Exploring Islam’s Relationship with Modernity | Facts about the Muslims & the Religion of Islam

By Saba Fida

Derived from the Latin word ‘modernus’ the term modernity has been popular in the world as it aspires to progress more and more with each passing day. Fueled by curiosity, and the innate thirst to think ahead of the next step, are the reasons that you are reading this on your screen today, and not from a book. 

Most advancements are the result of a constant desire to do something and not being idle or in the same state for a long time. Hence, it is not wrong to state that being stagnant has been the mother of inventions and has played a huge role in modernizing human civilization. Research suggests that stagnation initiates change and variety. Regardless of color, creed, religion, and race, contributions to modernity have been made by people from all around the globe. The benefits have been enjoyed on different levels. And as the world enjoys the benefits of modernism, steps are taken to remove any possible thing that might show itself as a barrier to the spread of the ideas that modernity advocates. For some, Islam is a threat to modernity. 

Is Islam a Threat to Modernity?

Islam supports the advancements and inventions that have been done so far. The Quran and the Sunnah give no direction due to which one would think of Islam as a hindrance to human advancement. Evidence suggests that the religion of Islam and its main propagator, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, promoted advancement and novel ideas. When multiple Arab tribes were advancing to attack the Muslims in Medina, the Prophet, peace be upon him, accepted a new defense strategy suggested by a companion from Persia, Salman al-Farsi. He suggested the digging of a deep trench around the city; this defense mechanism was not known to the Arabs at that time and the Prophet himself took part in it. 

The Prophet, peace be upon him, had sent two of his companions to the city of Jarash in Syria which at that time was known for its industries, to learn the manufacturing of weaponry such as the catapult and other similar weapons which were used by the Romans at that time.

Not only that but his companions were also supporters of new ideas and technology. After his demise, during the caliphate of Uthman, the first naval fleet was prepared due to which Cyprus, Rhodes, Sicily, Crates, and the entire Mediterranean Sea came under Muslim rule. 

History is living proof of the contributions done by Muslims. Musa Al Khawarizmi was a very important person in the development of modern algebra. His books, like “The Calculation of Integration and Equation,” were used as main textbooks in European universities until the 16th century. Or Ibn Sina, more popular in the West as Avicenna was known for his immense contribution to the advancement of medicine, public health, and pharmacology. His book “The Canons of Medicine” became the hallmark of the West. William Osler who wrote The Evolution of Modern Science, remarked “The Qanun has remained a medical Bible for a longer period than any other work”

The contributions done by Muslims to modernity are proof that Islam is not against human advancement. But yes it does place a filter and gives an outline through the Shariah telling humans what is acceptable under the umbrella of modernity.

Quest For A Standard

The media’s portrayal of the term Shairah conjures up images of oppressed women and children deprived of rights, rigidity, and extremism, but this depiction is far from accurate. The linguistic meaning of Shariah is a path or way. Islamically it refers to the path that is defined by the Quran, Sunnah, Ijma, and Qiyas which are the four sources of Islamic law, with the Quran and Sunnah being the primary pillars. Through the lens of Shariah, Islam incorporates modernity, enabling it to serve as a guiding force for humanity in constructing a society that is emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually resilient.

Whereas the West has no such standard for measurement, it is bound to accept anything and everything that they consider modern. The recent upheaval in the LQBTQ agenda is a very alarming situation where it is being propagated not only to be accepted but also being preached without any very strong sociological, medical, religious, or historical proof to support it. 

Mufti Taqi Usmani in his book Islam and Modernism quotes: “The law-makers are extremely worried that in the presence of the general trend of modernity what method can be adopted through which at least some exalted human values might be preserved. An American judge Carduzo has written there is a significant requirement in today’s legal system to develop a philosophy of law that can balance the conflicting and opposing demands of traditional and progressive values. However, it is believed that this task cannot be accomplished solely through logic and philosophy.

He further quotes that George Paton, a well-known writer on jurisprudence, discussed the question of which interests the legal system should protect. He acknowledged that legal philosophy plays a role in determining these values. However, he also recognized that obtaining clear guidance from philosophy is challenging because there is no universally agreed-upon set of values. Paton suggested that religion provides a basis for determining values, and the truth of religion should be accepted through faith rather than relying solely on logical arguments. In essence, according to Paton, the secular intellect has been unsuccessful in defining what is morally right or wrong. Therefore, the only solution to this problem is for individuals to seek guidance from God and follow the teachings revealed through religious doctrines.” 

Therefore humans need to accept that there is a gap that can be filled through the help of divine teachings. A very simple case of one of these solutions is the system of Islamic Banking. As a solution to the conventional banking system due to the prohibition of Interest, this system was designed in the 1970s. Today as per IMF statistics Islamic finance assets grew at double-digit rates during the past decade, from about US$200 billion in 2003 to an estimated US$1.8 trillion at the end of 2013. 

Similarly, Islam also supports the progress that has been made by artificial intelligence and does not possess any barriers to learning, studying, and researching it. Steps have also been taken to promote Islamic ethics and privacy in the digital world. Derived from the Quran and Sunnah a guideline for posting or sharing online has been made which comprises privacy, ethics, and security. 

Hence Islam proposes checks and measures on modernity to fine-tune it just to safeguard the best interest of humanity. As Islam is a complete code of life, if one seeks the answers to the issues raised above through Islam, Islam will guide them. Iqbal, a philosopher, and poet with deep understanding, has addressed many questions about Islam through his poetry. His words help people understand what to embrace and what to let go of. Here is a stanza from his poetry that reflects this.

“Power of the West is not due to flutes and guitars, nor due to dances of veil-less girls, nor due to the spell of their magical beauty, nor to their naked legs, nor their trimmed hairstyles. Their supremacy is not due to secularism, nor is their progress due to Latin script. Their power is due to science and technology. It is this fuel that is burning in their lamps. Wisdom does not lie in how your clothes are tailored, and the turban is no obstruction for science and technology”. 

Islam is the true propagator of human advancement and modernity. But it encourages resolving the complexities of modernity through the lens of Shariah. And that is only to safeguard humanity from any hidden harm that modernity might carry. By embracing the essence of Islamic teachings modernity can be refined and society can get closer to a spiritual, intellectual, and emotional equilibrium.