FAZLUR RAHMAN

Presented by
Puteri Amalina Megat Azizul Rahman
Syarifah Athirah Auni Sayd Mohamad Zamri
Fatin Nadzirah Alias
Ida Khairiyah Mohd Yusof
Edited by
Dr. Md. Mahmudul Hasan
International Islamic University Malaysia
2011

FAZLUR RAHMAN
(1919-1988)

Fazlur Rahman Malik was born in Hazara,

Pakistan on 21 September 1919. His
father Maulana Shihab al Din was also a
great Muslim scholar in Pakistan.

M. Yahya Birt of the Association of

Islam Researchers describes Fazlur
Rahman as probably
the most
learned
of the major Muslim
thinkers in the second-half of the 20th
century, in terms of both classical
Islam and Western philosophical and
theological discourse.

Rahman studiedArabicatPunjab University

and then went toOxford University and
wrote a dissertation on Ibn Sina. At Oxford,
he also studied modern critical thinking
under H.A.R. Gibb and Van Der Bergh.
He began his teaching career first atDurham
University in United Kingdom and then at
McGill University Canada. At Durham he
taught Persian and Islamic philosophy, while
at McGill, Islamic studies.

In 1961 he returned to Pakistan to run the

Central Institute of Islamic Research set
up by the Pakistani government. The
Institute promotes Islam in everyday life
of the nation. However, because of the
political situation in Pakistan, Fazlur
Rahman was prevented from making any
progress in this program. He resigned,
returned to teaching career and moved to
theUnited States and tought atUCLAas
a visiting professor for a few years.

In
1969,
he
moved
to
theUniversity of Chicago where he
received the tittle Harold H. Swift
Distinguished Service Professor of
Islamic Thought. At Chicago, he has
became a proponent for a reform of
Islamic politics and was appointed an
advisor to theState Department.

Areas of interest
Fazlur Rahman was deeply interested in
Quranic studies. He developed a new method of
Quranic interpretation that would be suitable in
the modern time. He emphasizes the need to
distinguish between the formative and historical
Islam and Muslim legacy. To do so, he urges
Muslims to read and understand Quran correctly.
In his writing, he mostly focuses on medicine,
since he wrote a dissertation on Ibn Sina. He
wrote three books on Ibn Sina: Avicennas
Psychology (1952), Avicennas De Anima (1959)
and Health and Medicine in the Islamic Tradition
(1987).

As regards Islamic teachings, he focuses on

their application in our daily life. He also
talks about womens rgihts and feminist
issues. For him, man and woman are equal,
and woman can also participate and
involve in public life.
Besides, he focuses also on history and
believes that a meaningful assessment of
the past can only be made with reference
to a transcendent set of ethics.

Since Rahmans death in 1988, a number

of Muslim and Non-Muslim scholars worked
on his works and ideas. One of the his
student, Frederick Mathewson Denny uses
Fazlur Rahmans ideas in writing about the
Quran and Sunnah. Another scholar
Donald Lee Berry introduces Fazlur
Rahmans
thought
in
response
to
modernity. Berry agrees with Fazlur
Rahman that the response Muslims need to
give should cover education, politics,
economics and social issue in order to
promote Islam and Muslim society.

Avicennas Psychology (1952)

Avicennas De Anima (1959)
Islamic Methodology in History (1965)
Intikhabati Maktubati Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi (1968)
The philosophy of Mulla Sandra (1975)
Islam (1979)
Prophecy in Islam: Philosophy and Orthodoxy (1979)
Major Themes of the Quran (1980)
Islam & Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual
Tradition (1982)
Health and Medicine in the Islamic Tradition (1987)
Revival and Reform in Islam (2000)

Major Themes of the Quran

(1980)
In this book, he argues that the Quran blends creeds, morals,
creation, laws, rituals, philosophy, life and death, and history all
in the form of a book, with a unique literary style unlike any other
book.
In introduction, he highlights the limitations of a Qur'anic
commentary on a 'verse by verse' basis, since such an approach
fails to yield insight into the 'cohesive outlook on the universe
and life which the Quran undoubtedly possesses'. On the other
hand, the recent efforts to arrange Qur'anic topics are helpful but
fall short of providing a full insight into what Qur'an has to say
about God, man or society.
Rahman presents a comprehensive insight into the eight major
themes in the Quran God, Man as Individual, Man in Society ,
Nature, Prophethood and Revelation, Eschatology, Satan and Evil,
and Emergence of the Muslim Community.

