Language, Power, and Revivalism in Islamic Literature: A CDA of Dr. Israr Ahmad’s The Rise and Decline of the Muslim Ummah

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate how social reality, ideology and power relations are constructed in translated work of Dr Israr Ahmad’s Rise and Decline of Muslim Ummah through Fairclough’s (2013) model of critical discourse analysis. The CDA framework proceeds toward a qualitative and interpretive research design adopting the three dimensions: textual analysis (social events), discursive practices (social practices) and socio-historical context (social structures). The findings showed interdiscursivity (political, religious and historical) was strategically mobilized within the text along with the evaluative lexis, mapping the metaphors to naturalize the reading of history and authorise a legitimate program of Islamic revivalism.