Islam: branches and groups Books

Book SynopsisFitzroy Morrissey's brilliant guide to Islamic thought – from its foundation in the seventh century to the present day. 'A magisterial accomplishment' Professor Eugene Rogan 'The best guide to Islamic thinking that I've read' James Barr 'I greatly enjoyed [it]' Peter Frankopan, Spectator, Books of the Year Day after day we read of the caliphate and the Qur'an, of Sunni and Shi'a, Salafis and Sufis. Almost a quarter of the world's populate is Muslim. Understanding the modern world requires knowing something about Islam. Tracing fourteen centuries of Islamic history – from the foundation of Islam in the seventh century and the life of Muhammad, through the growth of great Islamic empires, to the often fraught modern period – Fitzroy Morrissey considers questions of interpretation and legacy, of God and His relationship with His followers, of the lives of Muslims and how they relate to others. He presents the key teachings of the Qur'an and Hadith, analyzes the great works of Islamic theology, philosophy, and law, and delves into the mystical writings of the Sufis. He considers the impact of foreign cultures – Greek and Persian, Jewish and Christian – on early Islam, accounts for the crystallization of the Sunni and Shi'i forms of the faith, and explains the rise of intellectual trends like Islamic modernism and Islamism in recent times. In this way, Morrissey presents not a monolithic creed, but a nuanced faith made up of several often competing – and always fascinating – intellectual tendencies. This concise and engaging volume will appeal to readers looking to better understand the world's second largest religion and to those interested in the intellectual history of the last millennium and a half.Trade ReviewA magisterial accomplishment based on extensive reading into Islamic sources across the centuries. Balanced and clear, and a fascinating read, this is the best guide to the history and theology of Islam in print -- Professor Eugene RoganThis lucid, concise and humane book is the best guide to Islamic thinking that I've read. Fitzroy Morrissey explains the key developments, from the Qu'ran to Khomeini, setting them in a context that makes them much easier to grasp and writing in a way that makes you want to know what happened next. If you are looking for an introduction to the principles of Islam, or for enlightenment on the Sunni-Shia split or Islam's different schools of thought, this is the book you need -- James BarrI greatly enjoyed Fitzroy Morrissey's A Short History of Islamic Thought * Spectator *This is a book I know I will frequently refer to. The subject is both relevant and daunting. In Morrissey's hands it is fascinating and a pleasure to read -- James Barr, Engelsberg Ideas

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Book SynopsisRevelatory, lyrical and immersive, this is an extraordinary book that takes you deep into these ordinary women's worlds... Their stories are urgent and forcefully articulated - and this book gives us the chance to hear them.On an island at the eastern edge of India, rural, remote and dense with jungle, is a Muslim village. In an ever-shifting landscape of mangroves and rivers, the women here dwell among contradictions, constrictions and change in a place where one's neighbours are often too close for comfort.Nine Paths follows the lives of nine of these women, and their families, over the course of a year - from one monsoon season to another. There are weddings to celebrate and deaths to mourn, difficult marriages to navigate and tragedies to overcome, as we observe the everyday drudgery and unexpected turmoil, and the dreams of something better. Revelatory, lyrical and immersive, this is an extraordinary book that takes you deep into these ordinary women's worlds. Anthropologist Lexi Stadlen spent sixteen months in this village, talking, listening, and getting to know these women, who were willing to share their complicated, fascinating lives. Their stories are urgent and forcefully articulated - and this book gives us the chance to hear them.Trade ReviewCompelling, immersive, and beautifully composed, Nine Paths is a story woven from the true accounts of nine Muslim women from rural India. This book is that perfect thing: exquisite storytelling meeting serious research. It makes for a vivid and memorable encounter - a world away brought near by Lexi Stadlen's ingenuity, compassion, and skill. -- Suzannah LipscombIntimate, insightful and powerful, Nine Paths pulls the reader deep into what it means to be a Muslim woman in India, and allows us to appreciate the strength, resilience and bravery in the face of the many forms of violence negotiated daily. Lexi Stadlen vividly brings to life the best of immersive ethnography -- Alpa Shah, author of Nightmarch: Among India's Revolutionary GuerrillasBeautifully written, and so clever - telling us in great detail about the challenges that these women face, but with remarkable skill and such a delicate touch. -- Sonia Faleiro, author of The Good GirlsNine Paths captivatingly portrays life in rural Bengal through carefully interwoven episodes that evoke the village environs, the social atmosphere, and especially the nine Muslim women on whom the book focuses. The reader is taken through a year in their lives, sees the mundane ordinariness as well as the dramas and crises of their everyday lives, meets them as they handle marriage negotiations, contend with awkward dynamics within their household, worry about debts and reflect on their position as Muslims. It is a beautifully written and haunting book. -- Patricia Jeffery, Professor Emerita, University of Edinburgh

