Islam and the World

Islam and the World: A Transformative Vision for Human Civilization

In an era marked by spiritual crisis and moral confusion, Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi's Islam and the World offers a profound alternative vision for understanding human history and civilization. This landmark work, translated from Arabic by the distinguished scholar M. Asif Kidwai, presents one of the most comprehensive and compelling analyses of Islamic civilization's role in shaping humanity's destiny.

Nadwi begins by meticulously documenting the civilizational darkness that characterized the sixth century—a world dominated by the Roman and Persian empires, both of which had descended into moral bankruptcy, social injustice, and spiritual emptiness. Christianity had been corrupted beyond recognition, reduced to meaningless rituals stripped of Christ's original message. Hinduism in India perpetuated the dehumanizing caste system while oscillating between life-denying asceticism and sensual corruption. Humanity appeared to be hurtling toward self-destruction with no apparent savior in sight.

Against this backdrop of universal crisis, Islam emerged as humanity's salvation. Nadwi demonstrates how the Prophet Muhammad and his message revolutionized civilization by establishing fundamental principles of human equality, social justice, intellectual freedom, and spiritual development. The early Muslim community created a balanced civilization that honored both material progress and transcendent values—a society where science flourished alongside spirituality, where individual rights coexisted with social responsibility, and where diverse peoples lived together with unprecedented harmony.

The book's most provocative chapters present a bold critique of Western modernity. Despite impressive scientific achievements, Nadwi argues that Western civilization has produced societies characterized by spiritual emptiness, moral relativism, social fragmentation, and environmental destruction. The West's separation of ethics from divine guidance and subordination of qualitative values to quantitative measurement has led humanity into "a wilderness of fear, greed, loneliness, and spiritual despair."

Yet Islam and the World is ultimately optimistic and forward-looking. Nadwi calls Muslims to rediscover their faith's transformative power and shoulder once again the responsibility of moral and spiritual leadership for all humanity. He argues that Islamic principles offer the foundation for a genuinely balanced civilization that can address both material needs and spiritual aspirations—providing humanity with an authentic alternative to secular materialism.

This translation has made Nadwi's masterwork accessible to English-speaking audiences worldwide, earning recognition as essential reading for anyone seeking to understand Islamic worldviews, the challenges facing contemporary civilization, and possibilities for human renewal grounded in transcendent principles.

© 2025 Nadwi Press (E-bog): 9789366087290

Oversættere: Asif Kidwai

Udgivelsesdato

E-bog: 25. november 2025