Journey in to islam

Globalization has a great influence in our day to day life. It has changed every aspects of human life. Globalization made our life easier. People all over the world began to get interconnected. It became no matter where he lives or to whom he exchange his ideas. Borders began to disappear from minds of people also. People started to give their heed to worldwide news instead of hearing only what happens in their surroundings. But life has become more complicated than before. World began to compete more and slowly the competition became the only thing which we can do. What prevails today is precisely the world of winners and losers. The failures lost everything. People, institutions, ideas, religions all are engaged in clashing each other striving to survive, moreover, to win over others. Of course, the century of clashes; clashes of civilization.

Akbar Ahmad, the professor of Islamic studies at the University of America is one among the eminent Muslim scholars who engaged with the conversations of both east and west, or represent both. As a Pakistani by origin he was an orient. And further, his representation of the two most prominent and conflicting identities render him answer favoring west when he was in east and for east when he was at west. Although he was not nearly an orient, he lived as Muslim, the religion allegedly the one best and worst religion, as called by conflicting groups. As a Muslim in the west he had to justify the deeds of Muslim all over the world. The attack on September 11 further worsened the situations.

The journey set on from here, a journey into Islam, into Muslims, into the mind set of Muslims. This book is a result of his project which, analyze the fundamental questions of hater die; what west thinks about Muslim and how Muslims regard the west. 21st century started along with the “War on terror”. But war on terror degenerated into the war of all against all. After 9/11 attack, America suffered a lot lasted from the aftermaths of the attack. Israel always felt embattled, surrounded by the millions of neighbors who would like the state disappear from the map. Likewise Muslim with many grievances felt very much under the siege. When societies felt insecure, they tend to become more defensive and watch others doubtfully. there was no room for wisdom or comparison. Globalization made free access to the tool of violence. All these paved the way, the crisis much bigger.

To inspect the mind set of Muslims, he selects Asia as his laboratory. And divided Asia into three based on different features i.e.; middle east which included Arab countries which had a common language, language of prophet and Quran; south Asia, which gave rise for powerful Muslim nations and far east region, where Islam propagated through Sufis and traders. Throughout these book, author marks contemporary Islam and Muslims as three groups according to their ideology, faith and their approach to the world. We could notice the criteria of grouping from their names. As he said, Deoband model, stood for radical Islam ; Aligarh model for those who liked to be developed in the all walks of life similar to westerners and Ajmer model , which represented the Sufi form of Islam who disseminated peace and compassion , and the true message of Islam. Throughout their journey, each and every discussion led directly or indirectly to 9/11 incident. Thus Muslim world had become irreversibly connected in an adverbial relationship. However Sep 11 changed and challenged world in unexpected ways.

Throughout this book he approaches the Muslim character anthropologically. Author tend to explain the struggle within Islam, how tribal rituals were mixed up with Islam and defamed it, Author gives stress to identify the failure of American foreign policy to address Muslims properly and to win their heart . Author and his companion distribute questionnaire to attain their goals in which peoples are asked to write about their role models. Muhammad (pbuh) is role model for the all, but they also have some other embodiments in the contemporary world order. so it is easy to calculate and examine a person with his chosen role model, what ideology he represents .Due to the increasing defensive mentality of Deobandi Muslim model it is gaining wide popularity Their role model include Yusuf al Kharlavi ,Maududi, Ahmad Najad, Osama bin laden. The Aligarh model, even though they appear with reformist and progressive figures, they couldn’t get more influence. Muslims see them as part of western propaganda. The majority of these reformists are not living within the frame work of Islamic moral ethics. So they can do nothing with Islam, but most of them are sharing progressive ways that is Islamic feminism, making reformations in shariah according to contemporary life, Ijthihad etc which the majority of Muslims do not agree with.

The book concludes, dealing with the most problems happening in west and which Muslims lack from understanding them. Both have high misconception over other. Muslim feel west always eradicate their culture and religion. Likewise west feel East always target for a blast or an attack. The misconception has led to hostile between the both. Akbar Ahmad tries to convey the reader that even though the west and Islam are two different civilizations, and clash each other, both can step aside from the clash and a world without the clashes of civilization is possible, but only through frequent and peaceful dialogues

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