THE EUROPEAN ENLIGHTENMENT THINKERS AND MODERNIST MUSLIM THINKERS INTERPRETING RELIGION

Neira Omerovic

ABSTRACT

In the following text I propose to conduct a trans-civilizational comparison that will be asymmetric in time as it compares 18th century Europe with 19th and 20th century North Africa. Nonetheless, it will be symmetric in scope as it compares similar traits of socio – political and religious life in two different historical contexts. Both of them are at the verge of modernity and aim at defining the role of religion in the altered socio-political and economic circumstances. One of the main aims of this comparative research is to explore the ideas that Voltaire, Rousseau and Kant and Al Afghani and ‘Abduh articulated about religion amid the challenges of modernity. In both cases a new interpretation of religion was sought in order to fit the expectations of time. However, these Enlightenment thinkers and Muhammadan modernists are analyzed together to point out significant differences.