Writings
While in prison he wrote a series of letters to his son setting out the teaching and practice of Islam and its relevance to the problems and experience of the modern world. Following his release from prison, he compiled those letters into a book Letters on Islam.
The book's topics are: man's need for religious faith; the Qur'an as guidance; the significant of fasting; science and faith; the nature of religious experience; the meaning of Islam; science, philosophy and religion; the Islamic creed; Islamic rituals; the social system of Islam (legislation, the family, characteristics, economic principles, social, and government); and morality in Islam.
In the book al-Jamali detailed his beliefs: "My faith calls for scientific research, especially in the field of natural science and social studies and the acceptance of the concept of evolution. (...) I believe in the freedom of thought, and my faith in it is deep, provided it is associated with intellectual honesty." Because of his nationalist beliefs and dislike of too-strong British and French influence in the Middle East, al-Jamali believed that: "The duty of jihad in Islam and the readiness of the faithful Moslem to sacrifice his life and valuables for the sake of defending his country is a guarantee of the safety of Moslem lands, including Arab lands, against any external aggression.". On the topic of Israel, he wrote: "There is no doubt that the existence of Israel is the greatest defiance to all the Moslems" and urged its demise as a state. Because of its materialism and atheism, Dr. Jamali opined: "Communism is the greatest internal and external antagonist of the Islamic religion."
Read more about this topic: Muhammad Fadhel Al-Jamali
Famous quotes containing the word writings:
“Even in my own writings I cannot always recover the meaning of my former ideas; I know not what I meant to say, and often get into a regular heat, correcting and putting a new sense into it, having lost the first and better one. I do nothing but come and go. My judgement does not always forge straight ahead; it strays and wanders.”
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)
“An able reader often discovers in other people’s writings perfections beyond those that the author put in or perceived, and lends them richer meanings and aspects.”
—Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)
“A people’s literature is the great textbook for real knowledge of them. The writings of the day show the quality of the people as no historical reconstruction can.”
—Edith Hamilton (1867–1963)