A call for islamic revival (by Gamal al banna)
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An Experiment of Islamic Renovation
The "Call for Islamic Revival"By Gamal El Banna
The first reference to the idea of an Islamic revival appeared in the chapter on "A new understanding of religion" in the book "New Democracy" produced by Gamal El Banna in 1946. He criticized the wave of enthusiasm that followed the rise of the Moslem Brotherhood at the time. He warned them "not to believe in faith, but to believe in the human being". His idea was further developed in his call for revival "Islam targeted the human being, but the Muslim scholars targeted Islam".
However, the developments that followed upon that book, especially the military coup led by Abdel Nasser did not provide the adequate climate for that call to thrive. Furthermore, Gamal El Banna himself was throughout the fifties and sixties preoccupied with trade unionism before he returned again to the issue of Islam. And yet in 1952 he produced his book "The responsibility of decadence between the peoples and the rulers, as explained in the Holy Koran."
He also founded the Egyptian association for the care of prisoners and their families (1953-1955), which created a revolution in the reform of prison conditions and resulted in a confrontation with the authorities. However he returned to Islamic topics in the eighties and when he produced a number of Islamic books addressing various Islamic issues such as (Islam and rationalism) and (No and no again.. No to the imitating scholars and no to pretentious advocates of enlightenment), in addition to several studies of contemporary Islamic propositions (Islamic movements pros and cons) and (A message to Islamic advocates) etc. He concluded those studies with his main work entitled (Towards a new Islamic jurisprudence) in three volumes in which he criticized fundamentalist Fikh and called for a new one, the foundations of which he presented in the third volume.
The call for Islamic revival is a very unique and distinct call from all the rest because of the following reasons
First The call for Islamic revival believes in openness and interaction with all cultures, knowledge and civilizations, not from a position of weakness or imitation or fabrication or selectivity, but on an original Koranic base. Gamal El Banna demonstrated that the Koran considers wisdom to be one of the origins of Islam side by side with El Kitab (The Book). He elaborated that this attitude opens up a wide horizon for acquiring knowledge and inspiration from all available sources. It also allows us to draw on all cultures and civilizations, including a different attitude towards women, art, economics and politics. This, he claims, is precisely what Muslims did during the time of their renaissance before the door of Ijtihad was closed.
In addition to that creative, open approach towards the original principles of the religion, Gamal El Banna's all encompassing culture and knowledge supported this approach further. Since the publication of his first book (Three obstacles on the way to Glory Ignorance, poverty and illness) in 1945 he never stopped reading. His readings included both old and contemporary European political thought, socialism and the history of popular and reformist movements etc. It is here that Gamal El Banna differs much from traditional Islamic advocates, whose culture is limited to old Islamic references or the "heritage" in the interpretation of Hadith and Fikh.
The publications of Gamal El Banna included a 300-page book on the (Birth and decline of the Weimar Republic) and another on (Workers' opposition during the time of Lenin) which was originally written by Ms. Kolontai. Gamal El Banna translated the book, adding to it an elaborate introduction that is almost as long as the original book. Among his other publications are a book on the history of workers' movements in Egypt (700 pages), a textbook in three volumes on trade union rights and liberties in addition to a book that documents his experience in prison reform and providing care for prisoners.
Second The call for Islamic revival is a radical one. It is not a call for a partial reform or an attempt at patching up traditional Islamic knowledge. On the contrary, it puts aside all ancient and old knowledge, which is usually considered the reference for all Islamic advocacy and refers directly to the Koran without adherence to any of the acknowledged or traditional interpretations. It laid different foundations for Fikh other than those set by El Shafei, and formulated objectives for Islamic jurisprudence other than those proposed by El Shatbi and proposed an original theory of Sunni revelation that avoided the crisis of Sunna, which has dominated Islamic thought and Fikh for a long time. Only a call for an Islamic revival could have forwarded this , since all other Islamic scholars were one way or the other associated with fundamentalist thought or other contemporary traditional schools or disciplines, foremost "religious institutions" such as El Azhar in Egypt and Hozat in Iran etc. Furthermore many of those schools were associated with the ruling regimes.
