International Shia News Agency

Method of Ideological Confrontation

Throughout the duration of ideolgical confronta-tion between Islam and its rival, the contest had its ups and downs; ultimately Islamic thought had the upper hand. The vitality of Islam and the greatness of its principles were the source of strength that brings about victory, time-testedness and superiority. Unfortunately, the method of conveying Islamic thought is often mis-applied or impaired and its thoughts, concepts and rules meddled with or misunderstood or presented in a primitive and unrefined way.

The method, programme and language of discourse inevitably has its effect on the success of Islamic thought and its civilizational enterprises in its role as leader of humanity.

Perhaps the most prominent methods through which authors, orators and men of letters present the Islamic thought are three:

1- The method of defence and refuting arguments. This a method which portrays the condition of psych-ological crises that the Islamic condition suffers from. It can be justly said that the stage of scientific and technological advancement of Europe, America and Japan which started at the beginning of the twentieth century, was the factor that instilled an inferiority complex into the minds of the Muslims of that period. This generation of Muslims grew up in the guidance of materialistic thought which fed the Islamic world via the universities, perverted political parties and the intrusion of foreign cultures. This phenomenon prompted the Islamic authors and thinkers to resort to the method of defence and refuting arguments.

This method, no doubt, was fruitful. It enlightened the contemporary generation, but all the same, it was not able to present Islamic ideology, theories, values and principles in an encompassing manner.

2- The method of attacking and criticizing the perverted and deviated ideologies. This method portrays self-confidence and a shift to challenge, casting away foreign thoughts and revealing the defects and scientific and methodological discrepancies found in them.

3- The third method which necessity dictates in expousing Islamic knowledge is the level of propound-ing Islamic theories covering numerous fields such as politics, social, economic, educational, psychological, behavioural, historical and the methodology of science, arts, literary, law…etc. The Islamic cultural and ideological project must cover all the fields of culture, education and the need for organizing the society and the state and play its role in leading the life and civilization of mankind. It must, therefore, be a pioneering thought and a complete scheme as expected.

Adapted from: “The Methods Of Propagation and Missionary Work” by: “Sayyid Bahashti”

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