God
The Quran is a document that is squarely aimed at man which it calls itself
as guidance for mankind (hudan lilnas).
In fact, the term ALLAH (God) occurs 2500 times in the Quran not included
other terms such as Al-Rabb (Lord) and Al-Rahman (The Merciful) to show
His existence and to illustrate He is a Creator and Sustainer of the universe.
The Quran calls belief in an awareness of the unseen (2:3;5:94;35:18).
The term unseen refers to God that allows man to seek Him through the
revelation given to the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Author stresses that it is not about seeking the proofs of Gods existence but
about how to use all the facts and proofs as reminders to man about God.
3 main points:
- everything except God is contingent upon God including entire nature;
- that God with all His might and glory is essentially the all Merciful God;
- both aspects entail a proper relationship between God and man (the
served and servant).

 There are many verses that reveal the oneness of God. For
example:
He is God, other than Whom, there is none; He is the knower
of the unseen and the seen, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
He is the God other than Whom there is none, the Sovereign,
the Holy, the One with peace and integrity, the Keeper of the
Faith, the Protector, the Mighty, the One Whose Will is Power,
the Most Supreme! Glory be to Him beyond what they (the
pagans) associate with Him. He is the God, the Creator, the
Maker, the Fashioner, to whom belong beautiful names;
whatever is in the heavens and the earth sings His glories, He
is the Mighty One, the Wise One. (59:22-24)
It is the responsibility of man to seek for the Master Truth
which is God as the only straight path goes to God, while
others are deviant. This path is the full recognition of God as
God, the path that is of sole importance to man.

Man as individual
Man is distinguished from the rest of natural creation as God
breathed His own spirit into him in order to help him be His
vicegerent.
Angels protested when God decided to create Adam in order to
be a vicegerent on earth, as they feared that human will do
mischief on earth. But God said: I know what you do not know.
Then, God brought a competition between angels and Adam to
name things in order to describe their nature. Thus, Adam
demonstrates the capacity for creative knowledge.
Man is the only exception to the universal law, for he is the only
being endowed with a free choice of obeying or disobeying the
command of God.
Men are responsible for their deeds. The purpose of man is to
promote good deeds and avoid bad deeds (amar maruf nahi
munkar).
The role of man is also to have a great relationship among
themselves especially within society to promote unity and
fraternity.

Nature
All nature obeys Gods command, as the Quran regards the
whole universe as Muslim because everything therein
(except men) surrendered itself to Gods will (3:83).
Nature is the sign of Gods miracle:
Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the
succession of day and night are signs for people of wisdom
those who remember God (or mention, i.e; by reciting the
Quran) standing and sitting and lying on their sides, and who
ponder over the creation of the heavens and the earth
(exclaiming): Our Lord, You have not created all this in vain!
(3:190)
Mans responsibility to take care of the nature and the
universe.
Wrongdoing leads to warning such as floods, earthquakes,
heavy rains, tsunami, etc.
The purpose of mans creation is to do good in the world,
substitute himself for God by using nature.

Satan
The devil (iblis) was of the jinn and he disobeyed the command
of the his Lord (Quran, 18:50).
The role of satan is to confuse a person and cloud his inner sense.
Satan can influence only those who do not obey Allahs command
and he has no authority over the true believers.
Indeed, upon my servants you will be able to exercise no
influence, but only those errant ones who follow you (Quran,
15:42).
He has no authority over those who believe and put their faith in
their Lord (Quran, 16:99).
One can avoid the influence of satan by following the Quran and
the teaching of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
It does not belong to any human that God should speak to him
(directly) except by Revelation (i.e: infusion of the Spirit) or from
behind a veil (i.e: by a voice whose source is invisible) or that He
should send a (spiritual) Messenger who reveals (to the Prophet)
by Gods permission what He wills and He is exalted and Wise.
We guide whomsoever We will of our servants, and you, indeed
guide (people) to the straight path (Quran, 42:51-52).

Comments

The religious future of Islam and the future of interfaith

relationship . . . will be livelier and saner for the sort of
Quranic centrality which Major Themes of the Quran
exemplifies and serves. Kenneth Cragg, Middle East
Journal.

