Fazlur Rahman Malik فضل الرحمان ملک | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1919-09-21)21 September 1919 |
| Died | 26 July 1988(1988-07-26) (aged 68) Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Punjab University (MA) Oxford University(PhD) |
| Academic work | |
| Era | Contemporary Islamic philosophy,20th-century philosophy |
| Doctoral students | Faisal Devji[1] |
| Main interests | Islamic Modernism,ijtihad |
| Notable works | Avicenna's Psychology,Islamic Methodology in History,Islam and Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition |
| Influenced | Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im,[2]Nurcholish Madjid,[3]Abdullah Saeed,[3]Amina Wadud,[3]Mohamed Talbi,[3]Ebrahim Moosa[3] |
Fazlur Rahman Malik (Urdu:فضل الرحمان ملک;/ˈfɑːzlʊərˈrɑːmɑːnˈmælɪk/FAHZ-luhr-RAH-mahn-MAL-ik; September 21, 1919 – July 26, 1988), commonly known asFazlur Rahman, was amodernist scholar andIslamic philosopher from present-dayPakistan. Recognized as a leadingliberal reformer within Islam, he focused on educational reform and promoting independent reasoning (ijtihad).[2] His work has attracted both significant interest and criticism in Muslim-majority countries.[3][4][5][6] His reformist ideas led to protests by over a thousand clerics,faqihs,muftis, and teachers in Pakistan, ultimately resulting in his exile.[2][6]
After teaching in theUK and inCanada, where he formed a close friendship with philosopherIsmail al-Faruqi, Fazlur Rahman was appointed head of Pakistan’s Central Institute of Islamic Research in 1962. While widely respected among Islamic reformers, his ideas drew strong criticism fromconservative scholars who viewed his approach as excessivelyliberal.[2] Political opponents of his ally, GeneralAyub Khan, capitalized on this dissent, ultimately leading to Fazlur Rahman’s departure from Pakistan in 1968. He relocated to theUnited States, where he taught at theUniversity of California, Los Angeles and later at theUniversity of Chicago.
Fazlur Rahman was born in theHazara District of theNorth West Frontier Province (nowKhyber Pakhtunkhwa) ofBritish India (nowPakistan). His father, Maulana Shihab al-Din, was a prominent scholar who had studied atDeoband and held the title ofalim through his expertise inIslamic law,prophetic narrations,Quranic commentaries,logic,philosophy, and other subjects. Under his father’s influence, Fazlur Rahman was introduced to traditional Islamic sciences and completed the memorization of theQuran at the age of ten.[7] He pursued formal studies inArabic atPunjab University, and later completed his doctoral studies atOxford University, where he wrote a dissertation onIbn Sina.
After completing his studies, Fazlur Rahman began his teaching career, initially atDurham University, where he taughtPersian and Islamic philosophy. He later joinedMcGill University, where he taught Islamic studies until 1961. During his time at McGill, he formed a close association with the Palestinian-American philosopherIsmail al-Faruqi, introduced throughWilfred Cantwell Smith, the founder of McGill’sInstitute of Islamic Studies. Under Smith’s mentorship, al-Faruqi delved deeply into Christian and Jewish theological studies, with Fazlur Rahman observing that Smith's guidance significantly shaped al-Faruqi’s comparative approach to religious studies and interfaith dialogue.[8][9]
In 1961, Fazlur Rahman returned to Pakistan at the request of President Ayub Khan to lead theCentral Institute of Islamic Research inKarachi, which had been established by the Pakistani government to integrate Islamic principles into the nation’s public affairs. He also supported a two-year appointment for al-Faruqi at the Institute, where al-Faruqi served as a visiting professor. Reflecting on this period, Fazlur Rahman noted that the experience broadened al-Faruqi’s understanding of cultural diversity within Islam, ultimately shaping his approach to comparative religion andmeta-religion.[10][11][12] Despite his efforts, the political climate in Pakistan presented significant obstacles to Fazlur Rahman’s vision. Orthodoxulema opposed his modernist interpretations, and as Ayub Khan’s political influence waned. He ultimately resigned from the position in September 1968 and relocated to theUnited States.
