Typology of caliphate-centrism in the contemporary Islam; A comparative study of the ideas of Rashid Reza, Hassan al-Banna, and Ali Abd Al-Raziq

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Professor, Faculty of History, University of Isfahan

2 Ph.D Student, University of Isfahan

10.22081/psq.2019.67132

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to study the theoretical dimensions of the challenges posed in the aftermath of the Ottoman caliphate in 1924, and provide a typology of different types of ideas about Islamic caliphate in three forms—“traditionalist, modernist, and modernist”. In this regard, the political ideas of the most prominent representatives of each of the spheres namely Rashid Reza, Hassan al-Banna, and Ali Abd Al-Raziq, concerning politics and caliphate, were studied. The research method was descriptive-analytical, and the data were gathered in library fashion. The results indicated that Muslim thinkers’ viewpoints are at odds over the question of “caliphate”. Thinkers generally find themselves on common ground on the idea that caliphate in the Muslim world is a form of state for the protection of the laws of Sharia. Traditionalists and modernists argue that human problems can be solved by referring to the holy texts, but Ali Abd Al-Raziq argues for the ability of human mind in making sense of the world and managing personal and collective affairs in life. In this regard, there is a consensus between him and modernists like Hassan al-Banna. Modernists mostly vouch for the separation of state from religion and the theory of world-centrism. The consensus on the idea of the need for the involvement of religion in politics has led the two schools, traditionalist and modernist, to consider the need for reviving caliphate. The two intellectual orientations, traditionalist and modernist, believe that the unity between Muslims is the essential condition for caliphate.

Keywords

Article Title [العربیة]

أصناف فکر الخلافة فی الإسلام المعاصر: دراسة مقارنة لآراء رشید رضا وحسن البنّا وعلی عبدالرزاق

Abstract [العربیة]

یهدف البحث الراهن إلى دراسة الجوانب النظریة للتحدّیات الناشئة بعد انهیار الخلافة العثمانیة فی عام ١٩٢٤م، ومعرفة أصناف الرؤى والأفکار المثارة حول الخلافة الإسلامیة ضمن ثلاثة أشکال وهی "التقلیدیة" و"التجدید" و"الحداثة". وقد نوقشت فی هذا السیاق الأفکار والرؤى السیاسیة حول السیاسة والخلافة لأبرز ممثّلی التیّارات الثلاث، أی: رشید رضا، وحسن البنّا، وعلی عبدالرزاق. منهج البحث هو المنهج الوصفی والتحلیلی کما أنّ الطریقة المتّبعة لجمع البیانات هی طریقة البحث المکتبی. کشفت النتائج عن أنّ المفکّرین المسلمین لیسوا على وجهة نظر واحدة بالنسبة لقضیة "الخلافة"، غیر أنّ القاسم المشترک لجمیع وجهات نظر المفکّرین هو أنّ الخلافة فی العالم الإسلامی عبارة عن نمط من الحکم من شأنه صیانة أحکام الشریعة. یرى التقلیدیون والتجدیدیون أنّه من الممکن حلحلة مشاکل الإنسان عن طریق الرجوع إلى النصوص المقدّسة؛ غیر أنّ علی عبدالرزاق یرى استطاعة العقل البشری فی فهم العالم وإدارة القضایا الفردیة والجماعیة للحیاة. وهو فی هذا الصعید یشاطر الرأی تجدیدیین من أمثال حسن البنّا. أمّا الحداثیون فیقولون بالفصل بین الدولة والدین وأُطروحة العَلمانیة. کما أنّ الاتّفاق على فکرة ضرورة تدخّل الدین فی السیاسة قادت تیّارَی التقلید والتجدید إلى ضرورة إحیاء الخلافة. ویرى المذهبان الفکریان التقلید والتجدید کون اتّحاد المسلمین شرطاً لازماً لتحقیق الخلافة.

