Author: Obaidullah Nimruzi
Philosopher of Afghanistan; Sayyed Jamal al-din Afghan (Part 31)
The Rise of Thought and Revolution
Keywords: Awakening, Colonialism, Reforms, Caliphate, Unity, and Movements.
Summary
The Rise of Thought and Revolution: Sayyed Jamal al-din Afghani and the Awakening of the Islamic World
In the previous section, we discussed the dawn of the awakening in Egypt and how reformist and enlightening ideas in that land laid the foundation for intellectual and political transformations. Now, we take a step further into a phase where revolutionary flames began to ignite across Islamic territories. In this context, the role of Sayyed Jamal al-din Afghani (MABH) emerged like a spark in a gunpowder depot, triggering massive upheavals.
Sayyed Jamal al-din Afghani and the Beginning of a New Wave of Islamic Awakening
Sayyed Jamal al-din Afghani (MABH) was not only a social reformer but an intellectual revolutionary who blended reason and activism, spreading the message of awareness, resistance, and unity throughout the Islamic world. He clearly understood that the main causes of the Muslim world’s backwardness were internal despotism and external colonialism. Therefore, wherever he stepped, he kindled the torch of awakening.
In Egypt, by spreading reformist ideas, he breathed new life into society, especially through his interactions with students and intellectuals such as Muhammad Abduh, leaving a deep impact on the intellectual and social reform process. But this was just the beginning—his ideas, like a fire, began to blaze across the Islamic world.
The Flames of Revolution in India, the Ottoman Realm, and Iran
After Egypt, Sayyed Jamal went to India, where he also fought against British despotism. He sought to awaken Indian Muslims to the dangers of colonialism and rouse them from their slumber. Although the British colonial authorities viewed him as a major threat and curtailed his activities, his message resonated in the hearts and minds of Indian intellectuals and politicians.
In the Ottoman realm, Sayyed Jamal aimed to revive the Caliphate and unite Muslims against both internal and external threats. Despite the Ottomans’ cautious political stance toward him, his ideas still influenced many of the elite and reformists of that era.
Perhaps one of his most significant areas of influence was Iran. Having been familiar with its intellectual and political environment since childhood, he played a key role in pushing for governmental reform and awakening people against internal despotism and foreign interference. Though political pressures prevented him from working directly in Iran, his ideas paved the way for future reformist and revolutionary movements, including the Constitutional Movement.
Sayyed Jamal al-Din: The Torchbearer of Intellectual and Political Revolutions
Sayyed Jamal al-din Afghani (MABH) can be considered one of the primary pioneers of Islamic awakening in the modern era. Although he did not directly lead a political revolution himself, his ideas served as sparks that fueled later uprisings. He guided Muslims from weakness and decline toward self-awareness and movement, imprinting the belief that the path out of crisis lay in unity, reform, and resistance to despotism and colonialism.
The revolutionary flames he ignited never went out. He was a torchbearer who illuminated the path and set the movement in motion. His students and followers carried that torch forward. If today, in many Muslim countries, ideas of reform and the revival of Islamic glory are prominent, one of their roots undoubtedly lies in the efforts of Sayyed Jamal al-din Afghani (MABH).
Introduction
The Steps of Intellectual and Political Revolution in the Islamic World
In the second half of the 19th century, the Islamic world was in a complex and critical state, with significant impacts on the political, social, and cultural structures of Muslim societies. Western colonialism—particularly British and French—was expanding rapidly, and most Islamic lands were under European control. Internally, problems such as despotic rule, economic corruption, lack of civil institutions, and inadequate education systems left Muslims facing deep challenges.
These crises extended beyond the state level and manifested in social and cultural dimensions, leaving many Muslims unaware of how to confront such issues. It was in this environment that thinkers like Sayyed Jamal al-din Afghani (MABH) emerged, striving to spread reformist and enlightening ideas among Muslims and offering paths out of these crises.
Sayyed Jamal al-din Afghani, recognized as one of the most prominent social and intellectual reformers of his time, deeply understood the condition of Muslims. He concluded that the most critical causes of Muslim decline were internal tyranny and external colonialism. In his view, the weakness and degradation of Muslims stemmed from autocratic political and social systems and their submission to colonial powers. Therefore, he endeavored to awaken Muslims from their slumber by promoting modern ideas in intellectual, social, and political domains, urging them toward awareness and fundamental reform.
A Comprehensive Reformist Vision
One of Sayyed Jamal’s key traits was that he addressed not only intellectual and doctrinal issues but also emphasized social and political reforms. He aimed to make Muslims aware of the fact that salvation from their dire situation required fundamental changes in their social, cultural, and political structures. To this end, he stressed the necessity of unity, solidarity, and resistance to both internal and external threats. In his view, the only path to salvation from the crises threatening the Islamic world was Muslim consensus and unified resistance against injustice and corruption.
In the previous section, we discussed the early awakening in Egypt, where Sayyed Jamal’s reformist ideas blossomed. However, this was merely the beginning of the reformist and awakening movements that would spread across the Islamic world. Gradually, through his travels to various Islamic regions and his interactions with their intellectual, cultural, and political elites, Sayyed Jamal al-din sparked a wave of awakening and reform, ultimately leading to widespread social and political movements in the Islamic world.
In-Depth Regional Impact
In India, where British colonialism was advancing rapidly, Sayyed Jamal succeeded in raising Muslim awareness about the dangers of colonialism and the erosion of Islamic identity. Through meetings with Indian religious and political leaders such as Sir Sayyed Ahmad Khan and Mawlana Muhammad Ali Jauhar, he delivered his message. Despite the British authorities viewing him as a threat to their dominance, his reformist and awakening message inspired Indian intellectuals and politicians, laying the groundwork for anti-colonial movements.
In the Ottoman Empire, then regarded as the last symbol of the Islamic Caliphate, Sayyed Jamal sought to revive the Caliphate and reestablish it as a unifying axis for Muslims. He urged Muslims to unite and resist colonial threats, especially from Western powers like Russia and Britain. Although the Ottoman court remained cautious of his ideas and did not fully align with his goals, his intellectual influence spread among Ottoman elites and reformists such as Sulayman bin Abdul Majid and Zaki Pasha, taking shape through intellectual and cultural movements.
In Iran, where Sayyed Jamal had been familiar with the intellectual and political environment since childhood, he pursued the reform of governmental and social structures. By emphasizing modern education and the revival of Islamic identity, he inspired Iranian intellectuals. His ideas in political and social reform played a foundational role in movements like the Constitutional Revolution. Although he could not participate directly in Iranian political developments, his views—especially concerning freedom and the fight against despotism—greatly influenced subsequent movements.
Lasting Legacy
Ultimately, Sayyed Jamal al-din Afghani (MABH) must be regarded as one of the most prominent figures in the modern Islamic awakening. Through his thoughts and actions, he resisted not only Western colonialism but also internal decay within Muslim societies. By emphasizing intellectual, social, and political reform, he initiated a wave of awakening among Muslims throughout the Islamic world and became the torchbearer for intellectual and social movements that later developed into political and social revolutions across Muslim countries. His ideas continue to influence the Islamic world today, and his role in shaping the Islamic awakening is undeniable.
Continues…
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