❖ Core Attitudes of Religious Modernism and Their Consequences ❖
Religious modernism manifests itself in three primary attitudes, particularly observable among contemporary thinkers who attempt to reinterpret Islam through a modernist lens:
This group does not outright reject Islamic history or scholarship but selectively integrates Western concepts, presenting them as a natural extension of Islamic thought.
A prime example of this trend can be found in the lectures of Allama Iqbal (رحمه الله).
This group may be termed "Revisionists", whose true agenda is “Islamization of the West” — retroactively Islamicizing Western ideas.
This group holds that no one in the past truly understood Islam, and only they comprehend its true essence.
This group actively pursues the Westernization of Islam.
This segment views religion as a purely personal matter and advocates its exclusion from public and state affairs.
Despite their different approaches, these three groups are mutually reinforcing, and their core issue lies in elevating reason to a level equal to or above divine revelation (Wahy). Their behaviors are marked by:
◈ Relying more on rational assumptions and theories rather than textual evidences.
◈ Promoting the idea that every individual is qualified to interpret the Qur’an, regardless of scholarly competence.
◈ Denying or downplaying the authority of Hadith as a source of legislation.
◈ Criticizing early Muslim scholars and ignoring the consensus of the Ummah and the practice of the Companions.
◈ Since public opinion rejects their ideas, they seek state sponsorship to impose their ideologies.
◈ Delivering eloquent speeches on a fabricated philosophy of Shariʿah, while personally remaining detached from Shariʿah practice, taqwā, love of the Prophet ﷺ, and moral discipline.
If their ideologies are accepted, it implies that the entire Ummah has been violating fundamental religious teachings for the past 1400 years.
The unavoidable consequence of their thought is the condemnation of all classical exegetes, Hadith scholars, jurists, and saints — as if they were all mistaken and in need of forgiveness.
Such stances are rooted in intellectual inferiority and Western ideological slavery, a legacy inherited from colonial rule in the subcontinent.
In contrast, Islamic jurists established a comprehensive legal system independent of foreign ideologies, a source of pride for the Muslim Ummah to this day.
But when modernists find their ideas rejected by the masses, they resort to blaming and discrediting the great Imāms and scholars of the Ummah:
◄ At times, they claim Islamic jurisprudence was borrowed from Greek and Roman sources.
◄ At other times, they allege that Islamic teachings were corrupted by foreign conspiracies (نعوذ بالله).
None of these claims are supported by rational or textual evidence. They are products of a Western-influenced mindset and ignorance of Islamic intellectual tradition.
This trend of religious modernism, with its varying expressions, ultimately seeks to distort the original teachings of Islam by undermining its epistemological foundations, scholarly legacy, and divine sources of guidance.
Expression of Modernism in Religious Matters
Religious modernism manifests itself in three primary attitudes, particularly observable among contemporary thinkers who attempt to reinterpret Islam through a modernist lens:
➊ Fascination with the West and Reinterpretation of Islamic History
This group does not outright reject Islamic history or scholarship but selectively integrates Western concepts, presenting them as a natural extension of Islamic thought.
- They consider science as a lost legacy of Muslims,
- Identify multiculturalism in the Madinan society,
- Attribute modern banking practices to Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (رحمه الله),
- Blame the fall of the Muʿtazilah for stagnation in the Muslim world,
- And claim democracy to be a gift of Islam.
A prime example of this trend can be found in the lectures of Allama Iqbal (رحمه الله).
This group may be termed "Revisionists", whose true agenda is “Islamization of the West” — retroactively Islamicizing Western ideas.
➋ Self-Made Islam and Novel Interpretations
This group holds that no one in the past truly understood Islam, and only they comprehend its true essence.
- According to them, earlier scholars interpreted Islam according to their own times, but now new interpretations are required due to changing circumstances.
- In the Indian subcontinent, this line of thought was initiated by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, and its contemporary representation can be seen in the views of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi.
- They often dismiss Islamic history by blaming monarchy for all evils, or equate Khilāfah with democracy, even going so far as to criticize the Companions of the Prophet (رضي الله عنهم).
- When they lack solid evidence, they resort to far-fetched interpretations of the Qur'an and Hadith, or manipulate historical events.
This group actively pursues the Westernization of Islam.
➌ Secularism and Reducing Religion to a Private Affair
This segment views religion as a purely personal matter and advocates its exclusion from public and state affairs.
- They promote democratic values and human rights over religious commitments.
- To lend credibility to their views, they fabricate pseudo-Islamic justifications.
- In Pakistan, figures like Mehdi Hasan, Dr. Manzoor Ahmad, Dr. Mubarak Ali, and Dr. Javed Iqbal are vocal proponents of this ideology.
Common Features of Religious Modernists
Despite their different approaches, these three groups are mutually reinforcing, and their core issue lies in elevating reason to a level equal to or above divine revelation (Wahy). Their behaviors are marked by:
◈ Relying more on rational assumptions and theories rather than textual evidences.
◈ Promoting the idea that every individual is qualified to interpret the Qur’an, regardless of scholarly competence.
◈ Denying or downplaying the authority of Hadith as a source of legislation.
◈ Criticizing early Muslim scholars and ignoring the consensus of the Ummah and the practice of the Companions.
◈ Since public opinion rejects their ideas, they seek state sponsorship to impose their ideologies.
◈ Delivering eloquent speeches on a fabricated philosophy of Shariʿah, while personally remaining detached from Shariʿah practice, taqwā, love of the Prophet ﷺ, and moral discipline.
The Real Goals of Religious Modernists
If their ideologies are accepted, it implies that the entire Ummah has been violating fundamental religious teachings for the past 1400 years.
The unavoidable consequence of their thought is the condemnation of all classical exegetes, Hadith scholars, jurists, and saints — as if they were all mistaken and in need of forgiveness.
Such stances are rooted in intellectual inferiority and Western ideological slavery, a legacy inherited from colonial rule in the subcontinent.
In contrast, Islamic jurists established a comprehensive legal system independent of foreign ideologies, a source of pride for the Muslim Ummah to this day.
But when modernists find their ideas rejected by the masses, they resort to blaming and discrediting the great Imāms and scholars of the Ummah:
◄ At times, they claim Islamic jurisprudence was borrowed from Greek and Roman sources.
◄ At other times, they allege that Islamic teachings were corrupted by foreign conspiracies (نعوذ بالله).
Conclusion
None of these claims are supported by rational or textual evidence. They are products of a Western-influenced mindset and ignorance of Islamic intellectual tradition.
This trend of religious modernism, with its varying expressions, ultimately seeks to distort the original teachings of Islam by undermining its epistemological foundations, scholarly legacy, and divine sources of guidance.
