Reform through Books
Reform through Books
This chapter focuses on two reformers, the Egyptian Muḥammad ʿAbduh (1849–1905) and the Syrian Ṭāhir al-Jazāʾirī (1852–1920). As a reformer, ʿAbduh in particular as received a significant amount of scholarly attention. However, his contributions to the development of Islamic book culture in the service of language reform—the second of his self-identified life goals alongside religious reform—remain little known, as do those made by al-Jazāʾirī. Confronted with a growing body of printed literature, including books translated from European languages as well as an increasingly diverse range of Arabic works, some scholars recognized the powerful potential of print to serve their objective of broad, indigenously rooted sociocultural change. Driven by lofty goals such as the renewal of the Arabic language, elevation of public discourse, and cultivation of ethical sentiments in society, these religious reformers excavated the classical tradition for forgotten books that could be harnessed as exemplars and disseminated across society thanks to print.
Keywords: Muḥammad ʿAbduh, Ṭāhir al-Jazāʾirī, religious reformers, language reform, religious reform, sociocultural change, Islamic book culture
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