FAZLUR RAHMAN

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FAZLUR RAHMAN

• Presented by
• Puteri Amalina Megat Azizul Rahman
• Syarifah Athirah Auni Sayd Mohamad Zamri
• Fatin Nadzirah Alias
• Ida Khairiyah Mohd Yusof
• Edited by
• Dr. Md. Mahmudul Hasan
• International Islamic University Malaysia
• 2011

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FAZLUR RAHMAN (1919-1988)
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• Fazlur Rahman Malik was born in Hazara, Pakistan
  on 21 September 1919. His father Maulana Shihab
  al Din was also a great Muslim scholar in
  Pakistan.
• M. Yahya Birt of the Association of Islam
  Researchers describes Fazlur Rahman as probably
  the most learned of the major Muslim thinkers
  in the second-half of the 20th century, in terms
  of both classical Islam and Western
  philosophical and theological discourse.

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• Rahman studied Arabic at Punjab University and
  then went to Oxford University and wrote a
  dissertation on Ibn Sina. At Oxford, he also
  studied modern critical thinking under H.A.R.
  Gibb and Van Der Bergh.
• He began his teaching career first at Durham
  University in United Kingdom and then at McGill
  University Canada. At Durham  he taught Persian
  and Islamic philosophy, while at McGill, Islamic
  studies.

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• In 1961 he returned to Pakistan to run the
  Central Institute of Islamic Research set up by
  the Pakistani government. The Institute promotes
  Islam in everyday life of the nation. However,
  because of the political situation in Pakistan,
  Fazlur Rahman was prevented from making any
  progress in this program. He resigned, returned
  to teaching career and moved to the United States
  and tought at UCLA as a visiting professor for a
  few years.

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• In 1969, he moved to the University of Chicago
  where he received the tittle Harold H. Swift
  Distinguished Service Professor of Islamic
  Thought. At Chicago, he has became a proponent
  for a reform of Islamic politics and was
  appointed an advisor to the State Department.

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Areas of interest

• Fazlur Rahman was deeply interested in Quranic
  studies. He developed a new method of Quranic
  interpretation that would be suitable in the
  modern time. He emphasizes the need to
  distinguish between the formative and historical
  Islam and Muslim legacy. To do so, he urges
  Muslims to read and understand Quran correctly.
• In his writing, he mostly focuses on medicine,
  since he wrote a dissertation on Ibn Sina. He
  wrote three books on Ibn Sina Avicennas
  Psychology (1952), Avicennas De Anima (1959) and
  Health and Medicine in the Islamic Tradition
  (1987).

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• As regards Islamic teachings, he focuses on their
  application in our daily life. He also talks
  about womens rgihts and feminist issues. For
  him, man and woman are equal, and woman can also
  participate and involve in public life.
• Besides, he focuses also on history and believes
  that a meaningful assessment of the past can only
  be made with reference to a transcendent set of
  ethics.

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Influences

• Since Rahmans death in 1988, a number of
  Muslim and Non-Muslim scholars worked on his
  works and ideas. One of the his student,
  Frederick Mathewson Denny uses Fazlur Rahmans
  ideas in writing about the Quran and Sunnah.
  Another scholar Donald Lee Berry introduces
  Fazlur Rahmans thought in response to modernity.
  Berry agrees with Fazlur Rahman that the response
  Muslims need to give should cover education,
  politics, economics and social issue in order to
  promote Islam and Muslim society.

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Some of his books
Avicennas Psychology (1952) Avicennas De Anima
(1959) Islamic Methodology in History
(1965) Intikhabati Maktubati Shaykh Ahmad
Sirhindi (1968) The philosophy of Mulla Sandra
(1975) Islam (1979) Prophecy in Islam Philosophy
and Orthodoxy (1979) Major Themes of the Quran
(1980) Islam Modernity Transformation of an
Intellectual Tradition (1982) Health and Medicine
in the Islamic Tradition (1987) Revival and
Reform in Islam (2000)
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Major Themes of the Quran(1980)

• In this book, he argues that the Quran blends
  creeds, morals, creation, laws, rituals,
  philosophy, life and death, and history all in
  the form of a book, with a unique literary style
  unlike any other book.
• In introduction, he highlights the limitations of
  a Qur'anic commentary on a 'verse by verse'
  basis, since such an approach fails to yield
  insight into the 'cohesive outlook on the
  universe and life which the Quran undoubtedly
  possesses'. On the other hand, the recent efforts
  to arrange Qur'anic topics are helpful but fall
  short of providing a full insight into what
  Qur'an has to say about God, man or society.
• Rahman presents a comprehensive insight into the
  eight major themes in the Quran God, Man as
  Individual, Man in Society , Nature, Prophethood
  and Revelation, Eschatology, Satan and Evil, and
  Emergence of the Muslim Community.

