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Ali Café “Dreamers of Tomorrow”
Greats made conscience ((5
Imam Muhammad Abduh comes at the forefront of the people who enlighten my mind, and my reading of his biography and writings had the greatest impact on forming my beliefs, and establishing my respect for the Islamic religion from the entrance of knowledge, the breadth of the mind, and the multiplicity of knowledge. Professor Al-Akkad was credited with introducing Muhammad Abdo to me when I read his book “The Genius of Reform and Education, Imam Muhammad Abdo” when I was in my second year of high school at Orman School.
I read the imam’s book “Islam is the religion of science and civilization” and found that he is again unique of its kind, with a methodology based on wisdom and philosophy. It should come gradually to settle down, not a boom and it will go away. (This is also my methodology and philosophy of reform)
The imam was fully aware that the defect was not in the heritage, but rather in the way of dealing with the heritage through a traditional perspective, which is neither in line with nor renewed with the times.
He said wise words like: “If a person is ignorant of a matter, then it is easier for him than opposing it.”
And he said: “The life of every nation is based on its preparation for each time in a way that suits it, and whoever prevails over time, time prevails.”
Imam Muhammad Abduh was very interested in analyzing the faith of the predecessors, and he was not seeking to live in their time, so the past was not the engine of his ideas, but rather to defend the values of free thought, tolerance and the right to difference, and to reveal the bright face of Islam, and present it as a religion that is not petrified, Don’t freeze in imitation mold. And his defense of philosophy was a defense of free thought and of Islam as a religion suitable for all ages.
He said: “A thought that is bound by habits and tyrannizes imitation is a dead thought that has no value.”
The rationality associated with the importance of progress in the thought of the Imam is associated with other characteristics that look at the freedom of human thought in maintaining the social contract, which is based on tolerance and acceptance of difference, and support for the civil state, which confirms the principle of separation of powers, and the principle of equality between citizens in rights and duties. In parallel with the principle of shura, which reduces the risks of accepting the principle of a just tyrant. The Sheikh began to embody the principles of the enlightened jurist, before he obtained a teaching certificate from Al-Azhar, and he used to ask students to read a lot of books, in various fields, including the fields of arts, so he collided with the traditional model of the Sheikh represented by Sheikh Alish, who fought him for favoring the Mu’tazilah against the Ash’aris, and his call to purify the heritage, and this clash was the beginning of the battles that did not stop with the sheikhs of imitation until now.
One of his influential words is, “God knows everything, and God is not approached by anything like knowledge.”
He said: “Fear of misguidance is the essence of misguidance.”
And he said: “Everything that criticizes Muslims is not from Islam, rather it is something else that they called Islam.”
And he said: “The worst of the sultans is he who fears the innocent.”
The reward for his keenness to develop Al-Azhar was the sheikhs accusing him of false accusations that amounted to his expiation, and the accusations in our time are still circulating from here and there about what is like the views of the imam.
Religion is still misunderstood and misinterpreted, depending on some books that spread the concepts of imitation, isolation and extremism, and the hordes of ignorance are still trying to spread their darkness.
The great writer Mahmoud Abbas al-Akkad described him as a genius of enlightenment, and the writer Sayyid Youssef described him as a pioneer of diligence and renewal of religious thought, and others described him as the emitter of a civil state, and the imam of the innovators, and the writer and thinker Muhammad Emara said of him that he renewed the world by renewing religion.
The late imam did not know that what he called for to be avoided a century and a half ago could be achieved, and that what he feared might prevail. With his insightful thought, he saw that the use of religion as a vehicle for politics harms both religion and politics, and that the arrival of currents that use religion as a means of governance in some countries harms religion, politics, and life. His vision was to demand the removal of clerics from ruling peoples, based on the basis that they might consider their opinion correct and in line with religion, without realizing that it is a mistake that is contrary to religion and life.
He met his teacher, Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, in his exile, and he was the cause of his conversion and motivated him to reform, but they differed in method and means, and their talk and discussion about reform still arouses admiration and controversy together.
He did not see a way for religious reform except to reform Al-Azhar, and he said in that famous sentence, “It is impossible for Al-Azhar to remain dilapidated as it is, so it is either to be rebuilt or to be ruined.”
Muhammad Abdo did not have the opportunity to reform Al-Azhar, except after Khedive Abbas II came to power, as he issued a decree establishing a council to manage Al-Azhar and it includes among its members Muhammad Abdo, so the Imam renewed some things, and tried to reform until the Khedive left and Muhammad Abdo resigned with him.
The great writer Abbas Mahmoud Al-Akkad says, in his book “The Genius of Reform, Muhammad Abdo,” that the imam was a revolutionary, but he was not a Arabist. Patriots, and the second is to rely on the revival of the nation and establish its renaissance on the foundations of education, and prepare it for independent parliamentary rule, with its sincere desire and ability to preserve it from the futility of authoritarian rulers. Muhammad Abdo expected that Europe would rise and precede the Arab and Muslim countries, because they implement Islam without embracing it in terms of commitment, perfection, and moral and behavioral discipline, and they take the reasons for establishing a civilization without intellectual closure, mental stagnation, or submitting to the rule of the popes. And he used to say that the ruler does not have religious authority, so he judges people’s beliefs by corruption or righteousness, as the popes used to do in Europe, but rather the ruler has civil authority….
On his trip to his exile in France, the late imam was impressed by what he saw of renaissance, development and civilization, and he said his famous sentence, “I found Islam here but I did not find Muslims, and in the lands of Islam I found Muslims but I did not find Islam.”
