The Early History of Islam and Arabism in Egyptian Nationalist Trend (1918-1970)

In the 20th Century, Nationalism entered the Muslim world as a modern phenomenon. The tendency towards nationalism, which was one of the factors weakening the Ottoman Empire, intensified after the fragmentation of the empire, especially in the form of Arab nationalism. The Arabs also turned to the element of history and Arabic language to highlight this issue. Given the early history of Islam, which can be considered the most critical point in Islam's history, they provided the basis for a greater Arab tendency towards pan-Arabism or Arab nationalism. Islamic nationalism was another aspect of Arab nationalism that was created in opposition to colonialism. The modern concept which had entered the Islamic world from the West had to adapt to the new context. Hence, the Egyptian thinkers tried to provide a basis for thinking about nationalism by examining Islam's heritage and the early history of Islam. This study seeks to show significant Egyptian thinkers' attitudes toward the early history of Islam by historical study.