مالک بن نبی کی فکر کا جائزہ، خلاصہ و سفارشات

Review, Summary, and Recommendations on Malik Bennabi's Thought

Abstract

Malik Bennabi's intellectual framework revolves around two central concepts: civilization and culture. He views these not only as social phenomena but also as essential foundations for addressing the challenges of Muslim societies, particularly backwardness, stagnation, and development. According to Bennabi, culture is a dynamic composition of moral values, aesthetic taste, practical logic, and industry, shaping both individual and societal behavior. Civilization, in his view, emerges from the interplay of three essential elements: man, soil, and time. He emphasizes that the root cause of the decline in Muslim societies is not economic or political alone, but fundamentally civilizational—a disconnection from authentic values, misuse of resources, and lack of coherent vision. For Bennabi, true renaissance (al-nahda) must begin with the reform of thought, restoration of moral order, and guidance of action and capital. He critiques the Muslim world's failure to adopt an effective model for revival, attributing it to psychological defeat, lack of purpose, and dependence on foreign paradigms. His thought suggests that meaningful transformation requires a return to religious and ideological foundations, integration of knowledge and action, and the construction of a new societal framework rooted in Islamic values. Thus, he sees the “civilizational problem” as the core illness, with revival through ethical and cultural regeneration as the necessary remedy.