Mahmoud Shaltout… When Freedom Entered Through the Gate
of the Institution
After Muhammad Abduh, who opened the door to reason,
and Abd al-Muta‘al al-Sa‘idi, who confronted difficult
texts,
comes Mahmoud Shaltout
as a distinct case:
a reformist thinker from within the major religious
institution, Al-Azhar, not from its margins.
Herein lies both Shaltout’s significance and his risk at
once.
Reform from Within
Shaltout was not a rebel against Al-Azhar, nor an
adversary of the religious institution. Rather, he believed that genuine reform
can only take place from within.
When he assumed the position of Grand Imam of Al-Azhar,
he did not view the post as authority, but as an intellectual and moral
responsibility.
Ijtihad… A Right, Not a Luxury
In his well-known book Islam: Creed and Sharia,
Shaltout established a decisive principle:
Islam recognizes both individual and collective ijtihad,
and opens before minds the doors of choice in organizing
the affairs of society, so long as this does not conflict with definitive
principles and seeks justice and the public good.
With this understanding, ijtihad was no longer a rare
exception,
but a permanent necessity.
Shaltout rejected the notion of a “single model” in
understanding and legislation.
Islam, in his view, does not impose a rigid mold for
life, nor does it confiscate the right of minds to research and development.
Religion here is not an adversary of culture, nor an
obstacle to civilization; rather, it is an ethical framework that accommodates
all beneficial cultures and sound human knowledge.
Rational Intellectual Freedom
Shaltout clearly distinguished between freedom and chaos.
The freedom that Islam upholds
is rational freedom, grounded in inquiry,
discussion, and respect for the human being.
It is not the freedom of destruction, nor the freedom of
frivolity,
but the freedom of responsible thinking.
Religion and Reason… Not in Conflict
Shaltout affirmed that any alleged conflict between
religion and reason has nothing to do with Islam, but rather stems from
misunderstanding.
Wherever sound reason exists, there is room for ijtihad;
and wherever ijtihad exists, religion remains alive and renewed.
The Question of the State
Shaltout’s importance does not stop at jurisprudence or
creed; it extends to his understanding of the modern state.
He held that Sharia cannot be reduced to rigid historical
formulations, and that laws can evolve
in accordance with the changing interests of people,
without losing the spirit of justice that is the essence of legislation.
Why Did Shaltout Represent a Turning Point?
Because he demonstrated that defending freedom of opinion
does not necessarily entail a confrontation with the
institution,
and that Al-Azhar—when freed from rigidity—
is capable of being a driver of renewal,
not an obstacle to it.
He also dismantled the false equation that places
“religious commitment” in opposition to “intellectual freedom.”
After Shaltout
With Shaltout, the freedom of ijtihad was no longer an
elite idea, but an institutional stance with weight and symbolic significance.
From here, the discussion shifted from:
Is freedom possible in Islam?
to:
How do we protect it from regression and stagnation?
To be continued,
Cairo: 5:00 PM, local time.
