ABSTRACT
As Muslim rulers were desperately seeking ways to respond to the growing politicaland military ascendancy of the Western powers by initiating wide-ranging social,economic, and cultural reforms of their societies, some Muslim intellectuals began to critically examine the theological and intellectual aspects of the Muslim predicament. They took a hard look at the ways in which Islam had been interpreted and practiced in their societies in the previous centuries. Their line of thinking can be described as follows. Islam, which its followers viewed as the most perfect monotheistic religion predestined by God to succeed in this world, obviously could not be blamed for the current plight of the Muslim umma. By failing to live up to Islam’s original demands, it is the recent generations of Muslims who should bear responsibility for its humiliation at the hands of the “infidel” European powers. This humiliation necessitates a drastic revision of Islamic teachings and practices with a view to either restoring them to their original purity or bringing them in line with the exigencies of the modern age.
