Islam Books
Edinburgh University Press The Sorrowful Muslims Guide
Book SynopsisPublished as 'Dal?l al-Muslim al-?az?n il? muqtada-l-sul?k f?'l-qarn al-?ishr?n' in 1983, this book remains a timely and important read today. It explores the interaction between pre-Islamic tradition and modern supporters of continuity, reform and change in Muslim communities.
£85.50
Edinburgh University Press The Sorrowful Muslims Guide
Book SynopsisPublished as Dal?l al-Muslim al-?az?n il? muqtada-l-sul?k f?'l-qarn al-?ishr?n in 1983, this book remains a timely and important read today. It explores the interaction between pre-Islamic tradition and modern supporters of continuity, reform and change in Muslim communities.
£20.89
Edinburgh University Press The Minaret
Book SynopsisFrom early Islam to the modern world, and from Iran, Egypt, Turkey and India to West and East Africa, the Yemen and Southeast Asia, this richly illustrated book is a sweeping tour of the minaret's position as the symbol of Islam.
£38.00
Edinburgh University Press The Jihadist Preachers of the End Times
Book SynopsisFocusing on apocalyptic manifestations found in ISIS propaganda, this book situates the group's agenda in the broader framework of contemporary Muslim thought and explains key topics in millennial thinking within the spiritual context of modern Islamic apocalypticism.
£26.59
Edinburgh University Press MuslimChristian Polemics in Safavid Iran
Book SynopsisFocused on the work of the renegade missionary 'Ali Quli Jadid al-Islam (d. 1734), this book contributes to ongoing debates on the nature of confessionalism, interreligious encounters, and cultural translation in early modern Muslim empires.
£85.50
Edinburgh University Press MuslimChristian Polemics in Safavid Iran
Book SynopsisFocused on the work of the renegade missionary 'Ali Quli Jadid al-Islam (d. 1734), this book contributes to ongoing debates on the nature of confessionalism, interreligious encounters, and cultural translation in early modern Muslim empires.
£19.94
Edinburgh University Press Modern Arabic Literature
Book SynopsisThe study of Arabic literature is blossoming. This book provides a comprehensive theoretical framework to help research this highly prolific and diverse production of contemporary literary texts.
£29.45
Edinburgh University Press Ruler Visibility and Popular Belonging in the
Book SynopsisThis book argues that the periodic ceremonial intrusion into the everyday lives of people across the Ottoman Empire, which the annual royal birthday and accession-day celebrations constituted, had multiple, far-reaching and largely unexplored consequences.
£85.50
Edinburgh University Press Dialectical Encounters
Book SynopsisFeaturing the work of Recep Alpya??l and ?aban Ali Duzgun, this innovative study provides a concise survey of Turkish Muslim positions on religious pluralism and atheism as well as detailed treatments of both critical and appreciative Turkish Muslim perspectives on Western Christianity.
£94.50
Edinburgh University Press Women Writing and the Iraqi State
Book SynopsisExplores discourses on gender and representations of women in modern Iraqi fiction. By exploring discourses on gender in both propaganda and high art fictional writings by Iraqis, this book offers an alternative narrative of the literary and cultural history of Iraq.
£85.50
Edinburgh University Press Women Writing and the Iraqi Bathist State
Book SynopsisIn an effort to expand its readership and increase support for its pan-Arab project, the Iraqi Ba?th almost completely eradicated illiteracy among women. As Iraq was metaphorically transformed into a ?female?, through its nationalist trope, women writers simultaneously found opportunities and faced obstacles from the state, as the ?woman question? became a site of contention between those who would advocate the progressiveness of the Ba?th and those who would stress its repressiveness and immorality. By exploring discourses on gender in both propaganda and high art fictional writings by Iraqis, this book offers an alternative narrative of the literary and cultural history of Iraq.
£24.69
Edinburgh University Press Literary Autobiography and Arab National
Book SynopsisDrawing on memoirs, testimonies, autobiographical novels, poetic autobiography, journals, and diaries, Nasser examines solitude and national struggles in contemporary Arab autobiography.
£22.79
Edinburgh University Press The Life and Work of W. Montgomery Watt
Book SynopsisThis commemorative volume discusses aspects of the life and work of the internationally famous scholar Professor W. Montgomery Watt (1909 2006).
£85.50
Edinburgh University Press Secularism in the Arab World
Book SynopsisThis book is a translation of Aziz al-Azmeh's seminal work Al-'Ilmaniya min mandhur mukhtalif that was first published in Beirut in 1992.
