A Critique of Islamic Sociology

This paper discusses the work of Dr. Ali Shariati a committed Islamic revolutionary trained as a sociologist at the University of Paris during the early 1960s, Shariati applied sociological theories – specially based on the works of Marx, Fanon, Toynbee, Uzgan and the authors of the French analytical and critical school of sociology – to Islamic themes. He conceives of Islam as “a median school” intermediate between capitalism and socialism (Algar 1978 p19).

Shariati was also deeply influenced by his father. Aqai Taqi Shariati who sought to develop a “scientific and progressive” approach to theological questions and wrote a modern tafseer (Tafsir Naveen) challenging the interpretations of the traditionalist ulema. Ali Shariati inherited this approach and developed it into a third wordlist quasi Marxist interpretation of Islamic social thought and practice. It is this insistence on Marxist themes which has enabled the Mujahideen-I-khalq to accept Shariati as their most important theoretician.

Shariati rejects Islamic history, consensus (ijmah) and theology as a source of Islamic social thought and practice. Shariati writes “we still do not know our religion … we have not written a single worthwhile book concerning Ali and his companions … after fourteen centuries Ali has been made known to us by a Christian. Georges Jourdaq” (1979 p3). Shariati advocates a rejection of the entire corpus of Islamic knowledge accumulated through the centuries “we must begin by knowing our religion (through a new interpretation of the Quran) which (enabled me) to extract from the Qura’an a whole series of new…..themes relating to …. sociology and the new sciences. A philosophical theory and a theory of sociology and history opened themselves before me and when I checked them against sociology and history I found them to be fully correct” (1979-p6) – the Qura’an, according to Shariati, fully endorses modern sociological methodologies. “Though applying the special terms of the Quran it is possible to discover several new topics …. in sociology” (1979 p7) for the Quran endorses doxological methodology.

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Shariati misunderstands capitalism. Capitalism’s ontological presuppositions are Kantian / Humean. It seeks transcendence in this world through freedom, Shariati’s conception of tauheed ultimately denies the possibility of the finititude of this world by postulating the “unity” of this world and the hereafter and the similarity of the nature of man and God. Shariati denies man’s servitude and thus necessarily endorses freedom / capital Shariati’s is a this worldly spirituality which sees religion as merely a means for the achievement of freedom.

Shariati fails to understand that accumulation of capital requires the abolishing of private property. Liberalism accomplish this through the financial markets and socialism through the dictatorship of the proletariat. Citizens of communist states are as free and equal as stakeholders (shareholders and bank depositors) in a market economy. Both these forms of capitalist organization prioritize freedom / accumulation of capital, Shariati’s revolution is merely the substitution of one form of capitalist organization (despotism of the market) by another (democratic proletarian dictatorship). By promoting freedom in both these forms capitalism necessarily seeks the destruction of Islamic individuality and order, an individuality and on order explicitly rejecting freedom / capital and celebrating, servitude (abdiyat) to Allah under the authority and guidance (hidayat) of the ulema, the guardians of Islamic tradition (Sunnah) and consensus (ijma).

It is no wonder that Shariati’s most devoted followers – the Mujahideen-I-Khaliq – have always been the bitterest opponents of the ulema and the Islamic state. They – and the communist parties of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan and the Central Asian Republics – are enthusiastic agents of American imperialism, for America is their natural ally. America and the communists stand together for the universalization of freedom and for the destruction of Islamic individuality and Islamic order (abdiyat and hidayat).

It is acceptance of the value neutrality claims of sociological, methodology and theory which led a sincere Islamic revolutionary to commit such serious errors of analysis. We must reject the presuppositions, methodologies and policies of the social sciences and attempt to address contemporary issues on the basis of orthodox Islamic traditions authenticated by ijmah and silsilah.

We pray to Allah to forgive and overlook Allama Shariati’s errors and mistakes. These errors were made with all sincerity by a scholar from a pious and noble family. Allama Shariati sacrificed his life for Islam. He had great love for the Prophet (Sallal Allah-o-alahai wa salam) his companions and the holy Ahl-i-Bait. He sought to promote unity between Shias and Sunnis. May Allah reward him and assign to him a high station in heaven.

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initially posted on 09/12/04.