An Analysis Of Contemporary Islamic Centrism

Arabian-Islamic civilization has once experienced a very glorious history. It has made a huge contribution to the European Renaissance and the development and progress of world civilization. However, since the door of the "Ijtihad" was closed, the Islamic civilization stagnated and declined and the development of Islamic culture is now facing great challenges. In the end of the seventies in the last century, a new social and cultural trends appeared in Arabian world, which named Islamic centrism (Islamic Al-Wasatiyyah). The Islamic centrism is a positive reaction which Arabian countries cope with external theory of "Islamic threat","the theory of civilization conflicts", all internal extreme terrorism and the wave of globalization after the Cold War. It is not an accidental phenomenon to put forward the "Islamic centrism", but an inevitable outcome of advancement of the various cultures in different regions, especially the mutual impact of Western culture and Islamic culture and history development in modern times.Islamic centrism has become one of the mainstream cultures in the Arabian world and develops into a very important academic thinking. The thesis selects "Islamic centrism" as the research topic and analyzes it to clarify this thought with the theoretical tools of history, religion, culture, science and other related disciplines:Islamic centrism is established on the basis of the monotheistic God and advocates reverencing for God and loving human beings, it pursuits harmony, justice, tolerance and punctuality as the core values of the Islamic civilization. It emphasizes that everything must adhere to the positive, balanced and dialectical principle, it manifests moderate, avoid leaning to either side, it is against the tendency to extremes. The concept, harmony reflects the trends of the future of Islam and Islamic civilization, it will have a profound impact on the development of the Arabian world.This paper is divided into five chapters. The first chapter illustrates "the concept and definition of Islamic centrism", in this part, Arabian scholars clarify the concept and definition of the term "centrism" briefly, and the scholars pointed out that the core of the "Islamic centrism",namely, harmony and its status in the Islamic society——Islamic centrism is a positive, unified and perfect mechanism, it is both the choice of history and the times.The second chapter discusses "the background of "Islamic centrism". In this chapter, it mainly analyzes the development of "Islamic centrism" specifically. It pointed out that Islamic traditional culture is facing more and more challenges which results in a social and cultural trends with Islamic tide and extremist forces constantly by the way of extreme exaggeration of "the theory of Islamic threat" and "the theory of civilization conflicts". It also reflects the strong wishes and demands that the interior Arabian world desires for changes.The third chapter focuses on "the philosophical basis and the historical origins of Islamic centrism", it traces the philosophical foundation of the Islamic centrism, that is, the highest code of Islam—Qur’an and the Hadith. This part will illustrate and analyze the historical origin of "Islamic centrism" in detail.The fourth chapter mainly covers "the representatives and ideas of Islamic centrism". This part illustrates the connotation and manifestations of Islamic centrism, and discusses the representatives and their ideas, as well as the basic characteristics of "Islamic centrism". Finally, the part takes Yousaf Gail Dave as an example to analyze some typical cases of "Islamic centrism" to see the world paradigm and practice the requirement and social performance of "Islamic centrism".The fifth chapter exponds the influence and realistic significance of "Islamic centrism". This part illustrates and induces the profound influence of "Islamic centrism" in Arabian countries, western countries and China; meanwhile, it explains the contemporary significance of Islamic centrism.As the positive reaction of the Arabia world to deal with internal and external challenges, Islamic centrism Combines the Islamic traditional culture with the needs of the times, it makes great efforts to show the inherent Islamic harmonious ideological civilization, it adheres to the principle of self-renewal, coordinates the relationship between the traditional and the modern, objects to extremism and terrorist violence. In the future, Islamic centrism will have a more far-reaching influence on all levels in politics, economy and culture of the entire Arabian world and even of the Islamic society.