Критика традиционализма ал-Ал-Афгани

Abstract

The article is devoted to the criticism of traditionalism in the teachings of the famous Muslim reformer Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani (1838-1897) and the analysis of his contribution to the formation of the reformist discourse of the late 19th – early 20th centuries. Al-Afghani is presented as a central figure of the Muslim Nahda, whose ideas provided an intellectual foundation for addressing the challenges of modernization, science, and the relationship between reason and religion in the Islamic world. The article focuses primarily on his criticism of taqlid–blind imitation of religious authorities–which al-Afghani viewed as a major cause of stagnation within the Muslim community. In contrast to taqlid, he advocated ijtihad as a dynamic and creative engagement with Islamic doctrine, allowing the faith to respond meaningfully to contemporary realities. The study highlights that al-Afghani’s critique targeted not only the classical notion of taqlid, but also its reinterpretation within Wahhabism, where imitation came to mean a strict return to the “purity” of the earliest Muslim generations. Rejecting literal adherence to the salaf, al-Afghani proposed the concept of asli–the authentic rational essence of Islam, historically embodied during the Abbasid period and in the works of philosophers such as Ibn Sina and al-Farabi. Thus, the author emphasizes al-Afghani’s appeal to the Islamic philosophical tradition as an indigenous model of modernization, distinct from both Western secularism and conservative religious traditionalism. A significant portion of the article is devoted to al-Afghani’s view of modern science. He regarded science as universal and not confined to any culture or religion, criticizing the artificial division of knowledge into “Islamic” and “European” sciences. At the same time, he defended the need to interpret the Qur’an through the lens of rationality, making Islam inherently compatible with modern values and progress. The article concludes by highlighting al-Afghani’s historical importance for later reformist thinkers–such as Muhammad Abduh, Rashid Rida, and Muhammad Iqbal–and defines his strategy as a “middle path” that harmonizes tradition and modernization while preserving the identity of Islamic civilization.