Malik Bennabi and the Intellectual Problems of the Muslim Ummah Fawzia Bariun In the last several decades, Muslim and non-Muslim scholars have studied the causes of the Muslim ummah‘s decline. As t h e s scholars have different frames of reference and different political and cultural orientations, each gmup tends to view the issue according to its own understanding. However, the outcome of these studies are marred by major methadological defects that have made it impossible for the authors to move beyond a mere categorization of the multiple symptoms of that malady. Most ncm-Muslim scholars ascribe the Muslim world’s backwatdness to Islam. Such a conclusion mflects the confmntational stand of the West to- wards the Muslim world. Although the numerous writings on the subject have been called ”scientific” and *academic,” in reality they are mostly defensive and far fmm truly objective.’ Muslim thinkers and reformers, while admitting the fact of the ummah’s disintegration, have reached a different conclusion: Muslims, not Islam, have to change? Questions as to how and why this change should take place, as well as to who should undertake it, have remained largely incomplete and inconclusive for a variety of political and cultural circumstances. One major weakness was that most of the studies were descriptive, as opposed to analyti- cal, in nature. If there were any analysis at all, it was mainly thmmtical and ~uperficial.~ The lack of freedom on different levels also interfered with intel- Fawzia Bariun is a lecturer in the Department of Arabic at the International Islamic University in Selangor, Malaysia. ‘For a broader critical view on the henomenon of orientalism, see Edward Sa‘id, Orientalism (New York Pantheon Book 1978); Al. L. Tibaqri, “Fglish Speaking Orientalisn: A Critique of Their Approach to Islam and Arab Nati- m e Muslim Worki, 53 (1963): 23-45,73-88. *‘Umar Farrii d Tajdd fi al Muslimin, ld fi a1 Islorn (Beirut: D f al Kitiib al ‘Arabi, 1970). ?f taken in its historical framework, Shakii Arsah’s.Limridha Ta’akhMya d MuslimFn wa IimtSdha Taqaddanra G ruhwn 7 mght be an exceptmn. It was f i i publlshed as a mes ofessaysinRashidRWsu 7 Murkirinr to questions about the reason for the Muslim world’s decline. It was translated into h r w Our Decline undlts Causes (Lahore, 1944). 326 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 9:3 lectuals' ability to pinpoint the causes of any problem when conceived and to openly discuss conceptual or institutional errols. In addition, the rejection of the "other opinion" was and still is the dominant phenomenon among those Muslim intellectuals struggling against the low self-esteem caused by the West's military triumph and intellectual superiority over all other cultures. Malik Bennabi: A Profile Malik Bennabi (1905-73) was, in terms of his education, a product of the West. His strong faith as a Muslim dominated all his cultural and intellectual tendencies. Although he might have suffered from what some scholars call "cultural schi~ophnia,"~ as he was treated as an indigene (native) both in France and at home, Bennabi was sustained and inspired by his strong faith in the role of Islam in history and civilization. In France, he lived in the anti- thetical worlds of East-WeSt, Africa-Europe, and Islam-Christianity. Bennabi was able to resolve the basic intellectual antithesis of Islam and Christianity in his mind. Rejecthg the Western assumption that the very foundation of Islam was being challenged, he concluded that the Muslim world's decadence should be attributed not to Islam, but to its historical application by its fol- lowers? He substantiated his argument by referring to the fact that Islam had encouraged mison, inquiry, and free will, all of which had enabled Muslims to create a great civilization! Civilization was the principal theme in Bennabi's books. Unlike other Arab intellectuals, he did not use terms such as turuqqi (advancement), tquddum (development), or nahdah (renaissance). He consciously and care- fully selected the term h f d r u h (civilization) in order to indicate his broad historical concept of the social phenomenon of human life. His books were usually subtitled MushkiZiit ul H&-rah (Problems of Civilization), including his autobiography M u M r d t Shuhid ul e r n (Memories of the Century's Witness) and d Zairuh ul Qur'dnQuh (The Qur'anic Phenomenon). Bennabi's use of the idea of civilization as a criterion resulted from his basic concept that "the problem of any people is but that of its civilization."' He was interested in studying the phenomenon of civilization "not as a chain of incidents, the story of which history relates to us," but as a "phenomenon, 'Ali.Mauui, Political Values and the Educated Class in Africa (Berkeley: University of 'Malik Bermabi, Fikrat a1 yii@ah al &yaw@ah 'aka D&- Mu 'mar BEnaEng (Da- 'Mali Benuabii Inta al Mustashn'qin wa ithciruhu 'ah a1 Fikr a1 I s h i a l H&?h 'Malik Bemabi ShurrSt al NaMah (Damascus: DSr al Fikr, 1979), 19. Califorma Press, 1978), 27. mascus: D& al Fi, 1981), 32. (Cairo. 1971), 32. Bariun: Malik Bennabi and the Intellectual Problems of the Muslim Ummah 327 the analysis of which may lead us to its ~anon."~ It was this insight that led him to diagnose the ummah's decline in a way that was not based on the assumption that the intellectual problem is the essence of all problems. The Influence of Ibn Khaldiin's Thought In his a2 Muqaddimuh, Ibn Khaldiin had subjected to human society to a distinctive sociological and anthropological scrutiny that he called 'ilm a2 'umrfin (the study of society). Some studies have suggested that Bennabi was the most original Arab thinker since Ibn Khaldiin when it came to speculating on the phenomenon of civilization? "here is a clear tesemblance between his views on social development and those of Ibn Khaldiin. However, E?ennabi was not only a careful student of Ibn K h a l d ~ , he was an intelligent benefici- ary of more recent developments in the modem social scien-. While it is evident that Bennabi read and was influenced by a2 Muqaddimah,'' his own contemplative philosophical views of civilization went beyond those of Ibn Khaldiin. In most of his books, particularly ShurrZt a2 Nahdah, Bennabi emphasized the concept that every civilization passes through three stages: birth ( m z m , peak (awj), and decline (ufit)." He thus expressed, like Ibn Khaldiin, a belief in the cyclical ptocess of Civilization. In fact, Bennabi acknowledged that Ibn Khaldiin originated the concept of such cycles in his theory of The Three Generations.12 However, Bennabi suggested that Ibn Khaldiin was so limited by the terminology and thought of his time that he restricted the cyclic p r e cess to the state level (dawlah). He therefore viewed Ibn KhaldWs work as merely a theory about a state's evolution. He himself felt that the concept could be appropriately and profitably extended to encompass civili~ation.~~ In general, Bennabi attempted to interpret Islamic history in light of the cyclical theory. However, he did not adopt Ibn Khaldiin's idea that tribal co- hesion ('asabQuh) leads to the establishment of state and a sedentary way %id., 71. %h- Jdiin, Ums a1 Taqadhm 'and Mufakkiri al Iskim fl al '&m al 'Arabi al Hadilh (Beirut: 1979), 401. '%is book was published f i i in French, in 1948, u n k the title of Les Conditions de "Bennabi, Shm-t, 71. '*This theory states that the ages of a state are completed within three generations. The f'irst generation retains its nomadic savagery 8s well as t solidari The second tends to be- come sedentary so that it can wield p e r and enjoy life. Later, it kes its aggressiveness and the desire to cunquer. The third generation has com letely forgotten the rough nomadic life and the love of p e q all it wants is the easy l i e an1 luxury, both of which are active agents la Renaissance. of caruptian. I3Bennabi, Shm-t, 53. 328 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 9:3 of life (istiqnir) that would produce luxury (taruj) and ultimately result in d e cay (inhiydr). Instead, Bennabi developed his own --stage schematization: the spiritual stage, the rational stage, and the instinctive stage. The Spiritual Stage: When a person is in hi*er natural stage @@ah), Ben- nabi theorizes, he/she is guided mainly by hisher natuml instincts. When a spiritual idea or religion appears, it subjects these instincts to a “conditional pracess.” This does not mean the instincts will be terminated, but rather that they will be reformulated in such a way that they become compatible with the new spiritual idea or religion. Thus