£85.50
Edinburgh University Press The Middle East from Empire to Sealed Identities
Book SynopsisThis compelling analysis of the modern Middle East shows the transition from an internal history characterised by local realities that were plural and multidimensional, and where identities were flexible and hybrid, to a simplified history largely imagined and imposed by external actors.
£22.79
Edinburgh University Press The Rise of Islamic Political Movements and
Book SynopsisIslamic political movements utilise vastly different means to pursue their goals. This book examines why some Islamic movements facing the same socio-political structures pursue different political paths, while their counterparts in diverse contexts make similar political choices.
£85.50
Edinburgh University Press Gender Governance and Islam
Book SynopsisFollowing a period of rapid political change, both globally and in relation to the Middle East and South Asia, this collection sets new terms of reference for an analysis of the intersections between global, state, non-state and popular actors and their contradictory effects on the politics of gender.
£20.89
Edinburgh University Press The City in Arabic Literature
Book SynopsisThis edited volume addresses the ways in which the city has been explored in works of literature by classical and modern 'Arab' authors from different theosophical and ideological backgrounds.
£27.54
Edinburgh University Press Conspiracy in Modern Egyptian Literature
Book SynopsisThis book examines the diverse uses of conspiracy theory in Egyptian fiction since the early twentieth century. Read against the historical and intertextual backgrounds of individual authors and their works, conspiracy theory emerges not as a single, rigid ideology, but as a style of writing that is equal parts literary and political.
£22.79
Edinburgh University Press Minorities in the Contemporary Egyptian Novel
Book SynopsisThrough a robust analysis of several 'new-consciousness' novels by award winning authors the book highlights their unconventional, yet coherent undertakings to foreground the marginal experiences of the Nubian, Amazigh, Bedouin, Coptic, Jewish, women and sexual minority populations in Egypt.
£22.79
Edinburgh University Press Blasphemy and Apostasy in Islam
Book SynopsisThis book tells the gripping story of R?fiq Taq?, an Azerbaijani journalist and writer, who was condemned to death by an Iranian cleric for a blasphemous news article in 2006. Mohsen Kadivar debates the case with Muhammad Jawad Fazel, the son of Grand Ayatollah Fazel Lankar?n? who issued the fatwa pronouncing death penalty on Taq?.Trade Review"Professor Mohsen Kadivar brilliantly demonstrates theoretically and historically that charges of blasphemy and apostasy should no longer be prosecuted but instead viewed through the Islamic tradition of toleration and co-existence." -Roy Parviz Mottahedeh, Harvard University
£29.45
Edinburgh University Press The Administration of Justice in Medieval Egypt
Book SynopsisThis book shows how political and administrative forces shaped the way justice was applied in medieval Egypt. It introduces the model that evolved during the 7th to the 9th centuries, which involved 4 judicial institutions: the cadi, the court of complaint, the police/shurta and the Islamized market law.
£85.50
Edinburgh University Press Sacred Place and Sacred Time in the Medieval
Book SynopsisThis book offers a fresh perspective on religious culture in the medieval Middle East. It investigates the ways Muslims thought about and practiced at sacred spaces and in sacred times through two detailed case studies: the shrines in honour of the head of al-Husayn (the martyred grandson of the Prophet), and the holy month of Rajab.
£85.50
Edinburgh University Press The Wonders of Creation and the Singularities of
Book SynopsisA beautifully illustrated study of Al-Qazwini's 14th-century illustrated Arabic copy of a cosmographic encyclopedia entitled The Wonders of Creation and the Oddities of Existing Things, and the first-ever translations of the text into English.
£47.50
Edinburgh University Press The Spiritual Vernacular of the Early Ottoman
Book SynopsisThis study follows the lives and ideas of the Yaz?c?o?lu brothers Mehmed Yaz?c?o?lu and Ahmed Bican, Sufis of the frontier city of Gelibolu and authors of the most popular religious writings in Ottoman Turkish.
£20.99
Edinburgh University Press Prophetic Translation
Book SynopsisIn this novel and pioneering study Maya I. Kesrouany explores the move from Qur'anic to secular approaches to literature in early 20th-century Egyptian literary translations.
