Islam Books

Book SynopsisThe Sociology of Islam provides an accessible introduction to this emerging field of inquiry, teaching and debate. The study is located at the crucial intersection between a variety of disciplines in the social sciences and the humanities.Table of ContentsPreface and Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 Knowledge and Power in the Sociology of Islam 1 Knowledge/Charisma vs. Power/Wealth: The Challenge of Religious Movements 18 Civility as the Engine of the Knowledge–Power Equation: Islam and ‘Islamdom’ 23 PART I Patterns of Civility 1 The Limits of Civil Society and the Path to Civility 43 The Origins of Modern Civil Society 43 Civil Society as a Site of Production of Modern Power 50 Folding Civil Society into a Transversal Notion of Civility 57 2 Brotherhood as a Matrix of Civility: The Islamic Ecumene and Beyond 73 Between Networking, ‘Charisma,’ and Social Autonomy: The Contours of ‘Spiritual’ Brotherhoods 73 Beyond Sufism: The Unfolding of the Brotherhood 85 Rewriting Charisma into Brotherhood 92 PART II Islamic Civility in Historical and Comparative Perspective 3 Flexible Institutionalization and the Expansive Civility of the Islamic Ecumene 105 The Steady Expansion of Islamic Patterns of Translocal Civility 105 Authority, Autonomy, and Power Networks: A Grid of Flexible Institutions 114 The Permutable Combinations of Normativity and Civility 118 4 Social Autonomy and Civic Connectedness: The Islamic Ecumene in Comparative Perspective 131 New Patterns of Civic Connectedness Centered on the ‘Commoners’ 131 Liminality, Charisma, and Social Organization 140 Municipal Autonomy vs. Translocal Connectedness 147 PART III Modern Islamic Articulations of Civility 5 Knowledge and Power: The Civilizing Process before Colonialism 165 From the Mongol Impact to the Early Modern Knowledge–Power Configurations 165 Taming theWarriors into Games of Civility? Violence, Warfare, and Peace 176 The LongWave of PowerDecentralization 189 6 Colonial Blueprints of Order and Civility 201 The Metamorphosis of Civility under Colonialism 201 Court Dynamics and Emerging Elites: The Complexification of the Civilizing Process 218 Class, Gender, and Generation: The Ultimate Testing Grounds of the Educational-Civilizing Project 226 7 Global Civility and Its Islamic Articulations 239 The Dystopian Globalization of Civility 239 Diversifying Civility as the Outcome of Civilizing Processes 251 From Islamic Exceptionalism to a Plural Islamic Perspective 260 Conclusion 271 Overcoming Eurocentric Views: Religion and Civility within Islam/Islamdom 271 The Institutional Mold of Islamic Civility: Contractualism vs. Corporatism? 278 From the Postcolonial Condition toward New Fragile Patterns of Translocal Civility 287 Index 295

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Book SynopsisBahá'í Faith: The Basics provides a thorough and accessible introduction to a fascinating, independent world religion. Examining its historical development, current community-building efforts and the social contributions of the Bahá'í Faith in the world today, this introduction covers: Beliefs: Bahá'í spiritual teachings Principles: Bahá'í social teachings History: Bahá'u'lláh and his covenant. Scripture: Bahá'í sacred texts and inspired guidance Institutions: The Bahá'í Administrative Order Building community: What Bahá'ís do Social action: Bahá'í social and economic development projects Public discourse: The Bahá'í International Community Vision: Foundations for a future golden age With features including a glossary of terms, and references to the Bahá'í writings throughout, this is the ideal text for students and interested readers wanting to familiarize themselves with the Bahá'í FaitTrade Review"The activities, focus, and concepts in the Baha’i world are changing so rapidly at present, especially in the area of developing new approaches to community building, that any published introductory book soon becomes out-of-date. So it is good to see another introductory book on the Baha’i Faith published, in particular since it surveys recent developments well. For anyone wishing to find out about the Baha’i Faith and the current activities of the Baha’i community, this book can be recommended. Christopher Buck presents an insider view of the Baha’i Faith, but one that is descriptive rather than prescriptive. … Buck presents all of this information in a clear and well-structured manner. He accompanies his own words with appropriate extracts from authoritative Baha’i texts to illustrate the points that he is making. He also draws on examples of the activities of the Baha’i community from different locations across the world. … In summary, there are a good many introductory books on the market but this one can be recommended for two reasons. First, it is well-written and as reasonably comprehensive as such brief introductory books can hope to be. Second, it is up-to-date covering many of the recent changes in the Baha’i community that older similar books do not."Moojan Momen, Nova Religio, Vol. 25, No. 3 (February 2022), pp. 137-138, USA."This excellent, beautifully organized introduction provides an accurate and unusually rich entré into a relatively new and still somehow frequently misunderstood religion. The author, Christopher Buck, is a leading scholar of the Baha'i religion. His book is richly enhanced with quotations from official translations of the Baha'i sacred writings, insights into the formation of distinctive Baha'i institutions and rare glimpses of key moments in Baha'i intellectual history from an introduction to the influential African-American Baha'i philosopher, Alain Locke (d. 1954) known as 'the father of the Harlem Renaissance', to a discussion of the more recent development of the Ruhi Institute process. This introduction goes beyond existing textbooks in both scope and detail. It will be warmly welcomed by researchers and students of the Baha'i Faith." Todd Lawson, University of Toronto, Canada"One outstanding feature of this book for either Bahá’ís or non-Bahá’ís is its contemporary relevance. Even well-informed readers could not possibly be fully aware of the overview presented by Buck of all the multifarious activities taking place in the Bahá’í world community. … Buck’s treatment of the material is throughout well-researched, and rich in the detail that an alert reader expects. In sum, despite its unpretentious title, this book is more than the Basics of the Bahá’í Faith. It not only covers well the religion’s early history, three central holy figures, spiritual and social teachings and organization, but also it presents a complete contemporary picture of the remarkably diverse economic, social, and spiritual activities that are being planned and executed by the Bahá’í community in all countries of the world."Jack McLean, author of Revisioning the Sacred: New Perspectives on a Bahá’í Theology"This book is a trove of insights and perspectives that will inform both the reader who is unfamiliar with the Baha’i universe and the practitioner who seeks information and inspiration. What’s more, this book will be a good resource for all fundamental aspects of the Baha’i religion and in the concert of diverse religions and spiritualities today. One should not miss its unique message to humanity."Roland Faber Kilsby Family/John B. Cobb Jr. Professor of Process Studies at Claremont School of Theology, USA. Reading Religion "The most important contribution of this work to the literature on the Baha’i Faith consists of its focus on current Baha’i community life and its description of core activities which include devotional meetings, children’s classes, junior youth groups, and adult study circles, even describing the current curriculum being used for those activities. Attention is given as well to social and economic development projects and Baha’i participation in public discourse, all elements not covered in previous introductory material. In other words, this text focuses much more broadly on what Baha’is do, rather than simply what they believe. … This text serves as a good up-to-date presentation of current Baha’i beliefs and practices." Susan Maneck, Journal of Religious History, Vol. 46, Iss. 2 (20 April 2022), pp. 379–381, AustraliaTable of Contents1. Introduction: What is the Bahá’í Faith? 2. Beliefs: Bahá’í Spiritual Teachings 3. Principles: Bahá’í Social Teachings 4. History: Bahá’u’lláh and His Covenant 5. Scripture and Authoritative Writings: Bahá’í Sacred Texts and Inspired Guidance 6. Institutions: The Bahá’í Administrative Order 7. Building Community: What Bahá’ís Do 8. Social Action: Social and Economic Development 9. Public Discourse: The Bahá’í International Community 10. Vision: Foundations for a Future Golden Age

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the diversity and dynamism of Islam in Southeast Asia through the concept of adab, or beautiful behavior. Amid the complexity of Islamic civilization, adab provides Muslims with a shared sense of sacred history, identity, and morality. In the context of Islamic ethics, adab defines the rules of personal and public etiquette: good manners, proper conduct, civility and humaneness. Featuring the interdisciplinary research of nine prominent scholars of Islam, the book offers new perspectives on adab''s multiple meanings and myriad applications for Muslim communities in Malaysia and Indonesia. The chapters examine a wide range of texts, spotlighting the writings of prominent Muslim thinkers, and contexts, focusing on the everyday experiences of lay Muslims. Drawing on a variety of theoretical and methodological lenses, the essays reveal how beautiful behavior impacts local institutions, cultural practices, and religious imaginationsTrade ReviewThe importance of this book is twofold: it is both a scholarly and a moral endeavor. The contributors assert an important interpretation of the Islamic world of Southeast Asia, yet also suggest the possibility for a shift in the Western perspective of Islam more generally. This book creatively lays the groundwork for what must become a fresh beginning in Islamic studies * Mark Mancall, Emeritus Professor of Modern World History, Stanford University, USA *This is a timely and important collection on a theme that is under-discussed in Southeast Asian studies on Islam. * Eric Tagliacozzo, Professor of History, Cornell University, USA *Table of ContentsContributors List of figures Introduction, Beautiful Behavior in Practice: Expressions of Adab in Southeast Asian Islam, Robert Rozehnal (Lehigh University, USA) Part One: Texts and Contexts 1. The Interplay Between Adab and Local Ethics and Etiquette in Indonesian and Malaysian Literature, Muhammad Ali (University of California, Riverside, USA) 2. "Young People are Seeking their Blessings": Islamic Life Courses, Explorative Authority, and the Possibilities of Worldly Adab in Rural Aceh, Daniel Andrew Birchok (University of Michigan-Flint, USA) Part Two: Politics and Law 3. Adab and the Culture of Political Culture, Thomas Pepinsky (Cornell University, USA) 4. Sharia, Adab and the Malaysian State, Timothy P. Daniels (Hofstra University, USA) Part Three: Piety and Authority 5. Women's Adab in the Pesantren: Gendering Virtues and Contesting Normative Behaviors, Nelly van Doorn-Harder (Wake Forest University, USA) 6. Politicians, Pop Preachers, and Public Scandal: A Personal Politics of Adab, James B. Hoesterey (Emory University, USA) Part Four: Performance and Experience 7. Adab and Embodiment in the Process of Performance: Islamic Musical Arts in Indonesia, Anne K. Rasmussen (College of William and Mary, USA) 8. Smoke, Fire and Rain in Muslim Southeast Asia: Environmental Ethics in the Time of Burning, Anna M. Gade (University of Wisconsin, USA) Index

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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

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

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Book SynopsisExamines the development in Sufism in Western Europe in the 21st Century

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Book SynopsisA wide-ranging, illustrated exploration of the uses of stucco in Islamic architecture in the pre-modern period. Coverage includes Iran and reaches as far afield as Spain and India.

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Book SynopsisMecca is the heart of Islam. It is the birthplace of Muhammad, the direction towards which Muslims turn when they pray and the site of pilgrimage which annually draws some three million Muslims from all corners of the world. Yet Mecca's importance goes beyond religion. What happens in Mecca and how Muslims think about the political and cultural history of Mecca has had and continues to have a profound influence on world events to this day. In this captivating book, Ziauddin Sardar unravels the significance of Mecca. Tracing its history, from its origins as a barren valley' in the desert to its evolution as a trading town and sudden emergence as the religious centre of a world empire, Sardar examines the religious struggles and rebellions in Mecca that have powerfully shaped Muslim culture. Interweaving stories of his own pilgrimages to Mecca with those of others, Sardar offers a unique insight into not just the spiritual aspects of Mecca the passion, ecstasy and longing itTrade ReviewOne of the best-known Muslim public intellectuals in the world today ... A pioneering writer on Islam * Guardian on Muhammad: All that Matters *Sardar is funny, self-deprecating and humble … One of the wittiest intellectual figures commenting on Islam * Islamic Voice on Muhammad: All that Matters *Britain’s own Muslim polymath * Independent *Readers of Mecca may at times feel they are still accompanying Sardar on his journey as a sceptical Muslim; mostly, they will sense a wide ranging intellectual engagement with a city that has been one of the world’s most important over the last one and a half millennia. In his hands they can appraise how this long history connects with the predicament facing his fellow believers in the world today. -- Geoffrey Nash * ASTENE Bulletin *Ziauddin Sardar’s poignant book Mecca: The Sacred City, describes the desecration of Islam’s holiest site -- Yasmin Alibhai-Brown * Independent *

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Book SynopsisThis first comprehensive socio-political history of the Kizilbash/Alevi communities uses a recently surfaced corpus of sources generated within their milieu. It offers fresh answers to many questions concerning their origins and evolution from a revolutionary movement to an inward-looking religious order.

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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.

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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.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the various methods and trends in Hadith Studies across the globe. Bringing together contributions from 10 scholars of Hadith, it addresses the subject from a variety of methodological vantage points and historical premises.

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Book SynopsisThe first annotated translation of the 9th-century Islamic apocalyptic work 'The Book of Tribulations' the earliest complete Muslim apocalyptic text to survive.

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Book SynopsisPROSE Award- Media and Cultural Studies FinalistHow diversity initiatives end up marginalizing Arab Americans and US Muslims One of Donald Trump's first actions as President was to sign an executive order to limit Muslim immigration to the United States, a step toward the complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States he had campaigned on. This extraordinary act of Islamophobia provoked unprecedented opposition: Hollywood movies and mainstream television shows began to feature more Muslim characters in contexts other than terrorism; universities and private businesses included Muslims in their diversity initiatives; and the criminal justice system took hate crimes against Muslims more seriously. Yet Broken argues that, even amid this challenge to institutionalized Islamophobia, diversity initiatives fail on their promise by only focusing on crisis moments. Evelyn Alsultany argues that Muslims get included through crisis diversity, where high-profile Islamophobic incidents arTrade ReviewAlsultany carefully and brilliantly walks us through the minefield known as ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ to expose the hypocrisies embedded in American discourses of tolerance. Far from addressing the root problems of today’s inequities, Alsultany shows, contemporary tolerance talk often ends up reinscribing forms of intolerance while institutionalizing racism and Islamophobia. After you read this mind-bending book, not only will you understand the strange space in liberalism’s universe that Muslims occupy, where Muslims represent what must be tolerated and what must not be tolerated simultaneously, but you’ll also realize that the slogan ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ is missing the most significant term of all: justice. -- Moustafa Bayoumi * author of This Muslim American Life: Dispatches from the War on Terror *A fresh, passionate, and comprehensive exploration of where Muslims factor into American diversity initiatives. Employing a blend of scholarly research and personal experience, Alsultany deftly deconstructs the state of Muslim representation and inclusion in the media, universities and key US institutions. -- Lorraine Ali * LA Times *Alsultany details the limit of the liberal promise of inclusion in a brilliant and accessible way. Just when you think that Muslims have entered the doorway into humanity, you see that the inclusive move is itself how Muslim sub-personhood is secured. Broken is invaluable for anyone tempted to put their hopes in multicultural inclusion. Alsultany’s achievement is that we are now steps closer to imagining abolition, the end of systems that protect white property interests. -- Sherene H. Razack * author of Nothing Has to Make Sense: Upholding White Supremacy Through Anti-Muslim Racism *With eloquent prose and a compelling voice, Broken fundamentally shifts contemporary frames for understanding Muslim representation in media, corporations, government, and universities from ‘Islamophobia’ to ‘Anti-Muslim Racism.’ In doing so, she provides a razor-sharp analysis of the truly systemic reality of anti-Muslim racism. -- Ralina Joseph * author of Postracial Resistance: Black Women, Media, and the Uses of Strategic Ambiguity *Alsultany traces how Muslims and Arabs have been incorporated into the United States, represented and racialized in its culture and politics. In some ways, these processes follow the patterns other groups experienced. But the context of terrorism and national security concerns charge the question of Arab and Muslim “otherness” in unique ways. Broken helps us articulate the racialization of 'otherness' and nonbelonging in new and important ways. -- Natalia Molina * The Chronicle of Higher Education, Best Scholarly Books of 2022 *In this eye-opening, provocative work, Alsultany clearly demonstrates that many diversity initiatives fail when they’re centered around moments of crisis instead of lasting change. This narrative will stay with readers long after the last page. To gain understanding and achieve true allyship, this is an essential title to read. * Library Journal (starred) *

