Book reference: Q.15 (Question Bank, p.viii) — "Suggest the causes of intellectual decline of the Muslim Ummah in the present day and the measures to be taken to address them."

Historical Causes

• Closure of the "gate of Ijtihad" (perceived)
  • Over-reliance on Taqlid (imitation of past rulings) discouraged fresh scholarly reasoning in later centuries.
• Decline of scientific institutions
  • Gradual decay of centres like Bait al-Hikmah after the Mongol invasions (sack of Baghdad, 1258 CE) and later political fragmentation.
• Colonialism
  • Disruption of indigenous educational and legal institutions; imposed dependency.
• Political instability and authoritarianism
  • Discouraged free inquiry and critical thought.
• Sectarian and doctrinal rigidity
  • Excessive focus on internal disputes over constructive scholarship.

Modern/Contemporary Causes

• Underinvestment in scientific research and modern education.
• Brain drain — talented Muslim scholars/scientists migrating to the West.
• Weak integration of religious and modern/scientific education — producing parallel, disconnected systems (Madrasah vs modern school) rather than an integrated model.
• Economic underdevelopment limiting resources for research and innovation.

Qur'anic Evidence

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اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ

اردو: پڑھو اپنے رب کے نام سے جس نے پیدا کیا۔

English: "Read/Recite in the name of your Lord who created."

— Surah Al-'Alaq 96:1

قُل هَل يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

اردو: کہو کیا علم رکھنے والے اور نہ جاننے والے برابر ہو سکتے ہیں؟

English: "Say: Are those who know equal to those who do not know?"

— Surah Az-Zumar 39:9

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Hadith Evidence

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طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيضَةٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ

اردو: علم حاصل کرنا ہر مسلمان پر فرض ہے۔

English: "Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim."

— Sunan Ibn Majah 224

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Measures for Revival

• Revival of institutional/collective Ijtihad (Ijtihad Jama'i) through qualified fiqh academies.
• Integration of religious and modern education into one coherent curriculum.
• Investment in scientific research and R&D infrastructure.