democracy, they deceive




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public opinion in differentcountries. They speak about therights of all nations while eachday Muslim nations feel- withtheir bodies and souls- the re of

discord more than the past.For decades, the oppressed

Palestinian nation has beenreceiving strikes as a result of thecrimes of the Zionist regime andits supporters. In the countries ofAfghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq,

terrorism - which originates fromthe policies of global arroganceand its agents in the region - hasruined the lives of the people.

Syria has come under theattack of arrogant powersand their regional agentsbecause of supporting anti-Zionist orientations and it hasexperienced a bloody civil war.In Bahrain and Myanmar, Muslimshave been ignored and theirenemies are supported. Other

nations are threatened by theUSA and its allies with military

attacks, economic sanctionsand different acts of sabotage.Taking a general look at all thesecountries can reveal to all peoplethroughout the world the trueface of these leaders of globalarrogance.

Political, cultural and religiouspersonalities throughout theworld of Islam should considerit their responsibility to draweveryones attention to these

facts. This is the moral andreligious responsibility of allof us. North African countries,which are unfortunately sufferingfrom deep domestic conicts

today, should pay attention tothis responsibility more thanother countries. They should paymore attention to the issue ofknowing the enemy and its plotsand methods.

The continuation of theseconicts among nationalist

orientations and Muslimsnegligence about the threat of

domestic wars in such countriesis a great danger. The loss that

may be inicted on the IslamicUmmah because of such eventswill not be quickly compensatedfor.

Of course, we have no doubtsthat the people who have risenagainst global arrogance and whohave become the embodimentof Islamic Awakening in suchcountries will not, by Allahsfavor, allow time to go backso much so that the era ofthe corrupt, dependent anddictatorial rulers starts again.However, ignorance about therole of arrogant powers increating discord and bringingabout destructive interferencewill create a difcult situation

for such countries and will causea very long delay in achievingan era of dignity, security andwelfare.

We believe, from the bottomof our hearts, in the capability of

nations and in the power, faith,determination and foresight whichAllah the Omniscient has offeredto the masses of the people.

For more than three decades,we have seen this in the IslamicRepublic with our own eyes andwe have experienced it withall our hearts and souls. Ourdetermination is an invitationforall Muslim nations, to thisexperience of their brothers in

this dignied and indefatigablecountry.I ask Allah the Exalted to

bestow peace on Muslims andto foil the plots of the enemies.I ask Him to accept your Hajjpilgrimage and bestow physicaland spiritual health on you. Iask Him to provide you pilgrimsof the House of God with anoverowing supply of spiritual

blessings.Greetings be upon you and

Allahs MercySayyid Ali Khamenei




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Awakening has itsown objectives.

There are certain

objectivesmentioned inthe Quran forawakening.

Some of theseobjectives

are discussedbelow. Complete

awakeningmaterializes

when Muslimsattain dignity

and honor,freedom,liberation

from politicaland cultural

domination of thealiens and when

social justiceand equity isestablished in the

society.

Denition of Awakening

Awakening is the result ofawareness or cognition;demand or aspiration;

and will or action of humanbeings. Hence, Islamic Awakeningis a conscious reaction, stemmingfrom the demand and reaction ofthe Muslims to hostile behavioragainst them. It is within theframework of Islamic teachingsand its objective is to revive

Islamic identity and dignity. Theslogans of awakening includefreedom, justice and Islamicideals.

Islamic Awakening leads toa fundamental transformationin the spirit of Muslims and inthe world of Islam. The mainobjective of Islamic Awakeningare:

1 Restoration of hope anddignity of the Muslim ummah.

2 Preparation of the grounds

for acceptance of global Islamicscheme as a plan for redemption

of mankind.3 Creation of consensusamong Muslims and preparingthe grounds for a united MuslimUmmah.

4 Applying the teachings ofIslam in practical life throughraising a generation who iscommitted to implementation ofIslam in all elds.

5 Confronting the culturaland political invasion of thearrogant powers.

Contexts of Awakening inthe Quranic TeachingsSince awakening is a reaction

to the hostile behavior ofthe enemies, particularly thedespotic rulers or alien powers,the contexts for its emergencein the Quran are: spreadof injustice, extravagance,oppression, corruption anddishonesty of the rulers and

above all forgetting the powerand blessings of Allah.

