Colonialism, Society and Reforms in Malaya: A Comparative Evaluation of Shaykh Tahir Jalaluddin and Syed Shaykh Ahmad Al-Hady

Abstract

Early twentieth-century Malaya witnessed the emergence of Islamic
reformist movement. Inspired by ‘Abduh, Malay reformists, epitomized by
Tahir Jalaluddin and Ahmad al-Hady, discontented with the socio-economic and
political conditions of the Malays, criticised the Malay ruling elites and called
for reform of their society. While the former worked within the framework of
formal Islamic scholarship as an ‘ālim, the latter primarily operated as a public
intellectual who spoke to a broad audience, at least in the urban centres of
the Straits Settlements. This study compares their careers and ideas regarding
colonialism and their remedies to address the socio-economic conditions of
Malay society and the intellectual crisis of the Muslims.