Author: Obaidullah Nimruzi
Philosopher of Afghanistan; Sayyed Jamal al-din Afghan (Part 40)
The Colonizers’ Contemptuous and Egypt’s Dilemma:
This is the very belief that the leaders of the British government hold regarding the colonized and oppressed nations. In their view, these nations are not worthy of any kind of human dignity and should be treated like grazing animals in the pastures. Indeed, this is how they treat the people, and this same contemptuous approach was applied in India as well. The British explicitly reveal this mindset through their own words.
Today, the Egyptian people stand at a major crossroads:
They must either extend a hand of unity and cooperation to one another, sacrificing life and wealth for the noble cause of preserving their honor, human dignity, and elevated Arab status. On this path, they are duty-bound to defend their religious rights and free themselves from the yoke of servitude to a people who treat them like mules and donkeys. If the Egyptian nation firmly resolves to do this, without a doubt, they will be supported by their fellow Muslim brothers, who are watching their uprising with hopeful eyes. This is the noblest and easiest path.
The second path, however, is a difficult and disgraceful one: that the Egyptian people abandon all their human qualities, strip themselves of the adornment of faith, forget their Arab pride, and willingly place the yoke of slavery around their necks. On this path, they will share food and drink with animals, regard every humiliation as honor, and welcome every injustice.
A Heated Meeting on Sudan with Sayyed Jamal al-din Present:
In the last session of a series of significant meetings attended by Sayyed Jamal al-din, Mr. Blunt arranged a meeting between him, Lord Salisbury, and Lord Churchill to discuss the situation in Sudan, which at that time had become the focus of international attention. However, due to deep disagreements in viewpoints, the meeting ended without any results.
During the meeting, Sayyed Jamal al-din openly criticized Britain’s flawed policies in the East and repeatedly spoke about their oppression and tyranny. In response to his frankness, Lord Salisbury said: “Britain is well aware of your power and influence. We hold your opinions in high esteem and are interested in establishing a relationship of friendship and alliance with Islamic countries—of course, under certain conditions. We have decided to send you to Sudan to serve as king, in order to uproot the Mahdi’s rebellion and pave the way for Britain’s reforms in that region.” [1]
Sayyed Jamal al-din’s Firm Response: Rejecting the Kingship:
Upon hearing this proposal, Jamal al-din answered: “What a strange duty and what a foolish policy! No policy could be more vile or reprehensible than this. My Lord, allow me to ask: Is Sudan your personal property that you have the right to appoint a king for it?”
He continued: “You speak of reforms that are supposedly to be gifted to nations by Britain. In reply—and I say this half-jokingly but with a grain of truth—turn your attention to the Irish nation. What suffering and hardships have they not endured in the path of freedom? Why, despite being much closer to you, do you not heed their demands or work to reform their conditions?” [2]
The End of the Conversation and Public Reaction:
Lord Salisbury was so astonished by this response that he fell into deep bewilderment, as he had never expected such a reaction. He had assumed Sayyed Jamal al-din would fall in prostration, expressing gratitude for Britain’s generous offer.
The meeting ended in bitterness and without any result. However, Britain’s free press published a report of the conversation and affirmed Sayyed Jamal al-din’s statements and views.
Steadfast Steps in the West: Continued Struggle in Paris and the Ban on Al-‘Urwah al-Wusqa
After a journey filled with many challenges, Sayyed Jamal al-din Asad Abadi (may Allah have mercy on him)—whose spirit of struggle and awakening burned intensely—settled in Paris. From there, he continued his intellectual and reformist struggle with even greater passion and energy. In the French capital, he found a freer intellectual climate, broader media resources, and more suitable international platforms to deliver his message to the nations of the East.
Though this phase of his intellectual life took place in the West, his entire concern remained painfully focused on the oppressed East under colonial domination.
At this time, the joint intellectual project of Sayyed Jamal al-din and his loyal student, Shaykh Muhammad ‘Abduh—the journal Al-‘Urwah al-Wuthqā—was launched. This magazine, with its awakening language, reformist tone, and profound insight, quickly spread throughout the Islamic world and captivated the hearts of freedom-seekers and thinkers. Al-‘Urwah al-Wuthqā was not merely a publication—it was the media outlet of a movement and the manifesto of an idea: a thought that called people to rise and awaken rather than surrender and stagnate.
However, the colonial apparatuses, deeply fearful of the nations’ awakening, began to suppress this voice of freedom. Entry of Al-‘Urwah al-Wuthqā was strictly prohibited in many Islamic lands, especially Arab countries and India. The governments dependent on colonial powers not only banned its distribution but also pursued and interrogated anyone found possessing or reading a copy. Thus, the atmosphere of oppression and pressure on reformers intensified, and the path of enlightenment was littered with the stones of prohibition and censorship.
Faced with these pressures, continuing the publication became increasingly difficult. Eventually, the reformists were forced to halt its activities. However, this pause did not mark the extinguishing of the flame of reform—it was a tactical retreat to endure a difficult stage and await a new opportunity.
In this sensitive context, Muhammad ‘Abduh—having lost hope in continuing the magazine in the West—departed for Beirut to keep the torch of awakening alive in another form. Sayyed Jamal al-din, however, remained in France. Using the media platforms available, he traveled from city to city, wrote numerous articles in newspapers, and urged the free thinkers and conscientious citizens of France to treat the East with fairness, justice, and humanity.
A Royal Invitation and the Return to Iran:
During this period, a telegram arrived from the Iranian court addressed to Sayyed Jamal al-din. The King of Iran had invited him to return to his homeland. Receiving this message, Sayyed—who had long been seeking an opportunity to influence Iran’s political and intellectual climate—accepted the invitation. In the month of Jumada al-Awwal, 1303 AH (March 1886 CE), he set off for Iran, hoping that he could echo the call for reform in his native land as well.
The Horizon of Thought: Understanding a Thinker Through His Intellectual Legacy:
The end of this phase in Sayyed Jamal al-din’s life marks the beginning of a deep reflection on one of his greatest intellectual projects: Al-‘Urwah al-Wuthqa. This magazine can be regarded as a clear mirror of his thoughts and concerns, for there is no better way to truly understand a thinker than to study his written works—especially those created under his direct supervision, at the height of his political and social activism, and at the heart of the modern world.
In sha Allah, in the next part, we will provide a comprehensive introduction to this journal—from its origin story and article content to its global impact—because Al-‘Urwah al-Wuthqa is not merely a historical document, but a fundamental piece in the puzzle of political and reformist thought in the Islamic world.
Continues…
By admin2