IslamicAwakening

in the QuranicTeachingsBy Bahaman Akbari (PhD)




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Spread of Injustice andProdigy of Rulers

In fact, one of the mainobjectives of the establishmentof an Islamic government is topromote justice and preventinequity and oppression. Thefollowing verses of the holyQuran shed light on this issue:

Then we fullled the promise

unto them. so we delivered themand whom we would, and wedestroyed the prodigals. (9:21)

See they not how many ageneration we destroyed beforethem, whom we had establishedin the earth more rmly than we

have established you, and weshed on them abundant showersfrom the sky, and made therivers ow beneath them? Yet we

destroyed them for their sins,and created after them anothergeneration. (6:6)

Atrocity or Brutality of theRulers

Another factor that preparesthe grounds for awakening ofthe masses according to theHoly Quran is prodigy orthe rulers. The followingverses of the Quranelucidate this point:

We destroyed thegenerations beforeyou when they didwrong; and theirmessengers (from Al-

lah) came unto themwith clear proofs (ofhis sovereignty) butthey would not be-lieve. thus do we re-ward the guilty folk.10:13

Say: can yesee yourselves, if thepunishment of Allah comeupon you unawares or openly?would any perish save wrongdoingfolk? 6:47

And (all) those townships! wedestroyed them when they did




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wrong, and we appointed a xed

time for their destruction. (18:59)

Are they better, or the folkof tubba and those before them?We destroyed them, for surelythey were guilty. (44:37)

Corruption and Inequity ofRulersAnother reason for the

awakening of the masses iscorruption of the rulers. Oncethe rulers become corrupt, themasses awaken and ght to

overthrow them.And when we would destroy a

township we send commandment

to its folk who live at ease,and afterward they commit

abomination therein, and sothe word (of doom) hath effectfor it, and we annihilate it withcomplete annihilation. (17:16)

Forgetting God and HisBlessingsOnce the rulers strengthen

their foothold, they forget Godand His blessings. In the nextstep they become arrogant andselsh and therefore turn cruel

and brutal. At this stage, citizensawaken to ght their injustice.

Then, when they forgot

that whereof they had beenreminded, we opened unto them

the gates of all things till, evenas they were rejoicing in thatwhich they were given, we seizedthem unawares, and lo! theywere dumbfounded. (6:44)

This is because thy lorddestroyeth not the townshipsarbitrarily while their people areunconscious (of the wrong theydo). (6:131)

Objectives of Awakening inthe Quranic TeachingsAwakening has its own

objectives. There are certain




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objectives mentioned in theQuran for awakening. Some of

these objectives are discussedbelow. Complete awakeningmaterializes when Muslims attaindignity and honor, freedom,liberation from political andcultural domination of thealiens and when social justiceand equity is established in thesociety.

Islamic DignityDignity, power and honor

belong to Allah. The dignity ofthe Muslims is a manifestationof that of Allah. The Holy Quranstates:

And let not their speechgrieve thee (o Muhammad). lo!power belongeth wholly to Allah.He is the hearer, the knower.(10:65)

Those who chose disbelieversfor their friends instead ofbelievers! do they look for powerat their hands? lo! All power

appertaineth to Allah. (4:139)

Human dignityBesides Islamic dignity,

awakening will bring abouthuman dignity for the Muslims aswell. In fact, God the Almightyhas preferred human being overall other creatures. Therefore,once the dignity of human beingsis trampled upon they awaken torestore it.

Verily we have honored thechildren of Adam. We carry themon the land and the sea, and havemade provision of good thingsfor them, and have preferredthem above many of thosewhom we created with a markedpreferment. (17:70)

FreedomFreedom is another result of

awakening. This freedom will alsocause liberation from culturaland political domination of thealiens.

Those who wait upon occasionin regard to you and, if a victory

cometh unto you from Allah, say:are we not with you? and if thedisbelievers meet with a successsay: had we not the mastery ofyou, and did we not protect youfrom the believers? - Allah willjudge between you at the day ofresurrection, and Allah will notgive the disbelievers any way (ofsuccess) against the believers.(4 141)

Justice and EquityAn Islamic government is a just

one and one of its objectives isestablishment of equity amongcitizens. Hence, social justice isone of the results of awakeningof the Muslims.

We verily sent our messengerswith clear proofs, and revealedwith them the scripture andthe balance, that mankind mayobserve right measure; andhe revealed iron, wherein is

mighty power and (many) usesfor mankind, and that Allah mayknow him who helpeth him andhis messengers, though unseen.lo! Allah is strong, almighty.(57:25)

Methods of AchievingAwakening in the QuranA cursory look at the history

of Islamic Awakening and theslogans raised by Muslims who

engaged in liberation struggleswould bring home to us thatreferring to the Quran is the bestway to achieve the objectivesof Islamic Awakening. Hence,through faith in the divineassistance, holding fast to theRope of Allah and teachingsof the Holy Quran, gainingknowledge of the enemy andghting the enemy, Muslims can

achieve the peak of awakening.

Consulting the QuranIn fact, consulting the Holy

In fact, consultingthe Holy Quranmeans regulatingour lives inaccordance to theteachings of the

Quran. Practicingthe teachings ofthe Quran canhelp Muslims solvetheir intellectual

problems and ndout ways to settletheir material

problems as well.

At the same time,holding fast tothe Rope of Allahcan help Muslimsachieve unity andsolidarity to ghtillegal regimes.And he whorejecteth false

deities andbelieveth in Allahhath grasped a rmhandhold which willnever break. Allahis hearer, knower.(2:256)




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Quran means regulatingour lives in accordance to

the teachings of the Quran.Practicing the teachings of theQuran can help Muslims solvetheir intellectual problems andnd out ways to settle their

material problems as well.At the same time, holdingfast to the Rope of Allah canhelp Muslims achieve unityand solidarity to ght illegal

regimes.And he who rejecteth false

deities and believeth in Allahhath grasped a rm handhold

which will never break. Allah ishearer, knower. (2:256)

Unity of BrethrenSo long as Muslims are

disunited, they cannot ght the

enemies or the illegal regimesdominating them. The Quranrecommends the Muslims to getunited in order to protect theirown interests.

And hold fast, all of youtogether, to the cable of Allah,and do not separate. Andremember Allahs favor untoyou: how ye were enemies andhe made friendship betweenyour hearts so that ye becameas brothers by his grace; and(how) ye were upon the brinkof an abyss of re, and he did

save you from it. Thus Allahmaketh clear his revelations

unto you, that haply ye may beguided. (3:103)And obey Allah and his

messenger, and dispute not onewith another lest ye falter andyour strength depart from you;but be steadfast! lo! Allah iswith the steadfast. (8:46)

Faith in Divine AssistanceDisappointment is one of

the reasons for frustrationand inaction. Muslims shouldalways have faith in thedivine assistance to avoid

disappointment in the courseof their struggles against

domestic and foreign enemies.As for those who strive inus, we surely guide them to ourpaths, and lo! Allah is with thegood. (29:69)

O you who believe ! if youhelp (the cause of) Allah, hewill help you and make rm

your feet. (47:7)

Resistance andSteadfastnessThe course of struggle is

very tumultuous and requiresresistance and steadfastness,else, the ghters may give up

their struggle when they facehardship and difculties. Those

who have faith in Allah, do notfear the enemy and are notgrieved when they fail in theirstruggle, for in the long-runvictory belongs to them.

(As for) those who say: ourLord is Allah, then continue

in the right way, the angelsdescend upon them, saying:fear not, nor be grieved,and receive good news ofthe garden which you werepromised. (41:30)

Surely those who say,our lord is Allah, then theycontinue on the right way, theyshall have no fear nor shallthey grieve. (46:13)

And be not inrm, and be

not grieving, and you shallhave the upper hand if you arebelievers.(3:139)

And be not weak heartedin pursuit of the enemy; if yousuffer pain, then surely they(too) suffer pain as you sufferpain, and you hope from Allahwhat they do not hope; andAllah is knowing, wise. (4:104)

Knowledge of the EnemyWithout a proper knowledge

of the enemy, Muslims cannotght them. Hence, the Holy

Quran recommends the Muslimsto have a proper understanding

of the enemies and then ghtthem.

