Can we speak of ‘Liberalism’ within

Islam?
Is it possible for there to exist such a thing as ‘Islamic Liberalism’? This question, along
with the use of the term ‘Liberalism’ raises some broad issues. The term ‘Liberalism’ is a
rather vague Western ideological construct that is notoriously hard to define, particularly
when popular religious usage of the term refers mainly to unorthodox theological
positions. Any attempt at defining ‘Islamic Liberalism’ requires us to attribute concepts
1

formulated within a western Christian cultural framework, across into a panorama of

Islamic worldviews.

On the surface, this question seeks to isolate a school of thought that sits comfortably
within ‘post-enlightenment liberal thought’ while being ‘favourable
2

to democratic reform and individual liberty’, and apply it to a cultural paradigm whose
3

majority believe that ‘Liberalism’ is both foreign to the Islamic way and lacking in any
real legitimacy. However, as ‘Liberalism’ is such a multidimensional term, it has the
4

potential to influencing different parts of the Islamic world in different ways. As an

ideology, Liberalism may take on a theological or political nature, or focus on addressing
issues of personal power and autonomy.

Liberalism and Education

Rahman argues that if such a phenomena as ‘Islamic Liberalism’ does exist, then much
5

of its genesis will be found within the educational reforms undertaken by both the
classical modernists and neo-revivalists. While early attempts at combining Islamic
traditions with Western institutions struggled under staunch criticism, increased
6

communication and mobility led to the gradual introduction of Western style educational
systems into Islamic society.

However, while modernity led to a expansion of the intellectual horizon available to

Muslims, the Islamic education system struggled to develop an integrated approach to
education. Secular and religious fields of education became very separate academic
entities. Rahman views this educational dichotomy as one of the main obstacles to the
7

development of Islamic Liberalism. While Islamic Liberalism became part of the

intellectual landscape, it failed to progress much further. The problem seems deeper than
the absence of an academic synthesis free of Western imperialistic forces. In the end,
Liberalism exists as an ideology which does not presuppose a doctrinal base, thus causing
alarm from the theologians, and raising suspicion from many other sectors of the Islamic
community outside of the ‘knowledge class.’ 8
How is Liberalism theologically possible?

Liberalism does not understand religion as knowledge which is fixed and unchangeable,
but as opinion which is liable to change over time, regardless of its impact on society
norms. What prevails as a consensual opinion may or may not carry the legitimacy of
truth or knowledge. Liberalism is essentially tolerant, allowing diversity in those areas
which are often traditionally held to be fundamental. The paradox in all this, is that
9

tolerance presupposes a degree of community and individual autonomy that is often

10

regarded as virtually absent in various Islamic cultures.

Where traditional belief understands the scriptures as the basis for absolute truth, the
methodology of the liberal theologian goes past what is written in the Qur’an. Believing
that the text does not limit the meaning of revelation, liberals search for a meaning that,
while based on the written word, goes beyond those words to that which is represented or
revealed by language. 11

How does it work in practice - problems with the State

I believe that some of the inherent difficulties in Islamic Liberalism begin to emerge
when examining the issue of the state. This can be seen in how Islamic Liberals use very
different presuppositions to reach their conclusion.

One group of liberals, finding that Islam is virtually silent on specific political
requirements as regards to state institutions, argue that the establishment of liberal
institutions is both possible and desirable. Further, the silence of the Shari’a implies that
‘Islam is compatible only with a liberal system in which Muslims are free to choose and
change their political arrangements’, within the context of an Islamic state. However, the
12

inherent Liberal tendency of constructing an argument from silence tends to weaken the
exegetical and doctrinal basis required to mobilise an organised Islamic movement that is
able to withstand fundamentalist pressure. 13

The other group finds very specific canonical precedent and draws on caliphate history to
justify the establishment of Liberal institutions. While this is slightly contradictory to
Liberal ideology in that it seeks to find a basis within a historical absolute, it hints at a
joining of fundamentalist and liberal principles on issues of the Islamic state and social
order. This raises questions as to the tactical methods available in the mobilisation of the
bourgeoisie into reformation. A joining of forces would be both theoretically possible and
highly expedient. For it appears that while the Liberals have the ideologies to administer
a modern state, they are largely incapable of gaining the popular support needed for
reform. It is the fundamentalists who posses the ability to mobilise the masses. 14

What are the consequences of this?

In amongst all this, lines between various schools of thought become blurred to a degree
that suggests a fair amount of cultural misunderstanding of the ideological distinctions
within the Islamic world. I believe this is further exemplified in the way in which various
Islamic Resurgence movements while espousing ‘Liberal’ terminology, often sought to
construct authoritarian political and social structures that verged on being totalitarian.
15

How correct is Binder in his assertion that Liberalism is unsuitable for much of the
Islamic world? Talad Asad would argue the point differently, suggesting that if religion
16 17

is understood as a subset of culture unconcerned with belief or meaning, then it is Islam

that exists as a sociological tool for the shaping of cultural forces. The question would
then become ‘What cultures could accommodate forms of Liberalism?’ Religious
Liberalism would follow as a matter of course. This can be seen in how Liberalism and
Islam have been able to co-exist in some areas. Liberalism was a driving force in the
reformations of Turkish society under Mustafa Kemal, though it must be remembered
18

that Turkey has a history of being more politically and intellectually heterogeneous than
most other Islamic cultures.19