£20.89
Edinburgh University Press Islamic Theology in the Turkish Republic
Book SynopsisExplores how modern Turkish theologians have grappled with issues such as nationalism and democracy; conceptions of God and humanity; the definition of religion itself and theological arguments for secularism; and theologies of human rights, gender and sexuality.Trade Review"Dorroll's study of modern, Turkish-language Islamic theology offers an excellent survey of the tradition's development and characteristics. This work successfully demonstrates the ways in which theologians have developed a range of viewpoints and arguments within the contours of their institutions while navigating the role of the state in religious affairs." -Susan Gunasti, Ohio Wesleyan University
£19.94
Edinburgh University Press The Last Muslim Intellectual
Book SynopsisIn this social and intellectual biography, Hamid Dabashi contends that Jalal Al-e Ahmad was the last Muslim intellectual to have articulated a vision of Muslim worldly cosmopolitanism. This unprecedented engagement with Al-e Ahmad's life and legacy is a prelude to what Dabashi calls a post-Islamist Liberation Theology'.
£85.50
Edinburgh University Press Political Thought in the Mamluk Period
Book SynopsisCovers the political thought produced by legal theorists, jurists, judges and administrators of the late Ayyubid and early Mamluk period as they tackled a central question: how best to govern their communities.
£85.50
Edinburgh University Press Christian Monastic Life in Early Islam
Book SynopsisDuring the rise of Islam, Muslim fascination with Christian monastic life was articulated through a fluid, piety-centred movement. Bradley Bowman explores this confessional synthesis between like-minded religious groups in the medieval Near East.Trade Review"Bowman's work is thought provoking besides being of great value and interest; it will be extremely useful to those seeking insights into the complexity of monasticism, early Islam, and interconfessional contacts, interaction, religious affiliation, and political allegiance between Muslims and Christians in Late Antiquity and beyond." -Basema Hamarneh, University of Vienna
£24.69
Edinburgh University Press After the Arab Revolutions
Book SynopsisIncorporates the lessons learned from the 2011 Arab revolutions into democratic transition theory.
£19.94
Edinburgh University Press The Politics of Islam
Book SynopsisIn this book, Birol Ba?kan explains the variation in attitudes and approaches towards the Muslim Brotherhood across 5 Gulf States: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. He argues that this disparity is at the root of the ongoing Gulf crisis that erupted in June 2017.Trade Review"With The Politics of Islam, Birol Ba?kan provides a valuable overview of an important and understudied context of contemporary Islamism. Intense opposition towards the Muslim Brotherhood by governments such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia is a defining aspect of the new political landscape in the Middle East, and this book is a crucial resource for students, researchers, and policymakers seeking to make sense of these developments." -Peter Mandaville, George Mason University, author of Islam and Politics
£19.94
Edinburgh University Press Psychoanalysis and the Love of Arabic
Book SynopsisNadia Bou Ali shows how a curious relationship was forged between language and politics, one driven both by a desire for modernity and anxiety about it.
£19.94
Edinburgh University Press Conquered Populations in Early Islam
Book SynopsisThis book traces the journey of new Muslims as they joined the early Islamic community and articulated their identities within it. It focuses on Muslims of slave origins, who belonged to the society in which they lived but whose slave background rendered them somehow alien.
