Missing Dimensions in Contemporary Islamic Movements

Opening RemarksThis paper will examine dimensions that seem to be absent, whethertotally or partially, from the thought and practice of certain contemporaryIslamic movements in the Muslim world, many of which may be viewedas extensions of the liberation movements that played significant roles inmaintaining the ummah's identity at the tum of the twentieth century. Wewill address these movements and remind them, for "remembrance doesthe faithful a world of good" and "wisdom is the pursuit of the faithful;wherever it is found it should be cherished."Since God created Adam, people have fallen into two categories: thosewho perform their roles according to the teachings of revelation and thosewhose roles originate from their own ideas, desires, and views or thosethat have been passed down from their ancestors. The first type sees historyas the outcome of conflict between humanity and nature. In responseto the latter, the true religion-Islam-has been the indispensable sine quanon for correcting humanity's basic assumptions, rebuilding its vision,helping it to find peace of mind, and providing it with answers to quintessentialquesions.The use of Islam as the foundation for both thought and practice is theforce that drives activist Muslims. In the Qur'an, God revealed a perfecttext that responds to questions of existence at all levels.1 Moreover, Godhas linked the Qur'an's totality and all-encompassing explanatory nature tothe responsibility of witnessing that, after the Prophet, was passed on tothe ummah.2 Through the testimony of the Prophet and of the ummah, God will certainly cause His purposes to prevail.3 We define this witnessing asa consciously responsible type of witnessing that has its own economic,social, and intellectual characteristics based on a specific societal order, onthe one hand, and a specific scientific and methodological order on theother. Our responsibility in witnessing, then, is much greater than we haveenvisaged or put into practice in the past.Certain dimensions that are absent from our perspectives and practicesmay be uncovered by weighing them against the objectives manifest in therepsonsibility of witnessing.4 This process makes the issue of reform andchange a composite, as opposed to a simple, one. Moreover, both factorsrequire an awareness that must be "methodological" and that examines alldimensions at the levels of both theory and application. In this way, wemay gain an understanding of the agents that affect change and generatedeviation and the resulting crises ...