As Muslims grapple with a complex world, the renowned 20th century scholar’s landmark work ‘Islam and Modernity’ offers a blueprint for evolving intellectual expressions of faith through ethical reasoning and educational reform. He diagnosed the Muslim world’s intellectual stagnation, arguing that reconciliation with modernity requires reviving the classical spirit of ‘ijtihad’ and integrating faith with reason.
Dr Ishfaq Jamal
In today’s vast ocean of knowledge, from science and artificial intelligence to data and postmodern thought, common Muslims mostly find themselves grappling to locate clear answers within classical Islamic texts when facing modern moral and societal challenges. This gap between tradition and modernity has left a deep intellectual vacuum in the Muslim world. It is precisely this crisis that Fazlur Rahman, one of the most influential reformist scholars of the 20th century, sought to address in his landmark work Islam and Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition.
Rahman believed that while Islam’s foundations are eternal, its intellectual expressions must evolve with time through reflection, reasoning, and moral renewal—achieved through systemic reconstruction of theology, philosophy, Islamic social sciences, law, and ethics. Rahman (1919–1988), a distinguished Islamic scholar, philosopher, and reformist thinker, was known for his efforts to revive the intellectual and moral spirit of Islam. Deeply concerned by the stagnation of Muslim thought, Rahman sought to reconcile Islamic tradition with the modern world through reason, ethics, and reinterpretation.
During Islam’s Golden Age, the Muslim world flourished intellectually and spiritually. It was an era that produced brilliant mujtahids, muhaddithin, mufassirin, imams, and scientists, who advanced theology, law, philosophy, and the natural sciences alike. This vibrant scholarly culture was due to a strong intellectual foundation and the freedom of ijtihad – independent reasoning that encouraged engagement with both revelation and reason. Fazlur Rahman views this period as the ideal model of Islamic intellectual enthusiasm. In Islam and Modernity, he argues that the decline of ijtihad and the rise of rigid traditionalism have led to stagnation in Muslim thought. He believed in the revival of that early spirit of inquiry, not blind imitation, for Islam’s renewal in the modern age.
For Rahman, the Qur’an was never a rigid legal code but a living moral guide. He aimed to revive ijtihad and make Islamic thought once again a creative force. He sought not just a return to the sources but a renewal of understanding. His emphasis was that meaningful reform in the Muslim world must begin with education. In Islam and Modernity, he criticises the deep divide between traditional religious education and modern secular systems, which he believes has fractured the Muslim intellect. Rahman calls for an integrated model of learning, where the Qur’an’s moral and ethical vision would guide scientific and humanistic studies alike. For him, true Islamic education is not about memorisation or ritual but about cultivating moral reasoning, intellectual curiosity, and social responsibility — qualities that historically defined Islam’s classical scholarship.
Rahman, in the book, is critical of both traditionalists and modernists. He felt that traditional scholars had confined Islam to outdated legalism, while modernists often imitate Western thought without grounding their ideas in the Qur’an’s moral vision. He calls for a balance, a reform rooted in faith, reason, and ethical renewal rather than imitation or rigidity.
Fazlur Rahman’s ideas are more relevant today, as modern societies have acquired far more complexity than ancient and medieval societies. Muslims navigate questions of faith, modernity, and moral responsibility. His vision reminds us that Islam’s renewal lies not in rejecting the modern world but in engaging with it thoughtfully, guided by the Qur’an’s timeless ethical spirit. Between tradition and reform, Rahman offers a path that keeps faith alive and promotes an intellectually vibrant Muslim society.
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