Keywords [العربیة]

  • الخلافة
  • المفکّرون المسلمون
  • التقلیدیة
  • التجدید
  • الحداثة
  • الخلافة العثمانیة
  • رشید رضا
  • حسن البنّا
  • علی عبدالرزاق

References

Abd Al-Raziq, A. (2001). Islam and the bases of the power. (A. Rezaee, Trans.). Tehran: Qasidesara. [in Persian]
Abd Al-Raziq, A. (2011). Political thought of Muslim thinkers (Vol. 15). Tehran: Institute for Social and Cultural Studies. [in Persian]
Abdel Raziq, A. (1925). Islam and the Foundations of Governance. Beirut: Dar al-Nashr & Dar al-Helal. [in Arabic]
Abed-Kotob, S. (1995). The Accommodationists Speak: Goals and Strategies of the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt. International Journal of Middle East Studies, 27, 321-39. [in Arabic]
Abu-Zaeid, N. H. (2009). Political thought in Islam: state, religion and government. Berlin forum for progressive Muslims, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Germany. Retrieved from http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/akademie/berlin/06750.pdf. [in Arabic]
Adam, F. (2015). Polemics of the Islamic Caliphate: A View from Ali Abd Al-Raziq. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 6(4), S2. 
al-Banna, H. (1978). Friday Forum; Set of Friday hadiths published in Muslim Brotherhood daily newspaper. Alexandria: Dar al-Dawa. [in Arabic]
al-Banna, H. (1992). Collection of Rasael al-Imam al-Shahid Hassan al-Banna. Cairo: Dar al-Touzi and al-Nashr al-Islami. [in Arabic]
al-Banna, H. (n.d). Invitation and advocacy notes. Cairo: Dar al-Shahab. [in Arabic]
al-Banna, H. (n.d.). Risala al-mu’tamar al-khamis [Tract of the Fifth Conference]. Majmu‘a rasa’il al-imam al-shahid Hasan al-Banna [Collected tracts of the imam martyr Hasan al-Banna]. Cairo: Dar al-Shihab. [in Arabic]
al-Misri, A. N. (1994). Reliance of the Traveller: A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law. N. H. M. Keller (Ed.). Beltsville, MD: Amana Publications. [in Arabic]
al-Sharafi, A. (1992). The problem of governance in modern Islamic thought. al-Ijtihad, 14, 69-93. [in Arabic]
Amareh, M. (1980). Islam and religious authority. Beirut: Institute for Research & Publishing. [in Arabic]
Broucek, J. (2012). The Controversy of Shaykh Ali Abd Al-Raziq, A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Religion (Doctoral dissertation). Florida State University, USA. 
Brown, N. J., Hamzawy, A., & Ottaway, M. (2006). Islamist movements and the democratic process in the Arab world: exploring the grey zones. Washington: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
El-Ghobashy, M. (2005). The Metamorphosis of the Egyptian MuslimBrothers. International Journal of Middle East Studies, 37(3), 373-395.
Enayat, H. (2001). Modern Islamic Political Thought. Tehran: Ministry of Culture & Islamic Guidance Printing & Publication Organization. [in Persian]
Feirahi, D. (1996). Fundamentals of Sunni Political Thoughts. Islamic Government, 1(2), 121-150. [in Persian]
Gairdner, W. H. (1911). Notes on present‐day movements in the Moslem world. The Muslim World, 1, 187-191. doi:10.1111/j.1478-1913.1911.tb00023.x.
Ghanim, I. B. (1992). Al-Fikr al-siyasi li-l-imam Hasan al-Banna [The Political Thought of Hasan al-Banna]. Cairo: Dar al-Tawzi ‘wa-l-Nashr al-Islamiyya. [in Arabic]
Haddad Adel, Gh.A. (2011). Encyclopedia of Islam (Vol. 15). Tehran: Offset Press Inc. [in Persian]
Haddad, M. (1997). Arab Religious Nationalism in the Colonial Era: Rereading Rashīd Riḍā's Ideas on the Caliphate. Journal of the American Oriental Society, 117(2), 253-277.
Haim, S. G. (Ed.). (1976). Introduction. Arab Nationalism: An Anthology (pp. 3-72). Los Angeles: University of California Press. 
