Question map
Which of the following was not among the controversial problems of Islam which was reinterpreted by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in order to make Islam look more rational?
Explanation
Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was a modernist reformer who sought to harmonize Islam with rationalism and Western science [c2][t3]. He reinterpreted several controversial aspects of Islam to defend it against Orientalist critiques [t1]. Regarding polygamy, he argued it was permitted only in rare, exceptional circumstances, effectively advocating for monogamy [c1][c2]. On slavery, he maintained that Islam's liberal conditions for the treatment of slaves were intended to eventually abolish the institution [c2]. Regarding interest, he distinguished between 'usury' (prohibited pre-Islamic practice) and modern commercial interest [t4]. However, he did not claim that Jihad was 'not a Muslim concept'. Instead, he argued that Jihad was strictly defensive and had been misinterpreted by critics and extremists alike; he maintained it was a valid Quranic concept but limited to specific defensive conditions, rather than being non-existent in Islam [t4][t5].
Sources
- [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and the Aligarh Movement > p. 230
- [2] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > p. 231
- [3] https://core.ac.uk/download/144523473.pdf