❖ Introduction
This article, penned by Dr. Khalid Jamei, offers a compelling and critical re-evaluation of commonly held assumptions regarding Muslim decline. It challenges the materialistic and secular narratives that dominate contemporary Muslim thought, and redirects focus to a neglected spiritual and ideological dimension that history repeatedly confirms.❖ The Birth of Muslim Modernism
Modernist Muslim thought, born in the 18th–19th centuries, emerged from the ashes of Muslim political decline. The loss of khilāfah and territorial authority triggered a reactionary movement—not one of religious introspection, but of material imitation.Muslims began to believe that their revival could only come through:
✔ Adopting Western political systems
✔ Embracing modern science and technology
✔ Imitating European education and governance
This "modernist revival" saw dominance as purely technocratic and economic, neglecting Islam’s spiritual and moral essence.
❖ A Shared Assumption: Decline Due to Lack of Worldly Knowledge
Whether modernists, nationalists, or traditional reformers, they largely agreed:“Muslims declined because they lagged in science, arts, and worldly power.”
This assumption overlooks a deeper truth: Material knowledge alone doesn’t ensure revival, nor does its absence solely cause downfall.
❖ Historical Realities Ignored
Modern thinkers fail to answer key historical paradoxes:- Muslim Spain (Andalusia): Achieved great material progress but failed to spiritually transform its population. Islam remained a minority faith despite centuries of rule.
- Ottoman & Mughal Empires: Politically powerful, yet neglected daʿwah and spiritual influence, thus losing their people and their legitimacy.
- ʿAbbāsid Caliphate vs Mongols: Despite superior civilization and knowledge, the ʿAbbāsids were crushed. How did Islam revive in 50 years, with no scientific advantage, and convert the Mongols?
- Ottoman Army at Vienna: Militarily strong, but spiritually and morally weakened—unable to penetrate despite lacking scientific inferiority.
- British in India: A few thousand soldiers defeated the mighty Mughal Empire—not with brute force, but ideological penetration and internal fragmentation.
❖ The Real Root: Spiritual and Ideological Erosion
True revival lies not merely in:✘ Science
✘ Technology
✘ Economic strength
But in:
✔ Faith (īmān)
✔ Daʿwah (propagation of truth)
✔ Unity and love
✔ Moral conviction and spiritual discipline
Muslim decline is not purely intellectual or technological, but ideological and spiritual. Without hearts committed to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, knowledge and wealth become liabilities, not assets.
❖ Examples from History and Today
- Christianity and Rome: Rome was conquered not by arms, but by faith.
- Soviet Russia and Liberalism: No battlefield victory—just ideological collapse.
- China and Capitalism: Economic transformation altered their belief systems, not borders.
❖ The Myth of Aligarh’s Enlightenment
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s Aligarh Muslim University was founded to modernize Muslims intellectually. But:How many works from Aligarh are studied globally today?
The experiment failed to produce an Islamic intellectual revival, because it was based on Western paradigms—not Islamic truths.
❖ Modernists and Material Obsession
Despite internal differences, modernists and revivalists agree on one flawed idea:“Without science and material power, Muslims can’t rise.”
Yet this overlooks:
- The power of daʿwah
- The influence of ideology
- The transcendence of spiritual truth
❖ Conclusion
✔ Muslim decline is not just about lost knowledge or failed governance.✔ It is about losing conviction, ignoring daʿwah, and neglecting spiritual transformation.
✔ Materialism alone cannot revive a spiritual Ummah.
✔ A return to sincere faith, unity, and mission is the only path forward.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَم، وَعِلْمُهُ أَحْكَم!
