(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Dr Lone's book is a concise yet insightful exploration of enduring legacies of two pioneering Muslim reformists, Abduh and Sir Syed, in a lucid style
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A decade ago (in 2014), Dr Ab. Hamid Lone (a College Professor of Arabic in the Higher Education Department, J&K) published an Urdu book titled“Imam Muhammad Abduh: Hayat-o-Khidmat” (Muhammad Abduh: Life and Legacy), which delved into Abduh's contributions to various fields, including literary, cultural, journalistic, intellectual, religious, ethical, political, and educational facets in the framework of Islamic reformist thought (I had reviewed this book in Kashmir Reader on 20th June, 2017).
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Recently (in mid-2024), Dr Lone (now retired) has come up with another scholarly work,“Sheikh Muhammad Abduh aur Sir Syed Ahmad Khan: Ek Taqabuli Mutala” (Sheikh Muhammad Abduh and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan: A Comparative Study). This book provides a thorough and comparative analysis of the ideas and contributions of these trailblazing reformist thinkers in an accessible Urdu style. Both Abduh and Sir Syed have significantly contributed to the reformist legacy, driving Islamic reform through their focus on socio-religious and educational aspects. They have been labelled, and fairly so, as“pioneers of Islam modernism”.
The book, published by Takbeer Publications Srinagar, consists of seven (7) chapters, preceded by a 'Foreword' by Dr Jauhar Qudussi (pp. 7-9), a 'Preface' by Dr Muzaffar Hussain Nadwi (pp. 10-14), an Introduction (pp. 15-16) by the author, and ends with a 3-page Conclusion (pp. 96-99) and a Bibliography (pp. 101-105). The chapters examine lives and legacies of Abduh and Sir Syed, highlighting the similarities and differences in their ideas and approaches in areas like educational reform, journalistic services, contribution to Quranic exegesis, and response to orientalists' propaganda.
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Dr Qudussi and Dr Nadwi, two renowned Kashmiri scholars of Urdu and Arabic respectively, applaud the author's effort by describing it as an“appreciable research work” on an important topic that aids in understanding, in a comparative manner, different dimensions of the life and ideas of these two pioneering figures” (pp. 7, 9, 13-14).
Dr Lone outlines the objectives for writing this book in the Introduction, arguing that he not only identified many commonalities in the thinking of these reformist pioneers, but also found potential to deliver solutions to the concerns and challenges confronting Muslims today (pp. 15-16).
In the first chapter, Dr Lone, situates the biographical sketch of Abduh and Sir Syed within their respective socio-political and intellectual contexts, setting the ground for the subsequent discussions. Despite their variance in ideology and perspective, he argued, both these visionaries converged on the imperative of“revitalizing Muslim ummah to ensure its survival and progress” (p. 19).
The second chapter compares in detail their approaches on the“Acquisition of Education and Training” (pp. 24-51) highlighting their major initiatives, curriculum reforms, and approaches that emphasized modern education, reform of traditional education, promoting critical thinking, and focusing character development in line with the Islamic sources. Summarily, while both shared similar educational reform goals, their techniques and beliefs differed in terms of emphasis on Islamic education, religion's role, methodology, and context.
The third chapter concentrates on the literary oeuvre (“Books and Literary Works”, pp.53-59) of Abduh and Sir Syed and provides a long list of works authored, compiled, and translated by them with a brief description that helps in understanding the overall theme of each work. This description not only helps in understanding their respective fields and levels of interest and expertise, but also in gauging the significance and influence these works have on the Islamic intellectual tradition. For Dr Lone,“Abduh left behind a prodigious academic legacy, which was centered on exploring themes of reform and Islamic topics” with modern interpretations, and Sir Syed too has made“a commendable contribution through his prolific writings” (pp. 53, 57).
