Revolution for Emancipation or Reformism within the Existing Order: A Comparative Study of the Causes of Muslim's Underdevelopment and the Way out of it in the Views of Gülen and Shariati

Most Muslim thinkers believe that, after a golden period of culture and civilization, Islamic societies are now in decline, which has become more obvious in recent centuries due to the contact with the West. Having become conscious of their underdevelopment, Muslims reacted to this problem in various ways. In this article, the causes of such underdevelopment and the way out of it are examined, on the basis of views of two contemporary Muslim thinkers: Ali Shairati and Fethullah Gülen. The findings of the research indicate that both thinkers have been concerned with the issue of the decline in Islamic societies. Nevertheless, they did not view the issue from a sociological or economic perspective, but considered it as modern religious thinkers. Both point to political and socio-cultural causes of the decline, but regards Muslims’ distance from the true Islam as the main cause, considering the need for a new account of Islam as the way out the crisis. Shariati speaks of Islam as a revolutionary ideology encompassing a comprehensive plan for human life. Also, Gülen calls Muslims for active participation in social arena, while introduces his account of Islam within a civic framework