Exploration of Islamic civilisation & cultural identity
THE Islamic civilization and culture was founded historically (straddling from 7th to 17th century) governing the globe in proximity to an epoch.
It changed the world in its golden age i.e., 8th to 12th century; and became universal, highly progressive in every life domain education, sciences, technology, democratic ideals, as well as technology of that period.
Islamic civilization basically refers to the advanced as well as transformed form of Human community possessing high cultural standards of morality, industry, government, and science.
Exclusively Muslims are required to behave in a civilized way among their own communities as well as with other communities of different cultures, faiths, and customs.
Cooperatively, Muslims should endorse and support global success and civilization to the entire world and humanity.
Without applied civility, civilized globalization is not possible, especially when there exists clashes and disputes among different civilizations.
History speaks of many such civilizations that existed without any clash in spite of having my civilizational and cultural differences as illustrated in “La Convivencia” in Muslim Spain since the start of 8th up to late 15th century.
Therefore, civilizations cannot be deemed as unitary elements; there exists authorized and unauthorized, current as well as crosscurrent ideas in every civilization. However, every civilization is an active plural element.
Intellectuals together with historians from entire globe have declared additionally that Islamic culture and scientists made marvellous participations in reviving the contemporary western cultures through the European Renaissance and advancements eras.
The Western nations returned to their great primeval Greek principles with the help of the translations in Arabic language of Greek intellectuals existing in the Islamic world.
The grants of primitive Muslim tycoons together with other scientists and scholars made contribution in the reasoning as well as rationality that rendered western scientific knowledge probable and offered the pattern of critical analysis that ultimately led to the restructuring of West.
Therefore, Islamic civilization not just contributed to the revival of science and literature in the west but to the intellectual trials to the theological approaches of Christians as well.
It really does not indicate that Muslims got deprived of their Islamic culture, but it truly indicates that every civilization naturally as well as historically rises and declines, and just like the other global civilizations and cultures, Islamic civilization and culture too had suffered certain transformations and deteriorated with time, because of several internal as well as external parameters- the deteriorating level of matters in the Islamic nations has not been because of the genetic reasons or basic cultural standards.
Furthermore, in the current scenarios, the situation of the whole humanity around the entire globe has hastened into financial knock-downs, turmoil, and threats of conflicts of cultures, Muslims civilization should be stimulated into contributing its historical as well as constructive part (with the help of affection, tolerance, and patience) yet once more in the modernizing globalized world in a way peaceful manner.
As oriental as well as occidental societies sophisticate their notions, their enclosures, and acknowledge that they no more require to conflict or face one another in the wars.
A world-wide civilization (of affection, patience, and tolerance) is very appropriate for todays’ age and we can just then adapt the peaceful future, as well as to unite the whole humankind into a global fraternity along with brotherhood.
Principally and the foremost thing that we need to do being a Muslim nation in the contemporary scenario should explore, organize, and protect the imminent period of our own civilization with the help of ongoing debates as well as discussions with the visionary Islamic intellectuals and insightful scholars across the entire globe. We should rejuvenate our energy, self-confidence, and direction being a civilization and culture.
Our goal is the recreation of beneficial environment possessing the insightful intellectuals and thinkers at the principal authority can share their knowledge, also assemble their future visionaries to influence others.
It is a common notion in the minds of Muslims that to become civilized they need to adopt western civilizational standards.
That is why, it has become necessary for the Muslims to educate the youth about the true essence of Islamic culture and the ways of Islamic life, so that they may not get deviated from their true purpose of life and they may become able to preserve their true Islamic identity.
Muslims can be modern and civilized in a true Islamic sense at the same time. Identification of cultural expects is very important in the Islamic world.
Islamic nations must create religious as well as cultural territories utilizing recent techniques and social media platform along with the traditional networks.
Some Islamic intellectuals have promoted the objective of internationalization as well as globalization.
These structures have been revolving around the Muslim world. It is the responsibility of the Muslims to unite with one another and defend the state’s sovereignty.
In that respect, we need to educate non-Muslims about Islam and Muslims about other faiths to establish mutual understanding and tolerance.
To achieve this end, we should invite and encourage sharing of various perspectives, partnership with other religious and cultural organizations and we organize educational activities such as seminars, lectures, and discussion panels, all of which inspire and illuminate us in our endeavour to fulfil our mission.
—The writer is PhD in Islamic Studies, author and academic writer & lecturer at NUML, Islamabad.
