Ahmet-Zaki Validi. Ibn H̱aldūn’s Views on the Future of the Muslim States

Introductory article, translation from Ottoman Turkish and commentaries by Ilshat R. Nasyrov

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide readers with an understanding of the content of the article of the distinguished Turkish-Bashkir historian, Islamic scholar, Turkologist and leader of the Bashkir national movement, Ahmet-Zaki Validi (Togan), namely the article “Ibn H̱aldūn's views on the Future of the Muslim States”, published in the 7^th issue of the Istanbul journal “Bilgi Mecmuasi” (“Knowledge”) in 1914. The article summarises the fundamental concepts of Ahmet-Zaki Validi (Togan) concerning the perspectives of Arab historian Ibn H̱aldūn, widely regarded as the progenitor of the philosophy of history, on the nature of the state in general and the nature of the Muslim state in particular. The interpretation of Ibn H̱aldūn's teaching proposed by Ahmet-Zaki Validi (Togan) is considered in this study. The article presents a series of arguments put forward by Ahmet-Zaki Validi (Togan) to support his thesis that theocracy has exerted a detrimental influence on the historical development of the Turkish people. It is his contention that the Turks and the Mongols were responsible for the separation of the state from religion. He considered that Chingis Khan's Yasa (a set of specific principles and rules) opened a new era in the Islamic East. The primary focus of Ahmet-Zaki Validi (Togan) is on the question of whether Muslim peoples have the capacity to adopt Western values, including the state system of European nations and secular laws. It is his conviction that the Muslim states and Western countries are capable of developing and progressing in a similar manner. It is the contention of the present study that the endeavours of Muslim reformists to modernise Islam, in such a manner that it is compatible with contemporary legal frameworks, are doomed to failure. The present paper considers the influence of Ahmet-Zaki Validi (Togan)'s ideas on the social-political thought of the late Ottoman Empire. It has been demonstrated that the aforementioned reflections exerted a favourable influence on Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey and its inaugural president. The translation of Ahmet-Zaki Validi (Togan)'s article is accompanied by commentary and is preceded by an introductory text.