The Philosophy of Unity in the Writings of Fazlur Rahman Ansari - Abdul Kader Chaughley

In the Philosophy of Unity in the Writings of Fazlur Rahman Ansari, the first part of Tawasul’s Muhammad Fazlur Rahman Ansari Series, Abdul Kader Choughley, a foremost scholar of South Asian Muslim intellectual heritage, examines the concept of Tawhid in Ansari’s oeuvres. Tawhid, the inimitable oneness and uniqueness of God, though beyond any likeness to anything conceivable or inconceivable, in the Quranic parlance, according to Ansari, must be reflected in the unity of God’s creation. Tawhid, Ansari argues, is interlinked to the development of the integrated worldview about humanity’s success in this world. Moreover, it expands the horizon of 'Ibadah (worship) by investing values that have far-reaching implications for a balanced outlook on life. It is this vision that cuts across the barriers of bigotry, irrationality and superstition. In its essence, the thematic significance of Tawhid is framed from the lens of Divine guidance (Wahy). Fazlur Rahman Ansari (1914-1974), one the brilliant South Asian Muslim scholars of the last century, contributed enormously to the revival Islamic thought through his many insightful books and lectures. Apart from the Tawhid, some of the recurring themes of Ansari’s works are the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) life and the meaning of his Sunnah, the true significance of Shari'ah, the meaning of Tasawwuf, the remembrance of God (Dhikr), the role of women in Islam, Islam relations with the West, Christianity, secularism and other modern ideologies.

 Abdul Kader Choughley has contributed enormously to the revival of South Asian Muslim scholarship, during the past decade or so, with several valuable studies on Islam in South Asia, focusing on Islamic revivalism. And he deserves accolades for his insightful work, Fazlur Rahman Ansari Aligarh Years: 1933-1947 (Tawasul International Publishing, Rome, 2024), that focuses on Ansari’s formative years, especially his intellectual development as a student of philosophy at the Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India. One of Ansari’s works, Islam: An Introduction (2019), edited by Choughley, has been recently translated into Portuguese. An upcoming work, The Qur’ānic Revelation, is an overview of Dr Ansari’s comprehensive study in the genre of Quranic studies. Some of the other important works of Choughley, related to the legacy Fazlur Rahman Ansari are Fazlur Rahman Ansari Aligarh Years: 1933-1947, Dr Ansari Series: Moral and Spiritual Transformation in Islam (Selected Writings and Lectures, Vol. 1), Moral and Spiritual Transformation in Islam (Muhammad Fazlur Rahman Ansari’s Lectures in South Africa: Reflections, Vol. 2), published by Tawasul International, Rome, 2024.