Colonialism as a Gate to Modernity: Navigation in Abu Bakr Al-Mashhūr’s Response to Modernity
Sheikh Ahmed Saad Al-Azhari
Overview:
Unlike any previous form of colonialism, European colonialism has the long-lasting impact of introducing and imposing European modernity to Muslim world. Modernity was its start point as well as its telos. Current academic studies focus on how Muslim scholars engaged with colonialism during colonial times but fail to look at how they evaluated it in post-colonial Muslim world. The academic studies are further limited by their focus on modernist and reconciliationist responses to modernity that either embraced or rejected colonialism on its own terms, with no or little focus on traditional Muslim responses. Abu Bakr Al-Mashhūr is a contemporary Yemeni traditional scholar and thinker who proposes – through his writings- a different critique of modernity that goes beyond the political simplification, the nationalist slogans and the submissive secularisation. He intellectually meets traditional Western scholars despite not having read their works. This seminar explores his views on European colonialism as a vehicle of modernity and its impact on Muslim intellectual, religious, social and political life. It also engages with his views by contrasting them with other Muslim and non-Muslim scholars to pinpoint his position in the intellectual map of Muslim responses to modernity and trace the change in the large traditional Muslim response to modernity. It is part of a wider and more comprehensive thesis that looks at his engagement with modernity and evaluates that engagement.
Join Shaykh Ahmad Saad and panel for an interesting evening in which Shaykh Ahmad will present his research into Abu Bakr Al-Mashhūr’s Response to Modernity. There will be plenty of time for discussion and Q&A.
Date: Saturday 25th Sep 2021, 5 pm – 7 pm
Location: London College of Islamic Studies, West Drayton, near Heathrow Airport (map)
Venue: Face to face at London College of Islamic studies, and streaming Live Online for those who cannot attend!
Instructor: Shaykh Ahmad Saad is an Egyptian born, British Islamic scholar, and is the founder of the Ihsan Institute. He is an advocate of teaching traditional Islamic sciences; which he has taught in various parts of the world (full bio). He is a visiting senior lecturer at London College of Islamic Studies
Registration is required.