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Islam to the Modern Mind
Lectures in South Africa 1970 & 1972
By Muhammed Fazlur Rahman Ansari
Transcribed by Mahdie Kriel
& Edited by Yasien Mohamed
This book is available from
Shaikhs Exotics, South Africa:
Saffron House, Lansdowne.
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South_Africa_1970 and_1972.html
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Review by:
Advocate Hafiz AbuBaker Mahomed
It has long seemed to me that there should be some sounder ground
for the writing of a review than the desire of the author that a few superficial
and vaguely eulogistic comments upon the contents of his work should be made by
someone who, for the most part, has not read it. Moreover, the better that work,
the less the writer of the review can have to say which is worth saying. For
these reasons I have hitherto consistently refused to write reviews. But in the
present instance the author of this book on the “Ansari Lectures” has asked me
to write one because I was a close companion of his Eminence Mawlana Razlur
Rahman Ansari and I had the honor and privilege to be present in almost all the
lectures contained in this book.
Undoubtedly, Mawlana Fazlur Rahman Ansari was one of the great sages of the 20th
century. He reminded us of the sacred journey into the infinite undertaken by
every human being, consciously or unconsciously. He was able to explain in the
language of the contemporary age the fundamental truth that in our beginning
lies our end and in our end lies the secret of our beginning. Thus he was able
to demonstrate with a mastery of cosmology, not only from the perspective of the
Quran and Hadith but from his knowledge of the scientific findings of the
contemporary age that all of creation would ultimately return to the State
before creation and the secret of our souls would be made manifest.
He deplored the intellectual, moral and spiritual stagnation of the Ummah and
reminded us of the urgent need of an Islamic response to the intellectual
challenges of the 20th century. He believed that the great majority of Muslims
of the contemporary age have resigned themselves to being either sentimental
enthusiasts or professional traditionalists. He urged the Muslims to become
functionalists by making the values of Islam operational in their day to day
life. As early as 1970 he predicted that Islam would arise from the West, as
indeed appears to be the case in both America and in Europe where Islam is
recorded as the fastest growing faith in these regions.
Mawlana Fazlur Rahman Ansari came to South African in 1970 and 1972. The
lectures he gave during his short visits are contained in this book which deals
with three broad themes. A deeper understanding of the basic principles of
Islam, and Islamic response to the intellectual challenges of the 20th century
and the methodology of the Islamic spirituality.
A product of both traditional Islamic schools and post graduates Western
universities, Mawlana Ansari was able to marry the inner technology of Islamic
spirituality with the outer technology of modern day sciences to produce a
beautiful and noble example for Muslims to follow. These lectures are a must for
any serious student of Islam.
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