✦ Modernity to Postmodernism: The Intellectual Journey of the West ✦
The intellectual struggle between religion and reason in the West is a key chapter of modern history. This conflict, however, was not against divinely revealed religion, but rather against a distorted version of Christianity that had deviated from original divine teachings.
✔ Original revelation was based on Tawḥīd (monotheism), but Trinity overtook Christianity.
✔ Direct connection with God was replaced by the authority of priests.
✔ Scripture, once accessible to all, became the exclusive domain of clergy interpretation.
✔ Salvation in true religion depends on faith and righteous action, but altered Christianity promoted the idea of atonement through sacrifice.
✔ Islam emphasized balance and justice, while Christian monasticism contradicted natural human inclinations.
Due to these distortions and the oppression of the Church, the public grew frustrated. This led to the rise of a powerful intellectual movement known as Modernism.
Modernism emerged in 17th and 18th century Europe as a rebellion against the tyranny of the Church and traditionalism.
✔ Reason, experience, and observation are the sole sources of knowledge.
✔ Metaphysical truths are rejected.
✔ Rationalism is prioritized.
✔ Religion is separated from reason and philosophy.
Religious: Rise of atheism and skepticism
Political: Spread of democracy, human rights, freedom
Economic: Birth of capitalism, later challenged by socialism
Moral: Utilitarianism replaces traditional ethics
Social: Emergence of feminism and other social movements
Modernism paved the way for the French Revolution, American independence, and Western democratic systems. By the mid-20th century, Western powers actively promoted modernist thought in the Muslim world, often opposing religious tradition.
Postmodernism arose as a reaction to the absolutism of Modernism.
While modernists claimed universal truths, postmodernists rejected any form of ultimate authority, creating a new wave of intellectual rebellion.
✔ Relativity of truth: No absolute or universal truth; all knowledge is context-bound.
✔ Reality is subjective: Truth is what one chooses to see.
✔ Deconstruction: All ideologies, religions, philosophies, and systems are myths and should be deconstructed.
➤ Undermining of ideology and meaning
➤ Promotion of religious pluralism (all religions as equal paths)
➤ Moral chaos: Marriage, family, and traditional sexuality labelled outdated constructs
✔ If all truth is relative, then postmodernism itself is not absolute — making it self-refuting.
✔ It creates social and legal chaos: If everyone creates their own truth, then law, ethics, and order become meaningless.
① Limited Role of Human Reason:
Human intellect is useful but fallible; certain knowledge comes only through revelation.
② Supremacy of Revelation (Waḥy):
Reason and science are valuable, but must remain subordinate to divine guidance.
③ Room for Ijtihād (Independent Reasoning):
While core beliefs remain unchanging, Islamic law allows ijtihād to address evolving circumstances.
✔ Postmodernism is an extreme reaction to the absolutism of modernity, and ends up rejecting its own foundations.
✔ In contrast, Islam offers a balanced worldview:
A system grounded in unchanging truth, yet flexible enough to accommodate change through ijtihād.
✔ Where modern and postmodern philosophies lead to confusion and contradiction, Islam provides clarity, stability, and purpose grounded in timeless revelation.
❖ Religion vs. Reason: The Western Conflict
The intellectual struggle between religion and reason in the West is a key chapter of modern history. This conflict, however, was not against divinely revealed religion, but rather against a distorted version of Christianity that had deviated from original divine teachings.
✦ The Flaws in the Altered Religion
✔ Original revelation was based on Tawḥīd (monotheism), but Trinity overtook Christianity.
✔ Direct connection with God was replaced by the authority of priests.
✔ Scripture, once accessible to all, became the exclusive domain of clergy interpretation.
✔ Salvation in true religion depends on faith and righteous action, but altered Christianity promoted the idea of atonement through sacrifice.
✔ Islam emphasized balance and justice, while Christian monasticism contradicted natural human inclinations.
✦ Rebellion Against Religion in the West
Due to these distortions and the oppression of the Church, the public grew frustrated. This led to the rise of a powerful intellectual movement known as Modernism.
✦ What is Modernism?
Modernism emerged in 17th and 18th century Europe as a rebellion against the tyranny of the Church and traditionalism.
◉ Key Background Factors:
- Church's oppression: Priests monopolized religion and restricted free inquiry.
- Influence of Islamic civilization: In Spain and Southern Italy, Islamic thought planted seeds of freedom of thought.
- Scientific progress: Empirical science began challenging religious dogma.
✦ Core Beliefs of Modernism
✔ Reason, experience, and observation are the sole sources of knowledge.
✔ Metaphysical truths are rejected.
✔ Rationalism is prioritized.
✔ Religion is separated from reason and philosophy.
✦ Impact of Modernism
Religious: Rise of atheism and skepticism
Political: Spread of democracy, human rights, freedom
Economic: Birth of capitalism, later challenged by socialism
Moral: Utilitarianism replaces traditional ethics
Social: Emergence of feminism and other social movements
Modernism paved the way for the French Revolution, American independence, and Western democratic systems. By the mid-20th century, Western powers actively promoted modernist thought in the Muslim world, often opposing religious tradition.
✦ What is Postmodernism?
Postmodernism arose as a reaction to the absolutism of Modernism.
While modernists claimed universal truths, postmodernists rejected any form of ultimate authority, creating a new wave of intellectual rebellion.
✦ Core Beliefs of Postmodernism
✔ Relativity of truth: No absolute or universal truth; all knowledge is context-bound.
✔ Reality is subjective: Truth is what one chooses to see.
✔ Deconstruction: All ideologies, religions, philosophies, and systems are myths and should be deconstructed.
✦ Practical Effects of Postmodernism
➤ Undermining of ideology and meaning
➤ Promotion of religious pluralism (all religions as equal paths)
➤ Moral chaos: Marriage, family, and traditional sexuality labelled outdated constructs
✦ Critique of Postmodernism
✔ If all truth is relative, then postmodernism itself is not absolute — making it self-refuting.
✔ It creates social and legal chaos: If everyone creates their own truth, then law, ethics, and order become meaningless.
✦ Islam and Postmodernism
✧ Key Features of Islamic Thought:
① Limited Role of Human Reason:
Human intellect is useful but fallible; certain knowledge comes only through revelation.
② Supremacy of Revelation (Waḥy):
Reason and science are valuable, but must remain subordinate to divine guidance.
③ Room for Ijtihād (Independent Reasoning):
While core beliefs remain unchanging, Islamic law allows ijtihād to address evolving circumstances.
✦ Conclusion
✔ Postmodernism is an extreme reaction to the absolutism of modernity, and ends up rejecting its own foundations.
✔ In contrast, Islam offers a balanced worldview:
A system grounded in unchanging truth, yet flexible enough to accommodate change through ijtihād.
✔ Where modern and postmodern philosophies lead to confusion and contradiction, Islam provides clarity, stability, and purpose grounded in timeless revelation.