Third This radical renovation, which constitutes a revolution in Islamic thought, can hardly be charged with any of the many charges that are usually attributed to "innovators". Such charges range from being spies or fascinated by the West, superficiality of analysis or lack of mastery of the subject. Gamal El Banna comes from a family that is well established and renowned in Isamic advocacy. All through his life he maintained a clean record and based his ideas on evidence that drew on the Koran, on common sense and logic and life realities. Furthermore he is a self sufficient and independent man with no ambition for high rank positions or posts since God almighty granted him the financial resources that saved him the need for work, that provided him with financial security and enabled him to cover the expenses of his writings and advocacy.
It is therefore that his writings can be only challenged by ignoring and withholding them.
The fact of the matter is that the Call for Islamic Revival is the only call that offers a comprehensive cultural Islamic plan. It addresses every aspect of society, each in a separate book that demonstrates an original vision on women, trade unions, economy poletics etc. All those visions are derived from a single original source and hence are free of fabrication and contradictions.
In addition to his Islamic books (about 40 in number) Gamal El Banna produced the following publications during the period 2001-2002.
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Strategy for Islamic Da'awa (advocacy) in the 21st century as foreseen in the Call for Islamic Revival.
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Our first demand is FREEDOM.
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Revolutionizing the Koran.
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Plurality in a Moslem society.
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The veil.
Also forthcoming is a book entitled "Islam a religion and a nation.. not a religion and a state". It settles the issue of governance in Islam, which has created much debate and controversy for long periods of time.
http//www.islamiccall.org/Islamic_Revival.htm
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OUR FAITH
(1)
There is no fear that the Muslim person will be dissolved in contemporary civilization because he is deeply connected to God and the Prophet with certain values which curb his whims and prevent him from slipping away.
Belief is an all powerful God is instilled in the spirit by the image of Almighty God that is present in the Qur'an. As for what is said in books of theology, it does not enrich, in fact it may harm
(2)
The prophets are the true leaders of humanity and they must be made the ideals of leadership. Dictators, army generals, emperors and kings, etc., must be disposed of as must be the polices of oppression that these dictators have founded which have polluted the idea of rule and leadership and humanity
We believe that Islam has presented the exemplary image of God and Prophet, in the meantime we understand the forms which have been presented by other religions because religions have the same essence, but the forms are multiple. We believe in all the prophets and we believe that Almighty God wanted plurality and variety ("If your Lord has so desired, He would have made people one nation". Qur'an V, 48.) and that judgement on his plurality is for God on the Day of Judgement.
We believe that religion is the strongest characteristic of Arab society and that it represents history, civilization and conscience. Ignoring it cuts oof the line of continuity with the people. This fact does not negate that philosophy, literature and art have taken the place of religion in European society. Each society has its own destiny, nature and character which cannot be overcome or ignored. But at the same time, a society must not avoid mixing of ideas and dialogue between civilizations and similarities between religions, because wisdom is the longpursued common goal of believers.
(3)
We believe in the dignity of man and that God bestowed this on all descendants of Adam. No power can deprive them of this dignity for it covers all of Humanity -men and women, black and white, rich and poor, etc. The Qur'an shows a symbol of this dignity when the angels bowed down to Adam and the force of nature was placed at his disposal
Human dignity must be at the root of all social, economic and political policies and anything which threatens human dignity, whether in body or in soul, must be completely forbidden
Since Islam has exceeded in number and kind, the international agreements of human rights, the least that should be done is the immediate implementation of these agreements
(4)
Since the Qur'an gave the reason for the angels bowing down to Adam as his ownership of the knowledge which distinguishes him from other creatures and which saves him from superstition, the knowledge must be the main aim of Muslims. Every Islamic regime must spread culture and knowledge, open the way for them and prepare all the means which facilitate contemporary knowledge and skills to the masses. We cannot enter the 21st century with basic illiteracy
(5)
We believe in freedom of thought. It is the basis for all advancement. Nothing must stand in its way. The response to ideas that contradict the articles of faith must be through words, not through confrontation, terrorism or takfir (declaring someone a non-believer). There is no contradiction between complete freedom of thought and religion because religion is built on belief
There is no belief without conviction. This can only exist in an environment which allows liberal examination and pious scrutiny. The Holy Qur'an has nearly one hundred verses which lay down absolute freedom of faith and says that the decision is to be made by each individual ("There is no compulsion in religion". Qur'an II, 256).
