Abstract
Recent studies have pointed out the game-changing role of the 19th century, when Western values and modernity began to dominate the Islamic world, in attempts to classify Muslims. Historically, in general, Muslims have been classified as Sunnis, Shiites, Hanafis, Malikis, Mu‘tazilis or Ash’aris, based on their differing perspectives on certain issues, particularly the theological and legal differences. However, when it comes to the 19th century, despite a broad consensus among Muslims on the major Islamic sources such as the Qur’an and Hadith, the need to cope with the challenges of modernization has led to the emergence of new perspectives that prioritize reason in the interpretation of Islamic sources. In this regard, not only Muslim scholars but also Western intellectuals have attempted classifications of the contemporary Muslim world. However, the intellectual diversity of the Islamic world makes it difficult to define Muslim society within the limits of a single, widely recognized classification or typology. This paper examines how scholars classify Muslims and the arguments behind those classifications, with a focus on calls for Islamic reformation, employing a qualitative methodological design. To gain a better understanding of how Muslims are classified, the paper focuses on the classifications developed by scholars with different cultural backgrounds: John O. Voll and William E. Shepard (non-Muslims / outsiders) and Tariq Ramadan and Yahya Fozi (Muslims / insiders). The outcomes demonstrate that the proposed classifications are, in essence, typological approaches to how Islam manifests among Muslims, and Muslims are increasingly seeking reason-oriented solutions to their concerns.
Presenters
Fadime ApaydinStudent, Ph.D., University of California, Riverside, California, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
John Voll, Modernity, Muslim Classifications, Tariq Ramadan, William Shepard, Yahya Fozi
