The radical tradition in Islam and the Islamist tendency in contemporary Egypt
Naim, Syed Rashid
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/22533
Description
Title
The radical tradition in Islam and the Islamist tendency in contemporary Egypt
Author(s)
Naim, Syed Rashid
Issue Date
1990
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Weinbaum, Marvin G.
Department of Study
Political Science
Discipline
Political Science
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Religion, History of
History, Middle Eastern
Political Science, General
Language
eng
Abstract
This is a study of the response of Muslim societies to crises. It examines the conditions under which Islam becomes a force for revolution, identifies those Islamic concepts and attitudes which promote or inhibit revolutionary sentiments and activity, and looks at the role played by the organizational structure of Islam in promoting or curbing revolutionary activity.
The thesis is that a radical interpretation of Islam with a distinct agenda has been a part of the Muslim ethos from the early days of Islam. This radical tradition manifests itself in the form of Islamist Revolutionary Movements (IRMs). IRMs are value oriented movements seeking a reconstitution of societal values, a redefinition of norms, a reorganization of the motivation of individuals, and a redefinition of situational facilities. IRMs arise out of a basic tension which exists within Muslim civilization between what are perceived as the ideals of Islam and the realities of Muslim society. During periods of prolonged acute crisis these tensions are brought into sharp focus. This increases the influence of IRMs which seek to bridge the gap between ideals and realities by propagating the establishment of an 'authentic Islamic order.'
The study examines specifically political aspects of the Radical Tradition's agenda, including its position on such issues as: the method of choosing the ruler; qualifications for holding that office; conditions under which obedience to the ruler is required; conditions under which the legitimacy of the ruler is forfeited; and, the nature and purposes of jihad.
Four crises in Muslim history--first civil war, the Abbasid revolution, the crusades, and the Mongol invasions--are examined. The demands of the Radical Tradition and their role in attempts at revitalizing Muslim society in each case are studied. The study also examines four Islamist Revolutionary Movements in contemporary Egypt: The Ikhwan al-Muslimi n, Jamaa'at al-Muslimi n, Munazzamat al-Jihad, and Hizb al-Tahr i r. It traces the roots of the political demands and ideology of these movements, their complaints against the existing order, their proposed solutions to the crisis, and the differences among them on
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