The Ability to Reassess

TAQLID AND IJTIHAD Uloom Nadwatul Ulama. He then visited Darul Uloom Deoband, which was at that time a centre of resistance against the British. During his visit, a special session was convened at Darul Uloom Deoband. Maulana Anwar Shah Kashmiri (1875-1933) delivered a speech on behalf of the institution. Following this, Syed Muhammad Rashid Rida (1865-1935) addressed the gathering. His speech, delivered in Arabic, was later published in the proceedings of Darul Uloom Deoband (1330 AH). An excerpt from his speech reads: “There is an important point that every farsighted Muslim should consider: the number of Muslims in India is so small compared to non-Muslims that their existence in this country will always be in danger. The British government, which is a government of reason and justice, has maintained a balance between non-Muslims and Muslims. If this balance is disrupted at any time, you can imagine what the result would be. Probably, Muslims will face the same fate as they did in Andalusia. Therefore, we must have a group among us to dispel the doubts cast on Islam. These doubts have arisen due to the modern sciences and arts, and it is essential to remove them. However, dispelling these doubts is impossible without understanding modern philosophy. Therefore, it is necessary that the members of this group be familiar with