the person is partially liberated from the natural state, while hisher spiritual potency controls hisher life. Applying this theoretical view to Islamic history, Bennabi considers the spiritual period to have lasted from when the Prophet received the first reve- lation at Hi6’ until the Battle of $iffin. The spiritual strength of this period can be seen in two significant events: the case of Bilil, whose adherence to the new message enabled him to withstand torture and pemecution, and the woman who came to the Prophet seeking purification by receiving the punish- ment for adultery. Bennabi concluded that “only the spirit gives humanity the opportunity to rise and progress to form civilization. When the spirit is lost, the civilization falls, for who loses his ability to ascend could not help but plunge due to gravitati~n.”’~ The Rational Stage: As the society continues to practice its religious prin- ciples and integrate its internal bonds, the religion spreads globally. To Ben- nabi, ”Islamic civilization departed as a driving force from the depth of souls, to spread horizontally on earth from the Atlantic shore to the Chinese borders.” Is At this point the Muslim community is enlarged, and newly created needs and challenges stimulate the society’s capacity and creativity. As the sciences and the arts flourish, reason becomes the controlling force and society ascends towards the peak of its cycle of civilization. However, according to Bennabi, reason cannot discipline the instinct as effectively as the spirit did in the first stage. Instinct, therefore, gradually starts to gain freedom, and society’s con- trol of the individual decreases.16 Applying this analysis to Islamic civilization, Bennabi viewed the Umayyad period as an example of the rational stage. Although he called this “Malik Bennabi Wjhut al ‘Klmn a1 I s h i , trans. A. Shahin (Damsacus: D i al Fk, 1959), 30. ‘%id., 69. Bariw Malik Bennabi and the Intellectual Roblems of the Muslim Ummah 329 historical eta a "deviated civilization," probably from a political pempective, he asserted that humanity is indebted to it for discovering the petcentage sys- tem and the experimental method in medicine." The Znstinctive Stage: This period is marked by weakness and corruption, which becomes inevitable when society can no longer control its membem' instincts. For Bennabi, the mind in this stage has. lost its social function and plunged into sterility and obscurity. Society then enters the "darkness of his- tory" as the cycle of civilization ends. This stage applies easily to the period prior to the Mongol invasion. Bennabi chose the fourteenth century C.E., the period coinciding with Ibn Khaldiin's lifetime, as the tuming point of dec- adence. This period was cbcterized by a moral, political, and intellectual collapse. History and the Intellectual Problem History, as a social phenomenon, occupied a significant place in Ben- nabi's thought. As he matured intellectually during the 193Os, his interest and attention turned from electrical engineering to history, sociology, and philos- ophy. This adoption of history as a major reference was not surprising for an intellectual whose scope was civilization, for history is always a central point where past, present, and future meet. For Bennabi, historical events are simply actions and reactions of psycho- social elements," and history is but a list of ideas and actions. Thus any so- ciety which daily records a large number of ideas and actions will attain gmiter results.19 This fact led Bennabi to emphasize the importance of study- ing and perceiving history. His method was both analytic and constructive, for he believed that certain matters could be understood only through analy- sis. On the other hand, this ptocess is essential to one trying to implement the goals.2o Studying history is not an intellectual luxury. From an Islamic point of view, the contemplation of history is encouraged, for this activity reveals the far-reaching purpose of life and instructs us about the rise and fall of var- ious peoples. We even read in the Qur'an: "Say: Travel through the earth and see what was the end of those who reject Truth," and: "Many were the ways of life that have passed away before you: travel through the earth and see what was the end of those who rejected truth."z1 This process in itself gives "Bennabi, Wijhat, 28. '*Mali& Benuabi, HudtThjTul B i d a1 Jodrsi (Beirut: ad), 55. '%id., 57. 