Sayyid Jamāl al-Dīn Asadābādī: Reviver of Religion or Social Reformer? An Analysis of the Unconventional Aspects of Sayyid Jamāl's Thought

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD in Political Thought, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Professor of Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

10.22081/psq.2024.69220.2888

Abstract

The conventional image of Sayyid Jamāl al-Dīn Asadābādī portrays him as a figure primarily concerned with Islam and the revival of religion in opposition to modern thought and civilization, with his staunch anti-colonial stance seen within this framework. However, a closer examination of Asadābādī’s surviving documents and works reveals a lesser-known dimension of his thought. This study aims to explore this aspect in Asadābādī’s ideas and writings. The central question is whether Asadābādī’s main focus and concern were the revival of religion and political Islam in the face of modern civilization, or rather the advancement, progress, and overcoming of the backwardness of Muslim societies. Our hypothesis is that significant and undeniable evidence in Asadābādī’s works indicates that he employed Islamism as a tool to improve the dire conditions of Muslim societies and to bridge their developmental gaps in comparison to the West. The research method is analytical-interpretive, relying on library sources; it also utilizes Strauss’s esoteric writing theory for textual interpretation, given the nature of Asadābādī’s theoretical and practical activities. Based on clear indications from some of Asadābādī’s statements in his essays, speeches, letters, as well as a thorough examination of certain works and his socio-political activities, it can be concluded that Jamāl al-Dīn’s primary goal and motivation were not, as commonly believed, the revival of religion or a confrontation with Western thought and civilization, but rather social reform, addressing backwardness, and promoting progress in Muslim communities.

Keywords

References

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