Compare And Contrast Judaism And Christian Secularism
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Within the history of Jamal Al-Din Al-Afghani, Muhammad Abduh, Shibli Shumayyil, and Farah Antun lies a connection of similar views of Arab and Eastern progression despite the West’s dangerous shadow lurking around the corner. Although this group of people can be divided into pairs of Muslim liberals and Christian secularists, their works showcase a complex understanding of the world around them that mirror each other despite their differences in beliefs. Moreover, the agreements and contrasts between each political and philosophical figure uncovers the multitude of comparisons that these thinkers can differ from each other. The Muslim liberal thinkers can be found with commonalities but with striking differences, while the Christian secularists…show more content… Renan’s ideas and statements rooted from his thoughts of grouping Islam with Catholicism and the Christian religion in general (121). However, Al-Afghani showcased his viewpoints in retorting that Islam and Christianity differ greatly in terms of irrationality and intolerance. Al-Afghani agreed that Christianity was intolerant of change and modernity, yet stated that Islam has not failed the test of being amiable with modernity and science since Islam is not built on intolerance or irrationality (123). Similarly, Muhammad Abduh retorted to Farah Antun’s claims of Islam’s slaughter of philosophic spirit. Though Antun did not mention Christianity’s superiority over Islam, Abduh took it as such. The reply took on a similar tone as Al-Afghani’s perspectives of philosophy and Islam within the modern world and its sciences. Abduh argued that Europe developed because of its rejection of Christianity and its intolerance and irrationality (148). Furthermore, Abduh stated that Islam’s rationality allows the sciences of the modern world to meld with the religion itself if only the people would fully understand and obey Islamic law