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Book SynopsisUnderstanding Political Islam retraces the human and intellectual development that led François Burgat to a very firm conviction: that the roots of the tensions that afflict the Western world’s relationship with the Muslim world are political rather than ideological. In his compelling account of the interactions between personal life-history and professional research trajectories, Burgat examines how the rise of political Islam has been expressed: first in the Arab world, then in its interactions with European and Western societies. An essential continuation of his work on Islamism, Burgat’s unique field research and ‘political trespassing’ marks an overdue challenge to the academic mainstream.Trade Review'An outstanding book that sheds clarity on the oft-obscure debate about Islam and politics. Alternately personal and scholarly, Burgat takes the reader through his extensive field work in the Arab Muslim world to share the conversations and revelations that have shaped his approach to the subject. He also engages head-on with the divisive debates that have poisoned the discussion of Islam’s place in the West since 9/11, not least in his native France. Engagingly written and passionately argued, Understanding Political Islam is essential reading.'Professor Eugene Rogan, Director of St Antony's College Middle East Centre, University of Oxford'Understanding Political Islam? finally makes accessible to English readers the formidable intellectual journey of the prominent French scholar, Francois Burgat, and provides the most up to date synthesis of his research that spans over four decades and multiple countries from North Africa to the Middle east.Francois Burgat is an original and unique voice who has continuously challenged the dominant assumptions on political Islam by showing for example that Islam as a religion is not the main factor of Islamism, and therefore religious reform is not the solution to the existing Islamist predicament. Building on Burgat’s longstanding fieldwork, this book provides a rich and in depth analysis of the multifaceted and evolving reality of Islamism from its origin in the 1960s to the Arab Spring and ISIS. It is a must read for students of politics and experts of the Middle east.'Professor Jocelyne Cesari, University of Birmingham and Georgetown University, author of What is Political Islam?'A magisterial statement on the study of Islamic politics by one of its most distinguished scholars, this is also a deeply personal book that summarises a career spent in North Africa and the Middle East living among and speaking to some of the region's most important political actors.'Professor Faisal Devji, Director of St Antony's College Asian Studies Centre, University of Oxford'Misunderstanding of“Political Islam” has been perhaps the greatest political trap the West hasfallen into in modern times, dragging it into endless wars, interventions,coups and attempts at regime change in the Muslim World— all failing toaccomplish anything except death and destruction. François Burgat was oneof the very first researchers to abandon high-flown theorizing about whatpolitical Islam is all about. Instead gettingdown into the mix to spend time with an array of real personalities livingunder concrete but diverse circumstances, Burgat captured earlier thanmost a feel for the realities and impulses inside Islamic movements, howeverdivergent among themselves. He has consistently argued that the issue comesdown not to exotic ideologies but to a practical struggle by Muslims to recovera place of power and dignity in the world and to establish identities washedaway under years of colonialism. Burgat’s writings had great impact on my ownthinking on the topic going back over thirty years. In this unique book, Burgatoffers us his physical and intellectual journey through the Muslim world overthe years, as his ideas took deeper shape and root. He continues to providehere the human and psychological dimensions of the complex phenomenon thatwe in the West like to lump together as "Islamic radicalism." Thisbook makes clear how his approach and understanding have withstood the test oftime.'Graham E. Fuller, former Vice Chairman of the National Intelligence Council, a former Senior Political Scientist at RAND, and a current Adjunct Professor of History at Simon Fraser University -- .Table of ContentsPreface to the English Edition Introduction: Writing the History of a Research Career Part I: Discovering the Muslim "Other" 1 Intuitive Accumulation 2 Algeria: Approaching the Other 3 Prelude in the Jamahiriyya 4 Egypt, Arabic, and Grasping Difference 5 Yemen: Modernisation Without Colonization 6 “Beneath Israel, Palestine” 7 Syria and Bilad Al-Sham Part II: Political Islam: The stakes of an alternative interpretation 9 Being a Political Scientist of the Muslim World 10 Saving the Other's “Others”: A French Obsession 11 The Political Cost of Dissent 12 Between Judges and Spooks 13 Wrestling with the Research of Others: Olivier Roy, Gilles Kepel and Islamism 14 The Charlie Hebdo Attacks: Failure of Islam—or Failure of Politics? Conclusion: Where Do We Go Now?

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Book SynopsisThe first account of one of the world’s most pressing humanitarian catastrophes.This eye-opening book reveals how China has used the US-led Global War on Terror as cover for its increasingly brutal suppression of the Uyghur people. China’s actions, it argues, have emboldened states around the globe to persecute ethnic minorities and severely repress domestic opposition in the name of combatting terrorism.Within weeks of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, the Chinese government announced that it faced a serious terrorist threat from its largely Muslim Uyghur ethnic minority. Nearly two decades later, of the 11 million Uyghurs living in China today, more than 1 million have been detained in so-called re-education camps, victims of what has become the largest program of mass incarceration and surveillance in the world.Drawing on extensive interviews with Uyghurs in Xinjiang, as well as refugee communities and exiles, Sean Roberts tells a story that is not just about state policies, but about Uyghur responses to these devastating government programs. Providing a lucid and far-reaching analysis of China’s cultural genocide, The War on the Uyghurs allows the voices of those caught up in the human tragedy to be heard for the first time.Trade Review‘This book should act as a wake-up call for policy-makers worldwide. Armed with the piercing and detailed analysis of the recent past in East Turkistan, and the graphic accounts of the present, no one has any further excuse for failing to grasp the full reality of the human tragedy that is taking place. Roberts de-mystifies the background, debunks the false excuses of the Chinese state, and presents the reality of the persecution unfolding before our eyes. None of us can afford to look away.’ Ben Emmerson QC, Former UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism ‘Sean Roberts has done an immense service for all those who need to put headlines about Chinese repression of Uyghurs in recent years in proper context. Describing how the rhetoric and practices of the “Global War on Terror” since 2001 have led to the mass internment, persecution, and surveillance of the population, Sean Roberts shows that the Chinese campaign has chillingly aimed at nothing less than the destruction of Uyghur identity. This account is masterful, educational, and enraging by turns.’ Samuel Moyn, Professor of Law and History, Yale University, and author of Not Enough: Human Rights in an Unequal World ‘This is the back story behind one of the biggest stories in China – the incarceration of more than one million Uyghurs in a dystopian network of what are claimed to be reeducation camps. Who the Uyghurs are and how they came to be classified as terrorists is a story authoritatively told by Sean Roberts, who has spent three decades studying the Uyghurs and speaks the language. The publication of The War on the Uyghurs could not be more timely.’ Barbara Demick, former Beijing bureau chief, Los Angeles Times, and author of Nothing to Envy ‘In this highly readable account, Sean Roberts provides essential historical background to the Chinese Communist Party’s “Cultural Revolution” against the Uyghurs. Distinguished by his ability to read and speak the Uyghur language, Roberts challenges global terrorism experts, who failed to interrogate the Chinese government assertion that it was combating an international terrorism threat not an anti-colonial struggle.’ Lindsey Hilsum, Channel 4 News, author of In Extremis: the Life of War Correspondent Marie Colvin ‘I first came across the Uyghurs in Guantanamo Bay, where they were guilty of no more than fleeing Chinese repression across the closest border into Afghanistan. It is a sad truth that our American “War on Terror” has given licence to repressive regimes around the world to behave even worse, as Sean Roberts lucidly describes in detailing the tragedy of the Uyghurs.’ Clive Stafford Smith, Human Rights lawyer and founder of the charity Reprieve ‘Sophisticated, nuanced, and deeply informed. Sean Roberts offers broad insights into the ways the “Global War on Terror” has enabled authoritarian regimes around the world to repress minority populations.’ Michael Clarke, Associate Professor, National Security College, ANU College of Asia and the Pacific, and author of Xinjiang and China’s Rise in Central Asia: A History ‘Sean Roberts provides a comprehensive explanation for the current arbitrary mass detention of Uyghurs in China, an issue of global geopolitical significance. His book will likely become a standard reference for students on this topic.’ Max Oidtmann, author of Forging the Golden Urn: The Qing Empire and the Politics of Reincarnation in Tibet ‘A detailed, well-researched study of the ways in which the Xinjiang region in contemporary China has been linked with global terrorism by the central government, justifying extensive repressive measures. Sean Roberts offers a critique, and an indictment, of Beijing’s approach. Sobering and thought-provoking.’ Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese Studies and Director, Lau China Institute, King’s College London ‘Giving voice to the Uyghurs themselves and drawing attention to this crisis, The War on the Uyghurs is striking, empathetic and deeply informative. Providing detail that only an expert can offer, Roberts documents what is perhaps today’s worst tragedy. Ultimately, Roberts’s contribution serves as a vital testament to the Chinese government’s strategic brutality in Xinjiang, the Uyghurs’ perilous position and the world’s failure to live up to its promise of ‘never again.’’ LSE Review of Books ‘Timely and important.’ The Times Literary Supplement ‘Roberts provides fascinating new details…revealing that organized Uighur militancy is almost entirely illusory.’ Foreign Affairs ‘Roberts’s analysis of the interaction between China’s settler colonialism and indigenous Uyghur resistance over the past ten years is far richer than what has been offered anywhere else. This is an extremely timely book, and badly needed.’ Rian Thum, author of The Sacred Routes of Uyghur History ‘A carefully researched study of Beijing’s repression in Xinjiang.’ Financial Times -- .Table of ContentsMap: Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous RegionForeword by Ben EmmersonPrefaceIntroduction1 Colonialism, 1759-20012 How the Uyghurs became a 'terrorist threat'3 Myths and realities of the alleged 'terrorist threat' associated with Uyghurs4 Colonialism meets counterterrorism, 2002-20125 The self-fulfilling prophecy and the ‘People’s War on Terror,’ 2013-20166 Cultural genocide, 2017-2020ConclusionA note on methodologyTransliteration and place namesList of figuresList of abbreviationsAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisThe ‘War on Terror’ ushered in a new era of anti-Muslim bias and racism. Anti-Muslim racism, or Islamophobia, is influenced by local economies, power structures and histories. However, the War on Terror, a conflict undefined by time and place, with a homogenised Muslim ‘Other’ framed as a perpetual enemy, has contributed towards a global Islamophobic narrative. This edited international volume examines the connections between interpersonal and institutional anti-Muslim racism that have contributed to the growth and emboldening of nativist and populist protest movements globally. It maps out categories of Islamophobia, revealing how localised histories, conflicts and contemporary geopolitical realities have textured the ways that Islamophobia has manifested across the global North and South. At the same time, it seeks to highlight activism and resistance confronting Islamophobia.Trade Review'Bakali and Hafez’s edited volume illustrates the context-specific expressions of anti-Muslim racism as well as the symbiotic relationship between interpersonal and institutional racisms. Through this multi-scalar analysis, the edited volume does well to expand scholarship beyond critiques of Orientalism in Western societies by following the permutations of anti-Muslim racism and their articulation with preexisting racial formations in specific contexts.'Nicole Nguyen, The Middle East Journal'Naved Bakali and Farid Hafez’s edited volume The Rise of Global Islamophobia in the War on Terror: Coloniality, Race, and Islam seeks to illuminate the complicated historical roots of Islamophobia and its current iterations, both global and local; all of these topics are covered, at least in part, in this ambitious collection. Overall, it is a successful tour of the world’s anti-Muslim hostility.'Ilyse R. Morgenstein Fuerst, Reading Religion -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction: understanding Islamophobia across the global North and South in the context of the War on Terror - Naved Bakali and Farid HafezPart I: Islamophobia in settler societies1 The racialised logics of Islamophobia in Canada - Uzma Jamil2 Islamophobia in Australia: racialising the Muslim subject through War on Terror tropes in public, media and political discourse - Derya Iner and Peter McManus3 The mainstreaming of Islamophobia in US politics - Todd GreenPart II: Islamophobia in former imperial states4 Islamophobia in the Netherlands: constructing mythologies surrounding reverse colonisation and Islamisation through politics and protest movements - Leyla Yildirim5 Criminalising Muslim political agency from colonial times to today: the case of Austria - Farid Hafez6 Islamophobia in the UK: the vicious cycle of institutionalised racism and reinforcing the Muslim ‘other’ - Tahir Abbas7 ‘French-style’ Islamophobia: from historical roots to electioneering exploitation - Francois BurgatPart III: Islamophobia in formally colonised states from the Global South8 The framing of Muslims as threatening ‘others’ in the tri-border region of Brazil-Argentina-Paraguay - Silvia Montenegro9 Think-tanks and the news media’s contribution in the construction of Islamophobia in South Africa - Mohamed Natheem HendricksPart IV: Islamophobia at the ‘breaking point’10 India, Islamophobia, and the Hindutva playbook - Farhan Mujahid Chak11 Islamophobia and anti-Uyghur racism in China - Sean R. Roberts12 The Rohingya genocide through the prism of War on Terror logic - Naved BakaliIndex

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Book SynopsisIn this wide-ranging collection of insightful, controversial, and often-witty essays, the renowned author of Why I Am Not a Muslim has created a representative selection of his best work on the Koran and various problems posed by the interaction of Islam with the West. The title of the collection comes from an article that originally appeared in the London Guardian on recent textual studies of the Koran. This research suggests that, contrary to a longstanding Muslim belief about the afterlife, a harem of beautiful virgins may not be waiting for the faithful male departed in heaven. For the many readers of his books who have wondered about his background, the author begins with a charming personal sketch about his upbringing in England and his unabashed Anglophilia. A section on Koranic criticism includes excerpts from two of his books, What the Koran Really Says and Which Koran? No stranger to controversy and polemics, the author devotes two sections to articles that consider the totalitarian nature of contemporary political Islam and explore the potential for an Islamic Reformation comparable to the Protestant Reformation in the West. The concluding section is composed of Ibn Warraq's journalism, including a critique of reputed Muslim reformer Tariq Ramadan, a defense of Western culture ("Why the West Is Best)," an article about the Danish cartoons that provoked widespread Muslim outrage, and even a commentary on heavy metal music in a Muslim setting. This thoughtful, engaging collection on diverse topics will interest both longtime readers of Ibn Warraq and those new to his work.

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Book SynopsisA religious liberty lawyer and acclaimed author reveals the root of America's polarization inside the Muslim and evangelical Christian divide—and how it can be healed. Despite the dire consequences of America's cultural, political, and religious divisiveness, from increasing incivility to discrimination and outright violence, few have been able to get to the core cause of this conflict. Even fewer have offered measures for reconcilliation. Now, in The Politics of Vulnerability, Asma Uddin, American-Muslim public intellectual, religious-liberties attorney, and activist, provides a unique perspective on the complex political and social factors contributing to the Muslim-Christian divide. Unlike other analysts, Uddin asks what underlying drivers cause otherwise good people to do—or believe—bad things? Why do people who value faith support of measures that limit others, especially of Muslims’, religious freedom and other rights?’ Uddin humanizes a contentious relationship by fully embracing both sides as individuals driven by very human fears and anxieties. Many conservative Christians fear that the Left is dismantling traditional “Christian America” to replace it with an Islamized America, a conspiratorial theory that has given rise to an “evangelical persecution complex,” a politicized vulnerability. Uddin reveals that Islamophobia and other aspects of the conservative Christian movement are interconnected. Where does hate come from and how can it be conquered? Only by addressing the underlying factors of this politics of vulnerability can we begin to heal the divide. Trade Review“While evangelical Christians and Muslims differ as to the content of our faith convictions, there is agreement on the ethics our convictions inspire. By striving to heal the divide as Asma Uddin ably articulates, we can make strides as divergent faith communities toward unity of purpose in service for a thriving humanity.” -- Daniel Harrell, PhD, Editor in Chief * Christianity Today *"American Christians, in their own struggle to protect religious freedoms in America, have labelled American Muslims as enemies when they could be strong allies. If their rights aren’t protected, the rights of Christians will ultimately be threatened as well. With remarkable scholarship and insight, Asma Uddin makes a strong case for why Christians and Muslims should work together to protect the crucial freedoms that both faiths cherish.” -- Richard Stearns, President Emeritus of World Vision US, Author of The Hole in Our Gospel"The threat to religious liberty is real, and sometimes believers are their own worst enemies. Here’s a book that should open up some serious conversations about the current crisis that casts a dark shadow over faith communities in the land of the free, a land conceived in religious liberty." -- Shaykh Hamza Yusuf * "The Most Influential Islamic Scholar in the West" (New Yorker) *"A concise, challenging clarion call for Religious Freedom. Uddin’s book is filled with extensive research, humanized and complimented by life stories from a wide-array of Americans. A powerful book for our current moment.” -- Jo Anne Lyon, General Superintendent Emerita, The Wesleyan Church“An exemplar of charitable civic engagement. Without oversimplification or caricature, Uddin dives headfirst into the complex world of Muslim-Christian relations. With clear and accessible prose, her nuanced analysis both explains and models how Muslims and conservative Christians can find common ground across their differences.” -- John Inazu, Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University in St. Louis, author of Liberty's Refuge and Confident Pluralism"Asma Uddin confronts the limitations that triabilism and ideological divdes impose on religious freedom discourse in America. She calls on people of all faith—and no faith at all—to remember religious liberty as a human right and not a political tool. She describes a vision for the future of this discussion as one where American's don't water down their beliefs to engage in vigorous debate, but come together in the fullness of those beliefs to discover their American identity." -- Montserrat Alvarado, Executive Director, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty"In The Politics of Vulnerability, Ms. Uddin dares engage a conversation many wish to avoid – the realization that the US is a post-Christian nation with fear of vulnerability driving our actions, attitudes, and politics. How did we get here? And how do we move forward? Through compelling narrative, theory, and research, Ms. Uddin provides a framework for Religious Freedom; a framework that asks us to consider how Christians and Muslims can move from vulnerability to religious freedom together." -- Revered Dr. Colleen Derr, President, Wesley Seminary"In this wonderfully insighful book Asma Uddin presents a compelling and refreshing Muslim perspective on religious freedom and pluralism. Her willingness to share her sense of vulnerability in addressing these issues as a person of faith is a gift to all of us. As a conservative Christian, I not only learned much from this book—I was also deeply moved by it." -- Richard Mouw, President Emeritus, Fuller Theological Seminary"A potent challenge to prevailing thoughts on politics and culture, with the goal of bringing Muslims and Christians closer." * Kirkus *"From a sociological perspective, Uddin’s analysis is spot-on." * Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisA portable, easy-to-use map guide that locates over 700 hundred Islamic-era monuments in historic Cairo using the most sophisticated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technologyThis portable, easy-to-use map guide helps you locate over seven hundred Islamic-era monuments in Cairo’s historic core, stretching from the city’s northern walls all the way southward to the Mosque of Ibn Tulun and the Citadel, and beyond to Coptic Cairo, which includes monuments that pre-date Islamic rule. Clearly divided into six digestible main sections, the first five contain clusters of monuments, while the sixth covers structures scattered all around the old Cairene urban fabric.The clear, uncluttered cartographic style makes finding where you want to go a pleasure, and the maps are accompanied by a comprehensive index of monuments that gives their dates where known, their location referenced to their corresponding map pages, and a timeline of key periods and dynasties.Attractively designed in full color and including over twenty photographs of key monuments, this guide is conveniently packed into a slim 104 pages—handy enough to take anywhere and great for planning and remembering excursions. It is not only an ideal companion for the city’s visitors and residents but an invaluable resource for historians, writers, and students.Trade Review"Easily portable, illustrated with beautiful full color photographs, and perfect for planning travel itineraries, Islamic Cairo in Maps: Finding the Monuments is exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Egyptian Travel Guide collections."—Midwest Book Review

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Book SynopsisHow do people understand the Quran to be divine revelation? What is it about the text that inspires such devotion and commitment in the reader/believer? Todd Lawson explores how the timeless literary genres of epic and apocalypse bear religious meaning in the Quran, communicating the sense of divine presence, urgency and truth. Grounding his approach in the universal power of story and myth, he embarks upon a fascinating inquiry into the unique power of one of the most loved, widely read and recited books in the world.Trade Review‘Did James Joyce know the Quran? Todd Lawson brilliantly demonstrates how the Quran anticipates literary modernism as both epic and apocalypse. Its epic voice encompasses a vast temporal and spatial canvas – the cosmos, creation, humanity, time, history – while its chapters, singly and collectively, evoke an apocalyptic musicality. The ‘end’, as Lawson reminds us with lapidary prose unfolding insight upon insight, can be instrumental as well as temporal. The apocalyptic vision of the Quran underscores its true ‘end’: to herald and expedite a just community living in accordance with God’s will, enjoying both peace and prosperity. This innovative book charts new ways of reading literary modernism as Quranic commentary on a grand scale…’ -- Bruce B. Lawrence, Marcus Family Humanities Professor of Religion Emeritus, Duke University‘In this rich and erudite study of the epic and apocalyptic aspects of the text, Lawson adopts and elucidates many of the habits of ancient readers, and the result is a greater appreciation for the Quran’s sweeping aesthetic, literary and spiritual grandeur.’ -- Kristin Zahra Sands, Professor of Religion, Sarah Lawrence College‘Lawson investigates features of the apocalyptic mode…with great insight and critical sensitivity. He provides at once an appreciation of the Quran’s literary power and a window into the profound religious experience of the Quran’s audience and of early Muslims.’ -- Devin Stewart, Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Emory University‘Infuses the field of Quranic Studies with a breath of fresh air. An engaged academic, Todd Lawson demonstrates through his scholarship the Quran’s own self-disclosure as a revelation that is open to all humanity. The avenues of interpretation that the work opens up have the potential to occupy generations. Not only does Lawson’s contribution show how both Muslims and non-Muslims can participate meaningfully in reading the Quran, the work is a vivid reminder of a prophetic saying on the virtues of the Quran: its wonders will never cease, and scholars will never be satiated by its study.’ -- Mahan Mirza, Professor of the Practice, Contending Modernities, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, Keough School of Global Affairs‘The Quran, Epic and Apocalypse offers numerous fresh and important insights regarding Islam’s most sacred text. Grounded in meticulous analysis of the Quran’s religious and literary dimensions, this volume takes an entirely new direction in identifying and studying its epic and apocalyptic qualities. It is a must-read for anyone interested in comparative religious studies, or indeed in cultural and literary history.’ -- Sebastian Günther, Professor and Chair of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Göttingen‘By attending to the Quran’s epic as well as its apocalyptic voice, Todd Lawson proposes to liberate Western readings of Muslim scripture from their current obsessions. It is difficult to imagine a timelier or more necessary scholarly intervention. And when the Quran finally acquires the audience it deserves, i.e., one capable of bracketing theological pre-commitments (pro or con) and appreciating it for the re-visionary work of…literature that it is, Professor Lawson’s book will be recognized as a major contribution towards that long overdue cognitive shift.’ -- Peter Matthews Wright, Associate Professor and Chair, Colorado College Department of ReligionTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 The Quran as Epic 2 The Quran as Apocalypse 3 An Apocalypse of Reunion: The epic of Joseph 4 Duality and Opposition: The apocalyptic substrate 5 Water and the Poetics of Apocalypse 6 Chaotic Cosmos and the Symmetry of Truth 7 Joycean Modernism in Quran and Tafsir Conclusion: Epic and the domestication of apocalypse Abbreviations Glossary Acknowledgements Notes Appendix Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisFrom jewellery to meditation pillows to tourist retreats, religious traditions – especially those of the East – are being commodified as never before. Imitated and rebranded as ‘New Age’ or ‘spiritual’, they are marketed to secular Westerners as an answer to suffering in the modern world, the ‘mystical’ and ‘exotic’ East promising a path to enlightenment and inner peace. In Buying Buddha, Selling Rumi, Sophia Rose Arjana examines the appropriation and sale of Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam in the West today, the role of mysticism and Orientalism in the religious marketplace, and how the commodification of religion impacts people’s lives.Trade Review‘Buying Buddha, Selling Rumi highlights the hidden costs of what would appear to be positive stereotypes about Eastern religiosity. In doing so, Arjana interrogates cultural colonialism, i.e. the borrowing of other people’s cultures and religions without giving credit to actual persons and institutions… With its comprehensive theoretically informed approach and exciting case studies, I would especially recommend this book for use in undergraduate classes.’ * Religion (Liz Wilson, Miami University) *‘an expansive book, covering the intersection of mysticism and capitalism… illuminating… I would recommend this book in undergraduate classrooms learning about Asian religions and especially the last chapter for a media studies class. This type of sweeping project is difficult to pull off, and Arjana certainly does an admirable job.’ * Politics, Religion & Ideology *‘A wide-ranging overview of the ongoing power and cultural significance of long-standing Western Orientalist tropes about “the Mystic East”. This is an important work for anyone working on Asian traditions and their contemporary appropriation, transformation and commodification.’ -- Richard King, Professor of Buddhist and Asian Studies, University of Kent‘A fascinating and wholly engrossing exploration of how “mysticism”, as we know it in the West, circulates as a modern-day product of colonial structures of power.’ -- Sylvia Chan-Malik, Associate Professor, Departments of American Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies, Rutgers University‘Both scholarly and readable, Buying Buddha, Selling Rumi deepens our understanding of the way the West appropriates Eastern religion.’ -- Jeffrey H. Mahan, Ralph E. and Norma E. Peck Professor of Religion & Public Communication, Iliff School of Theology‘Tribal events and mystic tourism in Bali are some of the topics entertainingly and critically described and analyzed by Arjana… The book is not only well researched with many fine examples and convincing arguments to underline the theoretical assumptions of the commodification of Eastern religions in the West; it is also well written and a pleasure to read. Furthermore, it raises some important theoretical, methodological and moral questions that could be the center of good discussions with students… The book is very interesting, well written, highly recommendable and useful for critical discussions.’ -- Journal of Religion, Media and Digital CultureTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 Histories of Religion and Mysticism 2 Cultural Colonialism, Muddled Orientalism, and the Mystic Poor 3 Mysticism, Incorporated 4 Hindu Hippies and Boulder Buddhists 5 Rumimaniacs 6 Lost, Star Wars, and Mystical Hollywood Postscript Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAlmost thirty years ago, the image of burning copies of Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses held aloft by thousand-strong mobs of protesters became an internationally familiar symbol of anger and offence. In From Fatwa to Jihad, Kenan Malik reveals how the Rushdie affair transformed the debate worldwide on multiculturalism, tolerance and free speech, helped fuel the rise of radical Islam and pointed the way to the horrors of 9/11 and 7/7. In this new edition, Malik examines the rise of home-grown jihadis, the threat of IS-inspired terrorism in Europe and how the West has failed to learn the lessons of the past.Trade ReviewA gripping account of how we went from burning books to bombs on buses. The Rushdie Affair has shaped all our lives. This book shows us how. -- Hanif KureishiA thorough and highly readable history of the politics of the Rushdie affair and an important intervention in the current debate on freedom of expression. -- Monica AliA riveting political history of contemporary Britain... Impeccably researched, brimming with detail, yet razor-sharp in its argument. -- Lisa Appignanesi * Independent *Few writers have untangled the paradoxes and unintended consequences of political Islam as deftly as Malik -- Maureen Freely * Washington Post *Enthralling -- Robert McCrum * Observer *An admirable piece of reportage... subtle and intelligent -- Stuart Kelly * Scotsman *Seldom can a book have had a more searing relevance to contemporary events -- Lindsay Johns * New Humanist *

