Dr. Yakoob Ahmed offers a nuanced perspective on the Muslim world’s relationship with the printing press, challenging the conventional narrative popularized by Bernard Lewis in the 1960s. Lewis suggested that Muslims fell behind in progress due to their resistance to the printed press. Dr. Ahmed critiques this claim, pointing out that the Ottomans did not outright ban the printing press when it arrived, particularly when Jews fleeing Spain brought printing technologies into Ottoman domains. While there is no evidence of a broad ban on printing, it is likely that restrictions were placed on printing certain religious texts—particularly the Quran—due to concerns about accuracy and the risk of sacrilege. This wasn’t a rejection of the press as a whole, but a cautious approach to its use, especially for religious texts.

Dr. Ahmed emphasizes that the Muslim world already had a robust tradition of oral transmission and handwritten texts. The practice of memorizing the Quran and passing down knowledge orally was central to Islamic scholarship (sacred knowledge passed down heart to heart). For the Ottomans, this balance between oral and written knowledge was crucial, and they were wary of how mass printing could disrupt it. The press in the West was used primarily to print Bibles and other religious works, which raised concerns for the ulama, the scholarly class, about the potential for misprints or sacrilege. Additionally, the Arabic script presented a significant technological challenge for printing, as it was far more complex than the Latin alphabet, making it costly and logistically difficult to implement.

In the early stages, the Ottomans and other Muslim societies didn’t immediately see the advantages of the printing press. For much of the 17th and 18th centuries, printed books didn’t provide a clear benefit to these societies, and many continued to favor handwritten manuscripts, especially when it came to religious and scholarly works. However, by the 19th century, the rise of newspapers, telegrams, and other forms of printed media began to show the advantages of the press, particularly in terms of mass communication and education. Dr. Ahmed notes that while the Muslim world was initially hesitant, once the Ottomans began embracing the printing press in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it played a significant role in the modernization of education and statecraft.

Dr. Ahmed also contrasts the Muslim world’s relationship with books and printed material to that of Europe. In Europe, books were often produced for personal reading, and the printing press was driven by market forces. In the Muslim world, however, books were primarily created for teaching, not for individual consumption. As a result, the need for mass printing of books wasn’t immediately apparent. The shift came later, particularly when Muslim scholars recognized the potential for printed books to aid in the spread of scientific and educational knowledge. By the 19th century, the growing demand for educational reform led to the production of printed textbooks and other materials that would help modernize the educational system.

This era also marked the rise of constitutionalism in the Ottoman Empire. Dr. Ahmed explains that although many ulama were initially skeptical of constitutionalism, by the 19th century, some, such as Mustafa Sabri, supported it. The emergence of constitutional documents, influenced by the printing press, was part of a broader trend of modernization and the establishment of clearer political structures. The press helped create a more transparent system of governance, particularly as new constitutions and legal documents were written and disseminated to the public. The press, thus, played a crucial role in the transformation of the state and its governance.

One of the most significant impacts of the printing press, according to Dr. Ahmed, was the rise of a new intelligentsia in the Muslim world. This new class of intellectuals, empowered by the ability to quickly access and disseminate information, began to challenge traditional authority structures, particularly the ulama. The press gave voice to previously marginalized ideologies, including movements like Wahhabism and Salafism, which gained visibility through printed material. The spread of newspapers and journals fostered new forms of intellectual discourse and created a public sphere where ideas could be debated and discussed.

Dr. Ahmed also discusses the challenges the ulama faced in adapting to the new press culture. While some ulama resisted the changing dynamics, others embraced it, recognizing the need to engage with the emerging press. In some cases, ulama began to publish their own journals to contribute to the intellectual conversation. This shift in the role of the ulama, from custodians of knowledge to participants in a broader public debate, marked a significant change in the intellectual landscape of the Muslim world.

In conclusion, Dr. Yakoob Ahmed argues that the introduction of the printing press in the Muslim world should not be viewed as a failure or missed opportunity. Rather, it was part of a complex process of adaptation and transformation, as Muslim societies balanced their rich oral traditions with the new demands of printed media. While the printing press posed challenges, particularly for religious scholarship, it also brought significant benefits, including the spread of knowledge, the rise of new intellectual movements, and the modernization of education and state governance. The 19th century saw the printing press become an essential tool for change, helping to shape the future of the Muslim world, even as it created tensions between the old and new intellectual currents.

Dr. Yakoob Ahmed

@YakoobAhmed0