Mujaddid

Not to be confused with Mujahid.

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A mujaddid (Arabic: مجدد) is an Islamic term for one who brings "renewal" (تجديد, tajdid) to the religion.[1][2] According to the popular Muslim tradition, it refers to a person who appears at the turn of every century of the Islamic calendar to revitalize Islam, cleansing it of extraneous elements and restoring it to its pristine purity. In contemporary times, a mujaddid is looked upon as the greatest Muslim of a century.[3]

The concept is based on a hadith (a saying of Islamic prophet Muhammad),[4] recorded by Abu Dawood, narrated by Abu Hurairah who mentioned that Muhammad said:

Allah will raise for this community at the end of every 100 years the one who will renovate its religion for it.

— Sunan Abu Dawood, Book 37: Kitab al-Malahim [Battles], Hadith Number 4278[5]

Ikhtilaf (disagreements) exist among different hadith viewers. Scholars such as Al-Dhahabi and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani have interpreted that the term mujaddid can also be understood as plural, thus referring to a group of people.[6][7]

Mujaddids can include prominent scholars, pious rulers and military commanders.[2]

  1. ^ Faruqi, Burhan Ahmad (16 August 2010). The Mujaddid's Conception of Tawhid. Lulu.com. p. 7. ISBN 9781446164020. Retrieved 31 December 2014.
  2. ^ a b Meri, Josef W., ed. (2006). Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia. Psychology Press. p. 678. ISBN 9780415966900.
  3. ^ "Mujaddid – Oxford Islamic Studies Online". www.oxfordislamicstudies.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2018. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  4. ^ Neal Robinson (2013), Islam: A Concise Introduction, Routledge, ISBN 978-0878402243, Chapter 7, pp. 85–89
  5. ^ Sunan Abu Dawood, 37:4278
  6. ^ Fath al-Baari (13/295)
  7. ^ Taareekh al-Islam (23/180)