At ISTAC-IIUM’s Iconic Books in Modern Islamic Thought Series, Prof. Dr. Khairudin Aljunied revisited Muhammad Asad’s Islam at the Crossroads (1934), reminding us that to understand a text, we must also understand the intellectual and spiritual journey of its author.
Key reflections from Prof. Khairudin:
🔸Beyond binaries: While the young Asad drew a sharp distinction between Islam and the West, his later thought revealed a more nuanced engagement—one that calls for critique grounded in discernment rather than reaction.
🔸Beyond nostalgia: Islam is not a refuge in an idealised past, but a living ethos capable of confronting the dilemmas of the present.
🔸The active intellect: The Qur’anic worldview demands an engaged mind—open to external knowledge and method, yet rooted in a spiritual and moral centre.
The session affirmed that great books are not merely read; they are revisited, questioned, and placed in conversation with the challenges of our own time.
📺 Missed the session? Watch the full recording now on ISTAC TV: CLICK HERE
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