The Islamic world has made many achievements in its history. While the Europen world was in the middle ages, the Islamic world pioneered some progress and innovations, however, this circumstance did not continue. This process starts with geographical discoveries, continued with renaissance, reform, and the Industrial Revolution in Europe. All of this turned European world which is in darkness into illuminated and modern. While everything went well for Europeans, the Islamic world began to go ahead in the opposite direction. After that Muslims began to blame themselves in terms of not being religious and not understanding the Quran well. Initially, they didn't care about the developments which are under the control of European, Muslims tried to live “True Islam” which was experienced over 1400 years ago. Parallel to this, while Europe was leading new technological innovations, the Muslim world had rather not to do anything but focused on their internal problems. Europe starts to dominate the world through these innovations these circumstances dragged the ummah into depression and malaise. It is possible to talk about major reasons for the malaise in the Muslim world. The main reasons for this situation can be grouped into three titles; political, economic, and cultural reasons.
The main reason for this crisis is political. Europe's pioneering role in this movement of innovation has also made it a political sovereign. The way to continue this leadership is to dominate other civilizations, especially the Islamic world. Europe, who benefited from this crisis of Muslims, having successfully colonized Muslims, divided them into many parts and set them one against another. Muslims continue to deal with the internal problems rather than external enemies and also every Muslim government spends the greater part of its resources and energy on securing its own power and achieving a reputation in the outside world without avail. While some of the Muslim countries are under the rule of the western colonialist states, others are controlled by native elites who had already been systematically Westernized. Even more, Western states still continue to intervene in these states foreign meddling occurs in many ways in order to maintain this sovereignty.
The second reason is based on economic reasons. Unfortunately, the members of the Muslim global community are non-developed and backward. The majority of its members are illiterate and have been lacking access to educational facilities. Furthermore, in this case, economic struggle with other countries with high technology becomes impossible. In their competition with local Muslim productivity, the colonialists seek to exclude the market, and they succeed with ease. Additionally, regions with significant agricultural and industrial potential in Muslim lands do not attract investors due to political instability. Consequently, all these economic reasons combined with political instability increases the crisis and the darkness of Muslims.
The last reason results from religious and cultural understanding. Indeed, the regression of Muslims for many years caused the spread of ignorance and superstition within themselves. These evils have led Muslims to superstition, dogmatism, and attach to various charlatans. Instead of facing the realities of the world, some of the Muslims turned their face to the hereafter, others one have found the solution in westernization with semi-reform movements. First of all, a secular system of education was built that taught Western values and methods. The students who educated in this educational system were alienated from Islam and their own cultures. With this new class, all Islamic values started to be questioned. They could not be truly western, nor in could they remain eastern. Today Muslims have become alienated themselves as they become westernized.
Briefly, there are many reasons for this elaborate of Muslims. They originate primarily from political, economic, and cultural elements. The solution is not to emulate Europeans which are the causative factor of the malaise of the Muslim. Muslims should build institutions that lead in science, art, and technology but also they must respect their own history, culture, and values. What can't be imitated is not the institutions of the west, the impossible imitation is trying to have that soul that is not yours. Muslims should be pioneers of innovations by adopting their own past and values.
(This article is inspired by the book Islamization of Knowledge - İsmail R. Faruqi)
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