201bid., 71. "Qur'an 211,3:137. 330 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 9:3 coming generations meaningful insights. .Studying history, Bennabi agteed, does not lead only to thearetical conclusions, but also to applicable ideas." Since Muslims have distanced themselves fmm the dynamic essence of Islam, they lack an adequate knowledge of history. For Bennabi, ignorance about the nature! of history and the confrovetsy of its elements makes Mus- lims attribute the results of historical events to predestination which, in tum, and leads to resignation and acceptance of the status quo. History, in this c e , neither stimulates our will nor directs our activitiesu Historical events and movements, according to Bennabi, result from the interaction of three important realms: the realm of figures ('durn ul ashkhi.~), the realm of ideas ('tilam a1 ufi-r), and the realm of things" ('darn al ashyii'). While it seems that the realm of figures occupies a more prominent position than the other two, the realm of ideas is, in Bennabi's view, ex- tremely important. For him, a society's wealth is not measured by the "things" people possess but by their ideas," which tesults in the view that "it is civilization that gives birth to its product."25 It would therefote be i m p - sible, either quantitatively or qualititatively, to purchase one civilization's pro- ducts in oder to create another for, as Bennabi indicates "civilization can not sell its spirit, ideas, tastes, intimate wealth or the accumulation of untouchable notions and These harmonious and complex elements are shaped through history to give a civilization its own unique characteristics. History and ideas have a strong interchangeable effect for, he asserts, the great historical miracles have d t e d from creative ideas Islam en- ables a novice society to emerge in history when its realm of figures is con- stituted according to the Unique concept of Islamic brotherhood. The histori- cal significance of the integration of the Muh5jitiin and the An& on one side and of all membem of the Muslim community on the other was men- tioned in the Qur'an: "And He put affection between their heartq not if you spent all that is in the earth could you have produced that affection, but Allah had done itz8 Bennabi writes that this point marks the beginning of the rise of Islamic civilization. Unfortunately, he says, scarcely forty years later the ummah suf- fered its first reverse: the Battle of $iffin, where the struggle between the %ennabi, Hudifh, 50. %id., 5 1. %aliik Bennabi MiW Mujtma': Shabakdt a1 'Alrfgrft a1 Ijtima'iyah (Damsacus: DL al Fikr, 1975), 34. %ennabi Shunzr, 43. %id., 43. nMaliik B e d i Mushkilrit a1 Afkclrfial ',&tn al I s h i ; trans. M. A. Ali (Cairo: Mak- mQur'an 8:63. tabat 'M, 1971), 56. Barium M a l i Bennabi and the Intellectual Problems of the Muslim Ummah 331 Qur'anic spirit and the characteristics of ignorance (jdhilzpzh) was launched.29 He maintains, however, that the elements of Islamic civilization are not re- stricted to its early period, but rather are perpetually included in the essence of the Islamic religion. Islam, therefore, continued to shape its civilization de- spite the inner conflict caused by $iffin. The true and eventually total decline of Islamic civilization took place after the period of the a1 Muwahhidin, a North African dynasty ha t tried its best to gather and unite the shattered ummah at the end of its cycle of civilization. Characteristics of a Post al Muwahhidin . . Individual A human being, as a social and historical product, plays a major role in the development of his/her society. For Bennabi, a human being has two iden- tities. The fitst, fixed and unaffected by history, is that of a MtUral creature honoted by God. Humanity, from an Islamic perspective, attained superiority over all other creatures by being appointed khalijiuh (vicegerent) through its acceptance of the trust refused by other elements of the univetse. The second identity, changeable and influenced by history, is that of a social entity. It is the socio-historical structure that transforms the individual Vurd) into a person (shakh), a complicated being who produces ~ivilization.