The Ability to Reassess

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 the key issues of modern philosophy” (Al-Jami’at Weekly, Delhi, February 2, 1970, p. 10). This speech by Syed Muhammad Rashid Rida exemplifies ijtihadi insight. By thoroughly analyzing the situation, he foresaw that the balance between the Muslim minority and the non-Muslim majority in undivided India, maintained by the presence of the British as a third power, would collapse once the British withdrew. The resulting political independence would bring new challenges for Muslims rather than solve their problems. Based on this forward-looking assessment, Syed Rashid Rida advised Muslim leaders in India to focus on dawah (conveying the teaching of Islam) rather than armed