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God

• The Quran is a document that is squarely aimed
  at man which it calls itself as guidance for
  mankind (hudan lilnas).
• In fact, the term ALLAH (God) occurs 2500 times
  in the Quran not included other terms such as
  Al-Rabb (Lord) and Al-Rahman (The Merciful) to
  show His existence and to illustrate He is a
  Creator and Sustainer of the universe.
• The Quran calls belief in an awareness of the
  unseen (235943518). The term unseen
  refers to God that allows man to seek Him through
  the revelation given to the Prophet (peace be
  upon him).
• Author stresses that it is not about seeking the
  proofs of Gods existence but about how to use
  all the facts and proofs as reminders to man
  about God.
• 3 main points
• - everything except God is contingent upon God
  including entire nature
• - that God with all His might and glory is
  essentially the all Merciful God
• - both aspects entail a proper relationship
  between God and man (the served and servant).

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• There are many verses that reveal the oneness of
  God. For example
• He is God, other than Whom, there is none He
  is the knower of the unseen and the seen, the
  Merciful, the Compassionate. He is the God other
  than Whom there is none, the Sovereign, the Holy,
  the One with peace and integrity, the Keeper of
  the Faith, the Protector, the Mighty, the One
  Whose Will is Power, the Most Supreme! Glory be
  to Him beyond what they (the pagans) associate
  with Him. He is the God, the Creator, the Maker,
  the Fashioner, to whom belong beautiful names
  whatever is in the heavens and the earth sings
  His glories, He is the Mighty One, the Wise One.
  (5922-24)
• It is the responsibility of man to seek for the
  Master Truth which is God as the only straight
  path goes to God, while others are deviant. This
  path is the full recognition of God as God, the
  path that is of sole importance to man.

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Man as individual

• Man is distinguished from the rest of natural
  creation as God breathed His own spirit into him
  in order to help him be His vicegerent.
• Angels protested when God decided to create Adam
  in order to be a vicegerent on earth, as they
  feared that human will do mischief on earth. But
  God said I know what you do not know. Then,
  God brought a competition between angels and Adam
  to name things in order to describe their nature.
  Thus, Adam demonstrates the capacity for creative
  knowledge.
• Man is the only exception to the universal law,
  for he is the only being endowed with a free
  choice of obeying or disobeying the command of
  God.
• Men are responsible for their deeds. The purpose
  of man is to promote good deeds and avoid bad
  deeds (amar maruf nahi munkar).
• The role of man is also to have a great
  relationship among themselves especially within
  society to promote unity and fraternity.

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Nature

• All nature obeys Gods command, as the Quran
  regards the whole universe as Muslim because
  everything therein (except men) surrendered
  itself to Gods will (383).
• Nature is the sign of Gods miracle
• Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the
  earth and the succession of day and night are
  signs for people of wisdom those who remember
  God (or mention, i.e by reciting the Quran)
  standing and sitting and lying on their sides,
  and who ponder over the creation of the heavens
  and the earth (exclaiming) Our Lord, You have
  not created all this in vain! (3190)
• Mans responsibility to take care of the nature
  and the universe.
• Wrongdoing leads to warning such as floods,
  earthquakes, heavy rains, tsunami, etc.
• The purpose of mans creation is to do good in
  the world, substitute himself for God by using
  nature.

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Satan

• The devil (iblis) was of the jinn and he
  disobeyed the command of the his Lord (Quran,
  1850).
• The role of satan is to confuse a person and
  cloud his inner sense. Satan can influence only
  those who do not obey Allahs command and he has
  no authority over the true believers.
• Indeed, upon my servants you will be able to
  exercise no influence, but only those errant ones
  who follow you (Quran, 1542).
• He has no authority over those who believe and
  put their faith in their Lord (Quran, 1699).
• One can avoid the influence of satan by following
  the Quran and the teaching of Prophet Muhammad
  (peace be upon him).
• It does not belong to any human that God should
  speak to him (directly) except by Revelation
  (i.e infusion of the Spirit) or from behind a
  veil (i.e by a voice whose source is invisible)
  or that He should send a (spiritual) Messenger
  who reveals (to the Prophet) by Gods permission
  what He wills and He is exalted and Wise. We
  guide whomsoever We will of our servants, and
  you, indeed guide (people) to the straight path
  (Quran, 4251-52).

