Modern Islamic Views of Martin Luther and Protestantism

Abstract

This paper looks at how prominent Muslim reformers of the 19th and 20th century treated Martin Luther and the Reformation in their books, articles, pamphlets and essays. In most cases, they wrote on them positively and as a model for reforms they thought the Muslim world needed. The author cites their views and opinions to demonstrate that Martin Luther’s image in reformist circles in the traditional lands of Islam was as of a European reformer who drew upon Islamic sources. The paper also discusses the psychological reasons that contributed to the glorification of Luther ʼs personality in books and articles by reformist Islamic and Muslim intellectuals of the 19th and 20th centuries.