£19.94
Edinburgh University Press Islamic Modernities in World Society
Book Synopsis
£26.72
Edinburgh University Press WomenS Political Representation in Iran and
Book SynopsisProvides a comparative study of women's political participation and representation in contemporary Iran and Turkey
£23.74
1517 Media Leaving Faith Behind: The Journeys and Perspectives of People Who Have Chosen to Leave Islam
£18.46
Rowman & Littlefield Demystifying Islam: Tackling the Tough Questions
Book SynopsisDespite heightened interest in the study of the Muslim faith, for many people Islam remains shrouded in mystery and confusion. What really is Shariah law? How is a Muslim to understand Jihad? Does Islam oppose Western values such as free speech or freedom of religion? What place do women have according to Islam? Understanding that this confusion has as much to do with the behavior and words of Muslims as it does with allegations made by anti-Islam activists, Demystifying Islam offers refreshingly bold answers to provocative questions about Islam today. Author Harris Zafar—lecturer, writer, teacher and national spokesperson for Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA—is forthright about issues where Muslims disagree, and he digs into history through vast research and scholarship to track the origins of differing beliefs. From the burqa to the role of Jesus in Islam, Demystifying Islam is an essential resource and concise guide to understanding the fastest growing religion in the world.Trade ReviewIn the wake of 9/11, Zafar, a blogger, speaker, and teacher, found himself invited to explain Islam to non-Muslim audiences in a climate of fear and misinformation—at the age of twenty-two. Now a national spokesperson for Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, he addresses common misunderstandings about Islamic faith and culture. Following an introduction to the basics of Islam, Harris covers, chapter by chapter, the major areas of confusion for Westerners, from the realities of shariah law to the relationship between Islam and Christianity. Harris does not remain entirely neutral; he’s not afraid to criticize distorted perceptions of Islam from Western pundits and politicians advocating xenophobic agendas, nor Middle Eastern and other political groups and extremist factions for using similar distortions to justify violations of human rights. This book is less of a spiritual introduction than it is a cultural one, and an excellent starting point for people navigating interfaith relationships or working to improve understanding and representation in organizations and public discussion. * Publishers Weekly *While this is Zafar’s first book-length effort, his writings about Islam have appeared in numerous places—USA Today, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, etc. A national spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, Zafar investigates the central tenets of Islam, the result of his 15 years of reflection. He begins by conceding that the rise of terrorism by fanatical Muslim groups has created a 'difficult landscape for the study of this rapidly growing religion.' Aiming to clarify the essential doctrines of a religion clouded by war and ideological disputes, his book acts as a helpful primer on the basics; he lucidly parses terms such as 'Islam' and 'Muslim,' the nature of fasting and alms giving, and the distinction between various sects such as Sunni and Shia. He also provides an erudite compendium of the differences and similarities between the three Abrahamic religions, demonstrating that the contemporary tensions between them belie their historically shared ground. This section includes fascinating accounts of the standings within Islam of both the Virgin Mary and Jesus. The heart of the analysis, though, is the contention that Islam, while sadly depicted by many as the bearer of antiquated ideals, is largely consistent with liberal values. The author’s argument deftly covers misinterpretations regarding controversial topics such as suicide bombing, Jihad, women’s rights, freedom of religion and freedom of speech. In each case, Zafar argues that Islam is fundamentally a religion of peace and tolerance, not war and oppression. . . .[T]he book is a welcome correction to the politically tortured conceptions of Islam so prevalent today, as Zafar astutely acknowledges the way even Muslims themselves have contributed to these misunderstandings. An important, original new examination of Islam for both the novice and the theologically sophisticated. * Kirkus *An intelligent, daring, and much-needed contribution to the debate about Islam in the modern world. Harris Zafar has written a remarkable book. -- Reza Aslan, author of Zealot and No god but God, author of #1 New York Times bestseller Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, and executive producer/host of CNN's BelieverThis book is an important contribution to an enlightened and public conversation about Islam in our time. Harris Zafar has written a very informative and accessible interpretation of Islam for English-speaking readers. I recommend this book to those who are interested in learning about Islam and Muslim communities today. -- Ali Mirsepassi, New York UniversityHarris Zafar’s book, Demystifying Islam, is a clear and