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Book SynopsisWe are often led to believe that liberty is synonymous with freedom--but is that really so? And what does it entail? In this issue of Critical Muslim, we explore who defines the liberty we are told we enjoy, and how our worldviews impact the ways we assert our liberty. How can we achieve a balance between individual liberty and social responsibility? How do we establish the public good, and which groups among us are asked to curtail their liberty for collective benefit? Just what is the connection between freedom of speech, rights of minorities, and state security? Has the notion of liberty been rendered meaningless? If liberty involves freedom for all to do as they wish, what dangers does it raise for the society as a whole? Should faith communities expect to confine their liberty to the law of the land in which they reside, even if this is contrary to their religious values? Our writers explore these and other questions to understand how we construct our understanding around the idealised notion of liberty. About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centres on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the 2023 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of The Year A Literary Hub Most Anticipated Book of the Year A rich history of wanderers, exiles and intruders. A haunting personal journey through Central Asia. An intimate reflection on mixed identity shaped by cultural crossings. In the late 1800s, a group of German-speaking Mennonites fled Russia for Muslim Central Asia, to await Christ’s return. Over a century later, Sofia Samatar traces their gruelling journey across desert and mountains, and its improbable fruit: a small Christian settlement inside the Khanate of Khiva. Named ‘The White Mosque’ after the Mennonites’ whitewashed church, the village—a community of peace, prophecy, music and martyrs—lasted fifty years. Within this curious tale, Sofia discovers a tapestry of characters connected by the ancient Silk Road: a fifteenth-century astronomer-king; an intrepid Swiss woman traveller; the first Uzbek photographer; a free spirit of the Harlem Renaissance. Along the way, in a voice both warm and wise, she explores her own complex upbringing as an American Mennonite of colour, the daughter of a Swiss-American Christian and a Somali Muslim. On this pilgrimage to a lost village and a near-forgotten history, Samatar traces the porous borders of identity and narrative. When you leave your tribe, what remains? How do we enter the stories of others? And how, out of life’s buried archives and startling connections, does a person construct a self?Trade Review'The White Mosque is a luminous, brilliant gaze into some of our most profound questions about identity, inheritance, and all that we carry forward as we move through this world. Page after page, Samatar writes with electrifying beauty, treading that fine balance between lush metaphor, philosophical evocation and unwavering clarity. This is a spellbinding, riveting book.' -- Maaza Mengiste, author of The Shadow King'Sofia Samatar's encyclopedic imagination, her voracious intensity toward literature, her luminous poetic voice, her attunement to the uncanniness and ghosts of history finds her in company with Olga Tokarczuk, W. G. Sebald, Jorge Luis Borges, and Maria Stepanova. The White Mosque may be her magnum opus: a mosaic that both shatters and illuminates.' -- Kate Zambreno, author of Drifts and To Write as If Already Dead'A story of pilgrimage, "a palimpsestic quest". The White Mosque is an oasis for the world-weary soul, a glorious and sensuous glimpse into histories edited out of mainstream conversations . . . Hurry, reader, settle into a seat with this book and prepare to be delighted.' -- Yvonne Owuor, author of 'Dust' and 'The Dragonfly Sea''There are very few contemporary writers—if any—who can match Sofia Samatar’s kaleidoscopic inventiveness and wonderful wit. She is a genius and The White Mosque is the most mesmeric book I’ve read in years.' -- Diriye Osman, author of Fairy Tales for Lost Children and The Butterfly Jungle'A brilliant quest narrative like none you’ve ever read. The White Mosque is a passionately researched memoir-helix, written by a genius of genre, and composed of strands of other histories twisted with Samatar’s own. As with all her books, one imagines Sofia Samatar emerging from the scene of its creation like a victor having wrestled questions and forces we are too timid, or not-equipped, to face on our own. Samatar conducts epic battles for her books—to make them real and to give form to what, before we read it, would have seemed impossible to imagine. The result is a work of profound scholarship and kaleidoscopic beauty.' -- Jordy Rosenberg, author of Confessions of the Fox'The White Mosque is a text of immense richness, complexity, and beauty. Tracing the Silk Road journey of 19th century Mennonites into central Asia and written with poetic grace, Sofia Samatar finds and marks out innumerable parallel paths across time, space, literatures, and histories, including her own personal story.' -- John Keene, MacArthur Fellow, and author of Counternarratives'Sofia Samatar is a writer's writer. There is sweetness and colour and shade. There is the collision and confrontation with various histories past, moments present. There is the shattering of shimmer and the mosaic of a lived life--lives past and gone that created a way for her breath and becoming. Sofia Samatar in The White Mosque wants to shift the breath of another, wants for words on the page and the sensations they conjure to move something of the inhalation and exhalation of one's breathing in noticeable even if excitable, even if calming, ways. And my breath was shifted. Not looking to simply confront the past, Samatar's memoir and memorial compels readers to think about how we handle the past, what we do with it in our hands and with our eyes, as well as how it works on us, produces an effect on us, changes us and what we know of our capacities, ideas, thoughts, imaginations. All this is sensed in the movement that Mennonites traversed toward the end of their world, movements that produce religious convergences and confluences. Is your life a pilgrimage, a journey, a wandering? Reading The White Mosque sets the stage for this kind of thinking, this line of questioning, urgent and necessary and present to take the breath away.' -- Ashon T. Crawley, author of Blackpentecostal Breath: The Aesthetics of Possibility and The Lonely Letters

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Book SynopsisThe Arab revolutions of 2011 were a transformative moment in the modern history of the Middle East, as people rose up against long-standing autocrats throughout the region to call for 'bread, freedom and dignity'. With the passage of time, results have been decidedly mixed, with initial success stories like Tunisia contrasting with the emergence of even more repressive dictatorships in places like Egypt, with the backing of several Gulf states. Focusing primarily on Egypt, this book considers a relatively understudied dimension of these revolutions: the role of prominent religious scholars. While pro-revolutionary ulama have justified activism against authoritarian regimes, counter-revolutionary scholars have provided religious backing for repression, and in some cases the mass murder of unarmed protestors. Usaama al-Azami traces the public engagements and religious pronouncements of several prominent ulama in the region, including Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Ali Gomaa and Abdullah bin Bayyah, to explore their role in either championing the Arab revolutions or supporting their repression. He concludes that while a minority of noted scholars have enthusiastically endorsed the counter-revolutions, their approach is attributable less to premodern theology and more to their distinctly modern commitment to the authoritarian state.Trade Review‘[An] important study, the first comprehensive account of its kind.’ -- Asian Affairs‘Compelling.’ -- Middle East Policy'Al-Azami's book should be of great help to those interested in the religious dimensions of the Arab Spring debates. It provides important insights into the modes of argument and analysis of contemporary political discourse that is explicitly Islamic.' -- The Middle East Journal'Ten years after the Arab Spring, little attention has been given to the important role of religious scholars. Al-Azami's excellent book provides an extensive analysis of a myriad of discourses and political alliances. A must-read for researchers of modern Islam and Middle East studies.' -- Heba Raouf Ezzat, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Ibn Haldun University'Literature on the Arab Spring is vast, but a novel perspective and original dimension is rare. Al-Azami's book accomplishes both. He succinctly illustrates that the Arab Revolutions were also an epistemological battle, in which the ulama played a pivotal role. A quintessential read.' -- Wadah Khanfar, former director general of Al Jazeera Media Network and President of the Al Sharq Forum'A comprehensive account and analysis of how the events of the Arab Spring unfolded among the ranks of the ulama. Indispensable for anyone wanting to understand the fault lines which will dominate the Muslim world for years to come.' -- Jonathan A. C. Brown, Professor of Islamic Civilization, Georgetown University

