Worse still, even certain Muslims were
not far from being deceived by the stratagem, in their
very homes. Hence the sporadic emergence, now and then, of
ideas fabricated by a bunch of people belonging to certain
research institutions and centres within the Muslim
countries, pinpointing the essence of faith and instilling
the delusion that it is religion, not ignorance of
religion, which is to blame for the rampant impotence,
dependence and blindness that caused the backwardness and
weakness of the Ummah.
Amidst these vicissitudes, there
emerged on the scene of Islamic cultural and intellectual
action a group of eminent scholars, who set to enrich the
Islamic thought with their vast knowledge, supplementing
it with their judicious thinking and objective awareness
of the challenges facing the Ummah in the multifarious
areas of intellectual production and development. The
praiseworthy contributions of these prominent figures take
root in the efforts exerted by scholars and thinkers since
the 7th century of the Hegira, who have devoted themselves
to safeguarding religion against misconceptions, sparing
no effort to consolidate the bond uniting Muslims with
their religion on the basis of an enlightened assimilation
of the Islamic principles and values, shunning excesses
and extravagance. Their contributions had an indubitable
impact on the movement of resurgence, the groundwork of
which was laid by a group of scholars and thinkers
renowned for their diligent endeavour to correct the
deep-seated fallacies coined about Islam, renovate the
Muslims' understanding of their religion and strengthen
the relevance of religion to society, indeed to all walks
of life.
Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qardawi, Director of
the Centre of Researches on the Sunnah and the Sirah,
University of Qatar, represents one of the milestones of
this straight path. Since the 1950's, he has embarked with
an elite of established scholars, well versed in the
Islamic culture and fiqh, on the noble enterprise of
devising an Islamic method characterized by an integrated
perception of religion and life, a staunch commitment to
the immutable principles, and a vast, profound grasping of
the objectives of legislation and its applications to the
contemporary reality. The aim was to rekindle the spark of
religion in the self by going back to the pure sources,
and shed light on the flexibility, tolerance and ability
of Islam to assimilate developments, in all times, as it
enshrines the divine message sent down to all mankind.
Dr. Al-Qardawi underlines that the
problem facing the Muslim society has no bearing
whatsoever to Islam. Rather, it is ascribed to a
misunderstanding of Islam either by design or ignorance.
This truth is portrayed by the author through the various
chapters of the book, which have taken a long time to
elaborate, and are published under the comprehensive title
of Towards a Sound Awakening : Renovating Religion and
Promoting Life. This is a sizable contribution, added to
the already towering edifice built up by the author,
consisting of over fifty publications that all concur to
achieve the same end.
Given its foremost responsibility which
consists in evolving a sound thinking likely to serve as
the fulcrum of the Ummah's progress, the Islamic
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization takes
pleasure in presenting to the reader this book, in
English, hoping it will contribute to expounding the
Islamic stance vis-à-vis the issues preoccupying the
Muslim, today, on the forefront of which is the relation
between religion and worldly life. The book provides an
occasion to contemplate the solutions offered by Islam to
the problems in which positive ideology has erred a long
way notwithstanding the abundant, influential means of
dissemination it wields.
May the Almighty help us disseminate
the truth and expound His religion. May He lead us to the
straight path.