important statement by a recognized Muslim leader on his faith’s engagement of a diversity of issues and concerns of great consequence in the twenty-first century. Orthodox Christians will certainly disagree with Mr. Zafar’s perspectives on such matters as the identity and work of Jesus Christ and his mission. However, we should heartily welcome this courageous and irenic Muslim voice, as Zafar champions civic virtue that promotes the well-being of all peoples. Demystifying Islam is a significant contribution to the global conversation on peace, freedom, and justice in a world mystified and threatened by geopolitical and religious tensions. -- Paul Louis Metzger, Multnomah UniversityHarris Zafar is an insightful and often inspiring writer who leaves readers feeling richer for having spent time with his work. -- Omar Sacirbey, Correspondent for the Religion News ServiceHarris Zafar’s book is both enlightening and informative. Demystifying Islam aims to deflate misconceptions of Islam, breaking them down to their essence and offering honest reasoning and historical context behind their existence. A great resource for practicing Muslims as well as those looking to gain a better understanding of one of the world's major religions. -- André Carson, CongressmanFor shortened version of Carson quote, we only have permission to use this: A great resource for practicing Muslims as well as those looking to gain a better understanding of one of the world's major religions. -- André Carson, CongressmanTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1—Begin with the Basics Chapter 2—Demystifying the Origins of Islam Chapter 3 – Demystifying Jihad Chapter 4 – Demystifying Shariah Chapter 5 – Demystifying Islam’s View of Religious Freedom Chapter 6 – Demystifying Islam’s View of Free Speech Chapter 7 – Demystifying Women’s Rights in Islam Chapter 8 – Demystifying Islam’s View of Jesus Christ Chapter 9 – Demystifying the Sects of Islam About the Author
£25.00
Rowman & Littlefield Being Muslim Today
Book SynopsisThe truths of every religion are typically challenged and re-written, serving as potent grounds for some of history's most enduring debates and conflicts. Perhaps no other religious tradition suffers as much from the dualistic fallacy of good and evil than does Islam. What does it mean to be Muslim today? Orthodoxy's interpretation is idyllic and omniscient, simplistic to a fault. Islamophobes at the opposite end of the spectrum, cultivating damaging stereotypes that present a religion that most Muslims cannot relate to.In Being Muslim Today: Reclaiming the Faith from Orthodoxy and Islamophobia, bestselling author Dr. Saqib Qureshi silences the noise that obscures the message of Islam. He provides a compelling and accurate presentation of the faith's beginnings, its evolution throughout the last 1,400 years, and its relevance for today. Being Muslim Today simplifies complicated academic debates and reveals the heart and soul of a growing faith tradition that claims more than two billion adherents. Chapters include lucid discussions of the origins of Islam, the Prophet Muhammed, and the rise of Islam through the ages. Qureshi also describes the twin perils of Orthodoxy and Islamophobia, both of which, he contends, badly misinterpret the true message of the faith. In a final chapter, Qureshi confronts the stereotype of Islam as an inherently violent religion, asking the West to hold a mirror to its own voracious appetite for conflict and colonization. Throughout, Qureshi encourages Muslims to reject pious certitudethe faithful must acknowledge the diversity of approaches and principals in the Islamic tradition, he writes, and adopt an attitude of theological humility. Some things are simply unknowable.
£17.09
Soft Skull Press Love, Inshallah: The Secret Love Lives of
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£14.39
Al-Azhar (Cairo, Egypt) Tafsir Ibn Kathir: Volume 4
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£36.00
Ulysses Press Shukr: An Inspirational Dua and Gratitude Journal
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£14.39
Ulysses Press The New Muslim Workbook: The Interactive Guide to
Book Synopsis
£14.39
Al Huroof Publishing Allaah Created Everything
£13.01
Oneworld Publications Religions of Iran: From Prehistory to the Present
Book SynopsisToday it is Iran’s association with Islam that commands discussion and debate. But this perception obscures a far more influential and complex relationship with religion. Iran has in fact played an unparalleled role in shaping all the world religions, injecting Iranian ideas into the Jewish, Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim traditions. This vivid and surprising work explores the manner in which Persian culture has interacted with and transformed each world faith, from the migration of the Israelites to Iran thousands of years ago, to the influence of Iranian notions on Mahayana Buddhism and Christianity. Travelling through thousands of years of history, Foltz’s powerful and evocative journey uncovers a vital and fresh account of our spiritual heritage in this fascinating region.
£42.75
Oneworld Publications Ibn Tufayl: Living the Life of Reason
