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The one issue that intrigued me during my formative years was not so much the tendency to inherit one's religious beliefs, but the vigour with which one tended to defend one's own turf, while belittling the similarly inherited beliefs of others. It seemed to me that if there was but one standard answer as to the correctness of a specific belief system, all thinking minds should have gravitated towards this obvious solution. The religion of Islam, which stands for 'submission to the will of God' and for 'peace' is unfortunately in the spotlight for quite some time for all the wrong reasons. The volatile mix of religion, which is moralistic in character, and politics, which is opportunistic in nature, is precisely what has been afflicting Islam since the times of the early Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties. In the way that it is practised, Islam is by no means a monolithic faith, nor is it simplistically divided into the Sunni and Shia belief systems, as commonly perceived. Apart from politically inspired causes, differences primarily stem from interpretation, which spill over from the Quranic domain to the field of Prophetic traditions (Hadiths). The centrality of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) to the religion of Islam cannot be ignored, as the Quran not only extols him as a 'perfect exemplar' and as a 'mercy to all mankind', but repeatedly exhorts the believers to 'obey Allah' and 'obey His Prophet' in the same breath. The authenticity of the Prophets' traditions is however exclusively based, as per the Sunni Muslim perspective, on the chain of transmission, rather than its subject matter. Considering that there were literally tens of thousands of fabricated traditions floating around by the time concerted efforts for their collection were initiated, it seems surprising that many, if not most, Islamic scholars have used 'hadiths' to supplant rather than supplement the word of God. The diversity in Islamic thought over the ages is on display in this book. The first seven chapters explore the origins and spread of ideologies like the Khwarjis, the Abadis, the Kaysannia, the Murjiyya, the Jabbariyyah, the Qadariyyah, the various Sufi silsilas, the four Sunni 'madhabs' (Hanafis, Malikis, Shafiis, Hambalis), the Mutazillites, the Maturidis, the Asharis, the Ahle Quran, the twelver Shias and other Shia denominations (the Mukhtariyah, the Alawis, the Zaidis, the Ismailis, the Mustalians, the Nizaris, the Tayyibis, the Hafizis, the Dawoodi Bohras), the radical reformist ideologies of Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Abd al Wahhab and in our very own backyard, the Deobandi, Tablighi Jamaat, Ahle Hadith, Barelvi and Ahmadi movements of 19th century colonial India. The subsequent chapters are devoted to an analysis of the pitiful state the Islamic community finds itself in, prior going on to offer meaningful recommendations for coming out of this morass. In general, Islamic reformation can only come about by seeking enlightenment from the Quran, while a meaningful understanding of the Quranic message in turn is dependent on a recourse to the faculty of reason, a theme which is seen to resonate throughout the Book of Divine Guidance. The Quran's message has unfortunately become so distorted at the hands of its practitioners that it has become difficult to discern the basic principles that it espouses: maintaining unity, adopting the path of moderation, enjoining what is just, forbidding what is evil, avoiding transgression, oppression and profane talk, enduring with fortitude, displaying mercy, rendering charity, clinging to the truth and rejecting falsehood: there can indeed be no better code of conduct. The community of Islam can thus only reclaim its rightful place in the comity of nations if it 'holds fast to the rope of Allah' by 'enjoining what is just' and 'forbidding what is evil', for, as the Quran puts it, 'truth stands clear from error'.
This volume brings together ten articles on contemporary Muslim thought written by authors from Europe and the Middle East, who are specialized in the fields of Islamic theology, Islamic studies and Political Sciences. The scope of the contributions is limited by two aspects: each contribution focuses either on the thought of a contemporaneous Muslim theologian, whose creative period came after 1950 or on a Muslim stream that is relevant today. Second, the contributions also consider the interdependence between theological debates and the larger context in which they take place. The issues addressed here are diverse in nature and the approaches adopted are various, but they are united in giving testimony to the continuing existence of plurality in Muslim theology. This volume will be especially useful for students and scholars of Islamic theology, Islamic studies, and contemporary Muslim thought, as well as the history of ideas.
Islamic Thought is a fresh and contemporary introduction to the philosophies and doctrines of Islam. Abdullah Saeed, a distinguished Muslim scholar, traces the development of religious knowledge in Islam, from the pre-modern to the modern period. The book focuses on Muslim thought, as well as the development, production and transmission of religious knowledge, and the trends, schools and movements that have contributed to the production of this knowledge. Key topics in Islamic culture are explored, including the development of the Islamic intellectual tradition, the two foundation texts, the Qur’an and Hadith, legal thought, theological thought, mystical thought, Islamic Art, philosophical thought, political thought, and renewal, reform and rethinking today. Through this rich and varied discussion, Saeed presents a fascinating depiction of how Islam was lived in the past and how its adherents practise it in the present. Islamic Thought is essential reading for students beginning the study of Islam but will also interest anyone seeking to learn more about one of the world’s great religions.
This book brings together international scholars of Islamic philosophy, theology and politics to examine these current major questions: What is the place of pluralism in the Islamic founding texts? How have sacred and prophetic texts been interpreted throughout major Islamic intellectual history by the Sunnis and Shi‘a? How does contemporary Islamic thought treat religious and political diversity in modern nation states and in societies in transition? How is pluralism dealt with in modern major and minor Islamic contexts? How does modern political Islam deal with pluralism in the public sphere? And what are the major internal and external challenges to pluralism in Islamic contexts? These questions that have become of paramount relevance in religious studies especially during the last three-four decades are answered as critically highlighted in Islamic founding sources, the formative classical sources and how it has been lived and practiced in past and present Islamic majority societies and communities around the world. Case studies cover Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, and Thailand, besides various internal references to other contexts.
