Political Thought toward Islamic Unity after the Fall of the Ottoman Caliphate in the First Half of the Twentieth Century

Abstract

This study examines the dynamic current of Islamic reformism in the Muslim world, its emergence as a response to modernity and colonial domination, and the role of its leading pioneers, including Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, Muhammad Abduh, and Rashid Rida. Islamic reformism, aiming to return to the authentic principles of Islam while adapting them to new historical conditions, emphasized rationality, ijtihad (independent reasoning), the struggle against superstition, and the realization of justice and Islamic unity. The article further explores the rise of Islamic nationalism as an ideology that integrates Islamic values with nationalist concepts. The historical and social contexts underlying this phenomenon—such as colonial expansion, the collapse of the Ottoman order, identity crises, the failure of secular nationalisms, and the Arab–Israeli conflict—are analyzed. The research addresses the factors contributing to the emergence of Islamic nationalism following the abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate in 1924, including collective feelings of humiliation, crises of identity, and the intellectual influence of Muslim thinkers. The complex and multidimensional relationship between nationalism and Islamism, encompassing both convergences and tensions as well as their historical interactions, is critically examined. The impact of the abolition of the Caliphate on the rise of Arab and Turkish nationalisms is clarified through illustrative examples. In addition, the article investigates various currents of Islamic nationalism across different countries and highlights the role of political leaders and intellectual figures associated with these movements. In the final section, the study defines Islamic movements and identifies their shared characteristics, the historical conditions that facilitated their emergence after the abolition of the Caliphate, and the principal factors shaping their development in the contemporary period. Among the most significant factors discussed are identity crises, the shortcomings of secular nationalist projects, colonial experiences, socio-economic challenges, the influence of Muslim intellectual traditions, and the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979.