Book SynopsisIbn Tufayl (d. 1185) was an Andalusian courtier, philosopher, Sufi master, and royal physician to the Almohad Caliphs. He inspired the twelfth-century Andalusian revolt against Ptolemaic astronomy and sponsored the career of the most renowned Aristotelian of medieval times, Abu al-Walid Ibn Rushd (the Latin Averroes). Ibn Tufayl was an exemplar of the kind of versatile scholar early Almohad culture wanted to cultivate. In this thought provoking and concise account, Taneli Kukkonen explores the life and thought of Ibn Tufayl and assesses the influence and legacy of Hayy Ibn Yaqzan, Ibn Tufayl’s famous philosophical romance. Hayy Ibn Yaqzan became a popular and often-copied work in early modern Europe; it has since secured a place as one of the best read pieces in all Arabic literature, partly due to its outstanding literary qualities, in part because it provides an ideal introduction to the themes and preoccupations of classical Arabic philosophy. The study sets Hayy in its historical and philosophical context and paints a vivid portrait of the world as Ibn Tufayl saw it and as he wished for it to be seen.Trade Review‘Taneli Kukkonen’s study is not only a superb introduction to Ibn Tufayl and his work, but it also provides a succinct overview of Islamic philosophical thought at large…his exposition [is] admirably lucid and, indeed, entertaining.’ * LA Review of Books *‘Scholars and students of Ibn Ṭufayl will enjoy Kukkonen's introduction. Indeed his observation that Ibn Ṭufayl's "casual asides and narrative detours can be just as fascinating to us as what he is ultimately driving at" may equally be made of his own book.’ * Journal of the History of Philosophy *Table of ContentsPreface Hayy Ibn Yaqzan: An overview 1 LIFE AND TIMES The Almohad Revolution A New Intellectual Order The Caves of Guadix The Medical Tradition In Royal Service Sufi, Musicologist, Medical Author Sponsor 2 HAYY Hayy: A Synopsis An Architectural Design Hayy’s Theme Pointers and Reminders The Spiral Path Authority and Authentication Harmony and Hierarchy 3 ISLAND LIFE The Island The Perfect Climate From Ceylon to Mali The Twice-born Child History or Drama Seeing with One’s Own Eyes Beginning from the Beginning Experience and Art The Limits of Skill 4 NATURE Taking in the World Structure and Scaffolding Suspended between Worlds Natures and Powers Forms and Universals Synthesis and Analysis Matter The Elements The Heavenly Spheres 5 SOUL Living Nature Vital Heat The Vehicle of the Soul The Spirit which is God’s Diffusion and Suffusion Plurality and Unity The Human Distinction The Science of the Soul 6 THREE DUTIES Finitude and Transcendence Two Worlds Ought from Is Three Lives The Conservation Principle Kinship with the Heavens Leaving the World Behind 7 GOD Unveiling the Mysteries From Asceticism to Mysticism Tasting the Truth Theological Precepts Like Knowing Like Annihilation and Restoration Faces and Names The “Eastern Wisdom” Sensation and Intellection Arrival 8 RELIGION Religion and Society Asal and Salaman Language and Reality Modeling Perfection Re-entering the Cave Human Weakness Morality and Scripture Mortality and Revelation 9 AFTERLIFE Arabic Margins Hebrew Echoes Early Modern Success The “Robinson” Question Orientalist Ideas Back to Ibn Tufayl Bibliography Index
£28.50
Oneworld Publications Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab
Book SynopsisMuhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab (1703-1792) aroused great controversy in his lifetime. More than two centuries after his death he still elicits strong views. For some he is the model of a pious religious activist who fought to establish a regime of Islamic godliness in the least promising of environments. For others, especially Muslims associated with mystic orders or who belong to the Shi‘i branch of Islam, he is a hate figure. Few would contest that he shaped the Muslim world. For over two hundred and fifty years the Wahhabi religious movement has rested on the twin pillars of a clear, compelling credo and an indissoluble alliance with temporal power in Arabia. Absolutist, uncompromising theology and political and religious ambition combined to make it the dominant force there, turning its champions, the Al Sa‘ud clan, from petty rulers of a middle-sized settlement with a talent for balancing interests, into the guardians of Islam’s Holy Places, disposing of the earth’s greatest identified oil reserves. This thought-provoking and incisive biography, which charts the relationship between religious doctrine, political power and events on the ground, is ideal for readers interested in uncovering the life and convictions of the man who founded the Wahhabi movement and a dynastic alliance between his clerical descendants and Saudi princes that has lasted to the present day.Trade Review‘Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhab used to be one of the most misunderstood Muslim clerics, and it is thanks to Michael Crawford’s thorough and convincing arguments that we ought to see him in a different light… For a short book like this, it contains a surprising variety of historical and theological angles on the man, his time, influence and legacy reflecting on his core doctrines as well as his reception in present time.’ * Dr Sebastian Maisel, Der Islam *‘A timely contribution…provides a careful examination of Ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb that has the merit of being both useful to students and intriguing to specialists. Let it be clear that Crawford did not write a mere synthesis of the existing literature. For all its readability, the book is grounded in primary sources and frequently sheds light on issues that previous studies either ignored or treated unsatisfactorily… Crawford does a great service to the field by providing a fine-grained yet concise and accessible analysis of Ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb and his impact on Arabian history. His book is bound to become the standard introductory text on the subject.’ * Henri Lauzière, Northwestern University, Journal of Near Eastern Studies *‘Timely and authoritative‘ * Journal of Arabian Studies *'Michael Crawford has described with clarity a complex theology and the intricate story of its alliance with a temporal power. The author and Oneworld Publications deserve our thanks.' * Asian Affairs Journal *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION 1 THE WAHHABI PHENOMENON Contested Origins Divisive Sect or New Orthodoxy? Backward-Looking or Ahead of Its Time? Religious Universalism and Political Particularism Sources of a Controversial History 2 AGITATOR FOR GOD Scion of a Small Town Culture Regional Travel and Early Influences Response to an Ecumenical Challenge? Narrow Window on the Wider Islamic World Relaunching the Campaign for Godliness The al-‘Uyayna Years 3 GUIDE OF THE COMMUNITY Alliance with the Al Sa‘ud of al-Dir‘iyya Overturning the Status Quo The Battle for Najd Later Career Personality 4 CHAMPION OF TRUE BELIEF Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab’s Writings Assertion of Orthodoxy Oneness of God Tawhid in Action Friends, Enemies, and the Fifth Column A Community Apart 5 IDEOLOGUE OF STRUGGLE Excommunication (Takfir) Secondary Takfir and Emigration (Hijra) Jihad 6 SCOURGE OF POLYTHEISTS Sunni Clerical Opponents The Bedouin Customary Law Takfir of the Bedouin Tribalism and the Bedouin Holy Men, Cults, and Sufis The Shi‘a 7 THE REGIME OF GODLINESS AND THE POLITICAL ORDER Explaining the Genesis of Wahhabism Social and Economic Trends State Formation and the Regime of Godliness Commanding Right and Forbidding Wrong Government and the Political Order Obedience to the Ruler Princes and Clerics Imamate Administration of Justice Social Justice Conclusion 8 WAHHABISM, SAUDI STATES, AND FOREIGN POWERS Saudi Expansion and Conquest of the Holy Cities Spreading the Word Destruction of al-Dir‘iyya Wahhabi View of the Ottomans Saudis and Christian Powers The Second Saudi State’s Uneven Career Civil War and Collapse of the Second Saudi State Restoration and Renewal The Ikhwan and Internal Dissidence Senior Clerics Become Officials The Nasserist Challenge and the Saudi Bid for Islamic Leadership 9 WAHHABISM AND RELIGIOUS RADICALISM IN SAUDI ARABIA The Trauma of Juhayman The “Awakening” Jihadism 10 IBN ‘ABD AL-WAHHAB’S LEGACY Bibliography Further Reading Index
£23.75
Oneworld Publications Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi: Islamic Reform and
Book SynopsisAbd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi (1855–1902) was one of the most articulate and original proponents of reformist ideas in the Arab world, as well as a precursor of Arab nationalism. A journalist, political thinker and social activist from Aleppo, Syria, he was a sharp critic of both the scholarly and Sufi religious traditions, and of the autocratic Ottoman government of the day. Undeterred by persecution and arrest, he advocated returning to the model of the forefathers of Islam and was an overt supporter of liberty, an Arab Caliphate, and the separation of religion and state. The first full-scale biography of Kawakibi in any European language, this work combines an account of his life with a fresh look at his writings, from the newspapers he founded in Aleppo to the books he published in Cairo. Drawing on memoirs of relatives and colleagues and on archival material, Itzchak Weismann demonstrates Kawakibi’s originality and assesses his impact on the evolution of Islamic political thought and the course of Arab nationalism during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION 1 THE MAKING OF A SYRIAN ISLAMIC INTELLECTUAL Politics and Society in Late Ottoman Aleppo The Urban Religious Landscape Family Background Between Traditional and Modern Education 2 EXPERIMENTS IN JOURNALISM Official and Private Editor The Vocation of the Press The Afflictions of the Ottoman System New Hopes for Aleppo Communal Troubles 3 A PROVINCIAL OTTOMAN NOTABLE’S CAREER Facing the Hamidian Regime A Man of His Class For the Sake of the People Overtures toward a Middle Class An Exile in Egypt 4 THE CRISIS OF THE MUSLIM WORLD Kawakibi’s Oeuvre An Islamic Conference in Mecca The Degeneration of the Umma Critic of the Religious Tradition The Failings of the Tanzimat 5 A BLUEPRINT FOR REFORM Modernist Salafi Reformation The Model of the West An Association for Muslim Edification An Arab Caliphate 6 AGAINST TYRANNY A Scientific Inquiry Defining Tyranny The Politico-Religious Nexus Knowledge and Public Service Socialism and Democracy Toward Progress 7 IN THE EYES OF POSTERITY A Middle-Class Family A Mixed Legacy A Final Assessment Bibliography Index
£28.50
