ABSTRACT

This chapter introduces the category of Islamic reform movements, which refers to a variety of movements that have emerged in sub-Saharan African Muslim societies due to the crises of modernity, globalization and Islamic identity during the 20th century. As shown in Chapter 3, Islam has been appropriated by African Muslim communities in unique ways, resulting in an “African Islam” grounded in local social practices. However, in recent decades this practice of Islam has been criticized by Muslim reformers, often linked to and influenced by institutions in the Middle East and the Gulf region. The chapter embeds its discussion of these reformist movements within the so-called “message–human relationship” model that helps to understand the nature and concerns of Islamic reforming ideology. The chapter then distinguishes divergent types of Islamic reformism that can be observed in Africa: movements with a militant-Wahhabi leaning tendency; movements concerned with salafiyya modernity, and so-called neo-reformist Islamic movements. Thus the chapter shows that Islamic reform movements in Africa have not presented a consistent model of reformism, as evident from the heterogeneous approach that is followed. At the same time the analysis foregrounds the interlinked ideas of Islamic reformist leaders, showing that the various movements to a certain extent relate to each other.