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Book SynopsisOne of the most enduring sources of conflict among Muslims is the question of power and authority after the Prophet Muhammad. This anthology of classical Arabic texts, presented in a new English translation, succinctly presents competing views on the prerequisites of legitimate leadership and authority in the Islamic tradition.Table of ContentsA Note on the Translation; Acknowledgements; Introduction; Glossary of Key Terms; 1. A Précis of the Doctrines of Abū 'l-Ḥasan al-Ashʿarī Ibn Fūrak; 2. The Succour of Nations Amidst the Confusion of Darkness al-Juwaynī; 3. The Theoretical Underpinning of the Imamate Abū Ṭālib al-Hārūnī; 4. The Curative Book on the Imamate: A Paraphrastic Rendering al-Shaykh al-Ṭūsī; 5. The Book of Excellence on the Fundamental Principles of Religion Ibn al-Malāḥimī; 6. The concise ʿAbd al-Kāfī al-Warjalānī; 7. The Crown of Doctrines and the Mine of Instructive Points al-Dāʿī Ibn al-Walīd; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisSituated at the crossroads of three continents, the Middle East has confounded the ambition of conquerors and peacemakers alike. Christianity, Judaism and Islam all had their genesis in the region but with them came not just civilisation and religion but also some of the great struggles of history. A Short History of the Middle East makes sense of the shifting sands of Middle Eastern History, beginning with the early cultures of the area and moving on to the Roman and Persian Empires; the growth of Christianity; the rise of Islam; the invasions from the east; Genghis Khan's Mongol hordes; the Ottoman Turks and the rise of radicalism in the modern world symbolised by Islamic State.

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Book SynopsisDeadly Clerics explains why some Muslim clerics adopt the ideology of militant jihadism while most do not. The book explores multiple pathways of cleric radicalization and shows that the interplay of academic, religious, and political institutions has influenced the rise of modern jihadism through a mechanism of blocked ambition. As long as clerics'' academic ambitions remain attainable, they are unlikely to espouse violent jihad. Clerics who are forced out of academia are more likely to turn to jihad for two reasons: jihadist ideas are attractive to those who see the system as turning against them, and preaching a jihad ideology can help these outsider clerics attract supporters and funds. The book draws on evidence from various sources, including large-scale statistical analysis of texts and network data obtained from the Internet, case studies of clerics'' lives, and ethnographic participant observations at sites in Cairo, Egypt.Trade Review'Working at the intersection of religion, politics, and violence, Nielsen illuminates the role of Islamist clerics in fomenting extremism along their personal path to radicalization. Undergirding his provocative ideas is a dazzling array of methodological tools, from ethnographic work in Egypt's mosques to statistical analysis of jihadist websites, informed by a nuanced understanding of contemporary Islam. Read this book! It is bold, clear, and compelling.' Ron E. Hassner, author of Religion on the Battlefield'This is a major contribution to a topic that is notoriously difficult to study: violent extremist Islamist groups. By highlighting the academic identities of jihadist clerics, Nielsen not only adopts an innovative approach that is especially engaging for an academic audience, but also illuminates the incentives and behaviors of at least some jihadist clerics. In so doing, the author points to a pathway to jihadism that has been overlooked in academic and policy circles - 'blocked ambition' - or the ways in which exclusion from state-sanctioned or mainstream Islamic circles compels some clerics toward radical ideologies. Nielsen employs cutting edge methods and data to support his claims, including statistical analyses of extensive text and network data from the Internet as well as more in-depth case studies of particular clerics' lives. Nielsen covers enormous quantities of original material and overcomes a common problem in scholarship on jihadism, which tends to focus only on radicalized clerics rather than comparisons with those who operate in the mainstream.' Melani Cammett, Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs, Harvard University, Massachusetts'Richard A. Nielsen's innovative study significantly enriches the literature on jihadism by moving the focus from fighters to preachers. Examining the case of 'digital' Islamic clerics through sophisticated statistical analysis of novel data sets, he tests a theory of 'blocked ambitions' to explain radicalization. This is a methodological breakthrough that opens new avenues for the study of the ideology of militant jihadism. A must-read for social scientists and policymakers alike.' Malika Zeghal, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Professor in Contemporary Islamic Thought and Life, Harvard University, Massachusetts'In this fascinating and rigorous study, Nielsen argues that one of the key factors explaining jihadi radicalization is the lack of economic and academic opportunities. Taking on arguments that focus on Islam and ideology, Nielsen employs sophisticated and cutting-edge text analyses tools to examine the writings and biographies of jihadi clerics. This in-depth study is an excellent contribution to the study of jihadism and radicalism.' Amaney Jamal, Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Politics, Princeton University, New Jersey'Why do some Muslim clerics radicalize, abandoning the Islamic mainstream in favor of jihadism? To answer this pressing question, Nielsen compiles a stunning array of new data and deploys the most advanced tools in political methodology. His answer is original and compelling: clerics who experience blocked career ambitions are incentivized to radicalize, with deadly implications for the propagation of Islamic terrorism.' Lisa Blaydes, Stanford University, CaliforniaTable of Contents1. Why clerics turn deadly; 2. Muslim clerics; 3. Paths to preaching jihad; 4. Meet the clerics; 5. Recognizing jihadists from their writings; 6. Networks, careers, and jihadist ideology; 7. Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisTwo veteran journalists tell the inside story of convicted hate-monger Abu Hamza, his infamous Finsbury Park Mosque and how it turned out a generation of militants willing to die – and kill – for their cause…