Hanafi, H. (2011). Criticism of the Caliphate (Ali Abdul Razzaq). Beirut: Center for Arab Unity Studies. [in Arabic]
Hourani, A. (2014). Arabic thought in the liberal age. (A. Shams, Trans.). Tehran: Namak Press. [in Persian]
Hussain, T. (1991). Documents Issues. Egypt: al-Maktaba al-Asriyya. [in Arabic]
Jadaane, F. (1978). The foundations of progress among the intellectuals of Islam. Cairo: Dar Al-Shorouk. [in Arabic]
Keddie, N. (1983). An Islamic Response to Imperialism: Political and Religious Writings of Sayyid Jamil ad-Din "al- Afghani". Berkeley and Los Angeles: Univiversity of California Press.
Khadduri, M. (1987). Political tendencies in the Arab world. (A. Alem, Trans.). Tehran: Institute for Political and International Studies. [in Persian]
Krämer, G. (2010). Hasan al-Banna, Oxford: Oneworld Publications.
Laoust, H. (1938). Introduction. Le Califat dans la doctrine de Rashid Rida: Traduction annotee d'al-Hildfa au al-imdma al-Cuzmd (Le Califat ou l'imama supreme), Memoires de l'Insti- tut fran9ais de Damas (Vol. 6) (pp. 1-11). Beirut: Institut francais de Damas.
Leiken, R. S., & Brooke, S. (2007). The Moderate Muslim Brotherhood. Retrieved from https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2007-03-01/moderate-muslim-brotherhood. 
Mansi, M. (1977). Harakat al-Yaqzah al-Arabiyah. Cairo. [in Arabic]
Mash-hoor, M. (1995, May 26). A public talk in Arabic at the Muslim Welfare House in London. 
Meijer, R. (2012). The Muslim brotherhood and the political: an exercise in ambiguity. Hague: Clingendael.
Mohajernia, M. (2016). Political thought trends in the Islamic world. Tehran: Islamic Research Institute for Culture and Thought Publication Organization. [in Persian]
Moradi, M. (2002). Government theory in the political thought of Hasan al-Banna. Political Science, 5(3), 83-102. [in Persian]
Othman, M. F. (1984). Min Usul al-fikr As-Siyasi (Of the Fundamentals of Islamic Political Thought). Beirut: Ar-Risala. 
Rafiabadi, H. N. 2007. Challenges to Religions and Islam: A Study of Muslim Movements, Personalities, Issues and Trends (Vols 1-3). New Delhi: Sarup & Sons.
Ramadan, T. (2004). Islam, the West and the Challenges of Modernity. Leicester: The Islamic Foundation.
Rashid Reza, M. (1996). Caliphate or Great Imamate; State and Caliphate in the Arab discourse. Beirut: Dar Al Tali’a. [in Arabic]
Rosenthal, E. I. J. (1958). Political Thought in Medieval Islam: An Introduction Outline. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Rozental, A. J. (2017). Political thought in medieval Islam: an introductory outline. (A. Ardestani, Trans.). Tehran: Ghoomes Publishing Company. [in Persian]
Said, A. (n.d.). Al-Thawrah al-Arabiyah al-Kubra. Cairo: Isa alBabi al-Halabi.
Sourdel, D., Lambton, A.K.S., Jong, F., & Holt, P.M. KHALIFA. In P. Bearman et al (Ed.), Encyclopaedia of Islam (2nd ed). Brill. 
Spoerl, J. S. (2012). The World View of Hasan al-Banna and the Muslim Brotherhood, Retrieved from http://www.newenglishreview.org/custpage.cfm/frm/128355/sec_id/128355
Tamimi, A. S. (1997). Democracy in Islamic Political Thought. Retrieved from https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/14517149.pdf
The emergence of the Muslim Brotherhood. (2012). Pasdar-e Islam, 367. [in Persian]
Zaher, M. K. (1994). Clearance between the two movements and the secular in modern Arab thought. Beirut: Dar al-Beiruti. [in Arabic]
Zaki, M. (2006). A survey of the contemporary Islamic thought. (M. J. Amini, Trans.). Political Science, 20, 105-134. [in Persian]
Zehmul, I. (n.d.). Muslim Brothers Historical Papers. (n.p.): Author. [in Arabic]

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics