Islam Books

Book Synopsis This is one of the I Can Series of books that introduces and illustrates some basic yet important concepts and terms for young Muslim children. These are explained with reference to their everyday life and in the settings with which children are familiar. In simple, easy-to-understand language the series presents Islam as a living reality to be experienced in daily life. It answers many questions about Islam as faith which arise in the young, curious minds. For ages 3-5 years and the young at heart. I Can Make Du''a Anywhere! teaches us that in our everyday lives, we should always turn to Allah, seeking His help and thanking Him for all the things He gives us. Praying to Him makes our lives more meaningful and satisfying.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTittle-tattle Talia is a story about a young girl who can not resist a juicy story. She is always talking about other people and she loves the attention she gets from those who listen to her tales. Despite warnings to stop, she doesn''t see why a bit of fun is such a problem, but wait...where have all her friends gone?

Read more less

Book SynopsisA memoir of a fundamentalist Muslim childhood and of redefining faith, belonging and family in adulthoodTrade Review‘The Colour of God is an engrossing read, not because it tells the story of one woman’s journey from “subjugation” within a puritanical sect of Islam to finding ‘liberation’ by taking off her veil, but because it refuses and interrogates these facile labels. Chaudhry is brilliant at dissecting how fundamentalism took root in her family, and she’s equally good at holding up a mirror to the culture that tends to dehumanise those who don’t conform to its norms.’ -- Monica Ali, author of Brick Lane‘This book fell into my heart, bringing real life, real love, pain and grief… Chaudhry writes beautifully.’ -- Sabrina Mahfouz‘The Colour of God offers us a sustained exploration of home and belief and the tendrils between the two…a beautiful and necessary book that remarkably, wonderfully, makes our world larger and smaller at once.’ -- Ross Gay, bestselling author of The Book of Delights‘The kind of authentic voice that is rarely heard nowadays. Her experiences of family and the patriarchal interpretations of Islam, pushed upon women of South Asian heritage, resonated with me on so many levels.’ -- Saima Mir, author of The Khan‘The Colour of God is not a Huntington-esque, us vs them book, but a mirror showing us who we are. I found myself in every page…The author’s strength is to bring the profound into the mundane. A very alluring read.’ * Muslim News *‘An extraordinary memoir, which uses the author’s wounds to help us to better understand the poetry of her ordinary life. It provides a beautiful glimpse of some of the realities of Muslim life at the beginning of the 21st century.’ -- Amir Hussain, Chair and Professor of Theological Studies, Loyola Marymount University‘These lovingly curated memories take us through journeys of migration, displacement, loss, and resilience. Seeded with perceptive insights into colonial legacies, racism, resistance, gender, fundamentalism and faith, patriarchy and power, Chaudhry presents us with a memoir that is at once compelling and illuminating.’ -- Zayn Kassam, Professor of Religious Studies, Pomona College‘Ayesha Chaudhry lifts the veil off an age-old trope about Muslim womanhood by diving deep and surfacing through its pain, love, joy and complexity. This memoir offers such profound candor that it challenges this trope by invoking depth of truth in its unfolding.’ -- Amina Wadud‘An exquisite, engrossing, and very moving book.’ * New York Journal of Books *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA fascinating, in-depth exploration of the messianic idea in Sunni Islam through four major movements from different times and placesTrade Review‘A wealth of information... This book does far more than fill a gap in scholarship on messianism in Sunni Islam. It offers a far-reaching analysis of mahdis in dialogue with the historic tradition that inspired and shaped them, and provides insights into the patterns of messianic thinking that continues to infuse militant Muslim movements today. It makes a major contribution to our understanding of messianism in Islam, of the study of messianism more broadly, and of the power of religious ideas to change the world.’ * Journal of the American Oriental Society *‘Friedmann’s study provides important historical depth… Friedmann reminds us of the potency of the messianic idea.’ * Fitzroy Morrissey, The Critic *‘Building on his earlier rich forays into Islamic apocalypticism, Friedmann offers a clear and succinct account of Sunni mahdism in history. Deftly choosing his case studies and progressing effortlessly from early Islamic to medieval and modern times, he corrects a significant imbalance in previous scholarship on the figure of the mahdi: the tendency to privilege Shi‘i conceptions. An excellent launchpad for anyone wishing to make the acquaintance of the Sunni mahdi.’ -- Christian Lange, Professor and Chair of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Utrecht‘For more than five decades, Yohanan Friedmann has patiently and meticulously studied a crucial aspect of Islamic history: the role of prophetic figures in mediating between God and humankind, and the social and political implications of that role. Through his past monographs to this work, he has examined thoroughly, with impressive erudition and subtle reflections, the subject from the earliest days of Islam to the present. He thus reveals – with not only the rigour of a philologist and a historian, but with clarity and great pedagogical skill – one of the most important dimensions of Muslim religiosity in all its diversity and complexity.’ -- Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi, Professor, École Pratique des Hautes Études – Université PSL (Sorbonne)‘This excellent book brings into focus the stories, systems of thought and movements created by four mahdis active in different times and places, from medieval al-Andalus to modern India. Friedmann draws upon his in-depth knowledge of the classical Islamic sources to magisterially reveal the inspiration and the interpretative capacities of these leaders, and in so doing he challenges the idea that mahdism is a phenomenon related to Shi‘i rather than to Sunni Islam. He adroitly uses these four central characters to show how the expectation of a redeemer translates into political movements, with mostly tragic consequences.’ -- Mercedes García-Arenal, Research Professor, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe most comprehensive examination to date of the claim that Islam, as a system of scripture, law and spirituality, is antiblackIt is commonly claimed that Islam is antiblack, even inherently bent on enslaving Black Africans. Western and African critics alike have contended that antiblack racism is in the faith’s very scriptural foundations and its traditions of law, spirituality, and theology. But what is the basis for this accusation? Bestselling scholar Jonathan A.C. Brown examines Islamic scripture, law, Sufism, and history to comprehensively interrogate this claim and determine how and why it emerged. Locating its origins in conservative politics, modern Afrocentrism, and the old trope of Barbary enslavement, he explains how antiblackness arose in the Islamic world and became entangled with normative tradition. From the imagery of ‘blackened faces’ in the Quran to Shariah assessments of Black women as ‘undesirable’ and the asserTrade Review‘[A] meticulous apologetic… Brown’s nuanced analysis highlights more egalitarian strands of the faith as well, suggesting that the Quran promotes the equality of all humans before God… Brown’s extensive scholarship on Muslim theological and legal thinkers is remarkable… Deeply researched and carefully reasoned, this is sure to spark spirited debate.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘The question Brown seeks to answer is simple, “Is Islam antiblack?” His path to an answer, however, is a complex, meandering one through many historic, cultural, social, political and religious vistas. The result is a sensitive and nuanced distinguishing between lived reality and scriptural ideal… This engaging volume will prove to be a seminal work in this area of inquiry.’ -- Imam Zaid Shakir, Professor Emeritus, Zaytuna College‘A phenomenal book on race and antiblackness in the Islamic tradition. Dr. Brown builds on the long scholarly tradition of documenting the achievements of Black African Muslims in history and skillfully addresses accusations that Islam is an antiblack religion.’ -- Habeeb Akande, author of Illuminating the Darkness‘Written with awe-inspiring insight, erudition, and elegance, what I find most refreshing about this book is its unfailing honesty and bravery. Jonathan Brown’s treatment of this historically elusive topic is highly nuanced but eminently readable, and, at times, uncomfortably honest. Without a doubt, this is the most authoritative study written to date on the topic of Islam and Blackness.’ -- Khaled Abou El Fadl, Omar and Azmeralda Alfi Distinguished Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law‘As expansive in scope as it is accessible, this daring book invites readers to join a highly relevant and hotly contested conversation. Brown asks incisive questions and follows them with erudite, creative, and sometimes provocative answers. Bound to spark debate, Islam & Blackness is invaluable for anyone seeking to understand both premodern conceptions of race and current realities of antiblack racism in a global context.’ -- Elizabeth Urban, Associate Professor of Islamic History, West Chester University

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe book discusses and catalogues Charles Masson's 18338 collections from the urban site of Begram and Kabul bazaar now in the British Museum, supplemented by illustrated coins recorded in Masson's archival manuscripts and in H.H. Wilson, but no longer in the collection.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first comprehensive discussion of Leo Strauss's writings on Islamic political thought, and his reflections on religion, philosophy, and politics in their relationship with wisdom, persecution, divine law, and unbelief in the writings of Muslim thinkers, including Alfarabi and Averroes and in the famous Arabic collection, the Arabian Nights.Table of Contents1. Averroes between platonic philosophy and the Sharīʻa; 2. Politics, religion, and love: How Leo Strauss read the Arabian Nights; 3. From Alfarabi's Plato to Strauss's Alfarabi; 4. Strauss, Alfarabi, and Plato's Laws.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAnalyzing the intersection between Sufism and philosophy, this volume is a sweeping examination of the mystical philosophy of Mu?yi-l-Din Ibn al-?Arabi (d. 637/1240), one of the most influential and original thinkers of the Islamic world. This book systematically covers Ibn al-?Arabi's ontology, theology, epistemology, teleology, spiritual anthropology and eschatology.While philosophy uses deductive reasoning to discover the fundamental nature of existence and Sufism relies on spiritual experience, it was not until the school of Ibn al-?Arabi that philosophy and Sufism converged into a single framework by elaborating spiritual doctrines in precise philosophical language. Contextualizing the historical development of Ibn al-?Arabi's school, the work draws from the earliest commentators of Ibn al-?Arabi's oeuvre, ?adr al-Din al-Qunawi (d. 673/1274), ?Abd al-Razzaq al-Kashani (d. ca. 730/1330) and Dawud al-Qay?ari (d. 751/1350), but also draws from the medieval heirs of his doctTrade Review“Mukhtar Ali's Philosophical Sufism is his second major contribution to analyzing the intersection between the two disciplines, written in a clear and accessible language and deserving a wide readership. Having supervised his dissertation some years ago, I am gratified to see that he has emerged as a prominent scholar in this field of Islamic Studies.”— Hamid Algar, Professor Emeritus of Persian and Islamic Studies, University of California, Berkeley“Exceptionally clear and clearly exceptional, Philosophical Sufism presents us with an analytically rigorous and spiritually sensitive explication of the main doctrines of the school of Ibn al-ʿArabī, which dominated spiritual and intellectual life in the pre-modern and early modern Islamic world for well over six hundred years. As such, this book recommends itself to not only intellectual historians and professional philosophers, but also those who would like to bring the riches of the Sufi metaphysical tradition to bear upon the impoverished scene of contemporary Islamic thought.”— Mohammed Rustom, author of Inrushes of the Heart: The Sufi Philosophy of ʿAyn al-Quḍāt“Philosophical Sufism is a very welcome addition to Islamic studies. Mukhtar Ali’s presentation of the intersections of philosophy and Sufism manages to maintain a balance that is wide-ranging, yet structured; accessible, yet profound. Lucidly written, with careful treatments of the key authors and texts of this important intellectual phenomenon, Philosophical Sufism will be invaluable for both researchers and instructors.”— Cyrus Ali Zargar, author of The Polished Mirror: Storytelling and the Pursuit of Virtue in Islamic Philosophy and Sufism.“Philosophical Sufism offers a highly accessible account of Islamic mysticism in the language of ratiocination. Undergraduates and adepts alike will benefit from the overview of Sufi themes and scholarly literature. Its pedagogical value lies in the clarity of discussion, the author’s effortless style and firm grasp of the topics. An indispensable contribution that bridges the gap between Islamic philosophy and mysticism.”— Harun Rasiah, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies, California State University“With skillful erudition, Mukhtar Ali distills the central philosophical tenets of the school of Ibn al-ʿArabi, systematically covering ontology, epistemology, teleology, human vicegerency, the nature of imagination, and the relation between the macrocosm and microcosm. As one of very few introductory texts on the subject, it will prove invaluable particularly to students.”—Atif Khalil, author of Repentance and the Return to God: Tawba in Early Sufism Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Ontology 2. The Divine Names and Attributes 3. Divine Knowledge 4. The Origin of Multiplicity 5. The Universal Worlds 6. The Imaginal World 7. Unveiling 8. The Human Vicegerency 9. The Existential Circle 10. The Supreme Spirit in the Microcosm 11. Prophethood, Messengership and Sainthood 12. Resurrection Conclusion Bibliography

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisUnparalleled in its range of topics and geographical scope, this volume provides a comprehensive overview of Muslim culture and society since 1800. With topics ranging from religious thought, Islamic law and modern politics to the arts, cinema and new media, the volume highlights the diversity and richness of Islamic civilization.Table of Contents1. Introduction: Muslims and modernity: culture and society in an age of contest and plurality Robert W. Hefner; Part I. Social Transformations: 2. New networks and new knowledge: migrations, communications and the refiguration of the Muslim community in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries R. Michael Feener; 3. Population, urbanisation and the dialectics of globalisation Clement M. Henry; 4. The origins and early development of Islamic reform Ahmad S. Dallal; 5. Reform and modernism in the middle twentieth century John O. Voll; 6. Islamic resurgence and its aftermath Saïd Amir Arjomand; 7. The new transnationalism: globalising Islamic movements Peter Mandaville; 8. Muslims in the West: Europe John Bowen; 9. Muslims in the West: North America Karen Isaksen Leonard; 10. New frontiers and conversion Robert Launay; Part II. Religion and Law: 11. Contemporary trends in Muslim legal thought and ideology Sami Zubaida; 12. A case comparison: Islamic law and the Saudi and Iranian legal systems Frank E. Vogel; 13. Beyond Dhimmihood: citizenship and human rights Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im; 14. The : scholarly tradition and new public commentary Muhammad Qasim Zaman; 15. Sufism and neo-Sufism Bruce B. Lawrence; Part III. Political and Economic Thought: 16. Islamic political thought L. Carl Brown; 17. Women, family and the law: the Muslim personal status law debate in Arab states Lynn Welchman; 18. Culture and politics in Iran since the 1979 revolution Nikki R. Keddie; 19. Modern Islam and the economy Timur Kuran; Part IV. Cultures, Arts and Learning: 20. Islamic knowledge and education in the modern age Robert W. Hefner; 21. History, heritage and modernity: cities in the Muslim world between destruction and reconstruction Jens Hanssen; 22. Islamic philosophy and science S. Nomanul Haq; 23. The press and publishing Ami Ayalon; 24. The modern art of the Middle East Venetia Porter; 25. Cinema and television in the Arab world Walter Armbrust; 26. Electronic media and new Muslim publics Jon W. Anderson; Glossary; Bibliography.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe death of the Islamic Republic''s revolutionary patriarch, Ayatollah Khomeini, the bitter denouement of the Iran-Iraq War, and the marginalisation of leading factions within the political elite, in tandem with the end of the Cold War, harboured immense intellectual and political repercussions for the Iranian state and society. It was these events which created the conditions for the emergence of Iran''s post-revolutionary reform movement, as its intellectuals and political leaders sought to re-evaluate the foundations of the Islamic state''s political legitimacy and religious authority. In this monograph, Sadeghi-Boroujerdi, examines the rise and evolution of reformist political thought in Iran and analyses the complex network of publications, study circles, and think-tanks that encompassed a range of prominent politicians and intellectuals in the 1990s. In his meticulous account of the relationships between the post-revolutionary political class and intelligentsia, he explores a paTrade Review'Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi's Revolution and its Discontents: Political Thought and Reform in Iran caps a long and illustrious body of scholarship relentlessly articulating Iranian intellectual history in the course of a fateful encounter with colonial modernity. Like a virtuoso sailer he navigates judiciously through some troublesome seas to carry forward the work done by his elders to new an exiting shores unforeseen at the dawn of an Islamist turn in contemporary Iranian history. With this masterful book, Sadeghi-Boroujerdi has joined the happy few.' Hamid Dabashi, Columbia University, New York'This is a masterful and highly readable analysis of the aspirations as well as the trials and tribulations of the 'religious intelligentsia' in the Islamic Revolution. It is essential reading for anyone intrigued by the question whether the term 'religious intelligentsia' is a contradiction in terms.' Ervand Abrahamian, Bernard M. Baruch College, City University of New York'The publication of Revolution and Its Discontents marks so much more than a groundbreaking book that deepens and widens our understanding of the dynamic nature of Iranian politics and religious thought since the 1979 Revolution. It also marks the arrival of a major new scholar to the field of Iranian studies. Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi combines deep intimacy with all the relevant sources, profound analytical skills, and uncommon grace in making comparative and theoretical moves that bring the material from Iran into a robust dialogue with global trends. Most enthusiastically recommended for all scholars of Iranian studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Islamic Studies, post-colonial studies, and beyond.' Omid Safi, Duke University, North Carolina'This fascinating book re-interprets the post-revolutionary ideological topography of the Islamic Republic of Iran through a careful reading of the works of religious intellectuals and Islamist Left in Iran. Sadeghi-Boroujerdi complicates simplistic binary categorisation of the partisans of the Islamic Republic as reformist/hardliners to show us the broad range of political, economic, and religious ideologies of the country's political elite.' Laleh Khalili, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London'An erudite interrogation of the intellectual bases of the Reform Movement in Iran. An intellectual history of the first order, Sadeghi-Boroujerdi's analytical narrative dissects the intellectual vitality of a movement that struggled to define itself within a political environment that proved increasingly unsettling.' Ali Ansari, University of St Andrews, Scotland'Sadeghi-Boroujerdi offers a theoretically sophisticated and empirically rich study of the emergence of a vibrant intellectual community in postrevolutionary Iran. His analysis takes the reader beyond the simple binaries of religious versus secular intellectuals and shows with an exemplary clarity the plurality of sources with reference to which those intellectuals intervene in politics and cultural production in the contemporary Iranian society.' Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi, Princeton University, New Jersey'Iran is the only country to have experienced an Islamic revolution, giving reality to a long-standing Islamist dream. This revolution and the regime it established have defined Muslim politics around the world for and against Iran. But having been achieved, the revolution also gave rise to post-Islamist thought in Iran. Seeking to surpass rather than reject the revolution, these thinkers provide a fascinating insight into the future of Islam. Sadeghi-Boroujerdi's book represents the most sophisticated analysis yet written of post-Islamism as a form of political thought, one that will likely shape our world in unforeseen ways.' Faisal Devji, University of Oxford'The overthrow of a brutal monarch opened up in Iran questions that, as recent events show, are far from being settled in even so-called advanced democracies: What is a 'people', and who gets to represent it? Khomeini imposed his own answers. But, contrary to what the exponents of Muslim medievalism alleged, his Islamic republicanism, which required regular elections as well as clerical 'guardianship', was an ultra-modern invention. Khomeini literally forged a tradition of clerical Shiism. More importantly, it has been consistently challenged, most strikingly from within its old guard, as Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi brilliantly describes in his new book Revolution and Its Discontents: Political Thought and Reform in Iran.' Pankaj Mishra, Bloomberg Opinion (www.bloomberg.com/opinion)'This is a brilliant book dealing with the religious politics of Iran since the 1978 Islamic Revolution.' R. W. Olson, Choice'Revolution and its Discontents is beautifully written, theoretically solid, and offers a rich and engaging analysis of the intellectual reformist milieu in Iran between the early 1990s and the mid-2000s, through the protagonists' own voices and written production … this remains an extremely relevant, accurate, and engaging work published on the intellectual history of Iran in the post-Cold war era, able to speak not only to scholars of modern Iran, but to all historians and social scientists interested in revolutionary and reformist movements.' Paola Rivetti, International Journal of Middle East Studies'The magnificent book under review goes a long way in demystifying the Iranian reform movement of the 1990s and early 2000s … Revolution and its Discontents should be particularly praised for transcending the all too insular conventional discussions of Iranian political thought.' Simon Wolfgang Fuchs, Political Theology'Sadeghi-Boroujerdi's willingness to astutely and clearly address the limitations of reformist thought in Iran, which are often downplayed or even avoided, is one of the book's greatest strengths. Since he convincingly manages to situate these debates and their inspirations firmly within the context of post-Cold War liberalism, Revolution and Its Discontents should be particularly praised for transcending the all too insular conventional discussions of Iranian political thought.' Simon Wolfgang Fuchs, Political TheologyTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Religious intellectuals, reform and the struggle for hegemony; 2. Constructing Behesht-e Jahan: Islam, the clergy and the state; 3. Political genealogies of reform: the rowshanfekran-e dini and the Islamic left; 4. Revolution and its discontents: ideology and the death of utopia; 5. Free faith, democratic governance and the 'official reading' of religion; 6. Khatami, the 2nd of Khordad front and the pedagogics of pluralism; 7. Sa'id Hajjariyan and reformist strategy: sovereign disenchantment and the politics of participation; Conclusion.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book draws upon theory and theology to consider how religious institutions engage with post-conflict statebuilding and why they would choose to lend their resources to the endeavour. Drawing from the theologies of Roman Catholicism and Sunni Islam, Dragovic explores their possible motivations to engage alongside the international community.Trade Review''As an international civil servant, Denis Dragovic has seen the importance of religion in political life while serving in conflict zones around the world. This fascinating study adds to that lived experience rigour and scholarship, resulting in an insightful comparative study of Catholicism and Islam. Building on the themes of salvation and justice, Dragovic provides new insights into how the deep purpose that underlies religious belief plays a crucial role in politics.'' - Professor Anthony F Lang, Chair in International Political Theory in the School of International Relations at the University of St Andrews and Director of the Centre for Global Constitutionalism ''This book is striking in its appreciation of how religious communities might play a constructive role in rebuilding the state following conflict. It examines Roman Catholic Christian and Sunni Islamic traditions and then focuses in particular on Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dragovic is especially impressive in his commitment to understanding religious perspectives from the inside and also in his description of the role of religious institutions on the ground.'' - Professor George Rupp, Columbia University, formerly Dean of the Harvard School of Divinity and President of International Rescue CommitteeTable of ContentsSeries Editor Introduction; John Brewer Author Preface Introduction 1. Religion and Post-Conflict Statebuilding 2. Roman Catholic View of the State 3. Salvation as the Catholic Post-Conflict Statebuilding Imperative 4. Sunni Islam and the State 5. Justice as the Sunni Post-Conflict Statebuilding Imperative 6. Bosnia and Herzegovina Conclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn today's globalized world, halal (meaning permissible' or lawful') is about more than food. Politics, power and ethics all play a role in the halal industry in setting new standards for production, trade, consumption and regulation. The question of how modern halal markets are constituted is increasingly important and complex. Written from a unique interdisciplinary global perspective, this book demonstrates that as the market for halal products and services is expanding and standardizing, it is also fraught with political, social and economic contestation and difference. The discussion is illustrated by rich ethnographic case studies from a range of contexts, and consideration is given to both Muslim majority and minority societies. Halal Matters will be of interest to students and scholars working across the humanities and social sciences, including anthropology, sociology and religious studies.Trade Review"Easily the most authoritative study of the subject, this collection of essays on halal, an ostensibly ritual designation and practice, allows us to see how it becomes the crucial category by which Muslim subjects and markets around the world are both created and understood."- Faisal Devji, University of Oxford, UK"We are reminded on an almost daily basis of the enormous depth of misunderstanding about Islam that seems endemic in Europe and North America. In addressing the politics and pragmatics of halal assemblages in a global context, Halal Matters shines like a small light amidst this vast darkness of misperception. The editors of this volume are to be commended for attending to the complexity and nuance that comprises contemporary halal markets, the political projects of the states that authorize them, and the concerns of the Muslim consumers that they interpellate. Hopefully, this volume will make a small step toward fulfilling the values of tolerance, equality, and freedom that liberal societies purport to uphold."- Daromir Rudnyckyj, University of Victoria, Canada"The call by Muslims to investigate and certify products and practices formally, and subsequently then label them as Halal has given rise to a new cultural phenomenon - which is on the increase in Muslim minority and majority geographies across the globe. This book makes a vital contribution, offering a critical perspective, rooted in the social sciences, that addresses current issues of contestation and potential growth areas."- Jonathan A.J. Wilson, University of Greenwich, UK"What Halal Matters offers its readers are perceptive insights into an important aspect of Muslim modernity […] The twelve chapters pursue a mix of methodological approaches and explore halal practices and reasoning in turn by following ‘the people,’ ‘the thing’, and ‘the metaphor’. This breadth, together with its broad geographical sweep, contributes to the success of the collection as a compelling sketch of contemporary ‘halal matters’.” - Heiko Henkel, University of Copenhagen, Denmark (in Anthropos)"The book succeeds in shedding light on the major social and cultural dynamics of halal, while keeping the big political picture on stage, producing a comprehensive, yet succinct political economy of global halal. It is highly recommended for students and scholars of anthropology as well as sociologists, political scientists, Islamicists and economists." - Abdessamad Belhaj, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium (in Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations)Table of Contents1. Introduction: Modern halal markets (Florence Bergeaud-Blackler, Johan Fischer and John Lever) 2. Re-imagining Malaysia: A postliberal halal strategy? (John Lever) 3. From an implicit to an explicit understanding: new definitions of halal in Turkey (John Lever and Haluk Anil) 4. Remembering the spirit of halal: An Iranian perspective (Maryam Attar, Khalil Lohi and John Lever) 5. Domestic cooking in Marrakech’s medina (Katharina Graff) 6. Islamizing foods (Florence Bergeaud-Blackler) 7. The halal certification market in Europe and in the World: a first panorama (Florence Bergeaud-Blackler) 8. Green Halal: Looking for ethical choices (Manon Istasse) 9. Halal, diaspora and the secular in London (Johan Fischer) 10. Muslim food consumption in China: Between qingzhen and halal. (Yukari Sai and Johan Fischer) 11. The political economy of Islamic markets: Halal training in Singapore (Johan Fischer) 12. Who owns halal? International initiatives of halal food regulations (Florence Bergeaud-Blackler)

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book employs an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the origins and role of Islam in constitutions of Muslim-majority states. It explains how and why Islam became constitutionally entrenched in some states and expands on the relationship between colonialism, constitutional Islam, secularism and human rights.Trade Review'In this book, Ahmed and Abbasi present a systematic argument and a powerful empirical lens to study the interface of religion, law, and politics in the Muslim world. Democracy under God presents an original and illuminating perspective on Islamic constitutionalism, which is supported by multi-disciplinary perspectives and a rich array of historical and contemporary empirical cases ranging from the Ottoman Empire to West Africa and Pakistan. This is a provocative and insightful book that will be of interest to a wide audience.' Adeel Malik, University of Oxford'In this wide-ranging book, Ahmed and Abbasi closely analyse the role of religious faith in the crafting of constitutions of diverse Muslim-majority countries. Taking nothing for granted while exploring the critical tension between human rights and Islam, the authors provide a profound insightful take that compels readers to question their assumptions. As a broad comparative study, the book is essential reading for scholars of law and religion, legal historians and constitutional law.' Nurfadzilah Yahaya, Yale UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction; Part I. 1. Islamic constitutionalism: origins and present; 2. What is an Islamic constitution?; Part II. 3. Constitutional Islamisation and Islamic supremacy clauses; 4. Case studies; Part III. 5. Islamic supremacy clauses and rights – Islamic review in practice; Conclusion.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPer-Erik Nilsson takes a religious studies approach to analyse the intersections of secularism, nationhood and populism in contemporary France. This book provides insight into the French and European radical-nationalist ideology and activism, and contributes to our understanding of the complex relationship between religion and the state in contemporary Europe and beyond. When Marine Le Pen became the leader of the radical nationalist and populist party National Front in 2011, she made clear that secularism was a core value of party. This signalled a significant shift in the party''s rhetorical strategies and previous reluctance to embrace secularism. Nilsson argues that this conspicuous appropriation first came about as a logical result of the obsession of the established mainstream political parties and news media with questions of secularism, national identity and Islam. He shows that a key player in understanding the National Front's change is the web-based journal RipTrade ReviewIn this in-depth dissection of an important French identitarian far-right movement, Per- Erik Nilsson gives us a clear insight into how these anti-Muslim activists, misleadingly claiming to work in the cause of secularism, argue and mobilize in their frightening attempt to carry out a religious cleansing of France. * John R. Bowen, Dunbar-Van Cleve Professor in Arts & Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, USA, and author of On British Islam (2006) and Can Islam be French? (2009). *To stand out from a crowd of researchers, one has to take a very unusual and creative approach to the topic. In his book French Populism and Discourses on Secularism Per-Erik Nilsson does just this by exploring the phenomenon of populism from a unique perspective. * Journal of Language and Politics *This timely book is a must-read for those interested in (and concerned by) how laïcité has been mobilized for nationalist, racist and xenophobic ends. Why laïcité and why now? Scholars in a diverse range of fields will find answers in this empirically and theoretically rich monograph. * Jennifer A. Selby, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, and author of Questioning French Secularism (2012). *Table of ContentsPreface 1 Under Siege: Approaching Secularism, Populism, and Nationhood in France 2 A Green Cancer: The Construction of an External Enemy 3 Collaborators and Traitors: The Construction of Internal Enemies 4 The Real People: Identifying the True People of France 5 Reconquista or Death: The Exploration of Strategies to Purify the Nation 6 Echoes from the Past: An Outlook on Europe Notes References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisStudents are encouraged to think beyond simple identifiers of Muslim, American, Canadian, or Mexican, and to consider how these identifiers exist in conversation with one another, and with others such as gender, class, race, sexuality, and ability.The overview chapter provides students with an introductory grounding in the field. Chapters take a multidisciplinary approach, and focus on the expressions of Islam in its diverse forms. The book is illustrated throughout with over 75 images and each chapter contains suggested further reading. A glossary of key terms and concepts is included. Case studies include Islam in Cuba, Islam and the Black experience, and the Hijab.Topics covered include Muslims and Politics in the US, Islamophobia as/and racism, Muslims in American popular media, the Latinx Muslim experience, and religious diversity in Canada. From tracing street names, such as Malcom X Boulevard in Harlem, to exploring how Islam has been constructed as a n

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book examines the salience of neo-traditionalism in Anglo-American Muslim communities, by tracing the scholarship and impact of the key public pedagogues (shaykhs) associated with this phenomenon Hamza Yusuf, Abdal Hakim Murad, and Umar Faruq Abd-Allah.

Read more less

Book SynopsisInvestigates the environmental policies of transnational and militant Islamist groupsTrade Review"Karagiannis's well-researched work outlines Islamist approaches to environmental issues. Its analysis of six organisations, including the Muslim Brotherhood, Hizbullah and ISIS, shows that political self-interest, rather than a theological rationale, drives the shift to environmentalism. This excellent volume enriches our knowledge of Islamist ideas and policies and exposes the secular motivations behind the religious veneer that overlays them. " -Katerina Dalacoura, London School of Economics

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this first-hand account of the Iranian Revolution, Mirsepassi deftly weaves together his memories of provincial life and radical activism in 1960s and 1970s Iran with insights gleaned in his subsequent career as a sociologist of Iran.Trade Review"The prose of our historiography is changing. Solid scholars with an impeccable academic background are turning to the more publicly accessible genre of memoir, and Ali Mirsepassi's exceptionally insightful new book is a vintage of such fruitful prose. Deeply erudite, and yet intimate, endearing, and irresistibly readable, The Loneliest Revolution charts a whole new way of writing history. A bravura performance! ?" -Hamid Dabashi, Columbia University

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisPresenting numerous interconnected insights into life in Greater Syria in the twelfth century, this book covers a wide range of themes relating to Crusader-Muslim relations.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book investigates the ways in which a medieval Islamic movement harnessed Quranic visions of utopia to construct one of the most brilliant and lasting empires in Islamic history (979-1171).

Read more less

Book SynopsisExamining a single broad tribal identity al-Azd from the immediate pre-Islamic period into the early Abbasid era, this book notes the ways it was continually refashioned over that time.

Read more less

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.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAnalyses the narrative function of Kh?rijism in 9th- and 10th-century Islamic historiographyTrade Review"The Kharijites in Early Islamic Historical Tradition is a welcome addition to the scholarship on early Islamic history, Islamic historiography, the Islamic literary tradition, and Islamic sects and sectarianism. Hagemann provides a comprehensive, historicized analysis of how Muslim historians in the first few centuries of Islamic history understood the Kharijites and Kharijism and, as importantly, how and why they developed and their views and disseminated them." -Christopher Anzalone, George Mason University

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this fascinating study, Matthew J. Kuiper the story of how Islam became a world religion and cultural phenomenon of immense scale, astonishing diversity and global impact. His starting point is the dramatic upsurge in da'wa: 'inviting' to Islam, or Islamic missionary activism.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAli Akbar examines the works of four noted scholars of Islam: Fazlur Rahman (Pakistan), Abdolkarim Soroush (Iran), Muhammad Mujtahed Shabestari (Iran) and Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd (Egypt).

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisChristians and Muslims comprise the world's two largest religious communities. This book looks at the history of their relationship part peaceful co-existence and part violent confrontation from their first encounters in the medieval period up to the present.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book studies the complex relationship of religion to modernity and argues that modernity should be understood as the consequence, not the cause, of the new intellectual landscape of the 19th century. Shows how the adoption of historicism in the 19th century engendered Islamic modernism as a theological reform movement.

Read more less

Book Synopsis Focusing on the decade following 9/11, this critical analysis examines the various portrayals of Muslims in American cinema. Comparison of pre- and post-9/11 films indicates a stereotype shift, influenced by factors other than just politics. The evolving definitions of male, female and child characters and of setting and landscape are described. The rise of the formidable American female character who dominates the weak Muslim male emerges as a common theme.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this incisive new book, Megan Brankley Abbas argues that the Western university has emerged as a significant space for producing Islamic knowledge and Muslim religious authority. For generations, Indonesia's foremost Muslim leaders received their educations in Middle Eastern madrasas or the archipelago's own Islamic schools. Starting in the mid-twentieth century, however, growing numbers traveled to the West to study Islam before returning home to assume positions of political and religious influence. Whose Islam? examines the far-reaching repercussions of this change for major Muslim communities as well as for Islamic studies as an academic discipline. As Abbas details, this entanglement between Western academia and Indonesian Islam has not only forged powerful new transnational networks but also disrupted prevailing modes of authority in both spheres. For Muslim intellectuals, studying Islam in Western universities provides opportunities to experiment with academic disciplines and to reimagine the faith, but it also raises troubling questions about whether and how to protect the Islamic tradition from Western encroachment. For Western academics, these connections raise pressing ethical questions about their own roles in the global politics of development and Islamic religious reform. Drawing on extensive archival research from around the globe, Whose Islam? provides a unique perspective on the perennial tensions between insiders and outsiders in religious studies.Trade Review"Abbas writes vividly and with a clarity and verve that make both mundane historical events and technically daunting theoretical debates accessible, engaging, and recognizably important. This is one of the most interesting works in Islamic education and Islamic studies in recent years. Its combination of literary clarity and intellectual sophistication is a rare one."—Robert Hefner, Boston University"A groundbreaking contribution to the global intellectual history of Islamic Studies, showing the entanglements of Cold War-era North American universities with the transformation of religious education in postcolonial Indonesia. Whose Islam? invites us to rethink the politics of the connections between the Western academic study of religion and modern Muslim engagement with Islamic tradition."—Cemil Aydin, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill"Megan Brankley Abbas has written an altogether remarkable and impressive analysis of the entanglements of Indonesian Islam and Western universities. It is readable, bold in its argument, and detailed in all the ways that good history should be."—Philip Fountain, The Developing Economies"[Whose Islam?] makes important contributions to the study of Islamic higher education in Indonesia. It is carefully researched and well written and will be particularly useful for Indonesia specialists unfamiliar with Islamic education in the country as well as for Islamic Studies scholars unfamiliar with Indonesia."—Mark R. Woodward, Pacific AffairsTable of ContentsIntroduction: N/A 1. Building a Modern Islamic College 2. McGill University as a "Midwife for the Islamic Reformation" 3. A Fusionist Transformation at the Ministry of Religious Affairs 4. Islam and Development, Chicago-Style 5. The Specter of Academic Imperialism Conclusion: The Future of Islamic Studies

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis“There is always an atheism to be extracted from a religion,” Deleuze and Guattari write in their final collaboration, What Is Philosophy? Their claim that Christianity “secretes” atheism “more than any other religion,” however, reflects the limits of their archive. Theological projects seeking to engage Deleuze remain embedded within Christian theologies and intellectual histories; whether they embrace, resist, or negotiate with Deleuze’s atheism, the atheism in question remains one extracted from Christian theology, a Christian atheism. In Sufi Deleuze, Michael Muhammad Knight offers an intervention, engaging Deleuzian questions and themes from within Islamic tradition. Even if Deleuze did not think of himself as a theologian, Knight argues, to place Deleuze in conversation with Islam is a project of comparative theology and faces the challenge of any comparative theology: It seemingly demands that complex, internally diverse traditions can speak as coherent, monolithic wholes. To start from such a place would not only defy Islam’s historical multiplicity but also betray Deleuze’s model of the assemblage, which requires attention to not only the organizing and stabilizing tendencies within a structure but also the points at which a structure resists organization, its internal heterogeneity, and unpredictable “lines of flight.” A Deleuzian approach to Islamic theology would first have to affirm that there is no such thing as a universal “Islamic theology” that can speak for all Muslims in all historical settings, but rather a multiplicity of power struggles between major and minor forces that contest each other over authenticity, authority, and the making of “orthodoxy.” The discussions in Sufi Deleuze thus highlight Islam’s extraordinary range of possibilities, not only making use of canonically privileged materials such as the Qur’an and major hadith collections, but also exploring a variety of marginalized resources found throughout Islam that challenge the notion of a singular “mainstream” interpretive tradition. To say it in Deleuze’s vocabulary, Islam is a rhizome.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Secrets and Secretions | 1 1 Deleuze and Tafsir: Th e Rhizomatic Qur’an | 25 2 People of the Sunna and the Assemblage: Deleuzian Hadith Theory | 61 3 Beyond Theology: Sufism as Arrangement and Affect | 84 4 The Immanence of Baraka: Bodies and Territory | 104 5 Arm Leg Leg Arm Head: Five Percenter Theologies of Immanence | 119 Conclusion: The Seal of Muslim Pseudo | 144 Acknowledgments | 155 Notes | 157 Bibliography | 171 Index | 181

Read more less

Book Synopsis“There is always an atheism to be extracted from a religion,” Deleuze and Guattari write in their final collaboration, What Is Philosophy? Their claim that Christianity “secretes” atheism “more than any other religion,” however, reflects the limits of their archive. Theological projects seeking to engage Deleuze remain embedded within Christian theologies and intellectual histories; whether they embrace, resist, or negotiate with Deleuze’s atheism, the atheism in question remains one extracted from Christian theology, a Christian atheism. In Sufi Deleuze, Michael Muhammad Knight offers an intervention, engaging Deleuzian questions and themes from within Islamic tradition. Even if Deleuze did not think of himself as a theologian, Knight argues, to place Deleuze in conversation with Islam is a project of comparative theology and faces the challenge of any comparative theology: It seemingly demands that complex, internally diverse traditions can speak as coherent, monolithic wholes. To start from such a place would not only defy Islam’s historical multiplicity but also betray Deleuze’s model of the assemblage, which requires attention to not only the organizing and stabilizing tendencies within a structure but also the points at which a structure resists organization, its internal heterogeneity, and unpredictable “lines of flight.” A Deleuzian approach to Islamic theology would first have to affirm that there is no such thing as a universal “Islamic theology” that can speak for all Muslims in all historical settings, but rather a multiplicity of power struggles between major and minor forces that contest each other over authenticity, authority, and the making of “orthodoxy.” The discussions in Sufi Deleuze thus highlight Islam’s extraordinary range of possibilities, not only making use of canonically privileged materials such as the Qur’an and major hadith collections, but also exploring a variety of marginalized resources found throughout Islam that challenge the notion of a singular “mainstream” interpretive tradition. To say it in Deleuze’s vocabulary, Islam is a rhizome.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Secrets and Secretions | 1 1 Deleuze and Tafsir: Th e Rhizomatic Qur’an | 25 2 People of the Sunna and the Assemblage: Deleuzian Hadith Theory | 61 3 Beyond Theology: Sufism as Arrangement and Affect | 84 4 The Immanence of Baraka: Bodies and Territory | 104 5 Arm Leg Leg Arm Head: Five Percenter Theologies of Immanence | 119 Conclusion: The Seal of Muslim Pseudo | 144 Acknowledgments | 155 Notes | 157 Bibliography | 171 Index | 181

Read more less