MODERN MUSLIM INTELLECTUALS AND THE QUR’AN

There have been differences between the 'ulama and the modern Islamic scholars and intellectuals in interpreting and understanding the Qur'an. Often these differences tend to be basic and hence modern intellectuals and Islamic scholars are persecuted in some Islamic countries. In these countries to differ from 'official 'ulama' means to be heretic and to be punished. This intolerance is more human than Islamic. The 'ulama fear that if what the modern intellectuals say is accepted than their dogmas may not be accepted and their line of thinking will stand isolated. In fact it is only a fear. The general intellectual level in most of the Islamic countries is not high enough to render the traditional ulama irrelevant.

 

It is quite interesting to note that despite such differences and persecution one finds modern intellectuals and Islamic scholars in Muslim countries who challenge the traditional thinking and even invite persecution for themselves. Recently Dr. Suha Taji-Arouki has edited an interesting book on this subject. She has included articles by various authors on such modern intellectuals from various countries from Indonesia to Algeria. This has been published by Oxford University Press, London, on behalf of the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London. The book makes very interesting reading and articles on noted intellectuals and scholars who have written on the Qur'an have been discussed in the book.

 

The book has chapters on Prof. Fazlur Rahman of Pakistan, Amina Wadud an African American Muslim, Egypt scholar Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd, Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari from post-revolutionary Iran, Mohammad Arkoun, Nurcholis Majid, Mohammad Talbi, Huseyin Atay and Sadiq Nayhum.

 

This book also refutes the view that some western scholars take that there is homogeneity of thinking on theological issues in Islamic world. It is far from so. There are contending ideas and the orthodox approach is under challenge though orthodoxy may prevail. But that is a different story.   

 

Thus the book discusses many modern intellectuals from different countries and their approach to the Qur'an. For lack of space it is not possible to discuss all of them here in this paper, so only a few chapters are discussed in series hereafter.