Essay on Significance of Muhammad in Renewal of Islam in Modern Egypt

Muhammad Abdu was born in the year 1849 in a small town known as Mahallat Nasr along the Nile Delta when Egypt was undergoing a series of spiritual transformations brought about by Mohammad Ali. These changes were of significance to many Egyptians especially the farmers in the region. The reforms forced Abduh to migrate and advance his education background to become an Islamic philosopher. He was interested in Islam; he could memorize all the chapters of Quran at the age of ten (Rippin, 2005). However, Mohammad never had enough experience in the traditional background. This stressed him to the point that he could not concentrate on his studies anymore. Alongside his many achievements, Mohammad had other sources of motivation such as his uncle Sheikh Darwish as well as his two brothers Sanusiyya and Tajiniyya. Through them, Muhammad Abduh was able to learn about the weakening of Egypt. He later realized that Egypt was trying to be like Europe.

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During this time Egypt was under colonization by the Europeans. As a result, Muhammad became a political journalist and the chief editor of Egyptian official Gazette. He wrote a lot of articles on what was going on in Egypt and the way the colonialist mistreated Muslims. His articles brought a lot of impact to the Islamic religion in Egypt. However, in his struggle to bring about the modernity of Islam in Egypt, he was exiled by the Europeans as they saw him as a threat by bringing about democracy within the country (Rippin, 2005). Also, he became a specialist in philosophy and a lecturer in one of the Egyptian universities. Through his experience as a teacher, he was able to influence the students to turn against the European government. Later on, due to this significant influence on young minds, Abduh left his lecturing job as he felt the need to be in the village to impact greater change on the rest of the population.

Additionally, in his job as the editor of Egyptian Gazette, Abduh was able to reach out to many people through his many publications could of stories depicting the need to reform the country. In 1890, Abduh was appointed to be a judge in the Egyptian court and later on became a member of the court of appeal. The job made him prominent and was able to take part in religious laws as well as advise the government on matters related to the religious activities. He also participated in the establishment of traditional Islamic schools which taught the students about the importance of modern world (Rippin, 2005). Abduh believed that change in the Islamic religion was possible if Muslims stop concentrating on the already established beliefs and not to deviate from their religion. He outlined all the Islamic rules and regulations that could be changed arguing that Hadith and Quran did not handle all the issues and that it was upon them to put into practice.

Comparison between Ghulam Ahmad Pervez and Abdul Ala Mawdudi in Modern World

Ghulam Ahmad Pervez explains that Quran insists on personal freedom that goes beyond the different kinds of power which state that nobody should force another person to respect him/her. He was strongly against slavery arguing that it was against the Quran which previously supported slavery according to other proponents. He went ahead to claim that Islamic religion concentrated mainly in the truth and the religious practices. Parvez interpreted the Quran verses especially the ones indicative of miracles, angels, and jinns without considering the Supreme Being. He was also into the social aspect of Islamic culture insisting that it should be able to accommodate other Muslims in the region. Parvez supported monogamy and opposed polygamy arguing that for the past years when polygamy a common practice, many women got subjected to exploitation by men (Rippin, 2005). His argument was evidence based since he argued according to the verses of Quran which emphasize on the equality of women and men thus they all deserve right to choose and be free.

Therefore, they were not subject to suffering despite their additional responsibilities such as bearing children and taking care of them. These responsibilities do not make them any lesser. He insisted on the importance of rechecking the functions of hadith so as to ensure that Islam is according to the current world. According to Parvez anybody who violates the laws in the Quran should be banished from the society. He argued that Quran was the only guide to the Islamic religion (Rippin, 2005). He also claimed that the collected taxes should not always be fixed but should vary depending on the needs of the society. In addition to these, Parvez also argued that the rent money should be agreed not only among the sellers but also by the community as a whole. In his philosophy, the individuals practicing Islam should do so by the law of God and not that of the human beings. Parvez also argued that Islam was against all other existing religions. In his teaching, Parvez emphasized on the character of Jesus who was a liberator because he freed the children of Israel out of Romans and in that way Islam should emulate Jesus character by being liberators to others. He also argued that Quran was the only stronghold in Pakistan society and that the society should adhere to the laws and regulations written in the Quran.

Abul Ala Mawdudi agreed that Quran supported modernization and was against westernization. He did not accept the fact that other religious leaders were scrutinizing the Quran claiming to be a basis for reasoning. According to him, the Quran had the whole truth that nobody was supposed to crosscheck and examine it. He slightly viewed the ijtihad and advised the religious leaders to use the book only as a guide to Islam and not use it in those people who had enough knowledge and background on the Islamic laws and believes (Rippin, 2005). Mawdudi viewed Muslims as loyal people in that they obey Allah by submission of the laws written in the Quran. He also believed and argued that women should take care of children as well as their husbands. Also, they should remain in their houses except during emergencies.

Mawdudi also maintained that women should cover their face and the rest of the body when they are out of their homes (Rippin, 2005). He emphasized that men should avoid as much as possible to look at other women who are not their wives. Regarding birth control methods, Mawdudi was against the use of any method of contraceptive arguing that it was against the law of nature and that it was a sign of having no faith in God who is the planner of human beings. According to him, women were not supposed to be assigned any political position. Mawdudi also forbade the assimilation of values and customs from non-Muslims saying there would be severe punishments from those individuals who would violate this law (Rippin, 2005). He brought into light that Muslims had the unwritten rules, and he suggested that these statutes should be put down in writing. In His teaching, Mawdudi taught about the importance of individual freedom and urged the government to stop doubting and infringing the liberties of citizens.

In conclusion, Islam is among the largest religions worldwide. Its religious faiths and beliefs follow the teaching of Prophet Muhammad. The faith of Islam religion requires obedience and submission to the will of God. Islam, just like any other religion, is governed by rules and regulations that guide the members on how to live faithfully. The Islamic faith has the Quran which contains these laws and regulations. Anybody who will comprise his or her faith and violate these laws is subject to punishment. Islamic doctrines center on the pillars of prayer, fasting, pilgrimage to Mecca and holidays as well as religious practices and rituals. Finally, Islam has a sacred praying place which is the mosque as highlighted by the influential Islamic leaders such as Mohammad, Pervez, and Mawdudi.

References

Rippin, A. (2005). Muslims: their religious beliefs and practices. London New York: Routledge.