Azharists, modernists and orientalists: the intellectual rivalry in Egypt from the late 19th century to the early 20th century
This article aims to study the rather complicated relations and interactions among three major intellectual groups in the late 19th century in Egypt-the Azharists, the modernists and the Orientalists. The Azharists have been the custodians of traditional Islamic values since its establishment in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2018
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| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12106/1/25686-76649-1-SM.pdf http://journalarticle.ukm.my/12106/ http://ejournals.ukm.my/jhadhari/issue/view/1090 |
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| Summary: | This article aims to study the rather complicated relations and interactions among
three major intellectual groups in the late 19th century in Egypt-the Azharists, the
modernists and the Orientalists. The Azharists have been the custodians of traditional
Islamic values since its establishment in the 10th century. The modernists, however
seek to change and either replace or revitalize the unpopular Islamic elements in
the society, which were blamed for being the hindrance of progress. The orientalists
were not in direct confrontation with the Azharists or the modernists, until they were
brought in from Europe to teach in the newly established Egyptian University (later
Cairo University) in 1908. The orientalists were favored by many young Egyptians
who especially enjoyed the Western scholars’ innovative approaches to knowledge
and study. The time frame of this study is set to begin roughly from the time when
Muhammad Abduh (1849-1905) was active as a maverick Azharists scholar until
the establish of the Muslim Brotherhood in 1928. During this of time, Egyptian
society witnessed one of the most vibrant intellectual exchanges and competitions.
This article will focus on some of complementary viewpoints on religion, education,
history and other subjects, from Egyptian intellectuals and orientalists, such as
Muhammad Abduh, Rashid Rida (1865-1935), Taha Husayn (1889-1973), Carlo
Nallino (1872-1938), Gaston Maspero (1846-1916), Louis Massignon (1883-1962)
among others and demonstrate how the intellectual rivalry at the turn of the century helped transform Egypt into a more diversified and multifaceted society, compared
to its neighboring Muslim nations. |
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