Shibli Nu'mani and modernism

Abstract

This research investigates modernism, with its philosophical roots in the West, in terms of modernists’ ideas on modern issues, and Shibli Nu’mani's (1857-1914) approach to such issues as an example of an Islamic response, divided into three essential focuses. Firstly, it examines the notion of modernity through the historical process of how the Western understanding of epistemology and ontology altered over time, from Augustine (354-430) to Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), and later modern Western thinkers. In addition, it explores the approaches of early Islamic modernists, such as Jamāl al-Dīn al-Din al-Afghani (1839-1897), Muhammad Abduh (1849-1905) in Egypt, and Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan (1817-1898) in India, in terms of their approaches to modern problems, showing some similarities between modernity and modernism, and introducing the effect of scientism on Muslim modernists’ minds. Another essential subject of the study is to analyse the modernists’ interpretation on traditional understanding of Islam, revelation, and hadith, based mainly on analyses of the case studies of Muhammad Abduh and Fazlur Rahman (1919-1988). Moreover, it explores Shibli Nu’mani's establishment of an alternative thinking system on epistemology and ontology, comparing those of the West, based on Al-Ghazali (1058-1111), Abu Hanifa (699-767), and their Ilm Al-Kalām. Furthermore, the study indicates Shibli’s approach to traditional thinking and his middle-road approach, harmonizing modern and traditional needs. Finally, the study searches Shibli’s attitudes and contribution to politics and education. In education, it depicts applying of his own methodology based on rationality, modern science, and the demands of the time, coherent with traditional Islamic thoughts, manifest in the curriculums of Aligarh and Nadwat-ul-’Ulama. The study demonstrates that his application of Islamic rational analysis in politics and education was geared to protect Muslims’ rights, with compatibility between human values of the period such as justice, liberty, democracy, and Islamic tradition. This is clearly seen in his ideas about pan-Islamism and the Indian National Congress. The textual analytical method is employed in the thesis, based on exploration of encyclopaedias, articles, books, and Shibli’s own works. This study presents an Islamic analysis of opportunities and possibilities to intellectually respond to the challenges of modernity based on the case of Shibli Nu’mani's.