al-Ittijahat al-Aqliyya al-Muasira Usuluha wa Manahijuha
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- al-Ittijahat al-Aqliyya al-Muasira Usuluha wa Manahijuha
al-Ittijahat al-Aqliyya al-Muasira Usuluha wa Manahijuha (Contemporary Rationalist Trends: Their Foundations and Methodologies) is a theological treatise and lecture series by Nasir al-Aql, professor of Islamic creed and contemporary doctrines at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, examining and critiquing modern rationalist movements from a Sunni Salafi perspective .
Origin and Structure
The work originated as a series of televised dialogues and presentations within the broadcast program Hirasat al-Aqidah ("Guarding the Creed"), hosted by a moderator in discussion with Nasir al-Aql . The discourse is arranged across sequential episodes and parts that address viewer questions and discussion points, including topics submitted through the program's online forum portal .
Scope and Core Themes
The text defines the role of reason (aql) within Islam as the locus of legal obligation (manat al-taklif) and the instrument for understanding revelation, while arguing that reason cannot be elevated to the status of an absolute arbiter over scriptural texts or made to perceive matters beyond its capacity . It identifies a recurring tendency among ancient schools, such as the Mu'tazila and the philosophers, and asserts that contemporary rationalist currents continue these patterns while drawing heavily on Western intellectual models .
The author classifies modern rationalism as encompassing multiple overlapping factions, including elements associated with secularism, liberalism, Westernization (taghrib), and modernism (hadatha) . The work critiques the terminology and slogans employed by these groups, such as "enlightenment" (tanwir), "modernity" (asraniyya), and unrestricted "freedom of opinion" (al-ra'y wa-l-ra'y al-akhar), contending that such concepts are frequently used to dilute religious constants (thawabit) and sideline classical scholarly authority .
The series also discusses specific social and theological debates, including rationalist criticisms of personal religious observance (tadayyun), their discourse on women's rights, and their historical claims regarding early Islamic doctrine . It rebuts arguments alleging that the creed of the Salaf was merely a historical byproduct of early political conflicts or sovereign influence, maintaining that orthodox creed is grounded directly in the Quran and the Sunnah .
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