Muhammad is themessenger of Allah, and thosewith him are rm of heart

against the unbelievers,compassionate amongthemselves. (48:29)

O you who believe! donot take my enemy and yourenemy for friends: would youoffer them love while theydeny what has come to youof the truth, driving out themessenger and yourselvesbecause you believe in Allah,your Lord? If you go forthstruggling hard in my path andseeking my pleasure, wouldyou manifest love to them?And I know what you concealand what you manifest; andwhoever of you does this, heindeed has gone astray fromthe straight path. (60:1)

O you who believe! donot take the Jews and theChristians for friends; theyare friends of each other; andwhoever amongst you takesthem for a friend, then surelyhe is one of them; surely Allahdoes not guide the unjustpeople. (5:51)

Bahaman Akbari (PhD) is aresearcher of Islamic Studies

and former cultural counselorof Iran in Tashkent andTanzania.

ReferencesThe Holy Quran.Nahj al-Balagha.Will and Testament of Imam

Khomeini.Nouri, Mohammad (1997).

Bibliogrpahy of Revivalof Islam, Proceedings ofInternational Congress of ImamKhoemini Religious Thought,Tehran.




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T

he sociopoliticaldevelopments in the Middle

East and North Africa havebeen interpreted as sociopoliticaltsunamis. They have somecommon features, some of whichare: Relying on a historicalbackground based on Islam; beinginspired by the Islamic Revolutionin Iran and its inuence; strong

participation of the younggeneration in the center ofthis Islamic liberation wave;leadership of the movement by

educated elite; and, reliance onprofound Islamic values seekingto promote religious democracyand improve the living standardsof the people in the Middle East.

Besides major reasons behindthe popular uprisings such as thenew wave of Islamic Awakeningdemanding civil rights andeconomic reforms, certain other

elements also have contributedto the recent movements. In

fact, the humiliating attitudeof the United States and Israeltowards the people of the regionand neglect of their dignity aswell as the despotic nature oftheir ruling systems are amongother factors underlying thecurrent developments.

The uprisings have taken placein the Middle East countrieswith a longstanding Islamiccivilization. This is in sharp

contrast with the undemocraticnature of their political regimesand their rulers.

A longstanding history ofpopular movements in thesecountries have increased thepolitical awareness of thepeople, particularly over the pastthree decades after the victoryof the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

The recent movements havehad the advantage of using

modern means of communicationin an era of a communicationrevolution.

Any attempt to study theregional movements maytake the following points intoconsideration:

Contrary to the arguments ofmany politicians and strategists,the ruling regimes and leadersof regional countries have awrong perception of the recent

developments and Islamicuprisings in the region.Over the past few decades,

the United States and someWestern countries have focusedtheir attention on the rulers inthe Middle East, North Africaand the Persian Gulf states. Theyhave overlooked the role of thepeople. Therefore, the West lacks

Sociopolitical Tsunamis in theMiddle East and North Africa

By Hossein Amir-Abdullahian

The regional developments in the Middle East are social and political tsunamis,

which are growing very fast. These developments share many common features.




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a realistic understanding of the Islamic nature ofthe Middle East societies. That is why they havefailed to present a coherent analysis of the ongoingpopular movements.

Despite aggressive attitude of the United Statesand the West towards the developments in theMiddle East and North Africa and also despite harshcrackdown of the uprisings in some countries suchas Bahrain, people in the region will keep movingforward by relying on their Islamic redemptivebeliefs.

The United States and the Zionist regime have

been caught by surprise by the developments inthe Middle East, North Africa and the Persian Gulfstates. As a result, with the help of certain Westernand Arab countries, they are trying to take controlof the waves of uprisings in the region and hijackthe popular revolutions in order to reorient themtowards their own objectives.

Some analysts argue that the developmentsin the Middle East are engineered in the contextof the United States project of the GreaterMiddle East. Indeed, in that project the pace ofdevelopments is slow and long-term. Furthermore,

any popular uprising or revolution contradictsthe principles of the Greater Middle East project.

The United States has failed to incorporate thesociological patterns of the Middle East, especiallythe role of religion and culture, into its project.The US-Israeli plan contained a set of reformsbased on liberal democracy. But, the demands ofthe people and the reforms pursued by the peopleare of Islamic and religious nature. This is a majorshortcoming in the US project of the GreaterMiddle East and the main reason for its failure.The Chairman of Center for Strategic Studies is ofthe opinion that since the West has lost its controlof the growing movements in the Middle East, the

White House should strengthen its military presencethroughout the region, especially in countriesstruck by uprising. He also argues that the USshould extend its military presence in Iraq.