~~ The sound inter- action of persons (or the realm of figures) with an idea and its archetypes (or the realm of ideas), would result in material production and create the realm of things. Any disturbance in that interaction, or in any inner structure of either realm, will affect the process of civilization. The intellectual crisis of the Muslims is, in fact, a result of such a disturbance on both levels. The post a1 Muwa&idin individual, who represented the realm of figures, was described by Bennabi as resembling the water of a storage tank after it has been used for energy production: it has lost its ability to reproduce energy. Likewise, the post a1 Muwahhidin individual is "out of civilization" and unable to reenter its mainstream.31 This individual is not only "outside" civilization like a precivilized pemn (rujul ulfifitruh) but, contrary to the latter, he/she is unable to accomplish a civilizing work (oeuvre civilistrice) unless he/she under-takes a comprehensive change. An individual is incapable of advancing or abandoning the familiar, and consequently fails to create and assimilate new meanings.32 The Algerian city dweller of the 194Os, of whom Bennabi was critical, exemplified the characteristics of a post a1 Muwahhidin "Bennabi, Wijhat, 27, 28. %ennabi, M2cid, 28. %ennabi, Shurut, 70. %ennabi, Wjhar, 31. 332 The Amencau Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 9:3 pefsan. Such a pemn lives at the end of his/her city’s life cycle, has limited aspirations, a corrupted mind, and a defeated spirit. In addition, he/she is sa- tisfied with mediocrity and is always ‘mid way,‘ ‘mid idea,’ and ‘mid prog- In short, such a pemn and such a society have failed to use their faith effectively. -133 Aspects of the Intellectual Problem The dynamic relation of ideas and tenaissance, as well as the intelligent- sia’s role in affecting the trends of history, are indisputable. In any society, disintegration usually results from a decline in the realm of ideas which, in turn, is affected by the society’s decadence. It is the realm of figures, accord- ing to Bennabi, that is qualified to reconstruct society and testore the vitality and effectiveness of ideas. Assuming that such a p i b i l i t y exists contradicts the belief of Ibn Khaldin that the collapse of a civilization is inescapable. Some members of the realm of figures who exposed their intellectual and social activities in the search for a remedy have committed mistakes that magnify the intellectual problems. Bennabi’s keen investigation of these prob- lems could be summarized in three major dimensions: methodological, psychological, and sociocultural. The Methodological Dimension: Religion is a fundamental instrument in any civilization, for it is the “compound that gives humanity, time, and soil the spark with which to initiate a civilizational cycle. Bennabi’s concept of reli- gion is far removed from such technicalities as obligatory rituals. It is rather a vital ideology that includes every detail of the cultural and ethical systems.34 Through his study of reform and modernization movements, Bennabi con- cluded that the reform movement initiated by a1 AfghiM and ‘Abduh was concerned only with providing Muslims with self-defensive and self-justifying shields. As its leaders did not perceive the ideological force of Islam, their movement failed to restore Islam’s social hct ion. ‘Abduh’s efforts to reform scholastic methodology (‘ilm al kuldm) failed to generate any remedy to the Muslim’s deplorable social, moral, and intellec- tual conditions. Bennabi saw this concern for ‘ilm al kahim as ’’the most harmful thhg to the To him, the post a1 Muwahhidin person never abandoned hisher which means that the real problem was not “how to teach the Muslim his faith, but rather how to restore its effectiveness, 33Bennabi, Shunit, 76. %ennabi, wijhur, 35. %id., 55. the chapter ‘’At& al Fikrah al Diniyah fi Takwin al H&ah” in Ibid., 61-72. Bariun: Malik Benuabi and the Intellectual Problems of the Muslim Ummah 333 and the social impact of the faith.