Religious renewal and pan-Islamism in al-ʿUrwa al-wuṯqā: a tool for ideological and political resistance against foreign occupation

Abstract

This article examines the journal Al-‘urwa al-wuṯqa, published in Paris in 1884 by Muḥammad ‘Abduh and Jamāl al-Dīn al-Afghānī, focusing on its role concerning the colonial question. Al-‘urwa al-wuṯqa proposed a renewal of Islam as a tool for revitalizing Muslim societies and aligning them with the Western societies of the time, thereby overcoming the decadence afflicting both Islamic civilization and religion. Its founders advocated for the purification of a "sick Islam," retaining only the fundamentals truly inherent to the faith. They also called for the unity of all Islamic peoples to achieve revitalization, with Islam serving as the bond that unites all Muslims, regardless of their geographic location.

In this way, the Arab-Islamic nations could attain freedom and overthrow colonial domination. Through an analysis of passages addressing the colonial issue, this study seeks to determine whether Al-‘urwa al-wuṯqa operates as an ideological or doctrinal mechanism, or whether the journal combines both approaches to encourage resistance among local populations against foreign domination. Additionally, it examines the significant impact of Al-‘urwa al-wuṯqa as a platform amplifying events during its months of publication, including its direct references to certain figures of power.