Religious Change and the Self in Muslim South Asia Since 1800
Author(s)
Robinson, Francis
Abstract
The focus of piety among South Asian Muslims in the 19th and 20th centuries has shifted toward a “this-worldly” Islam, which is shown in Islamic reformism, aspects of Sufism, and the spread of a greater sense of personal responsibility. This change has been manifested in an affirmation of the individual human being as the active and creative agent on earth, the autonomy of the individual, and an emphasis on the self-consciousness of the reflective self. The responsibilities of “this-worldly” Islam and the tensions between the search for individual fulfillment and the obligations of community have fallen especially heavily on women and have led to its leaders going in very different directions in their attitude toward political action.