“ In other wotds, Bennabi argues that the problem is not proving God‘s existence to Muslims, but how to make them sense that His existence fills up an individual’s soul as a sotme of energy.37 As the 1~1% movement lacked methodological and scientific thinking, in Bennabi’s view, he was of the opinion that its intellectuals often criticized ex- ternal enemies and ignored intemal factors of di~integtation.~~ The writings of Shah% Arsaliin, ‘Abd al Rahmin al Kawiikibi, and b d Rizi were thus merely apologetic and defensive. The modernization movement was not any better, l3ennabi opines, for it essentially developed during the period of Western occupation “while the so- ciety had lost its balance” and, therefore, those who tended towards modem- ization “took [their] elements from the ’colonial The modernizers propagated external and superficial models of development. The accumulation of material goods embodied the concept of quantity, rather than that of qual- ity, which previously had prevailed in Muslim cultme. Bennabi thought that modernizers, like reformists, lacked both a visualization of their goals and means and a sustaining theory. The main concern of the modernizers-saving the Muslim world from its political disordets-was a political approach. Moreover, stated Bennabi, this concern was itself borrowed from the E m - pean system and therefore did not focus on the real problem of the individual Muslim.@ On the intellectual and psychological level, post a1 Muwabbidii society accepted the fact that “Islam is a complete religion.“ This statement produced in the society’s consciousness, much to Bennabi’s regret, the logical mistake that “we are Muslims and therefore we am complete.”41 This methodological defect resulted in what he calls Nmoral paralysis” (ul shulal a2 akhiZqz]. It is worth mentioning that this paralysis is still exemplified in many contemporary writings that happily acknowledge the decline of Western civilization and the near and complete dissolution of its value system and social structure. These writings naively proclaim that Islam and Muslims are qualified to replace Western philosophy and civilization.Yet, without restoring the ideological power of Islam in its homeland, as explained by Bennabi and others, and without a profound rehabilitation of the Muslim soul and mentality, such a replacement is almost i m p i b l e . One of the fundamental causes of the Muslims’ moral p lys i s is that they do not relate to their own historical cycle. Bennabi bemoans this fact in ”Ibid., 55. %%id., 49. 39See the chapter ”a1 HaraEt al Hadithah” in Ibid., 67-80. “‘Ibid., 77. “Ibid., 93. 334 The American Journal of Islatnic Social Sciences 9:3 his Shunit ul Numb, where he writes that Muslims believe that they live in 1948 C.E. and not in A.H. 1367. This emeous perspective has placed the "Islamic problem" not in its historical context, but in the framework of western civilization.42 Examining the existence of snake charmers in both M d e s h and Samarqand, for instance, we find no accident, Bennabi states. This phenomenon, on a larger scale, indicates that the common element in the so-called "Algerian problem" and the "Javanese problem" is in fact an "Is- lamic problem" It is very significant, therefore, to discuss this issue in its own historical sphere." Within Muslim society, diffemt problems have been arranged in such preestablished categories as illiteracy, poverty, and extemal occupation. The solutions were also easily defined: knowledge or education, wealth or eco- nomic growth, and independence." Historical developments in the contempo- rary Muslim world, however, have coincided with Bennabi's anticipations that such solutions would, in the end, be invalid, as they overlooked the psycho- social elements of change. The Psychological Dimensions: The post a1 Muwahhidin individual, as d e scribed by Bennabi, carries the germs of hisher society's ills and suffers from various psychological impediments. The individual has "sick one shaped in an atmosphere saturated with moral, social, philosophical, and po- litical bankruptcy.45 This frustrated individual is afflicted of what Bennabi called "colonizibility" (d qdbili3uh li a1 isti 'mar). The West's invasion of the Muslim world was not mainly due to the external factor of colonization; it is rather attributed to an intemal predisposition. In the wo& of Bennabi, one should look to colonialism not as a politician but as a sociologist.46 Coloni- zibility d t s in self-destruction, an inferiority complex, and social atodsm, whereas effectiveness on all levels is at a minimum. Colonial authorities cher- ish these characteristics and utilize them to their benefit, for they "know more about us than we know about O U ~ S ~ ~ V ~ S . ~ ~ ~ ~ The term of colonizibility might have been inspired by Hasan a1 BannZi, the leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood in its resistance to colonialism of diffemt forms. One of a1 BantG's most quoted sayings, also quoted by "Bennabi, Shw-t, 48; Bennabi, Wuhat, 34. 