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Islam Between Past and Future the Islamic World at an Historical Crossroad

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Islam Between Past and Future the Islamic World at an Historical Crossroad Islam between Past and Future The Islamic World At an Historical Crossroad By Fr. Giuseppe Scattolin, Comboni Missionary Index 1. Overview of the history of Islam. 1-1. Islam expanded from its beginning in all directions: east and west, north and south, in the past in the present, in different ways, by wars and by peaceful penetration. 1-2. The actual presence of Islam: Islam includes more than one billion people, of all countries, races and languages; and for the first time in its history also in the west. 1-3. Islam represents a great challenge for all: believers or not. 2. Islam: a plural reality, not just a private belief, but a complex historical phenomenon and as such must be understood, not as we like (Islamophobia – Islamophilia) 2-1. Islam is a religion (dîn) 2-2. Islam is a law (sharî'a) 2-3. Islam is a civilization (hadâra). 2-4. Islam is a political project (dîn wa-dawla) 3. Islam in contemporary world: its trends and movements. Premise: Some important dates for contemporary Islam. 3-1. Islam and modernity: from such a confrontation different trends have been born. 3-2. The traditionalist or salafi movements: they want to keep the historical Islamic tradition: Wahhabites, Muslims Brothers, and many extremist movements derived from such an ideology (al-Qaeda, and a lot of so-called jihadist movements, sources of a lot of violence everywhere….). 3-3. The reformist movement or Islamic modernism: they think that Islam too can accept modernity (critical science, human rights, democracy, etc.), but it needs a deep reformation. They try to make a synthesis between revelation and reason. However, they are on the whole still isolated thinkers, they do not form yet a true school of modern thought, with little space in the media… 1 4. Islam facing the future: what will be the future of Islam? 4-1. Traditionalist or salafi? This is now the prevalent trend for many reasons. In this case we are going to face a very hard confrontation 4-2. Or Reformist and moderate? This is still a minority trend. In this case there will be a more peaceful coexistence between Islam and other religions and cultures. 4-3. Dialogue is the principal way indicated in the Church's documents in order to open ways of mutual understanding and cooperation towards a peaceful coexistence in the global village where there is a pluralist presence of different religions and cultures. Pope Benedict XVI said: "Interreligious and intercultural dialogue between Christians and Muslims cannot be reduced to an optional extra. It is in fact a vital necessity, on which in large measure our future depends". ("Meeting with representatives of Muslim Communities", Cologne, 20th August 2005). 2 Islam between Past and Future 1- An overview of the history of Islam. 1-1. The history of Islam spans through fourteen centuries (from the VII to the XXI). From its beginning Islam expanded in all directions: east and west, north and south, in the past and in the present, and in different ways, by wars and by peaceful expansion. Islam has penetrated into a great number of human societies and civilizations, and it has produced one of the most important civilization in human history: the multifaceted and rich Islamic civilization. After a time of stagnation, under the colonialist rule, the Islamic world is now on the move for an 'Islamic resurgence' (sahwa islamiyya) in very rapid evolution. 1-2. The actual presence of Islam in the world: it represents more than one billion people, i.e., the second religion in the world, spread across all countries, races and languages; and now for the first time in its history also in the west. Islam is considered by all as the fastest expanding religion in our present time. 1-3. Islam represents a great challenge for all, believers or not. We have to face dialogue or clashes with it. Pope Benedict XVI, in one of his first declarations, said: "Interreligious and intercultural dialogue between Christians and Muslims cannot be reduced to an optional extra. It is in fact a vital necessity, on which in large measure our future depends". ("Meeting with representatives of Muslim Communities", Cologne, 20 August 2005). 1-4. Therefore, we all have to know Islam in order to be able to come in touch it as it is. Like it or not, Islam will become all the more an active presence all over the world. Thus, we have to come to terms with its presence. To ignore it means to live out of history. Here, I will give a short overview of its reality through history. 