Islamic Modernism Essay

The exaggerated description of Muslim backwardness in science can be lifted. From the 8th to 13th century, when Europe was facing through the dark ages, science flourished in Muslim countries. As instructed by the Quran to seek knowledge and read the nature as signs of the Creator plus the stimulation from ancient Greek learning, Muslims created a civilization which was the scientific center of the world during the middle ages.

The 11th century Canon of Medicine by Ibn Sina was a medical textbook in Europe for hundreds of years. In the 9th century al-Khwarizmi came out with the principles of algebra derived from the name of his book, Kitab al-Jabr. Al-Haytham advanced the study of light and optics while al-Biruni, a Persian, calculated the circumference of the earth in the last 1%.

Islam also stimulates scientific innovation. Accurately to calculate the start of Ramadan (determined by

The dramatic consequence from the renaissance was the colonization of Muslim countries by the west. Thus, the crusade for modernity from Europe expended to Muslim countries and the process of westernization affected the personality and culture of Muslims.

Consequently, what can be called as Islamic modernism, emerged in the mid of 19th century as reaction to European colonialism. This movement aims to reconcile Islamic faith with some modern values and trends such as science, rationality and progress.

However, the obvious dilemma posed by modernity was the development of a new sense of subjectivity and individuality, which led to the elemental changes in comprehending the relationships between man and the natural world, man and himself, man and other people and man and the supernatural. In other words, modernity led for the creation of new ideologies and worldviews that a break the past outmoded ideologies and