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Book SynopsisThis collection seeks to explore alternative definitions of bounded identities, facilitating new approaches to spatial and architectural forms. Taking as its starting point the emergence of a new sense of ‘boundary’ emerged from the post-19th century dissolution of large, heterogeneous empires into a mosaic of nation-states in the Islamic world. This new sense of boundaries has not only determined the ways in which we imagine and construct the idea of modern citizenship, but also redefines relationships between the nation, citizenship, cities and architecture. It brings critical perspectives to our understanding of the interrelation between the accumulated flows and the evolving concepts of boundary in predominantly Muslim societies and within the global Muslim diaspora. Essays in this book seeks to investigate how architecture mediates the creation and deployment of boundaries and boundedness that have been devised to define, enable, obstruct, accumulate and/or control flows able to disrupt bounded territories or identities. More generally, the book explores how architecture might be considered as a means to understand the relationship between flows and boundaries and its implication of defining modern self. The essays in this volume collectively address how the construction of self is primarily a spatial event and operated within the crucial nexus of power-knowledge-space. Contributors investigate how architecture mediates the creation and deployment of boundaries and boundedness, how architecture might be considered as a means to understand the relationship between flows and boundaries and its implications for how we define the modern self. Part of the Critical Studies in Architecture of the Middle East series. Table of ContentsList of Figures vii Acknowledgements xiii Introduction: Confining Contingency 1 Farhan Karim Chapter 1. Housing Others: Design and Identity in a Bedouin Village 21 Noam Shoked Chapter 2. Building for the Lost Lands: Ottoman Architects in Mandatory Palestine and the Case of Hassan Bey Mosque 51 Müjde Dila Gümüs¸ Chapter 3. The First Aussie Mosques: Mediating Boundaries despite the ‘White Australia’ Policy 77 Katharine Bartsch, Md. Mizanur Rashid, and Peter Scriver Chapter 4. Architecture of Exclusion: The Savujbulagh-i Mukri Garrison, Border-Making, and the Transformation of the Ottoman-Qajar Frontier 111 Nader Sayadi Chapter 5. Staging Baghdad as a Problem of Development 139 Huma Gupta Chapter 6. Tehran’s Decentralization Project and the Emergence of Modern Socio-Spatial Boundaries 167 Elmira Jafari and Carola Hein Chapter 7. Reconstructing the Muslim Self in Diaspora: Socio-Spatial Practices in Urban European Mosques 193 Elisabeth Becker Chapter 8. The Search for the Mosque of Florence: A Space of Negotiated Identities 219 Hanan Kataw Chapter 9. The Rome Mosque and Islamic Center: A Case of Diasporic Architecture in the Globalized Mediterranean 237 Theodore Van Loan and Eva-Maria Troelenberg Chapter 10. One House of Worship with Many Rooves: Imposing Architecture to Mediate Sunni, Alevi, and Gülenist Islam in Turkey 253 Angela Andersen Chapter 11. Architectural Modes of Collective Identity: The Case of Hizbullah’s ‘Mleeta Tourist Landmark of the Resistance’ in South Lebanon 277 Heike Delitz and Stefan Maneval Chapter 12. The Bangladesh Liberation War Museum and the Inconclusivity of Architecture 309 Anooradha Iyer Siddiqi Contributor Biographies 353 Index 359

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Book SynopsisAre Islam and Christianity essentially the same? Should we seek to overcome divisions by seeing Muslims and Christians as part of one family of Abrahamic faith? Andy Bannister shares his journey from the multicultural streets of inner-city London to being a Christian with a PhD in Qur’anic Studies. Along the way, he came to understand that far from being the same, Islam and Christianity are profoundly different. Get to the heart of what the world’s two largest religions say about life’s biggest questions—and discover the uniqueness of Christianity’s answer to the question of who God really is.Trade ReviewA nuanced and sensitive examination, from an overtly Christian perspective, of how to negotiate a truth that is no less self-evident for being one that many prefer to draw a veil across: Christianity and Islam are not remotely the same. -- Tom Holland * author of Dominion and In the Shadow of the Sword *A must-read for the curious whether you have faith already or not. Prepare to be entertained, edified and gripped – I found myself unable to put it down. -- Dr Amy Orr-Ewing * President, OCCA The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics *Few topics are more important in today’s world, and few authors are more qualified to address it. -- Bruxy Cavey * Pastor of The Meeting House, author of The End of Religion *We need thinkers who have studied both religions extensively. Andy Bannister is just such an expert and he helps us wrestle with this important question with the depth and care it deserves. -- Randy Newman * Senior Fellow at The C. S. Lewis Institute and author of Questioning Evangelism. *This book is a must-read for all interested in inter-religious issues, both believers and non-believers. -- Peter G Riddell * SOAS University of London and Australian College of Theology *Persistently challenging, consistently provoking, deeply searching, and endlessly witty! -- Anna Robbins * President and Dean of Theology, Acadia University *A sharp witted, big hearted, and clear minded romp through one of the most pressing religious questions of our time. -- Dr Richard Shumack * Research Fellow, Centre for Public Christianity and Director, Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam, Melbourne School of Theology *

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Book SynopsisMuslim Identities: An Introduction to Islam (Second Edition) presents a fully updated introduction to the religion of Islam and the various social groups who define themselves as Muslim. Unlike other such works, it presents both insider and outsider accounts with the aim of striking a unique balance between overly apologetical and overly Orientalist perspectives. With the first edition described as a “truly outstanding book”, and “the very best introduction currently available in English for non-Muslims seeking a sound approach to Islam” (Journal of Islamic Studies), this new edition offers both students and general readers a comprehensive and balanced introduction to the world’s second-largest religion.Table of ContentsPreface to Second Edition Introduction: Religious Studies and the Academic Study of Islam Part I. Origins Chapter 1. Arabia Prior to the Advent of Islam Chapter 2. The Making of the Last Prophet Chapter 3. The Quran: The Foundation Part II. Identity Formations Chapter 4. The Spread of Islam Beyond the Arabian Peninsula Chapter 5. Early Sectarianism and the Formation of Shiʿism Chapter 6. Legal Developments and the Gradual Emergence of Sunni Islam Chapter 7. Sufism: The Mystical Strain in Islam Part III. Beliefs and Practices Chapter 8. The Maintenance of Muslim Identities: Beliefs and Schools Chapter 9. The Performance of Muslim Identities Part IV. Modern Variations Chapter 10. Encounters with Modernity Chapter 11. Constructing Muslim Women Chapter 12. Islam and “the West” Chapter 13. The Inconvenient Muslim: From Majority to Minority Glossary

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Book Synopsis Imam Nawawi''s collection of forty two hadith brings together some of the most important and pivotal Prophetic traditions. Each tradition encapsulates a great rule of the religion of Islam, described by Islamic religious scholars as an "axis" in Islam. The commentary of the great hadith master Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Daqiq al-''Id is simple but erudite. Mokrane Guezzou is a well-known translator of over ten works including the Qur''an commentary Wahidi''s Asbab al-Nuzul. Ibn Daqiq al-''Id (d.1302) is accounted as one of Islam''s great scholars in the fundamentals of Islamic law and belief. Imam Nawawi (1233-77) was an authority on hadith and a biographer, lexicologist, and Sufi.

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Book SynopsisSayings of the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) is a selection of 365 profound and pithy observations made by the Prophet's illustrious Companions. The sayings supplement and complement the life-giving message of the Qur'an and Sunnah that these Companions experienced first-hand by being in close companionship with the Prophet.

