Lenin in Allah’s court: Iqbal’s critique of Western capitalism and the opening up of the postcolonial imagination in critical management studies

Abstract

One manifestation of the Eurocentrism present in postcolonial critical management studies is its failure to engage with Muslim critiques of Western capitalism on their own terms. In this article we seek to address this deficiency by introducing the thought of Muhammad Iqbal (d. 1938)-one of the most influential thinkers in the postcolonial Muslim world. We do a close reading of three of Iqbal's poems that are considered among his most representative and poignant critical reflections on Western capitalism and its imperialistic presence in the Global South. This close reading generates the major contribution of this article which is an alternative critical narrative on Western capitalism that is characterized by theocentrism and embodied love. We argue that this is a distinct way of critiquing Western capitalism which allows us to better recognize the provincial (i.e. Western) character of postcolonial critical management studies.

Muslim feminists and entrepreneurship at times and in contexts of crises

“…First, we contribute to research on the influence of religion (Dana, 2009(Dana, , 2010Smith et al, 2019), namely Islam (Gümüsay, 2015;Jaim, 2021;Khan & Koshul, 2011;Safdar & Yasmin, 2020), on entrepreneurship as a result of our focus on the Muslim women entrepreneurs' approach to Islam as a means of coping with crises situations and contexts. In particular, we demonstrate how an egalitarian religious lens, namely Muslim feminism, grants women the means to rediscover Islam and achieve religious maturity through the deconstruction of their internalized religious beliefs and the construction of an individualized version of Islam that is more compatible with their own backgrounds, needs, and contemporary approach to life.…”

“…Although it is acknowledged that religion “shape(s) entrepreneurship” (Dana, 2009, p. 87) and is intertwined into entrepreneurial activities (Gümüsay, 2015), it continues to be overlooked (Khan & Koshul, 2011) and neglected in entrepreneurship research (Jaim, 2021; Tlaiss & McAdam, 2021a, 2021b), especially in crises‐laden national contexts (Althalathini et al., 2022; Kamla, 2019). Entrepreneurship research related to crises is scarce, fragmented, and primarily focused on a narrow range of topics such as crisis management (Doern et al., 2019), entrepreneurship at times of war and conflict (Bullough et al., 2014; Kwong et al., 2019; Sabella & El‐Far, 2019), and more recently the COVID‐19 pandemic (Jaim, 2021; Safdar & Yasmin, 2020).…”

“…Entrepreneurship research related to crises is scarce, fragmented, and primarily focused on a narrow range of topics such as crisis management (Doern et al., 2019), entrepreneurship at times of war and conflict (Bullough et al., 2014; Kwong et al., 2019; Sabella & El‐Far, 2019), and more recently the COVID‐19 pandemic (Jaim, 2021; Safdar & Yasmin, 2020). While this neglect may be due to the perception of religion as a “repressive disciplinary force” (Khan & Koshul, 2011, p. 320) that is “too far removed from the commercial organization” (Tracey, 2012, p. 87), it, nevertheless, illustrates how research has overlooked one of the most pervasive driving forces of entrepreneurship (Gümüsay, 2015; Jaim, 2021) and an important driver of individual entrepreneurial action in modern life (Smith et al., 2019, p. 2).…”

“…First, we contribute to research on the influence of religion on entrepreneurship (Althalathini et al., 2022; Dana, 2009, 2010; Safdar & Yasmin, 2020; Smith et al., 2019) as a result of our focus on how Muslim women experience Islam and Islamic teachings as a means of coping with crises situations and contexts. As we reveal how a Muslim feminist's lens helps Muslim women entrepreneurs rediscover Islam, renew their faith, and utilize Islamic teachings and practices as coping strategies, we provide an alternative approach to Islam, away from the widespread perception of it as a repressive force for women (Khan & Koshul, 2011). Second, by introducing Muslim feminist discourses related to Lebanese women entrepreneurs' coping strategies, we advance feminist studies and respond to calls for more innovative feminist perspectives (Branicki, 2020; Meliou, 2020; Özkazanç‐Pan, 2015).…”

Organization and the arts: Critical conversations on expanding meanings and understandings of who matters

“…This exemplar also showcases the power of poetry as a means of critique and philosophy, wherein this poet-philosopher from the Global South uniquely draws attention to the domination by “banks,” what we would today call the system of financialized capitalism, and characterizes oppressive economic systems as “a game of dice” that lead to “death for many”—themes dear to critical scholarship but argued from a unique vantage point:In terms of architectural grandeur, prestige, and attendance, the banks leave the churches far, far behind. What appears as economic activity is actually a game of dice.The interest charged by one is sudden death for many.Iqbal (2001: 533–534) as translated by and in Khan and Koshul (2011: 308).…”