43Bennabi, Wjhat, 35. "Bermabi, Hamfh. *Bermabi Wjhat, 367. "hid., 102. "Malik Bennabi, Fikrut Kmiinwilrh Is&i(Cairo: Maktabat 'Ammiir, 1971), 79. Bariun: Malik Bennabi and the Intellectual Problems of the Muslim Ummah 335 Bennabi, is: "Eject imperialism from your souls and it will leave your Other features of the post a1 Muwahhidin individual are two mental ob- stacles: the easiness psychosis (dhihan ul suhfilah) and the impossibility psy- chosis (dhihn al istihilah) One's ideas are either so simple that they require no effort and devotion or so difficult that they cannot be accomplished." Re viewing the list of social activities of Muslim "iety, we often find either unachieved ideas or activities unsupported by any mental effort.5o The post al Muwahhidin person is always attached to the ctead ideas of the past (al u t - r d muyyitah). This attachment is not derived from apprecia- tion: it is due to rigidity and UncreatiVity. If h4she exposes himselffiewslf to contemporary trends, he/she is accessible only to toxic ideas (ul uh-r d qarilah), i.e., ideas that have become toxic due to their being taken out of their historical context" Ironically, many notions have entered the Muslims' realm of ideas after having been scientifically refutedsz From a spiritual aspect, the connection between what is spiritual and what is social is very weak in such a pemnality. When a post a1 MuwWdin individual goes to the mosque, for example, he/she feels as a "person" and acts in conformity to Islamic principles. As soon as he/she leaves the place, he/she becomes an 'individual' who has lost his/her moral standards due to hisher coming under the control of social constmints. In short, Bennabi concludes, such a person manifests a schizophrenic per~onality.5~ From a materialistic aspect, this p e m ~ l i t y is both quantitative and in- clined to "thingness" and the accumulation of unneeded elements. It is unable to discriminate between real necessities (d &adrdt ul haqfqijah) and forged necessities (ul &r&dt ul muzuyyufuh), is more easily attracted to form than to essence, and to things rather than to ideas. It thus contributes to the in- crease of the society's needs while the society's means are still very limited.s4 Bennabi's analysis of the collapsed structure of both the individual and the society is an attempt to illuminate different aspects of the ummah's pre- dicament. Although his thoughts ate mainly directed to intellectuals and some-times to those officials who are able to influence the course of events, they were and still valid. iands."4* %ited in R. Mitchell,. The Society of 'he Muslim Brothers (Lmdon; Oxford University Ress, 1966), 230. Bennabt quoted the Saymgs m Shuriit, on e 155, III reference to "one of the reformers," thereby avoiding the mentioniug of al &'s name (the book was translated, published, and marketed m Nasser's Egypt). '%nuabi, Mushkilrit a1 A*, 147. %nnabi, Wjhat. 90. 51See"aLAfl&al lEehwaalAfk&alMa 'tah,"inMalikBennabiiFiMahabbal "Benuabi, Commonwealth, 36. "Bennabi, Mi'&&& 99. %emabii Commonwealth, 72. Ma'rakuh (CaitO: M h % al Mutanuabi, 1972), E - 5 5 . 336 The Amencau Journal of Islamic Social Scimces 9:3 Socio-Cultural Dimem'ons: In many of his books, Bennabi seems to examine the major issues concerning the fate of the ummah both as a sociologist and a philosopher. The methodology evident in his Mushkiliif a1 Thuqdfuh, Mmhkihif a1 A j W , and M z U Mujmu' reflect Bennabi's interest and qualification in sociology and anthropology, not merely as social sciences but mainly as scientific approaches to study the Muslim situation. Despite some linguistic and stylistic defects which prevent his books fmm teaching the otdinary mder, Bennabi's thoughts and speculations 8 ~ e mentally pmvocative. His scientific