Islamic Anatheism: Return To God After the &Lsquo;Death of God&Rsquo

This paper argues that the islamic belief in god is no longer tenable in modernity for moral reasons. crucially, this is not an argument for the non-existence of god or atheism. rather, modern rational morality (as per kantian rationalism) prevents modern muslims and non-muslims from belief in god. the paper examines how this modern ‘disbelief’ develops from an islamic moral perspective. modern developments in islamic thought and practices within islamic theology and jurisprudence lead to such disbelief. the paper will review the main developments in these modern neo-theological and jurisprudential reformulations and will present case studies that will highlight this conclusion of disbelief. this modern phenomenon (disbelief in god based upon moral reasons) represents nietzsche’s ‘death of god’ thesis. however, this ‘death of god’ experience also undermines the epistemological foundations of morality, which nietzsche and subsequent continental philosophers like heidegger also referred to as a crisis of nihilism in which morality can no longer be justified (resulting in an existential crisis). the overcoming of this crisis of nihilism lies in a return to religion (after the overcoming of religion). nietzsche had identified some of the main features of this project of overcoming of nihilism (revaluation of the highest values), but this project could not be articulated coherently because nietzsche highlighted that this demands a new way of thinking, which heidegger would attempt subsequently. this overcoming of nihilism based upon a ‘new thinking’ is reflected in the onto-theological philosophy of the thirteenth century muhyiddin ibn al-‘arabi. crucial dimensions of this religious/mystical (‘irfani) philosophy reflect the main features of nietzsche’s project of overcoming nihilism. the paper will highlight how ibn al-‘arabi’s philosophy of wujūd might facilitate the ontological overcoming of nihilism. specifically, this philosophy of ‘irfan reflects nietzsche’s main categories of this project of overcoming of nihilism: this-worldly affirmation (amor fati) and transvaluation of the highest values (umwertung). this thesis is supported by the scholarship of the late henry corbin who compared the philosophies of heidegger (whose philosophy was based upon that of nietzsche) and mullah sadra (whose philosophy was based upon that of ibn al-‘arabi). it is thus argued in this paper that this postmodern return to religion (god) after the death of god is an islamic perspective of anatheism. anatheism is richard kearny’s thesis of the experience of religion after the death of god (https://www.abc.net.au/religion/richard-kearney-anatheism-what-comes-after-god/11719700) and was the title of his 2009 book, anatheism: returning to god after god (https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/anatheism/britj_6jfyyc). it represents the culmination of the experience of religion in the modern and postmodern context. no articulation of an islamic experience of anatheism has been developed, and this paper presents an attempt of such an articulation. anatheism is the final ‘chapter’ of the experience of religion: from belief to disbelief, then back to belief. nevertheless, the nature of anatheistic belief is very different from the pre-death of god form of belief. anatheism the experience of religion that comes after theism (belief) and atheism (disbelief), and this paper details how anatheism can be experienced from an islamic perspective..