Sceptics of Islam: Revisionist Religion, Agnosticism and Disbelief in the Modern Arab World

274 Pages·2018·7.48 MB·English

by  Ralph M Coury

RALPH M. COURY is Professor Emeritus of History R Arab debates about the critical relationship between
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at Fairfield University in Connecticut, where he v religion and modernity began in the early nineteenth
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taught for nearly three decades. He has also ‘This is an immensely timely anthology. Its carefully selected texts constitute a io century. Such debates are now integral to the struggle
n
held positions at Universiti Sains Malaysia and valuable contribution to our understanding of the rich varieties of modern Arab is for power between a variety of political groups and
Randolph-Macon College in Virginia. He specialises t R Sceptics of Islam their opponents, and are vital to understanding the
culture. Muslim and Christian authors alike are granted the opportunity to state
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in the study of Arab political and intellectual history their secular and humanistic points of view within an informative framework lig S modern Middle East. This unique volume introduces
and in Orientalism, and his publications include io c the carefully selected writings of several key Arab
provided by the editor, Ralph M. Coury. The book can be highly recommended n
The Making of an Egyptian Arab Nationalist: The to students of politics, Middle East studies and comparative literature.’ , A e Muslim and Christian religious revisionist or radical
Early Years of Azzam Pasha, 1893–1936 (1998). g Revisionist Religion, Agnosticism and ‘free-thinkers’: individuals who have all, in their
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–Youssef Choueiri, Professor of History, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, o different ways, tried to redefine the relationship.
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Qatar, and Reader in Islamic Studies, University of Manchester tic t Disbelief in the Modern Arab World These writings have hitherto been scattered, difficult
is i
m c to locate and often inaccessible. Most selections have
‘Originally spread by racist Orientalism and recently fuelled by
a s been translated into English for the first time.
Islamophobia, the common Western view of the modern Arab world is n
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that it has been immune to radical critiques of religion. This splendid D Authors from the nineteenth century to the present
o
anthology gives unambiguously the lie to this view as it illustrates, through isb are included. Some, like the award-winning Egyptian
e f
judiciously selected original passages and in eminently readable translations, lie novelist and playwright Nawal El Saadawi, are already
f I well known outside the Arab world. The names of
that Arab critical thinkers (Muslims and Christians alike, whether believing in s
others, such as the Iraqi poet Jamil Sidqi al-Zahawi
radical revisionists, agnostics or atheists) have followed similar paths to th l
e a and the Syrian religious thinker Muhammad
those of their counterparts outside the Arab world, responding to many M
Shahrur, are little recognised – notwithstanding
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of the same socio-economic, political and especially cultural forces in d the significance of their ideas. Some are avowed
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their aspiration for freedom, social justice and human rights.’ r
n believers, even if they adopt positions many might

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–Dimitri Gutas, Professor of Arabic and Graeco-Arabic, Yale University regard as heretical; others are openly agnostic or
r
a
b atheistic. Although they differ in significant ways,

‘A spirit of critical, reasoned uncertainty informs this excellent anthology of W
all have been united in disputing the notion that life
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Arab writers which reflects their chiefly twentieth-century views of religion, rld should conform exclusively to a system of values
culture and society. Each contribution, ably introduced by the editor, is and law based upon the Qur’an – or, in some cases
complemented by an overview which makes the volume accessible to the less radically, upon the Qur’an as it has been widely
informed general reader as well as helpful to the Middle East specialist.’ understood before the onset of modernity. They have
E also rejected many of the standard religious ‘liberal’
–David Waines, Emeritus Professor of Islamic Studies, Lancaster University d
ite assumptions and conclusions that are regularly
d
b invoked in the struggle against traditionalism.
y
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a This convenient, single volume is original in its
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h anthologised presentation of representative texts that
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. C are indispensable to understanding important strains
ou of Arab thought which are scarcely known among
r
y non-Arabs. It should prove an essential point of
Jacket image: Nawal El Saadawi, 1992 (b/w photo) / © SZ Photo /
reference to scholars and students of the Middle East
Regina Schmeken / Bridgeman Images. Egyptian novelist,
campaigner, doctor and activist, Nawal El Saadawi (1931– ) is and of Islamic and comparative literary studies, as
one of the most influential feminist thinkers in the contemporary
Arab world. Some of her reflections and writings on religion are well as to a variety of readers located in the spheres
represented in Chapter 17 of this anthology.
of politics and modern history.
Edited by Ralph M. Coury
Jacket design: www.paulsmithdesign.com
90 11 159 25 159 11 90
Ralph M. Coury is Professor Emeritus of History at Fairfield University in
Connecticut, where he taught for nearly three decades. He has also held
positions at Universiti Sains Malaysia and Randolph-Macon College in
Virginia. He specialises in the study of Arab political and intellectual history
and in Orientalism, and his publications include The Making of an Egyptian
Arab Nationalist: The Early Years of Azzam Pasha, 1893–1936 (1998).
‘Thisisanimmenselytimelyanthology.Itscarefullyselectedtextsconstitute
a valuable contribution to our understanding of the rich varieties of modern
Arabculture.MuslimandChristianauthorsalikearegrantedtheopportunity
to state their secular and humanistic points of view within an informative
framework provided by the editor, Ralph M. Coury. The book can be highly
recommended to students of politics, Middle East studies and comparative
literature.’
– Youssef Choueiri, Professor of History, Doha Institute for
Graduate Studies, Qatar, and Reader in Islamic Studies,
University of Manchester
‘OriginallyspreadbyracistOrientalismandrecentlyfuelledbyIslamophobia,
the common Western view of the modern Arab world is that it has been
immune to radical critiques of religion. This splendid anthology gives
unambiguously the lie to this view as it illustrates, through judiciously
selected original passages and in eminently readable translations, that Arab
critical thinkers (Muslims and Christian alike, whether believing radical
revisionists,agnosticsoratheists)havefollowedsimilarpathstothoseoftheir
counterparts outside the Arab world, responding to many of the same socio-
economic, political and especially cultural forces in their aspiration for
freedom, social justice and human rights.’
– Dimitri Gutas, Professor of Arabic and Graeco-Arabic,
Yale University
‘A spirit of critical, reasoned uncertainty informs this excellent anthology of
Arab writers which reflects their chiefly twentieth-century views of religion,
culture and society. Each contribution, ably introduced by the editor, is
complemented by an overview which makes the volume accessible to the
informed general reader as well as helpful to the Middle East specialist.’
– David Waines, Emeritus Professor of Islamic Studies,
Lancaster University
SCEPTICS OF ISLAM
Revisionist Religion, Agnosticism and Disbelief
in the Modern Arab World
Edited by
R M. C
ALPH OURY
Publishedin2018by
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For Melissa

