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Islam at the Crossroads: Solving the difficult moment
Either religious (practicing) or nonreligious, every Muslim will be agree with that, Islam and Muslim both are under crisis. The crisis occurs after arriving west in the world stage. Therefore Muslims are vastly divided on the 'west' question, how to deal with west, how much we accept and cancel, what have to take and what not etc. are taking broad sphere and arising questions. So many intellectuals and thinkers are tried to puzzle over, but 'Islam at the Crossroads' by Muhammad Asad, did it excellently and came closer to the solution. Leopold Weiss aka Muhammad Asad, born in 1920 in a Austro-Hungarian Jewish family. His family was Rabbi Family, his father broke this and practiced law. He was taught Jewish teaching at childhood. In 1922, he traveled some Asian and African countries for his journalism profession. This journey pulled him to the journey of discovering truth. His revert to Islam wasn't simple. He was studied Islam very carefully and studied from both (Islam and West) sides. As he lived in Europe at his first period, he was frustrated of very mechanized, extremely rational and material lifestyle of west. So he detected uniqueness of Islam quickly and studied as well he does. As he said:
"I saw before me a social order and an outlook on life fundamentally different from the European; and from the very first there grew in me a sympathy for the more tranquil - I should rather say, more human conception of life, as compared with the hasty, mechanized mode of living in Europe. This sympathy gradually led me to an investigation of the reasons for such a difference, and I became interested in the religious teachings of the Muslims."
The past and present of Islam wondered and touched him even before his reverting, and this point (present problem of Ummah) was his main concern all the time and his writing theme was this so. On 1947, he received Pakistani citizenship and later served several positions including Director of Department of Islamic Reconstruction, Deputy Secretary (Middle East Division) in the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan, and Pakistan's Envoy to the United Nations.
This book was published in 1934 from Delhi. The purpose of author was – as he mentioned in last edition's preface – 'reawakening' and 'preservation', i.e. reawakening on the way of Salafs (ancestors), to differ between Islam and Western civilization and makes a boundary fence on that, to realize and ensure Muslims that Islam is far better than western civilization. Islam hasn't to take from the west nothing (Ideas and philosophy) but technical science and technology, which is merely worldly and universal.
The book is divided by seven parts. The first part is 'The Open Road of Islam'; where he described what Islam is, what Islam is not, definitive explanation of some terms (such as worship etc.), how Islam is unique and exact than other isms.
The second part is, 'The Spirit of the west'; where he portrayed the core intellectual basis of the west and his journey to modern renaissance until now. The author remarks also their intellectual mistakes precisely.
The third part is 'The Shadow of the Crusades'; where he argues in detail how crusade shaped the western mindset. Psychological aspects of western mind and Christianity, Islamophobic seeds in western soil etc.
The fourth part is 'About Education', where he discussed on how should make an education system beneath the western system. The author talked about educational philosophy and epistemology of Islam, statements on western science and technology etc..
The fifth part is 'About Imitation', where he talked about blind imitation and ignorance of Ummah. The writer says on uniqueness of culture and civilization of Muslims.
The sixth part is, 'Hadith and Sunnah', where he awared on Hadith and Sunnah newly. Sunnah is a strong tradition, but Muslim intelligentsia rejects Sunnah and accepts west. This foolish class always questions uselessly on it's authenticity and importance. The author wants to show us Muslims are neglected Sunnah and embraced west, where salvation of Ummah included in following Sunnah. This part is covered the previous part i.e. 'About Imitation'.
The final part is 'Conclusion', he concluded finally that Islam is the only system that can oppose western civilization, and it is fulfilled more than western civilization. Muslim must rise again if they follow truly Quran and Sunnah.
It's hard to believe that Muhammad Asad wrote it at 1934. Because his thoughts are witness for his insights. His notions and statements (in this book) are very relevant even in nowadays (postmodern period). Sometimes it seems that – because of relevance to nowadays – he wrote it very few years ago after watching the climate change of western civilization, as he wrote after watching its effects and outcomes.
There are mentionable difference between Asad and other Muslim thinkers in his (modern) age. Other Muslim thinkers were impressed to west either consciously or subconsciously. That's why they can't balance with the 'dealing with west' question, optimism and pessimism reactions too. On the other hand, Asad balanced it wisely. He was knew the pulse of west, as he lived here, and he wasn't like any other people, he was got disease as an expert doctor can get. His pure coherent (fitrah) leads him to Islam, then he watched Islam and West comparatively. But pathetically, in the end of life, he became rationalist (Mu'tazilite). His last work – regards as his magnum opus – The Translation of the Quran, reveals his bias on very rational thinking rather than spiritual. May Allah forgive him and grant him Jannah.
He remarkably success in his promise, to distinct between what Islam is and what west is. His sayings to 'What Islam is' are automatically distinct west. Some of his remarking points of western civilization is so accurate. Such as modern civilization is furnished version of roman civilization, the birth of modern Europe's journey to whole world is seeded in crusade; even Islamophobia is byproduct of crusade too, although west rejected religion as usually. And so on.
Above all, this book is a really masterpiece, a sparkling gem. It could be manifesto for Muslims in modern age. Every Muslims, either religious or not, must have to read it, just for sake of knowing and informing that what's wrong with us. Just reading isn't enough, it claims to discussion in study circle too. This one is highly recommended.
