How Colonialism Divided the Ummah: Reformists, Traditionalists & The Middle Path

Anchor Series #10 | 02/03/26 – How Colonization Shaped Modern Islamic Discourse Part. 1 In this powerful lecture, Shaykh Yasir Qadhi moves from the historical reality of colonialism to its intellectual and spiritual aftershocks. Building on the previous lecture, he argues that nearly every contemporary trend within the Muslim world is, in some way, a response to colonial disruption. The psychological, theological, and institutional impacts of colonial rule did not simply alter politics—they reshaped the Muslim psyche itself. He outlines three broad paradigms—with this session focusing on the first two. The first paradigm called for a radical rethinking of Islam in light of Western Enlightenment ideals. Figures such as Rifa'a al-Tahtawi, Muhammad Abduh, and Ali Abdel Raziq attempted to reconcile Islam with nationalism, rationalism, and secular governance—sometimes redefining theology and law in the process. The second paradigm emerged as a defensive retreat into traditionalism. Movements like the Deobandi movement and scholars such as Muhammad Zahid al-Kawthari sought to preserve inherited scholarship amid trauma, from the fall of the Mughals to the secular reforms of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Shaykh Yasir critically analyzes both approaches and previews the third, middle path—associated with Rashid Rida—which affirms divine truth while recognizing that human interpretations can and must be reexamined. 0:00:00 Introduction 0:00:27 Every Trend has been Impacted in Colonial History 0:02:45 The Impacts of Colonization on the Muslim Psyche can be Categorized into 3 broad Paradigms 0:03:30 The Elites who didn't care about Islam 0:04:19 Everyone comes with their own biases 0:05:27 Paradigm 1: The Call for a Radical Revision of Islam in line with Western Enlightenment Ideals 0:07:17 Figure 1.1: Rifa'a At-Tahtawi 0:07:47 Muhammad Ali Pasha sends students to study in France 0:08:44 Tahtawi was assigned to preserve the Iman of the students 0:09:29 Tahtawi's Transformation in Paris 0:09:51 Islamic "Enlightenment" 0:10:32 The idea of a Nation-State is Imaginary and Recent 0:11:10 Tahtawi Brought the Nation-State concept to the Muslim World 0:11:44 Tahtawi wasn't as engaged in Classical Islamic Studies 0:12:20 Figure 1.2: Muhammad Abduh 0:13:36 Abduh's call for rethinking through the tradition 0:14:21 Abduh on Miracles and Jinns 0:15:05 Abduh's famous quote 0:16:29 Figure 1.3: Ali Abdel Raziq 0:17:33 His book: Islam and the Basis of Leadership 0:18:20 He imported the Religious-Secular Binary into Islam 0:20:07 Common Characteristics of this category 0:21:15 The Progressive Muslim Camp of today 0:23:45 Summing up the First Paradigm 0:24:42 Paradigm 2: The Retreat to a Traditionalist Fortification of Islam 0:25:28 The Second Paradigm are people of Iman and Taqwa 0:26:42 Figure 2.1: The Deobandi Movement 0:26:51 The Glory of the Mughals and the 1857 Rebellion 0:27:27 The British Destruction of the Mughals 0:28:55 The British Troops Massacred many Indian Muslims 0:30:12 Hindu-Muslim Hatred was planted by the British 0:30:56 The British Destruction of Indo-Islamic Civilization 0:32:30 The Ulama of Deoband preserved the Islamic Traditions of Mughal India 0:35:52 Figure 2.2: Muhammad Zahid Al-Kawthari 0:36:35 Ataturk's Oppression of Islamic Practices and Institutions 0:38:25 Al-Kawthari's Trials and Tribulations caused him to hate change 0:39:33 Al-Kawthari preserved the Islamic Traditions of the Ottoman Empire 0:40:10 Many Muslims constructed imagined ideal Islamic Past that must be strictly adhered to 0:41:02 The Foundational Premise that the Tradition was under attack by modernity 0:41:38 The Notion that past Scholars reached a level we'll never reach 0:42:56 The Belief that the Perfect and Universal Form of Islam is a specific set of Theological and Legal Rulings 0:45:25 Paradigm 3: The Middle Strand Represented by Rashid Rida 0:46:05 The Truth is Divine but the Tradition is Human 0:47:39 Modern Enlightenment Thought might have some good but also some evil 0:48:40 Even those resisting change had to make changes 0:49:40 The Rise of the West caused a spectrum of reactions amongst Muslim Intellectuals 0:53:13 This whole Series is an example of the 3rd Paradigm, rethinking Aqeedah 0:53:49 The Same applies to Rethinking Fiqh 0:55:42 The 3rd Paradigm is the way forward 0:56:34 Preview for next class 0:57:05 You must think for yourself and not blindly follow 0:58:46 The Issues with the first 2 Paradigms 0:59:48 Q1: How did Muhammad Abduh become the Grand Mufti of Egypt if he didn't believe in Jinns or Miracles? 1:00:21 Q2: Did the Fundamentalist Strands actually succeed in preserving their version of Islam with no strand? 1:02:49 Q3: Can you provide an exhaustive reading list to understand these strands better? 1:05:53 Q4: Thoughts on Sherman Jackson's The Islamic Secular? 1:08:44 Outro