Study examines myths propagated by extremists about concept of caliphate in Islam
Date
10/23/2024 3:31:44 AM
(MENAFN- Edelman) Abu Dhabi, UAE, 22nd October 2024: Extremists claim the restoration of the caliphate is central to the establishment of a successful society. But is the caliphate a necessary feature of a Muslim majority society and can it address the challenges faced by Muslims today as extremists claim? Our latest study, titled The concept of Caliphate: Historical facts & extremists’ myths, examines these questions by investigating the origins and evolution of the caliphate across time.
Our study highlights the need to counter extremist narratives, particularly those that root the union of religious and political structures in Islamic doctrine. By distorting Islamic history, extremists have convinced many Muslims that a religious state is required for a truly Islamic society. This is a false premise.
Established to address political challenges inherent to Arabian tribal society, the caliphate was not an essential aspect of Islam itself, but a response to a set of historic geopolitical circumstances. Subsequent history, when combined with the results of recent attempts to restore the caliphate, weighs against the caliphate's relevance today. Instead, the historical record suggests that early Islamic leaders used reason and pragmatism to create an effective set of governmental institutions. This approach to present-day challenges, rather than an insistence on restoring medieval institutions, seems a more accurate reflection of early Islamic practice.
Our research recommends school curricula showcase how Islam’s unique rejection of imperial structures and religious coercion encouraged the socio-economic successes of the early Islamic period. Introducing a course on Islamic Civilization will also help present historical facts and counter extremist narratives that distort Islamic history.
Research paper link:
MENAFN23102024003109013942ID1108809464
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