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Name:
Ali Abd al-Raziq
Dates:
Born: 1888 in Upper Egypt
Died: September 23, 1966
Major Works:
Islam and the Foundations of Power (1925)
Introduction to the History of Islamic Philosophy (1944)
Specializations:
Islam
Caliphate
Biography:
An early modernist from Egypt, Ali Abd al-Raziq was chiefly concerned with the role and nature
of the caliphate in Muslim society. His ultimate conclusion was that there was no basis for the
caliphate in either the Qur'an or in the Hadith. Because of this, he also concluded that while
there may not be anything un-Islamic about having a caliphate, there also wasn't anything
un-Islamic about not having it either - Islam and Muslims could get along just fine
without any caliphs to rule over them.
Ali Abd al-Raziq went a bit further than this, however, and also argued that religion should not be involved in government or politics. He thus adopted what was essentially a secular approach to politics - there might not be a problem with religious values forming the backdrop to political debate, but he opposed the use of religion as the sole determining factor in political decisions. He was thus a defender of the separation of mosque and state for Islamic nations, a fact which earned him a great deal of opposition from traditionalist scholars and jurists.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
What is Islam?
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