ISLAMIC CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE B/W CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION?

HOW MANY CIVILIZATIONS EXIST TODAY?
WHAT ARE THE PECULIARITIES OF DIFFERENT CIVILIZATIONS?

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ALLAMA MUHAMAD IQBAL

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ALLAMA MUHAMAD IQBAL

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WHAT IS CULTURE?

• Culture is an umbrella term that encompasses the social behavior and norms
found in human societies.
• As well as the Knowledge, beliefs, arts, custom, capabilities and habits of the
individuals in these group.
• The ideas, customs, and social behavior of a particular people or society.
• A culture is a way of life of a group of people--the behaviors, beliefs, values,
and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and that
are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the
next.
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WHAT IS CIVILIZATION?
• The stage of human social and cultural development and
organization that is considered most advanced.
• The word “civilization” relates to the Latin word “CIVITAS”
or “city.” This is why the most basic definition of the word
“civilization” is “a society made up of cities.”

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HOW THEY ARE DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER?
A civilization is a complex human society that may have certain
characteristics of cultural and technological development.
• In anthropology, culture is a form of expression about the deep passion of a society. While the
manifestations of the mechanical progress of technology are thus more related to the conception
of civilization.
• If culture is more reflected in art, literature, religion and morals, civilization is reflected in politics,
economics and technology.
Culture has different forms, such as:
• Ideal being, which is a form of culture as an individual complex, ideas, values, norms, rules and so
on.
• the manifestation of behavior, namely the manifestation of culture as a patterned behavior activity
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HOW THEY ARE DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER?

A civilization is a complex human society that may have

certain characteristics of cultural and technological
development.

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CIVILIZATIONS OF THE WORLD…
Write down the name of some different civilizations that you can
recall…
1. western
2. Indian
3. Muslim
4. Confucious

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SALIENT FEATURES OF ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

1. It is based on the Islamic faith. It is monotheistic, based on the belief in the

oneness of the Almighty Allah, the Creator of this universe. It is characterised by
submission to the will God and service to humankind. It is a socio-moral and
metaphysical view of the world, which has indeed contributed immensely to the
rise and richness of this civilisation.

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SALIENT FEATURES OF ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

It is a civilisation with a universal dimension. It is not associated with a particular

geographic region, race or historical era. It is predicated on the idea that man
has precedence over the rest of the creatures of Allah. All human activities
should lead to the happiness and welfare of man. Any action intended to serve
this goal is a God-blessed action indeed.

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SALIENT FEATURES OF ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

It is an open civilisation and is not shy of deriving and drawing niceties of other
civilisations in the past, provided they do not run counter to the spirit of Islam.1
Islam is the most pluralist religion; it coexists with other religions, allowing full
religious autonomy.

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SALIENT FEATURES OF ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

It is a well-balanced civilisation. It insists on equilibrium between the material

and the spiritual dimensions of life. In fact, this moderation is the essence of
Islamic thought and civilisation. It permits of no excess, no neglect, no extremism
and no recklessness—that moderation is based on a “golden mean”.

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SALIENT FEATURES OF ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

It is a perennial civilisation and will not last as long as Islam exists. So long as, it
embodies the very principles of Islam, the Almighty Allah will preserve. This
unique civilisation will never wither away: since, it is not a national or a racial
civilisation, nor does it run counter to human nature. In any case, Islam should not
be identified with Muslims. Muslims may become weak or strong but Islam would
remain an everlasting guidance to humankind.

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