And he said, “Eat
Greats made conscience ((5
Imam Muhammad Abduh comes at the forefront of the people who enlighten my mind, and my reading of his biography and writings had the greatest impact on forming my beliefs, and establishing my respect for the Islamic religion from the entrance of knowledge, the breadth of the mind, and the multiplicity of knowledge. Professor Al-Akkad was credited with introducing Muhammad Abdo to me when I read his book “The Genius of Reform and Education, Imam Muhammad Abdo” when I was in my second year of high school at Orman School.
I read the imam’s book “Islam is the religion of science and civilization” and found that he is again unique of its kind, with a methodology based on wisdom and philosophy. It should come gradually to settle down, not a boom and it will go away. (This is also my methodology and philosophy of reform)
The imam was fully aware that the defect was not in the heritage, but rather in the way of dealing with the heritage through a traditional perspective, which is neither in line with nor renewed with the times.
He said wise words like: “If a person is ignorant of a matter, then it is easier for him than opposing it.”
And he said: “The life of every nation is based on its preparation for each time in a way that suits it, and whoever prevails over time, time prevails.”
Imam Muhammad Abduh was very interested in analyzing the faith of the predecessors, and he was not seeking to live in their time, so the past was not the engine of his ideas, but rather to defend the values of free thought, tolerance and the right to difference, and to reveal the bright face of Islam, and present it as a religion that is not petrified, Don’t freeze in imitation mold. And his defense of philosophy was a defense of free thought and of Islam as a religion suitable for all ages.
He said: “A thought that is bound by habits and tyrannizes imitation is a dead thought that has no value.”
The rationality associated with the importance of progress in the thought of the Imam is associated with other characteristics that look at the freedom of human thought in maintaining the social contract, which is based on tolerance and acceptance of difference, and support for the civil state, which confirms the principle of separation of powers, and the principle of equality between citizens in rights and duties. In parallel with the principle of shura, which reduces the risks of accepting the principle of a just tyrant. The Sheikh began to embody the principles of the enlightened jurist, before he obtained a teaching certificate from Al-Azhar, and he used to ask students to read a lot of books, in various fields, including the fields of arts, so he collided with the traditional model of the Sheikh represented by Sheikh Alish, who fought him for favoring the Mu’tazilah against the Ash’aris, and his call to purify the heritage, and this clash was the beginning of the battles that did not stop with the sheikhs of imitation until now.
One of his influential words is, “God knows everything, and God is not approached by anything like knowledge.”
He said: “Fear of misguidance is the essence of misguidance.”
And he said: “Everything that criticizes Muslims is not from Islam, rather it is something else that they called Islam.”
And he said: “The worst of the sultans is he who fears the innocent.”
The reward for his keenness to develop Al-Azhar was the sheikhs accusing him of false accusations that amounted to his expiation, and the accusations in our time are still circulating from here and there about what is like the views of the imam.
Religion is still misunderstood and misinterpreted, depending on some books that spread the concepts of imitation, isolation and extremism, and the hordes of ignorance are still trying to spread their darkness.
The great writer Mahmoud Abbas al-Akkad described him as a genius of enlightenment, and the writer Sayyid Youssef described him as a pioneer of diligence and renewal of religious thought, and others described him as the emitter of a civil state, and the imam of the innovators, and the writer and thinker Muhammad Emara said of him that he renewed the world by renewing religion.
The late imam did not know that what he called for to be avoided a century and a half ago could be achieved, and that what he feared might prevail. With his insightful thought, he saw that the use of religion as a vehicle for politics harms both religion and politics, and that the arrival of currents that use religion as a means of governance in some countries harms religion, politics, and life. His vision was to demand the removal of clerics from ruling peoples, based on the basis that they might consider their opinion correct and in line with religion, without realizing that it is a mistake that is contrary to religion and life.
He met his teacher, Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, in his exile, and he was the cause of his conversion and motivated him to reform, but they differed in method and means, and their talk and discussion about reform still arouses admiration and controversy together.
He did not see a way for religious reform except to reform Al-Azhar, and he said in that famous sentence, “It is impossible for Al-Azhar to remain dilapidated as it is, so it is either to be rebuilt or to be ruined.”
Muhammad Abdo did not have the opportunity to reform Al-Azhar, except after Khedive Abbas II came to power, as he issued a decree establishing a council to manage Al-Azhar and it includes among its members Muhammad Abdo, so the Imam renewed some things, and tried to reform until the Khedive left and Muhammad Abdo resigned with him.
The great writer Abbas Mahmoud Al-Akkad says, in his book “The Genius of Reform, Muhammad Abdo,” that the imam was a revolutionary, but he was not a Arabist. Patriots, and the second is to rely on the revival of the nation and establish its renaissance on the foundations of education, and prepare it for independent parliamentary rule, with its sincere desire and ability to preserve it from the futility of authoritarian rulers. Muhammad Abdo expected that Europe would rise and precede the Arab and Muslim countries, because they implement Islam without embracing it in terms of commitment, perfection, and moral and behavioral discipline, and they take the reasons for establishing a civilization without intellectual closure, mental stagnation, or submitting to the rule of the popes. And he used to say that the ruler does not have religious authority, so he judges people’s beliefs by corruption or righteousness, as the popes used to do in Europe, but rather the ruler has civil authority….
On his trip to his exile in France, the late imam was impressed by what he saw of renaissance, development and civilization, and he said his famous sentence, “I found Islam here but I did not find Muslims, and in the lands of Islam I found Muslims but I did not find Islam.”
And he said, “Eat
