al-I'tisam bil-Islam
- Author died
- 1405 AH
- Editions
- Matba'at al-Lughatayn
al-I'tisam bil-Islam (Adherence to Islam) is an Islamic reformist and socio-political treatise written by the Algerian scholar and preacher Umar al-Arbawi (d. 1405 AH / 1984 CE), a member of the Association of Algerian Muslim Scholars .
Overview and Structure
The work was conceived as a call to Islamic unity and revival, opening with the Quranic verse: وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا ("And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided" [Al 'Imran: 103]) .
As outlined by the author in his introduction, the book comprises two main parts:
- Part One: Examines the political and social decline that afflicted Muslims following the collapse of the Ottoman Caliphate, arguing that Muslims have since lacked the cohesion and solidarity ordained in the Quran and practiced by the early generations .
- Part Two: Focuses on the Algerian Revolution, emphasizing that its triumph was achieved because the struggle was fought in the name of Islam, arming the Algerian people with religious faith and steadfast solidarity despite their severe lack of material weaponry .
Themes and Methodology
Al-Arbawi premises his discourse on the view that the foundation of Islamic law rests on justice, mercy, public benefit, and wisdom . He diagnoses the modern Muslim world as suffering from a state of crisis produced by the uncritical juxtaposition of historical stagnation and unrefined Western imports, which resulted in intellectual dislocation . In developing these arguments, the author cites insights from the Algerian thinker Malek Bennabi, particularly his work al-Zahirah al-Qur'aniyyah (The Quranic Phenomenon) .
The book warns against evaluating Islamic doctrines and values through Western cultural standards and calls on Muslims to pursue scientific inquiry and intellectual diligence while maintaining moral and religious conviction . It also highlights universal Quranic patterns governing the rise and fall of civilizations, demonstrating that communal corruption and the abandonment of righteous reform inevitably lead to humiliation and decline .
Publication
The book was published in its first and only edition in 1402 AH / 1982 CE .
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