CONTENTS
Acknowledgements viii
Notes to Readers x
Introduction 1
1. Muhammad ‘Abduh: 1849–1905 21
2. Shibli Shumayyil: 1850–1917 31
3. Ameen Rihani: 1876–1940 43
4. Taha Husayn: 1889–1973 55
5. Isma‘il Mazhar: 1891–1962 65
6. Isma‘il Adham: 1911–40 79
7. Jamil Sidqi al-Zahawi: 1863–1936 91
8. Ma‘ruf al-Rusafi: 1875–1945 99
9. Muhammad Ahmad Khalaf Allah: 1916–98 109
10. Mahmoud Mohamed Taha: 1909–85 121
11. Sadiq Jalal al-‘Azm: 1934–2016 129
12. ‘Ali Ahmad Sa‘id (Adunis): 1930– 143
13. Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd: 1943–2010 155
14. Mohammed Arkoun: 1928–2010 169
15. Muhammad Shahrur: 1938– 179
16. ‘Abdallah al-Qusaymi: 1907–96 191
17. Nawal El Saadawi: 1931– 203
Notes 213
Suggested Readings 249
Index 251
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special thanks are due to the following:
Dr R. Kevin Lacey, Associate Professor and Director of the Arabic and Near
Eastern Studies Program at Binghamton University, for his elegant
translations of several pieces. The translations are very much Kevin’s, but I
have sometimes taken liberty as editor to make revisions. Kevin and I have
collaborated on a number of scholarly projects since the early 1990s,
including two co-edited books and a journal on Arab culture and thought
published by Binghamton University.
DrMuhammadAliAziz,LectorofArabicatYaleUniversity,whohelpedin
reviewingthetranslationsmadeforthisanthology,andwithadedicationthat
mostscholarswouldnever haveexpendedon works otherthantheirown.His
contribution, informed by a remarkably broad knowledge of Islamic thought,
has far transcended questions of language narrowly conceived.
MelissaNashCoury, ‘thecompanion of mylife’ (sharikat hayati)for half a
century.Ifithadnotbeenforherlearning,intelligence,energy,andpatience,
asinterlocutor,editor,andorganiser,thisbookwouldnothaveseenthelight
of day.If it had not beenfor her stubbornness,she would have been listedas
co-editor.
Anumberofcolleagues,friends,andlibrarianswhohaveprovidedvarious
invaluableservices,includingscholarlyadvice,helpintranslation,andhelpin
gaining access to materials: Dr William Abbott, Dr Ali Antar, Dr Najib
Awad, Niko Banac, Vincent Carrafiello, Dr Andreas Christmann, Dr Dale
Eickelman, Seth Godfrey, Cathy Nash Holley, Fadia Juha, Mark
Maxwell,DavidOrintes,DrGeraldPeterson,SimonSamoeil,andDrRobert
Webster.
Alex Wright, Executive Editor at I.B.Tauris, who has shown more
patience than any author could reasonably expect. He gave me enough rope.
Any errors or weaknesses are mine.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ix
Gratefulacknowledgementismadetothefollowingforpermissiontoreprint
previously published material:
SaqrAbuFakhr,forhisADialoguewithAdunis:Childhood,Poetry,Exile(Hiwar
ma‘a Adunis: al-tufulah, al-shi‘ir, al-manfa), Beirut, 2000, pp. 131–46.
Maha Aoun: Taha Husayn, On Pre-Islamic Poetry (Fi al-shi‘ir al-jahili), Cairo,
1926, pp. 26–9.
GerlachPress:SadikJ.al-Azm,CritiqueofReligiousThought,2015,pp.17–30
and 71–5.
Saqi Books: Nawal El Saadawi, ‘God Resigns at the Summit Meeting’ in
The Dramatic Literature of Nawal El Saadawi, 2009, pp. 164–98.
DrMuhammadShahrur,forhisTheBookandtheQur’an:aContemporaryReading
(al-Kitabwaal-Qur’an:qira’ahmu‘asarah),Damascus,1977,pp.545–54.
Syracuse University Press: Mahmoud Mohamed Taha, The Second Message of
Islam, 1987, pp. 146–64.
Westview Press: Mohammed Arkoun, Rethinking Islam: Common Questions,
Uncommon Answers, 1994, pp. 30–4.