Jamaluddin al-Afghani
As-salaam 'alaikum. I really enjoy reading about this guy, so I thought I might share some info.
In 1884, al-Afghani began publishing an Arabic newspaper in Paris entitled al-Urwah al-Wuthqa. The newspaper called for a return to the original principles and ideals of Islam, and for greater unity among Islamic peoples. This, al-Afghani argued, would allow the Islamic community to regain its former strength against European powers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamal_al-Din_al-Afghani
This next article might have some bad grammar, but its content is great. Please do read it:
The Pieces of Thought of Jamaluddin Al-Afghani
By: Mohd Firdaus Bin Md Hamsin
Jamaluddin Al-Afghani is one of the prominent Muslim scholars in the late 19th century. During his time, Muslim world suffered to various malaises, which expands to the various aspects or field. It includes declination of intellectual development among the Muslim clergy.
There is no effort especially among the Muslim clergy during that time, to expanse or to develop the Muslim intellectual heritages. The Muslim should not question any content that has been provided or inherits from the previous Muslim scholars.
It reach the extant that some Muslim clergy during that time, declared the door for Ijtihad has been closed. This enhances Taqlid trend (blind imitations) among the Muslim.
Therefore Muslim was unable to provide the sufficient respond towards the expansion of western influences to the Muslim nations during that time. This has frustrated certain section of Muslim, whom has decided to embraces the western paradigm in order to seeks the solution for the malaise of Muslim during that time. Conflict occurred, when this paradigm collided against each other.
The solution for this question has been provide by Jamaluddin. He does not reject the needs to embraces the knowledge from the west, which he argued is vital to revive the glory of Islam. However he emphasizes the needs for Muslim to examine the essences of the knowledge so that it does not contradict with the teaching of Islam. :thumbup1:
Jamaluddin also urges the Muslim scholars to continuously exercising Ijtihad in order to accommodate the rapid changes that occurred, with the exception on certain fundamental rule or law that has been stressed clearly in Qur’an such as the basic principle of Tawhid and the obligation of performing prayer, fasting, zakat, etc.
He also urges for the Muslim clergy to encourages critical thinking and freedom of expression among the student, in order to make them competent for the challenges that they has to faces around them.
Although there some opposition on critics against his idea, but Jamaluddin Al-Afghani ideas has inspired numerous Muslim scholars especially in education sector.
http://aliman.wordpress.com/2007/03/...in-al-afghani/
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Very interesting... 
Originally Posted by Aab o Aatash