"This volume is the result of a series of seminars on 'Muslim pluralism' hosted at The Institute of Ismaili Studies between 2002 and 2003
An, erudite, and invaluable contribution to the philosophical, religious, political, cultural, and historical dynamism of the Islamic civilization. ZARREEN AKBAR, Scholar of Islamic Literature. In this exceptionally impressive and brilliant book, Mirza Ashraf, rationally discusses and analyses the diversity and unity in Islamic civilization. Addressing many contemporary issues of concern, including terrorism, he proves philosophically that Islam united different tribes, races, and nations within its civilization, while keeping their socio-cultural diversity intact. In this process of cultural amalgamation, Islam, no more remained exclusively an Arab phenomenon. It became a multi-cultural, transnational socio-political and economic civilization. The author of this illuminating book has shown an intrinsic picture of Islam which I believe, could not be more timely. Dr. MOJAHID MIRZA; author of, Quagmire of Being, and an Independent Journalist and Broadcaster stationed at Moscow. Beginning with its founder Prophet Muhammad, Islamic civilization as a world religious, cultural, and political force, with rich, varied, and abundant literature, Mirza Ashraf has presented an insightful analysis of this civilization. It progressed because of its universal human values, with efforts to initiate progress in all fields of learning. This book, is a timely contribution to the present tension between Western and Islamic civilization. It explicates that the strain of recent cataclysm is focused on Islam as a religion, while its political and cultural aspects, which are the core of its civilization, are being ignored. Dr. MUHAMMAD HAFEEZ; author of: Human Character and Behavior, The Mission and Destiny of Humankind, and Who are the Believers.
The question of religious diversity and the related issues of validity, truth, and salvation can immensely impact our lives in the modern closely-knit global society: they may help improve or ruin the relationships between faith communities. In the context of Christianity, these issues have led to the emergence of three types of theology: exclusivism, inclusivism, and pluralism. This book analyses the views of two contemporary Shi'i thinkers, Ayatollah 'Abdullah Javadi-Amoli and Professor Mahmoud Mustafa Ayoub, who have tried to deal with the challenges posed by the above three types of theology from an Islamic perspective. The book discusses, among other things, the impact of the social and educational backgrounds of these two thinkers on their research methodologies, particularly, their ways of interpreting the Qur'an. Since both thinkers are nterested in the question of dialogue between people of different faiths, this inquiry also highlights the views of Ayoub and Javadi-Amoli on the question of dialogue, its common ground, goals, conditions, and presuppositions.
The study of Islamic education has hitherto remained a tangential inquiry in the broader focus of Islamic Studies. In the wake of this neglect, a renaissance of sorts has occurred in recent years, reconfiguring the importance of Islam’s attitudes to knowledge, learning and education as paramount in the study and appreciation of Islamic civilization. Philosophies of Islamic Education, stands in tandem to this call and takes a pioneering step in establishing the importance of its study for the educationalist, academic and student alike. Broken into four sections, it deals with theological, pedagogic, institutional and contemporary issues reflecting the diverse and often competing notions and practices of Islamic education. As a unique international collaboration bringing into conversation theologians, historians, philosophers, teachers and sociologists of education Philosophies of Islamic Education intends to provide fresh means for conversing with contemporary debates in ethics, secularization theory, child psychology, multiculturalism, interfaith dialogue and moral education. In doing so, it hopes to offer an important and timely contribution to educational studies as well as give new insight for academia in terms of conceiving learning and education.
Barren Women is the first scholarly book to explore the ramifications of being infertile in the medieval Arab-Islamic world. Through an examination of legal texts, medical treatises, and works of religious preaching, Sara Verskin illuminates how attitudes toward mixed-gender interactions; legal theories pertaining to marriage, divorce, and inheritance; and scientific theories of reproduction contoured the intellectual and social landscape infertile women had to navigate. In so doing, she highlights underappreciated vulnerabilities and opportunities for women’s autonomy within the system of Islamic family law, and explores the diverse marketplace of medical ideas in the medieval world and the perceived connection between women’s health practices and religious heterodoxy. Featuring copious translations of primary sources and minimal theoretical jargon, Barren Women provides a multidimensional perspective on the experience of infertility, while also enhancing our understanding of institutions and modes of thought which played significant roles in shaping women’s lives more broadly. This monograph has been awarded the annual BRAIS – De Gruyter Prize in the Study of Islam and the Muslim World.
An exploration of how Muslims in the United States have interpreted the Qur'an in ways that make it speak to their American realities In Speaking Qur'an: An American Scripture, Timur R. Yuskaev examines how Muslim Americans have been participating in their country's cultural, social, religious, and political life. Essential to this process, he shows, is how the Qur'an has become an evermore deeply American text that speaks to central issues in the lives of American Muslims through the spoken-word interpretations of Muslim preachers, scholars,and activists. Yuskaev illustrates this process with four major case studies that highlight dialogues between American Muslim public intellectuals and their audiences. First, through an examination of the work of Fazlur Rahman, he addresses the question of how the premodern Qur'an is translated across time into modern, American settings. Next the author contemplates the application of contemporary concepts of gender to renditions of the Qur'an alongside Amina Wadud's American Muslim discourses on justice.Then he demonstrates how the Qur'an becomes a text of redemption in W. D. Mohammed's oral interpretation of the Qur'an as speaking directly to the African American experience. Finally he shows how, before and after 9/11, Hamza Yusuf invoked the Qur'an as a guide to the political life of American Muslims. Set within the rapidly transforming contexts of the last half century, and central to the volume, are the issues of cultural translation and embodiment of sacred texts that Yuskaev explores by focusing on the Qur'an as a spoken scripture. The process of the Qur'an becoming an American sacred text, he argues, is ongoing. It comes to life when the Qur'an is spoken and embodied by its American faithful.