Binder is not overly optimistic in his outlook for the future of Islamic Liberalism. Part of
this lack of confidence could be traced back to some of his founding presuppositions;
namely the indivisibility of political liberalism and the heavy emphasis on consensus. I20

find this hard to reconcile with the way in which Liberalism is often directed towards
divisive non-religious ends such as political representation and feminism, where the
interests of one group are promoted over another group. The diversity of Islamic reaction
to the issues of modernity, and the inevitable conflict inherent with individual autonomy
demand that liberalism take on a flexible nature. In the end, not all Islamic societies will
reform in the same way, but the experience of Turkey and Indonesia demonstrate that
Islamic Liberalism is capable of succeeding.

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Bibliography

Adams, Charles J. ‘Islamic resurgence:religion and politics in the Muslim world.’, Cities
of Gods: faith, politics and pluralism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. (Biggar, N.,
Scott, J.S. and Schweiter, W. eds.), Greenwood Press,1986, pp. 167-191.

Bahasoan, Awad. ‘The Islamic reform movement: an interpretation and criticism’,

Prisma: The Indonesian Indicator, Vol. 35, March 1985, pp. 131-160.
Binder, Leonard. Islamic Liberalism: A Critique of Development Ideologies The
University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1988.

Deakin University Faculty of Arts. Religion and Modernity: The Case of Islam Deakin
University, Geelong, 1996.

Grenz, Stanley J. and Olson, Roger E. Twentieth-century theology: God and the world in
a transitional age InterVarsity Press, Illinois, 1992.

Lawrence, Bruce B. ‘Toward a history of global religion(s) in the twentieth century:

parachristian sightings from an interdisciplinary Asianist’, Sixteenth Annual University
Lecture in Religion, 23 March 1995, Arizona State University, pp. 1-25.

Rahman, Fazlur. ‘Islam: challenges and opportunities’, Past Influences and Present
Challenge, Welch, A.T. & Cachia, P. (eds.) Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh,
1979, pp. 315-331

Rahman, Fazlur. Islam & Modernity:Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition The

University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1982.

Tapper, Richard (ed.) ISLAM in Modern Turkey: religion, politics and literature in a
secular state I.B. Tauris & Co Publishers, London, 1991.

The Australian Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English (seventh edition),Turner

G.W. (ed.) Oxford University Press: Melbourne, 1987.

1
S.J. Grenz and R.E. Olson. Twentieth-century theology: God and the world in a transitional age
InterVarsity Press, Illinois, 1992, p. 51.
Historically, ‘liberalism’ refers to a specific movement in Christian Protestantism that arose in Germany
around the turn of the century, with scholars such as Ritschl, Hegel and Schleiermacher.

2
Deakin University Faculty of Arts. Religion and Modernity: The Case of Islam Deakin University,
Geelong, 1996, p. 45.

3
The Australian Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English (seventh edition), G.W. Turner (ed.)
Oxford University Press: Melbourne, 1987, p. 618.

4
C.J. Adams, ‘Islamic resurgence:religion and politics in the Muslim world.’, Cities of Gods: faith, politics
and pluralism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. (N. Biggar, J.S. Scott and W. Schweiter, eds.),
Greenwood Press, 1986, p. 179.
5
A. Bahasoan, ‘The Islamic reform movement: an interpretation and criticism’, Prisma: The Indonesian
Indicator, Vol. 35, March 1985, pp. 135-8.

6
F. Rahman. ‘Islam: challenges and opportunities’, Past Influences and Present Challenge, A.T. Welch &
P. Cachia, (eds.) Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 1979, p. 321.

7
F. Rahman. Islam & Modernity:Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition The University of Chicago
Press, Chicago, 1982, pp. 136-9.

8
B.B. Lawrence. ‘Toward a history of global religion(s) in the twentieth century: parachristian sightings
from an interdisciplinary Asianist’, Sixteenth Annual University Lecture in Religion, 23 March 1995,
Arizona State University, p. 6.

9
L. Binder. Islamic Liberalism: A Critique of Development Ideologies The University of Chicago Press,
Chicago, 1988, p. 2-3.

10
Lawrence, ‘Toward a history of global religion(s) in the twentieth century’, p. 16.

11
Binder. Islamic Liberalism: A Critique of Development Ideologies, p. 4.

12
Ibid., p. 243.

13
Ibid., p. 244.

14
Ibid., p. 245.

15
Adams, Islamic resurgence:religion and politics in the Muslim world, p. 174.

16
Binder, Islamic Liberalism: A Critique of Development Ideologies, p. 245.

17
in Lawrence, ‘Toward a history of global religion(s) in the twentieth century’, pp. 16-7.

R. Tapper (ed.) ISLAM in Modern Turkey: religion, politics and literature in a secular state, B. Tauris &
18

Co Publishers, London, 1991, pp. 5-6.

19
Ibid., p. 21.

20
Binder, Islamic Liberalism: A Critique of Development Ideologies, p. 2.