qualifications 8 ~ e also a major asset in the intellectual field. He is well known for his careful effort to defime his terms, present his premises, and reach his conclusion. In addition to repeatedly defining civilization, Bennabi is equally interest- ed in defining cultute. To him, culture is "the sum of ethical characteristics and social values attained by the individual since his birth, as primary re- sources, within the environment where he forms his habits and Again, "culture is the atmosphere that includes external elements such as mea- sures, tunes and motions and internal elements such as tastes, customs and tradition."56 Contemporary Muslims have bomwed most of the material and nonmaterial elements of their culture, "even tastes and needs." This borrow- ing has caused a proliferation and confusion in social ideas and approaches. Authenticity is an important cultural element, for culture is but a symbolic foundation through which members ok a society interpret the world and estab- lish their relation with reality and with one another. It is characterized by its own distinctive view of life and specific historical evolution. Bennabi's view that a society can not import its culture or civilization from another society or civilization is therefo* an extremely important conclusion. One cause of the Muslims' current situation is their vague concept of cul- ture. Differentiating between c u l t u ~ (fhuqiiuh) and knowledge (mu'rifah), he says that culture is not a theory in learning (ta'lfm) but a theory in education (turbiyyah), for it is related to behavior (sula) rather than knowledge and Supporting this theory, Bennabi gives an example of a Muslim medical student who goes to Europe to earn a medical degree. While he/she will earn the same diploma as hifier British colleague, he/she will not learn his/her colleague's "effectiveness" and positive attitude towads Social prob- ' lems?* Muslim parents send their children to school not to prepare them for certain obligations in life, but to give them the opportunity to attain benefits.59 *Bennabi Shunst, 83. MBennabi Hadah, 71. nMalik Bennabi Mushkikit af Thaqafd (Damascus: Nadwat Midi&, 1979). %id., 41. Walik Bennabi, &Eq uf Jw-'irijuh (Cairo: Maktabat 'Amma, 1971)' 89. Bariua Malik Bennabi and the Intellectual Roblems of the Muslim Ummah 337 Poaitive behavior, the backbone of Bennabi's explanation of culture as an appmch to behavior modification, is called effectiveness ud'ilr)rcJ1).60 It is a positive psychomental attitude towards life in gmeral. This attitude not only controls the acceleration of deveIopment within society but also affects the di- rection of its history. Post al MuwWdin society began to lose this attitude when the elements of its social and moral disintegration began to form. The most dangerous aspect of the lack of individual and societal effec- tiveness is the "cultural vacuum" which, in turn, results in the absence of what Bennabi calls the cultural communication network (shbaRat al 'aliiqdt al thqdfiuh), or the preconditions needed by ideas to live and produce. b j e c t s of a cultural and intellectual nature are often exposed to failute or distortion and amputation through ideological struggle.6' Cultural deteriora- tion, Bennabi indicates, is caused by moral paralysis, for moral factom are very essential in "effectiveness." Ethics and morals control and motivate the d m of figures and, without their presence, the realm of ideas cannot function.62 Bennabi's analysis of the intellectual problems of his society is always supported by suggestive views and sometimes by detailed outlines of reform projects. His concept of directing (tuwjzl) the three attributes of society-intellect, labr, and money-deserve to be studied, and his project of purifying culture from "dead" and "toxic" ideas should be the objective of institutions throughout the Muslim world. His projects of moral constitution (al dustrsr al khuuqi), aesthetic sense (d dhuwq ul jamah-), practical logic (a2 munCiq ul 'amali) and technique or vocational work (ul sind'ah) is a challenging starting point for any Muslim civilizational process. aSee the chapater "al Fii'iliyah" in Bennabi, Hadith, 44-61. "Malik Bennabi, a1 Siiah a1 F i k r i p BiW al Uusta'marah (Damascus: D k al Fikr, "Bennabi, H&h, 71. 1979).