In the United States, Fazlur Rahman resumed his teaching career, first as a visiting professor atUCLA for a year. In 1969, he joined theUniversity of Chicago, where he became the Harold H. Swift Distinguished Service Professor of Islamic Thought. At Chicago, he played an instrumental role in building a strongNear Eastern Studies program, which continues to be highly regarded. Fazlur Rahman also advocated for reform within Islamic governance and served as an advisor to theState Department.
He died inChicago, Illinois on July 26, 1988, at theUniversity of Chicago Medical Center due to complications fromcoronary bypass surgery. At the time of his death, he was a resident of suburbanNaperville, Illinois and is buried in Arlington Cemetery,Elmhurst, Illinois.[13]
Since Fazlur Rahman’s death, his writings have remained influential among scholars of Islam and the Near East in various countries, including Pakistan,Malaysia,Indonesia,Turkey, and theArab region.[3] His impact at the University of Chicago endures, particularly within its programs related to Islamic and Near Eastern studies. In his honor, theCenter for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago named its common area after him, recognizing his many years of service and contributions to the university. Apolyglot, he masteredUrdu,Persian,Arabic, andEnglish early in life and later learnedclassical Greek,Latin,German, andFrench to further his academic work.[14]
Fazlur Rahman’s philosophy emphasized a return to the intellectual dynamism of early Islam, advocating a dynamic approach to religious interpretation.[15] He believed in integrating philosophy, ethics, and rational thought to address contemporary issues facing the Muslim world. Fazlur Rahman criticized traditional Muslim theologies for overlooking the Quran’s moral principles, stressing that "moral values" endure beyond history and require constant reinterpretation.[16] His workIslam and Modernity (1982) outline these ideas seeking to reconcile Islamic principles with modern challenges.[17]
Fazlur Rahman argued that Islamic tradition often prioritized judicial codes over developing a Quran-based ethical framework. Viewing historical Islamic governance models, such as thecaliphate, as past solutions for societal justice, he called for a reformed understanding of justice rooted in the Quranic concept ofshura (consultation). He proposed expanding shura to involve all levels of society, advocating collaboration between religious and secular scholars to address social justice issues.[15]
Addressingriba (interest), Fazlur Rahman diverged from the strict prohibition stance of many Islamic revivalist movements. He contended that the Quran’s condemnation ofriba referred specifically to exploitative, compounding interest in pre-Islamic Arabia, not moderate loan interest. Fazlur Rahman cited theMuwatta of Imam Malik to support his view, arguing for a nuanced interpretation that bans predatory lending while allowing interest in modern banking. This perspective directly opposed figures likeAbul A'la Maududi, who advocated a total ban on interest.[18] He wrote that “the initial interest itself was not usurious and was, therefore, not considered riba. What made it riba was the increase … that raised the principal several-fold by continued redoubling.”[19]
Fazlur Rahman was critical of both revivalist and modernist Islamic movements. He argued that 18th- and 19th-century revivalists stifled intellectual growth, while modernists selectively applied Islamic principles without grounding them in a robust methodology. Instead, he championed a "neo-modernism" rooted in a disciplined Islamic framework, advocating for a revival of rational inquiry within Islamic scholarship.[15] His "double movement theory" reflects this approach by encouraging a balanced interpretation of Islamic teachings through context and present-day application, which has been highlighted as essential to fostering religious moderation.[20]
Fazlur Rahman contributed significantly to the development of a contextual approach to examining the Qur’an, arguing that readers must consider both the historical context in which the text was revealed and contemporary social changes. This approach, which he described as a “twofold movement,” involves understanding the Qur’an’s teachings as specific to its time but also adaptable to modern society’s evolving needs.[21][15]
Some Islamic feminist scholars, such asAmina Wadud and Sa’diyyah Shaikh, have cited Fazlur Rahman’s contextual methodology as an inspiration for their own interpretations of the Qur’an, particularly in advocating for gender equality within Islamic teachings.[22] Scholars such asTamara Sonn and Na’eem Jeenah have noted that his ideas align with an “Islamic Feminist Hermeneutic” approach, demonstrating the broader relevance of his methodology in modern Islamic discourse.[23][24]
