Islam and Nationalism in the Thought of Jamal Al-Din Al-Afghani

The dynamic of nationalism’s theoretical position has facilitated the unfolding complexities throughout history; and it still triggers an intellectual debate among the contemporary scholars. Carved out as a formidable socio-political force, nationalism today stands out as a substantial brand of resistance that defies all odds. This study has employed the qualitative method of analysis to build a framework to explore the ideas and thoughts of Jamal al-Din al-Afghani pertaining to the concepts of Islam and nationalism. Furthermore, this study argued that Afghani’s conception of Islam and nationalism was an effective tool in balancing the principles of modernity. In similar vein, Afghani’s core ideas and its underlying values suggested some different trajectories of fundamental synthesis of the nationalism and Islam. To elucidate further, Islam is viewed as a dominant force that perpetuated the development of Afghani’s comprehension on nationalism. This study culminates that Afghani’s concept of nationalism is the fundamental source of social unity that has consolidated the backbone of Islamic movement within the framework of Pan-Islamism by emphasizing the concept of unity and ummah. Keywords: Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, Nationalism, Pan-Islamism, Social-unity, Western thought