Islamic Revivalism: Popularity During The Modern Period

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Islamic Revivalism
About 1400 years ago, Islam came into existence. Over the years, Islam has undergone various reforms. One of the significant changes to Islam was the invasion of Western armies. These foreigners imposed on the Muslim societies their methods of governance, value systems and ways of life. The values of the Islam faith were questioned by the Westerners. However, with time, various thinkers began to examine Islam closely. These thinkers concluded that the Western view about Islam has largely been erroneous. There has been an increasing alienation of the fundamental values of the Islam religion.
The meaning of Islamic Revivalism
Islamic revivalism advocates for an increased Islamic value on the modern world. It responds to the increasing influence of the Western and secular trends on Muslim societies. A return to Islam in its purest form appears as the answer to the increasing ills of Islamic societies that have mainly been as a result of embracing modernity. The Western nations and secularism have had adverse effects on Islam. The Western societies had made considerable achievements which they brought to Muslim societies. As a result, the political powers of Islam declined. In particular, Islamic modernists acknowledged that Western achievements were not necessarily wrong, but they had adverse effects on Islam societies. Islamic revivalists further objected to the colonial exploitation of the West in Muslim nations (Ali and Orofino 39). They were against the imposition of secular values from the Western countries on Muslim societies.
In order to assist the Muslim nations to return to these “original” values, Islam revivalists came up with ideas aimed at promoting the re-interpretation of Islam. The move sought to ensure that Islam fits into modern society without necessarily diluting the values it holds. In the late 19th Century, ideas emerged that Islam has lost its place in the world. The revivalists sought to liberate the nations from their “political bonds” so that they can regain the “lost independence and sovereignty” (Al-Banna 1). Consequently, Islamic revivalist sought to reassert the “original” values of Islam.
The growth of Islamic revivalism in the modern period
The modern Islamic revivalism started in the 1970s as a reaction against political tyranny and indigenous corruption. The citizens in various Muslim societies felt that repression had reached intolerable levels. The energy crisis of the 1970s culminated in the formation of the Organization of Petroleum Association (OPEC) which escalated the prices of oil. The expectation was that the move would cause the emergence of the long-awaited Islamic civilization. However, in a majority of the Middle Eastern countries that are oil-rich, the benefits derived from oil did not reach the masses. The uneven distribution of benefits became more evident as the gap between the rich and the poor increased. The governments of these countries were run by a handful of insiders which benefited a few individuals. Incidences of unemployment, poverty and a lack of educational opportunities increased. The young people, who were the majority of the population were dissati...