Muslim Modernism

A CASE FOR NAYA PAKISTAN

Imagine a bold 19th-century idea: Muslim Modernism. Not just dusty theology, but a vibrant movement marrying faith with reason, progress, and cultural confidence. This was the spark that lit Pakistan’s fire. Nadeem Farooq Paracha - part historian, part cultural detective - tracks how this visionary philosophy became the bedrock of a nation’s identity. At first, it worked. Pakistan wasn’t just a country; it was a promise - a modern Muslim homeland where tradition and innovation could tango.

But then, the 1970s hit. Cue the unravelling. Paracha unpacks how Pakistan’s leaders, spooked by populism and power games, ditched Modernism’s open-minded playbook. In its place rose a shrill, narrow nationalism - think ideological tunnel vision. The fallout? A society cracking at the seams: extremism, sectarian bloodshed, and an identity crisis so deep, Pakistanis started asking, “What even are we?”

Here’s the kicker: Paracha doesn’t just mourn the past. He digs into the ashes, asking, “Can Muslim Modernism rise again?” For a country now staggering under the weight of its own constitutional contradictions and ideological landmines, this isn’t just history - it’s a survival guide. With wit and grit, he argues that reviving those old Modernist roots isn’t nostalgia; it’s the only way out of the mess.

Why you’ll care:

• It’s not another “Pakistan in crisis” hot take. This is the origin story of that crisis - and a roadmap to fix it.
• Reads like a thriller, but with fewer spies and more Sufi poets, lost manifestos, and political plot twists.

Bottom line: Pakistan’s future might just depend on a 200-year-old idea. Paracha’s here to tell you why.

PAGES: 162
AUTHOR: Nadeem Farooq Paracha
FORMAT: Hardback