Ibn khaldun's concept of 'Asabiyyah: a solution to contemporary problems in muslim societies

Abstract

Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) is one of the most distinguished names in Islamic scholarship. His contribution to human knowledge has gone far beyond the land of Islam and his universal acceptance as a world thinker and father of social sciences is incontrovertible. Literature on Ibn Khaldun's contribution to human understanding spans history, sociology, economics, political science, and group relations. Ibn Khaldun was not only able to examine human relations and development of civilization in historical stages but also to predict future relations brought by cyclical trends causing the rise and fall of civilization. Interestingly, Ibn Khaldun analytical framework of the developmental process of societal transformation applies to similar circumstances prevailing in our time, reflecting his depth of understanding of societal change and group relations. His ideas manifest more than just theoretical concepts rather; they provide a workable framework for promoting socio-economic development that addresses challenges facing developing countries including Muslim nations. Corruption, lack of knowledge, religious intolerance, political violence, social unrest, cultural fragmentation, migratory movements, foreign interventions and group relations are responsible for the failure of these countries to achieve a satisfactory level of economic development.