I cant think of any book more important, still, than Major

Themes of the Quran. Michael Sells, author of
Approaching the Quran.

Generations of scholars have profited from [Rahmans]

pioneering scholarly work by taking the questions he raised
and the directions he outlined to new destinations.
Ebrahim Moosa, from his new Foreword.

The Shaping of An American Islamic

Discourse
(1998)

This book mainly contains 12

chapters that provide reviews of
Fazlur Rahman life, works and ideas
by western scholars in North
America.

FAZLUR RAHMAN: A Life In Review

Author: Donald L. Berry
The author highlights a number of
contributions Fazlur Rahman made.

5 important contributions:
1)Fazlur Rahman brought a unique
multicultural blend of Islamic
traditionalism, progressive Islamic
modernism and western scholasticism.
2)His research for truth led him to change
attitudes in traditional Islam and in western
writing on Islam.
3)His methodology was interdisciplinary to
the core.
4)His demeanor has done much for the
receptivity of his work.
5)He left a legacy in the form of his students.

First contribution
Since he had background of traditional
Islamic science and Islamic modernism, he
sees that one could recapture the
movement of Islam and face the modernity
with enthusiasm. His training in western
philosophy exposed him to Hellenistic
influence on the Islamic philosopher. His
education at Oxford and teaching
experience in North America exposed him
to Islamic scholarship by western and nonMuslim scholars. So his knowledge of
various backgrounds on different field and
people gives an advantage to him.

Second contribution
He had the courage to be innovative and had
his own stand towards rigid Islamic and
Western attitudes. For example, his stands on
appropriateness of some family planning
devices, modern banking methods and
appropriateness of the mechanical slaughter
of animal led to criticism and controversy.
He also disputes western understanding of
Islam.
Orthodox people think the way the Quran
was sent to Muhammad (peace be upon him)
was like the process of delivering letters.
Rahman argues that verbal revelation as
universal belief went straight to the heart.

Third contribution
He challenged students of North
America to view Islam in its
contextual expressions and wanted
them to be well-versed in many
aspects including politics, economy
and social issues. He encouraged the
students Of Islam to discover the
dynamism of the Muslim experience.
This approach opens the door for
Islamic studies to dialogue with
broad fields of religious studies.

Fourth contribution
Fazlur Rahman was gentle, kindspirited and intellectual. Almost
everybody who knew him liked him
and his ideas so much. His
personality and way of life won
peoples heart.

Fifth contribution
His ideas have influenced the study of
Islam in North America. His students are
currently teaching at many American
colleges and universities. They represent
the legacy of an Islamic scholar who
always strove for depth, accuracy and
validity.
His student Frederick Danny says: His
mind changed, his position evolved but his
central coordinate was always the Quran.

FAZLUR RAHMAN AND ISLAMIC

FEMINISM
Author: Tamara Sonn
The author argues that Fazlur
Rahmans insistence on rethinking
Islamic views of women was a
recurrent theme in his insistence on
the modernist approach to Islamic
reform.

 Fazlur Rahman categorizes trends

among modern Muslims into four:
Secularism Atheism, misguided.
Conservative Well intentioned but
ineffective.
Fundamentalist Beyond
conservative but actually propagating
the Muslim worlds; doomed to failure.
Modernist Recognition that
revelation took place in specific times
and places.
# Rahamn claims himself a modernist.

 Rahman does not believe that only one

interpreter can achieve a perfect
understanding of Islam that would be
suitable for all times. He rather
believes that every generation has the
responsibility to return to revelation
and make efforts to understand it. The
different ulama from different times
may have different interpretation due
to spatiotemporal factors.

ISLAM AND
MODERNITY
Transformation of
an Intellectual
Tradition

This book argues that the Quran

should be the point of reference of
Islamic education.
He also talks about the legislations
based on the Quran which must have
background and historical contexts.
Early scholars and Islamic leaders
interpreted Quran by using principles
of ijtihad and qiyas.
The Quran also stresses on
socioeconomic justice and essential

He proposed that in education the Quran

should be the source of references.
Muslims aim of Islamicizing the several
fields of learning cannot be really fulfilled
unless they effectively perform the
intellectual task of elaborating Islamic
metaphysics on the basis of the Quran.