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Book SynopsisGeoffrey Nash explores the emergence of the revolutionary Babis and reformist Baha'is and their conflict with mainstream Shi'a Muslims in Iran, and of the parallel Ahmadi movement in North India. Comparing these movements shows that, together, they define important aspects of Islamic modernity.

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Book Synopsis‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (d. 656) was an early convert to Islam and the third successor to the Prophet Muhammad. As caliph he established the first Islamic navy, consolidated the text of the Qur’an, and expanded the Arab empire. His opponents, however, accused him of being corrupt and questioned his legitimacy. After twelve years ‘Uthman’s troubled caliphate ended in revolt. His death at the hands of rebels led to civil war and contributed to the eventual split between Sunni and Shi’i Islam. In this volume, Heather Keaney examines the life and legacy of the controversial caliph.Trade Review‘Keaney’s book offers as balanced a view of ‘Uthman’s life, character and policies as one could hope for… She skilfully traces how the controversies that first arose with ‘Uthman in the seventh century were spun out in later centuries by various Islamic thinkers, right up to the twenty-first century and the “Arab Spring.” Clearly and engagingly written throughout, it is an outstanding introduction to Islam’s nagging sectarian divisions and political thought.’ -- Fred M. Donner, Peter B. Ritzma Professor of Near Eastern History, University of ChicagoTable of Contents1 CONTEXT Introduction The Challenge of ‘Uthman The Challenge of the Sources ‘Uthman’s World The World ‘Uthman Made and that Made ‘Uthman Conclusion 2 COMPANION Introduction The Man Precedence in Islam (Sabiqa) Generosity Muhammad and the Rashidun Caliphs Conclusion 3 CONSULTATION Introduction Defense of the Shura Deliberations Decision Debates ‘Uthman’s First Acts Conclusion 4 CONQUESTS Introduction Problem of the Sources North Africa Mediterranean Sea Iran Northern Iran and the Caucasus The Iranian Plateau Armenia Mediterranean Sea Conclusion 5 CRISIS Introduction Complaints Rebellion Regicide Aftermath Conclusion 6 CONSEQUENCES Introduction Martyr Unity of the Community Conclusion 7 CONTESTED CONTINUITY Introduction Companion Consultation Caliphate Crisis Conclusion Selected Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis

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