3 2- Islam, a plural reality What is Islam? This is a basic question to start with. Different answers are found in the field. My personal view is that Islam is not only just a religious belief, or a simple code of moral behaviour, etc. Islam is a multifaceted and complex reality that one must know in all its basic aspects as they appear from a deep analysis of it, both on its historical data and on its theoretical contents. A wrong reading of the Islamic reality has given, and continuous to give rise to a lot of misunderstandings and illusions, which events regularly, and sometimes in a dramatic way, contradict. Therefore, we have to know this reality in-depth, if we want to relate to it in real terms. Analyzing the Islamic reality, four basic aspects come to the front that must be kept in mind, in my view, since they all are always present in it, in its manifestations, though with different emphasis: Islam is a religion (dîn), a law (sharî'a), a civilization (hadâra), a political project (dîn wa-dawla) 2-1. Islam is a religion (dîn) There is no doubt that first and basic aspect of Islam and its fundamental force throughout its history is its religious character. Islam is aware of having a mission in human history, and this mission is first of all a religious one: i.e., asserting the absolute monotheism (tawhîd), against any evident or hidden form of idolatry. The sources of this religion are the revealed Book (the Koran) and the sayings and deeds (hadîth) of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam. Islamic religion is organized around a set of practices or religious duties (‘ibâdât, summarized in the ‘five pillars’), and a number of beliefs or dogmas, (‘aqâ’id, summarized in the articles of faith). These constitute the basis of its identity, to be accepted by all those who intend to be and to be recognized as Muslims. In fact, every believer that deviates from them is considered an ‘infidel’ (kâfir), an apostate (murtadd), and as such to be eliminated from the Islamic community. Islamic practices and beliefs, taken from the two sources of Islam, Koran and hadith, were quite early codified by Muslims into the so-called ‘The Islamic Law’ (sharî‘a). In Sunni Islam, the Caliph, i.e., the successor (khalîfa) of the Prophet has the charge of leading the community both in spiritual and earthly matters. Then, in time the Caliph institution lost its influence in favour of the body of doctors (‘ulamâ’ or ulema) of the Islamic Law, who are now the essential reference for Sunni ‘orthodoxy’ (Sunnism). The Shiite Islam has exalted the figure of the imâm, the leader of the Islamic community (umma) a descendant of the family of the Prophet (ahl al- bayt). In Shiism there are different chains of imâms, all of them claiming to be the qualified leaders of the Islamic community. At any rate, the religious aspect is the first and the 4 fundamental one for Islamic identity. In spite of what many sociologists state, from this point of view there are not many (sunni) Islam, but one, the Islam confessing the true tawhîd. Differences are at the level of interpretation and some local practices, but not in the substance. 2-2. Islam is a law (sharî'a) Islamic religion, however, does not confine itself to the private sphere. On the contrary, it embraces all social relationships (mu‘âmalât), concerning family life, marriage, inheritance, different kinds of transactions, economic relationships, rules of living together and social conventions, till the most particular actions. In this respect the Islamic law is nearer to the Mosaic Law than to Evangelical law. The basic idea is that all human life must be ruled by only by God through the (sharî‘a) He gives to humans, since He is the sole and only legitimate lawgiver for humans. No human can dictate a law to another human being. Therefore, Muslims often contrast Islamic legislation (coming from God) against those decreed by human societies, the Western ones included. Muslims qualify (or rather, dis-qualify) these laws as just human inventions, that must be revised in the light of the only and trustworthy ‘law of God’, the sharî‘a. In a quite early time, different ‘schools of law’ have developed in Islam, claming to be the true interpreters of the God's law, deduced form its official sources: the Koran and the Prophetical tradition (sunna). These ‘official’ schools of law in Sunni Islam are basically four: Hanafism, Malikism, Shafi’ism, Hanbalism. Such ‘effort of interpretation’ (ijtihâd) done by the first Islamic generations ended practically with the 3rd/9th century with Ibn Hanbal (d. 240/854), the founder of the last recognized school of law. After him, according to the current juridical opinion, there would be nothing more than imitative application (taqlîd) of what those pious and wise ancestors (salaf) have said. Nevertheless, such an opinion has now entered in a deep crisis, because of the meeting- clash between Islam and modernity.
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