There is no freedom without the freedom to print and publish, to form political parties, organizations, trade unions and the rest of civil society's organizations. There is no freedom without these associations being free to pursue their goals, as long as this takes place through peaceful means. We completely reject the calls for takfir and apostasy. We leave all that to the judgement of God on the Day of Judgement -as it is written in the Qur'an and implemented by the Prophet
As for the dangers which emerge, freedom itself permits the means for this to be deal with
(6)
Justice must be the basis for dealings between rulers and ruled, seniors and juniors, capitalists and workers, men and women, etc., because all things in the spheres of work and relations can only be stable when based on justice. Specific groups cannot be given powers which enable them to affect the rights of others. This is a kind of injustice which is similar to unbelief and it should not be allowed
(7)
The real challenge facing Muslim countries today is economic, military, political and social backwardness. Putting an end to this backwardness can only be done by making "development" a cultural battle that takes place under the banner of Islam, because "development" is what is required of "Jihad". Every individual must be mobilized for this battle -from planning to following up and evaluating it. This development must be Humanitarian. It should start with the justice which can be achieved and reach the abundance which is required. Only faith produces the free energy required and channels it into development and overcoming obstacles without the need for the investments which make room for following the footsteps or being the hostages of the big states
Any attempt at development which submits to the claims of the World Bank or imitates European or American examples will only bring more backwardness, clashes and conflicts. In the same way, any attempt at development which is laid down by governments or experts without the participation of the masses and is not founded on faith, or which aims to further the interests of the few at the expense of the broad masses, is a development doomed to failure
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The typical image of the contemporary Muslim is that which has been usually characterized negativity, attachment to the past, concentration on rituals and slogans, is not the picture of the Muslim in the days of the Prophet. The difference is because the short period time of the Prophetic message and the rightly guided Caliphs was not long enough (50 years) to deepen the roots of the Muslim personality. This was followed by the mordacious kings and the collapse of the Caliphate and the enclosure of the door of ijtihad (free thought) for more than a thousand years. Ignorance and oppression triumphed. All of this led to the image that is known today. This image is accepted by religious institutions and political regimes for reasons related to short sightedness, or the desire to secure vested interests.
We completely reject this picture and we strive for an Islamic Revival.
(9)
No Islamic revival can be achieved without a direct return to the Holy Qur'an and a reexamination of the Sunna. It must be freed from interpretations which were put by ancestors who were influenced by the spirit of their age, the dominance of ignorance, the tyranny of rulers and the difficulties in research and study. This has affected the interpretations of the Qur'an, the rules of Fiqh (jurisprudence) and the arts of Hadith (traditions of the Prophet). This has instilled notions which are narrow and contrary to the spirit of Islam. Islam was originally a call to save the people from darkness and bring them to the light, for the darkness to be replaced "The Book and the Balance" -in other words, knowledge and justice- in place of ignorance and injustice. It was also a call for the spreading of the values of good, justice, freedom, etc., which are the spirit of Islam. The rituals and slogans are the body of Islam, restricting one's self to these, is a celebration of a body without a soul. However, interpretation of the Qur'an is not -now- the important matter. The important matter is -as the Prophet said- to revolutionize the Qur'an
(10)
There is a fundamental truth, even if it has been hidden by dense fog. Each generation must live its own time without transgressing the supreme values of Islam. The social development of nations and peoples is like the physical development of individuals, it is a sign of health and an implementation of the universality of Islam, its objectivity and its suitability for every time and place
Islam does not monopolize wisdom, in fact it praises it wherever it is exist Islam accepts all expertise and presents its own. From this we can see that the propensity for a narrow isolationist position, taking the example of a long-gone society as the best example, intolerance of developments in arts and literature, the backward view of women and their imprisonment behind walls all this contradicts the essence of Islam, its universality and its suitability for every time and place. It also contradicts what Almighty God wanted when He said ("O mankind We created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes that you may know each other. Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you". Qur'an XLIX, 13)
There is no fear that the Muslim person will be dissolved in contemporary civilization because he is deeply connected to God and the Prophet with certain values which curb his whims and prevent him from slipping away
http//www.islamiccall.org/our_faith.htm
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Peace JM,all
Thanx for posting this JM. I will go through it today and - God-willing - give my thoughts about it.
For our arabic reading brothers and sisters, there can be found something about the same subject on our confederate forum AlFykr alhor
http//www.fykr.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=678
Regards
warda