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Comments

• The religious future of Islam and the future of
  interfaith relationship . . . will be livelier
  and saner for the sort of Quranic centrality
  which Major Themes of the Quran exemplifies and
  serves. Kenneth Cragg, Middle East Journal.
• I cant think of any book more important, still,
  than Major Themes of the Quran. Michael
  Sells, author of Approaching the Quran.
• Generations of scholars have profited from
  Rahmans pioneering scholarly work by taking
  the questions he raised and the directions he
  outlined to new destinations. Ebrahim Moosa,
  from his new Foreword.

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The Shaping of An American Islamic
Discourse(1998)

• This book mainly contains 12 chapters that
  provide reviews of Fazlur Rahman life, works and
  ideas by western scholars in North America.

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FAZLUR RAHMAN A Life In Review

• Author Donald L. Berry
• The author highlights a number of contributions
  Fazlur Rahman made.

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• 5 important contributions
• Fazlur Rahman brought a unique multicultural
  blend of Islamic traditionalism, progressive
  Islamic modernism and western scholasticism.
• His research for truth led him to change
  attitudes in traditional Islam and in western
  writing on Islam.
• His methodology was interdisciplinary to the
  core.
• His demeanor has done much for the receptivity of
  his work.
• He left a legacy in the form of his students.

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• First contribution
• Since he had background of traditional Islamic
  science and Islamic modernism, he sees that one
  could recapture the movement of Islam and face
  the modernity with enthusiasm. His training in
  western philosophy exposed him to Hellenistic
  influence on the Islamic philosopher. His
  education at Oxford and teaching experience in
  North America exposed him to Islamic scholarship
  by western and non-Muslim scholars. So his
  knowledge of various backgrounds on different
  field and people gives an advantage to him.

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• Second contribution
• He had the courage to be innovative and had his
  own stand towards rigid Islamic and Western
  attitudes. For example, his stands on
  appropriateness of some family planning devices,
  modern banking methods and appropriateness of the
  mechanical slaughter of animal led to criticism
  and controversy.
• He also disputes western understanding of Islam.
• Orthodox people think the way the Quran was sent
  to Muhammad (peace be upon him) was like the
  process of delivering letters. Rahman argues that
  verbal revelation as universal belief went
  straight to the heart.

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• Third contribution
• He challenged students of North America to view
  Islam in its contextual expressions and wanted
  them to be well-versed in many aspects including
  politics, economy and social issues. He
  encouraged the students Of Islam to discover the
  dynamism of the Muslim experience. This approach
  opens the door for Islamic studies to dialogue
  with broad fields of religious studies.

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• Fourth contribution
• Fazlur Rahman was gentle, kind-spirited and
  intellectual. Almost everybody who knew him liked
  him and his ideas so much. His personality and
  way of life won peoples heart.

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• Fifth contribution
• His ideas have influenced the study of Islam in
  North America. His students are currently
  teaching at many American colleges and
  universities. They represent the legacy of an
  Islamic scholar who always strove for depth,
  accuracy and validity.
• His student Frederick Danny says His mind
  changed, his position evolved but his central
  coordinate was always the Quran.

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FAZLUR RAHMAN AND ISLAMIC FEMINISM

• Author Tamara Sonn
• The author argues that Fazlur Rahmans insistence
  on rethinking Islamic views of women was a
  recurrent theme in his insistence on the
  modernist approach to Islamic reform.

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• Fazlur Rahman categorizes trends among modern
  Muslims into four
• Secularism ? Atheism, misguided.
• Conservative ? Well intentioned but ineffective.
• Fundamentalist ?Beyond conservative but actually
  propagating the Muslim worlds doomed to failure.
• Modernist ? Recognition that revelation took
  place in specific times and places.
• Rahamn claims himself a modernist.

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• Rahman does not believe that only one interpreter
  can achieve a perfect understanding of Islam that
  would be suitable for all times. He rather
  believes that every generation has the
  responsibility to return to revelation and make
  efforts to understand it. The different ulama
  from different times may have different
  interpretation due to spatiotemporal factors.

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ISLAM AND MODERNITY

• Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition

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• This book argues that the Quran should be the
  point of reference of Islamic education.
• He also talks about the legislations based on the
  Quran which must have background and historical
  contexts.
• Early scholars and Islamic leaders interpreted
  Quran by using principles of ijtihad and qiyas.
• The Quran also stresses on socioeconomic justice
  and essential human egalitarianism.

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• He proposed that in education the Quran should
  be the source of references.
• Muslims aim of Islamicizing the several fields
  of learning cannot be really fulfilled unless
  they effectively perform the intellectual task of
  elaborating Islamic metaphysics on the basis of
  the Quran.