All countries engulfed by the recent wavesof Islamic movements have had rulers stronglysupported by the United States and the West. Thissupport has greatly eroded the public trust in theUnited States in the region. Adopting a double-standard towards the demands of the people ofYemen and Bahrain compared to those of thepeople of Libya and Egypt in its early stages as well

as the Wests support of terrorists in Syria clearlydepict the contradictory approach of the United




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States towards the regional developments.The US intelligence services were

seemingly aware of the fact that at a certainpoint popular uprisings would surface in theMiddle East, but the White House lacked arealistic understanding of the sociologicalpatterns in these countries. It also lackeddetailed information about the time,location and the pace of these movements.Therefore, the US, Israel, the West and Arabgovernments were quite caught by surprisewhen the regional movements broke out.

Today, these movements are gainingmomentum and moving forward. Thereare several points to consider in thisregard. First, in the process of transitionof power in the regional countries,the United States and its allies will betrying to divert the process of power shifttowards their own interests. This is whilethe inuence of the Islamic Republic of Iran

on the Middle East nations and its stancestowards these developments are against theinterests of the United States and the Zionistregime. Secondly, the transition of power inthe region will lead to the formation of newregional coalitions and permutation of forces

which will be ethnic in nature.Taking into consideration the sociological

characteristics of the regional nations,the Islamic nature of these movementsand the national pride of the people,any future ruling system shall be basedon Islam and ethnic features of Muslimcommunities and nations, The role of Islamas an ideology is quite prominent in allthe countries of the region. Each regionalcountry has its own particular characteristicsbut Islam provides a common ground for all

of them.Despite all the efforts made by forcesinside and outside the region to take controlof the popular uprisings, these movementswill ultimately get rid of foreign domination,which is a longstanding aspiration of allMuslims. Islamic democracy will be therole-model of these countries which willbring them independence, sovereignty andmaterial and spiritual prosperity.

Hossein Amir-Abdullahian is DeputyForeign Minister for North Africa and MiddleEast Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of theIslamic Republic of Iran.




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The Ideal of theIslamic Revolution:Identification andAwakening of the

Muslim WorldByAzamH

osseini(PhD)

Iraniansfound Islam

compatiblewith their

nature which,combined

with the thenprevailing

socialinjustices andissues, caused

the pure soulof the nationto accept

and embracethe Islamic

thought, thuscreating acivilizationadorned and

substantiated

with Islamicthought.




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The history shows thatIranians have alwaysacted thoughtfully and

had a conscious presence at theinternational scene. Parts ofIrans history clearly show thatIranians have been superior toother nations in various elds

during different periods and ledhumanity to new paths.

Before the advent of Islam, theworld was ruled by two empires,Sassanid and Roman, and thesetwo powerful poles determined

the fate of the world.After the advent of Islam,

monotheistic Iranians who werefamiliar with the techniquesof statecraft and had a richcivilization accepted Islamicthoughts which indicated thematurity of their inner essence.

Iranians found Islamcompatible with their naturewhich, combined with the thenprevailing social injustices and

issues, caused the pure soulof the nation to accept andembrace the Islamic thought,thus creating a civilizationadorned and substantiated withIslamic thought.

During the social life ofIranians under the inuence of

Islamic thought and culture, theIslamic civilization prospered invarious elds. This is while the

Western science and thought wasdrowned in silence from the sixth

to tenth centuries A.D.The European world came

under the inuence of Muslim

thinkers such as Avicenna (IbnSina) and Ibn Arabi during twocenturies, as a result of whichdifferent currents of thoughtsemerged and the Islamiccivilization shone its brightnessover the Western lands. Graduallyand under the inuence of

Islamic scholars thoughts,the Westerners also achievedscientic growth. The progress

of Muslim countries, however,dimmed because of variousdomestic and foreign reasons andcould not continue on its path.

The Islamic civilization wasso strong that even barbarianslike Moguls who attacked Iranunderwent transformation underthe inuence of religious scholars

such as Nasir al-Din al-Tusi andenriched themselves by utilizingprofound thought.

The Safavid period is anotherpraiseworthy era of Irans Islamiccivilization, which is of coursenot awless. During the Safavid

era several important measureswere taken which includedcreating national unity in orderto consolidate the Great Iran,collecting Islamic materia

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