Islamic Thought & World Culture: introduction

*Prof. Dr Anis Ahmad

* Prof. Anis is meritorious professor of comparative ethics and religions and Vice Chancellor, Riphah
International University, Islamabad. He is also Editor in chief of Quarterly Journal West & Islam,
Islamabad. He can be contacted at anis.ahmad@riphah.edu.pk, and anis@anisahmad.com
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• Genesis of Islamic thought, culture and history:

Meaning, sources and early development

 Knowledge  World View Universal Culture

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• The Tawhidi paradigm shift lead mankind from a mythical to a knowledge

society with focus on critical thinking.

• The Qur’anic view of universe, man and history is based on universal

ethical values.

• The Qur’an and hadith literature encourage research, investigation and

critical approaches.
 3 Ummatic vision v/s Individualism in thought

• Human being is born in society in order to develop society.

• Development of family, community (ummah), and intellectual (Tafsir,
hadith, fiqh, falsafah, kalam, adab) tradition and institutions; Masjid as
centre of training and education, role of madrasah, and waqf in
intellectual independence.
• Brotherhood, building of the first Islamic community in al-Madina al-
Munawwara.
• Personal development, family, society, economic teachings, social
security, legal framework and social responsibility (huquq wal faraid).
 4 Role of Islamic thought in social change
• Development of Islamic society and state in al- Madinah: in the light of the
Qur’an and Sunnah.

• Concept of a Modern Islamic state.

• Status of non-Muslims in an Islamic state

• Assimilation and integration

• Co-existence

• Plurality of culture and faith

• Reaching out (da‘wah)

5 Transition of khilafah into mulukiyah
• Hereditary succession
• Independence of Judiciary
• Independence of HEI’s
• Protection of family system
• Schisms and break away movements:
• Khawarij
• Shi’a
• Isma’ili
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Muslim thought in the domain of:

– Tafsir

– Hadih

– Fiqh

– Hikmah and falsafah

– Economic

– Culture
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Revivalism and reawakening:
• Umar bin Abdul Aziz
• Ibn Taymiyyah
• Ibn Abdul Wahhab
• Shah waliullah of Delhi
• Said Nursi
• M. Iqbal
• Abul A’la Mawdudi
• Hasan Al-Banna
• Sayed Qutb
• Bennabi
8 Islam and globalization:

Globalization in the age of imperialism and liberal democracy.

– Islamic universalism (global ummah), pluralism of faith and

culture

– Universality of Islamic Shari’ah

– Dynamism, development and innovative Islamic approach

(ijtihad)
Wama Tawfiqi illa bi-Allah
wa shukran

Thank You

September 13, 2019