Can Saudi avoid failed Modernisation

In late 2017, Mohammed bin Salman, new crown prince of Saudi Arabia uttered Modernisation of his country. Renouncing several rules in Saudi Arabia, MbS started new era of civilization of Saudis for their 2030 vision. It has been known worldwide that women were prohibited to drive a car in Saudi, but in late quarter of 2017 Mbs repealed this rule. He terminated and detained some clerics who potentially against his policies. this action took in relieving puritanism from government, for smoothing out the modernisation of Saudi Arabia. Nonetheless, will Saudi Arabia succeed in reforming their civilization and become Modern Kingdom without losing Islamic Value? Furthermore, Islam never forbid the adherent to get modern. Even It advocates Muslim to be more modern as long as they don’t ignore the Islamic fundamental value.

At First, Saudi Arabia wasn’t the first Islamic Kingdom who modernise their country. Many Kingdoms, Khanates, Sultanates, Dynasties advanced their level of civilization while they ruling. History noted that Sultanate of Ottoman, Abbasid Empire, Umayyad Caliphate in Andalusia set to advance their epoch by modernise their system of government or invent many new tools which gives benefits to the citizen. They develop themselves without getting of rid the Islamic Value that the have to belong it, as they are the represents of Muslims government.

From these three kingdom we are talking about, two of them succeed the modernisation, they are Umayyad Caliphate and Abbasid Empire. Both of these two empires influence the world by their invention in life-tools, political system, ideologies, and science concepts, surprisingly without losing the identity of Islamic Kingdom. In Fact, They can retain their reign for centuries due modernisation, even European learnt many things from Umayyad Empire. Both of these empires fell because external intervention as major factor, not because their modernisation. In other word, the modernisation is successful. It became success due one important thing, that was the Government power. Government should play big role in this program by having great human resource and never be under control from other power.

Things change when we are talking about ottoman empire. The Last and the greatest Islamic Kingdom lost the reign due the miss-modernisation. Although they seize the Constantinople from byzantine, spread the territory, and fight their foes with the further weapon, they are failed in reforming new system of government. Tanzimat or renewal of constitution which held in 19th century is the start of the ending of Ottoman Empire. Nevertheless, External power has big wheel in this circumstance, Modernisation which Sultanate took is failed. As the result, Ottoman lost Islamic value near the dissolution of it. We have known that opposition of Sultan persons have big role in tanzimat. Therefore, the Sultan got renounce by the oppositions and they renounce the Islamic value.

In conclusion, Modernisation in Islam World should run in the perfect government condition. There is no external power who can intervene the process. And must be supported by educated citizens and scholars. Islamic Value without Extremism and Puritanism should be earthed in Muslim or the Modernisation would be fail or Islamic value will loose from New Muslim Society. The modernisation in Islam also need to be on the safe area, means that it can not crash the fundamental value of Islam likes Aqeedah, Al-Quran, and Sunnah. Well, If Saudi or either Islamic Countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkey, Qatar or else achieve these circumstances, the modernisation will be accomplished.