REFLECTIONS ON ISLAMIC UNIVERSALISM AND GLOBALIZATION, IMPACT AND CHALLENGES

This work has reflected on Islamic universalism and globalization. Among other things, it has dealt on the origin of Islamic universalism based on the dictates of the Qur'an and its principles and the genesis of globalization. It has also interrogated and compared Islamic universalism and globalization and finally examined the impact and challenges of Islamic universalism and globalization. Islamic universalism is a form of humanist trend, capturing the universal human reason and reasoning, a step towards the interaction of civilizations, the cross fertilization of cultures, the interconnection of intellectual patterns, solidarity, complementarity, and the mutual acquaintance of nations, peoples and states. Globalization on the other hand is the word used to describe the growing interdependence of the world's economies, cultures, and populations, brought about by cross-border trade in goods and services, technology, and flows of investment, people, and information. This work used secondary sources from texts, academic journals, and the Qur'an to analyze and interpret this important discourse and to draw conclusions from the derived data. The author's finding shows that Islamic universalism and globalization are at opposing ends; the former is divine, while the latter is secular. The author submits that Islamic universality is unity in diversity, coexistence, mutual acquaintance, and competition within the framework of human unity and of all that is shared by all mankind. Western globalization on the other hand stands for hegemonic homogeneity conflict, division and a socalled 'creative' chaos that unfolds against a backdrop of Western hegemony seeking to cast the entire world in the Western mold only.