Islamic Civilization

In early Islam, developed various theories around the nature of the created civilization, some of which run counter to each other. Denying Islam’s potential for culture, Arabic civilization, eclectic civilization, Muslims’ civilization, and Islamic civilization are the most significant theories advanced about this issue. Yet, the main question is which theory of Islam’s civilization history is authentic enough to be validated. The current research has adopted a historical-analytical method and employed library resources and interviews to collect data. Analyzing and criticizing the theories described above showed that none of these theories deserves an all-out acceptance in the levels of substantiation or historical evolution. This research has finally submitted proofs on the validity of the "Islamic Civilization" theory in the story of demonstration (realization) and the new idea of "Islam’s Civilization" at the level of substantiation. This study attempts to shed light on historical reality and explain the theory consistent with it to prevent elites’ destructive predilection and strategic failures. Considering that the Islamic Republic of Iran has planned toward fulfilling new Islamic civilization, the current study recognized the necessity for exploiting this subject. The innovation of this writing resides in proposing and confirming the theory of "Islam’s Civilization" through substantiation based on historical data and evaluation of existing ideas in terms of weaknesses and strengths.

Islam is regarded to pay attention to the characteristics of urban life which can be practiced on the urban settings. Not surprisingly, Islam has made a great focus on the form and design of cities and prescribed detailed and elaborate regulations for individual and communal life. Seen from other way round, the penetration of Islam into various regions such as Iran, Europe, and Africa had an undeniable impact on life style, urban design and social interactions. As an ancient civilization with a rich set of knowledge, culture, art and unification beliefs, Iran became the host of Islamic ideology, relying on the propagation of its achievements while keeping its principle and value criteria independent of time and place. Architecture has two dimensions; material and spiritual and its body consists of structure, construction and different materials while its spirit and meaning of architecture is derived from history, memory and long lasting national and native values of a homeland which ascribes a specific meaning to architecture and produces a mental image in the minds. In this paper, we are seeking for criterion to assess Islamic architecture and evaluate it. Architecture is of different dimensions, each has its own value criteria but determining the Islamic architecture and Islamic city of architecture let alone stating whether architecture in this period is Islamic or not demands a great effort while it is worth mentioning that Islam is not limited to a specific age and place and can meet the needs of human being in different period.

The formation of Islamic civilization based on its universal achievements is considered one of the most important turning points in the history of mankind. Throughout history, this civilization has experienced many ups and downs. The elements and factors shaping Islamic civilization have always tried to revive this civilization and universalize it throughout the time. With the collapse of the bipolar world order and the strengthening of regionalism in the international arena, Islamic countries are provided with a good opportunity to restore Islamic civilization and raising the concept of Islamic Ummah as an important pillar of power in the future world. The realization of this issue, however, requires the unification and integration of Islamic countries as main players of the revival of Islamic civilization.

The Islamic world, beside historical and ideological factors, impacting on the general process of the Islamic civilization and its stagnation, has been facing the more serious challenge of development of the Western civilization during the last two decades. Toward this challenge, Moslem thinkers actively tried to find a religious resolution to free the Islamic world from the dominance of the Western civilization and culture, and at the same time, to reconstruct religious thought. Certainly, this reconstruction opened the path to the borders of the resurgence of the Islamic civilization, and its most salient parade is seen in the Islamic Revolution of Iran as the most perfect example among the contemporary Islamic movements. In fact, it prevented Islam from being isolate in the world. In the present paper, it will be tried to study the process of reconstruction of religious though within two frameworks of “the relationship between politics and religion” and also “Messianism” in Iran, and its impact on the retrieval of the Islamic civilization.