al-Hadara al-Islamiyya
- Author died
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- Editions
- Islamic University of Madinah
al-Hadara al-Islamiyya (Islamic Civilization) is a treatise by the Egyptian scholar Ahmad Abd al-Rahim al-Sayih examining the definition, foundations, and distinctive characteristics of Islamic civilization, as well as the prerequisites for its contemporary revival .
Overview and Conceptual Framework
Al-Sayih opens the work by contrasting the traditional linguistic meaning of civilization (hadara)—rooted in settled, urban dwelling as opposed to nomadic desert life (badawa)—with its broader modern concept . He defines civilization in contemporary terms as the comprehensive sum of a nation's scientific, artistic, literary, social, and economic advancement, encompassing both material and spiritual modes of life . The author asserts that Islamic civilization is unique in that all its constitutive elements, foundations, and factors of growth derived directly from Islam itself, which joined religious devotion with practical worldly transactions (din 'ibada wa-din mu'amala) .
Distinctive Characteristics and Critique of Orientalism
The work highlights key pillars that distinguished Islamic civilization in world history:
- Inherent Spiritual Energy: Islam provided a dynamic spiritual force that radically transformed all aspects of human society .
- Universal Mission (da'wa): The global scope of Islamic outreach allowed its civilizational ethos to spread rapidly, becoming a cornerstone of human civilization in less than a quarter of a century .
- Rapid Transformation: The Islamic message swiftly elevated fragmented desert communities from nomadic obscurity into leaders of science, culture, and governance .
Al-Sayih criticizes Western Orientalists who designated this heritage as "Arab civilization" (hadarat al-Arab), arguing that such terminology overlooks historical reality, as no enduring civilization was established by the Arabs apart from the advent of Islam .
Prospects for Revival
In the concluding section, al-Sayih discusses the modern potential for rebuilding Islamic civilization, citing several strategic assets of the Muslim world: its temperate geographical location buffered from polar extremes and major catastrophic storms, abundant agricultural and animal resources capable of supporting advanced industries, and an emerging collective awakening . He contends that civilizational renewal does not require adopting foreign ideological factions, partisan divisions, or political polarization; rather, it depends on a thorough return to Islam as a practical system of conduct, education, culture, and life .
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