The fourth chapter focuses on their“Journalistic Services” (pp. 61-70) as both contributed their writings to various newspapers and periodicals with the purpose of fostering socio-religious, intellectual, and educational reform within their communities. Abduh frequently penned articles in Arabic advocating for Islamic reform, social justice, anti-colonialism, Muslim solidarity, and the necessity for Muslims to return to the original sources of Islam. Sir Syed sought to advance social reform and Muslim welfare, highlighting the importance of modern education, science, and technology for Muslim progress through an accessible Urdu style. Thus, both utilized journalism as a“powerful tool for promoting their ideas and thoughts, the central axis of which were the Islamic teachings” (p.70). Through their unique writing style and intellectual perspective, as Dr Lone further asserts, many journalists and writers were greatly impacted and, as a result, contributing in various manners to transformation in their communities (pp. 63, 69).
The fifth chapter,“Responses to Orientalist Criticisms” (pp. 71-79), addresses the misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and biases presented by certain Orientalists and Christian missionaries in their writings concerning Islam and Islamic subjects. It aims to expose their focus on Islam's rational and intellectual heritage and on presenting the true portrayal of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), which was misrepresented in numerous Orientalist texts. For instance, Dr Lone mentions Sir Syed's Khutbat-e-Ahmadiya/ Essays on the life of the Prophet (pbuh) as a response to The Life of Mahomet (London, 1858-61) by Scottish orientalist William Muir (1819-1905) and Abduh's writings like Islam and the Response to the Critics, several articles in Al-Manar and Islam and Christianity in relation to Science and Civilization countering the writings of Farah Antun (1874-1922), Gabriel Honotaux (1853-1958) and Ernest Renan (1823-1892). These orientalists claimed that Islam was rigid, stagnant, and incompatible with reason, science and progress. Abduh and Sir Syed refuted these claims with robust arguments, authentic evidence, and objective and thoroughly analysis (pp. 73, 74, 79).
The sixth chapter examines the“Contributions of Abduh and Sir Syed to the Quranic Exegesis and a (Critical) Review of their Opinions” (pp. 81-95), highlighting their innovative methodologies and approaches to interpret the Qur'an by combining rational and scientific methods with the main objective of promoting“social and religious reform” (p.81). He further asserts that although their interpretations faced criticism from traditional Muslim scholars, the reality is that within the context of their socio-political and intellectual climate, their contributions as exegetes remain substantial. Both thinkers recognized the need for a“contextually relevant interpretation of the Qur'an, distinct from traditional commentaries”, though they“exhibit limited ideological convergences” (p. 94).
These chapters are succeeded by brief“Concluding Remarks” (pp. 97-98) that offer a succinct overview of the ideas, insights, and impacts of Abduh and Sir Syed. Their contributions, as reformers, have made an“exceptional impact on the Muslim Ummah” (p. 97), motivating and shaping an entire generation of Muslims worldwide, as“the ideas of both these thinkers possessed an inherent spirit to catalyze significant change”, resulting in the formation of two well-organized movements: 'Aligarh Movement' and 'Al-Manar movement' (pp. 98-99). The author anticipates a reevaluation of their contributions in the contemporary context (p. 99).
The book has two major limitations: the absence of Urdu translations for Arabic and English quotes and statements (see, e.g., pp. 19, 67, 68, 69, 77, 95), which hinders the readability and comprehension; and the lack of full bibliographical details for the journal articles (pp. 107-108); though the Bibliography is arranged and organized language wise and into two broad categories: Arabic, Urdu, and English Books and Periodicals and Journals.
Overall, Dr Lone's scholarly work represents a significant addition to the literature on reform and reformist thought, offering a comprehensive and comparative analysis of Abduh's and Sir Syed's contributions, illuminating their shared concerns, unique methodologies, and distinctive approaches. The book has the potential to benefit scholars and students alike.
Dr Tauseef Ahmad Parray is Assistant Professor, Islamic Studies, at GDC Ganderbal, Kashmir. Feedback at [email protected]
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