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Book SynopsisAli ibn Abi Talib said: ‘The life of this world is quickly departing and the life of the hereafter is quickly approaching and each one of them has its children. So be children of the hereafter, not children of this world. For today there are deeds without reckoning, but tomorrow there will be reckoning without deeds. In this life even an atoms’ worth of good is accepted if it is done with sincerity. In the hereafter, the whole world in gold will do you no good. In every moment of the day of Judgment, from the moment you rise from their grave to when you take your place in the assembly. From when you are brought forth to be held accountable by your Lord, to when you are taken to the scale for the scrolls to be weighed, from when you prepare to cross the bridge to your anticipated arrival at the gates of Paradise. There are good deeds that You have sent forth that will come to your aid. Deeds that will take you by your hand and testify on your behalf, that will settle your feet and shade you from the scorching heat. That will light your way in the darkness and guide you to the abode of eternal delight. So do not ask your Lord when the day of Judgment will be, but ask yourself what deeds have you prepared for that day. Table of ContentsIntroductionTransliteration Guide 1. What Happens to You After You Die? 2. When the Trumpet Sounds 3. Clothing of Honor or Humiliation 4. You Will Be With Those Whom You Love 5. When Allah Addresses the Gathering 6. Two Faces and One Tongue 7. Long Necks and Gray Hair 8. What Banner Represents You 9. Pulpits of Light 10. Seven Under the Shade of Allah 11. When He Asks About Your Prayer 12. Mountains and Mirages 13. Your Limbs Will Testify 14. Justice for the Oppressed 15. The People You Helped 16. Those Who Intercede 17. The Surahs That Save You 18. Your Unanswered Dua 19. The Reward for Your Patience 20. Secret Deeds 21. Heavy Words on Your Scale 22. The Weight of Your Character 23. The Deeds Worth 700 and More 24. The Shahada Card 25. Sincerity Shines and Hypocrisy Blinds 26. The Many Blessings of Wudu 27. Crossing the Sirat 28. Drinking From The Prophet's ﷺ Hands 29. Waiting at the Gates of Heaven 30. Your Eternal Home

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Book SynopsisThis book empathizes with Muslim mothers nurturing their families within a faith framework. It canters her experience. Doubts and insecurities are gently replaced with understanding and support in the candid exchanges from one mother to another.Dear Mother… brings together mothers of all ages and backgrounds in a compendium of fictional letters, written from the heart. Great challenges and responsibilities, hopes and disappointments are explored without apology. As one mother prepares for a new-born, another shares her experience of being a single parent. Why is a mother at the primary school gate feeling burnt out by 9 am and what advice does a grandmother pass down to her granddaughter? Whether she’s sitting in the ante-natal clinic, on a bus or in the masjid, these letters reveal a variety of mothers’ inner dialogue – one which is rarely heard in society.Trade Review'Who would have thought a book of fictional letters would produce such deep reflections about my 19 years as a mother? I found my safe space as a Muslim mother within the pages of Dear Mother - Letters from the Heart. The chapters took me back to when my children were young, made me feel seen and validated as I navigated being a mother to teenagers, and provided insight into what is to come in the future inshaAllah. This is the book I wish I had from the moment I discovered I had conceived my first child. Suma, my dear, you've done it again.Beautiful and comforting mashaAllah. A must-read for every mother and mother-to-be.'Aliyah Umm RaiyaanFounder and CEO at Solace UK for Muslim Revert Women & Sunday Times Best Selling Author of Ramadan Reflections'Author Suma Din produces another pertinent book sharing the various stages, experiences, and realities of Muslim women. It is not a stereotypical book of how wonderful motherhood is (which it can be) but the phases and stages that women go through themselves in their own words (fictionalised).' Humera KhanCo-founder & Trustee of An-Nisa Society UK'Exploring Muslim motherhood this book takes the reader through different experiences, journeys, generations, and life stages of being a mother. The joys, difficulties, roller coasters, and emotions of motherhood, coupled with the book’s central focus on interactions with Muslim faith and spirituality, are exceptionally captured throughout the collection of letters. The conversations are real, raw, and heartfelt - each letter offering unique angles, perspectives, stories, and advice about different aspects of motherhood. It's a must-read book for Muslim women of all walks of life and across generations, whether they are mothers or not, as there are many struggles and joys of being a Muslim woman illustrated throughout that we can relate to.' Dr Sarah Akhtar Baz, Research Fellow, University of York (Health Sciences)'As a woman who has been in and out of being a stay-at-home mother, a working mother, an active in the community, and somewhat in between them both, I agree with the statement that Suma makes, "Damned if we do and damned if we don't,". This beautiful collection of letters reminded me that a woman is valuable and worthy, not only due to her roles but how she managed to stay afloat despite the challenges and tests that come with life. This struggle is one that we all face and Suma describes it through our lens and gives us the reassurance, empathy, and understanding to know that we are not only valuable in our communities and families, but foremost to Allah, our Creator. Thank you for speaking to me on my terms, in my language, through my emotions, and hearing the voice that yearns to not only be listened to but heard by all.' Ustadha Alima Ashfaq Author of Duas of the Superstars & founder of Baraka Madrassah“It felt like a very warm and welcoming embrace.” 'Suma Din's writing in this series of heartwarming letters is like a welcoming invitation to go back in time and forward into the future, through the lens of motherhood. It's like speaking to a kind and nurturing figure who understands what is sometimes unconveyable. Islam, and our unique relationship with Allah, is the connective thread that ties this deeply insightful piece of work together, and anchors our experience together as Muslim mums. It is truly a book, and a moment, to savour.' Mariya bint Rehan author of The Best Dua'Suma writes with such gentleness. Each letter is so poetic and poignant making it a perfect companion for Muslim mothers everywhere.'Ruzina Ahad, author of Dream, Du'a Do.Table of ContentsContents: Introduction 1. Dear Mother in the ante natal clinic. 2. Dear Mother to-be 3. Dear Mother feeling low during pregnancy and post delivery 4. Dear Mother Who has a child with special needs 5. Dear Single Mother 6. Dear Mother Who’s depleted from giving 7. Dear Mother experiencing primary school overwhelm 8. Dear Mother missing ‘home’ 9. Dear Mother exploring hijab for her daughters 10. Dear Mother of teens pre-Ramadan 11. Dear Mother living with pain 12. Dear Mother struggling to be ‘fair’ 13. Dear Mother Who’s feeling afraid 14. Dear Mother Who’s in the grocery shop aisle 15. Dear Mother Who’s raising a boy 16. Dear Mother connect to natural 17. Dear Mother approaching their child’s Qur’an khatme 18. Dear Mother living with domestic abuse 19. Dear Mother who needs to recharge her spiritual battery 20. Dear Mother Who educating her daughter 21. Dear Mother hanging there at Eid Salah 22. Dear Mother stuck in the conflict… 23. Dear Mother who has a second job 24. Dear Mother of two generations 25. Dear Mother who is the child 26. Dear Mother with the car radio on 27. Dear Mother searching for a marriage partner for their daughter 28. Dear Mother of an empty nest 29. Dear Mother who is my grand-daughter 30. Dear Daughter Who’s just given birth

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Book SynopsisThis fascinating work profiles Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058-1111), the foremost Islamic scholar and mystic of the medieval period. Attracting the patronage of the vizier Nizam al-Mulk early in his career, he was appointed head of the Nizamiyyah College at Baghdad, and attracted audiences from across the Islamic world, who sought his teachings on Islamic philosophy and jurisprudence. Eventually renouncing his position due to a spiritual crisis, he went into self-imposed exile, during which he wrote the Sufi masterpiece, Revival of the Sciences of Religion. Concise and lucid, this is a perfect introduction to the great man’s life and work.Table of ContentsPreface Abbreviations Names and terms Chronology INTRODUCTION The Seljuqs The “Schools” of Law The Notion of Kalam The Mu‘tazili Factor Ash‘ari and the Three Brothers Philosophy (Falsafa) The Isma‘ilis Sufism 1 THE RISE TO RENOWN A Child of Khorasan The Stages of his Career Early Studies: Sufi Masters and Theologians Juwayni The Patronage of the Powerful Ghazali at Court The Temptations of Prestige 2 DEVOTION TO THE LAW Ghazali’s Contributions to Law The Example of Analogy (qiyas) The Indolence of the Learned Shafi‘i: the Beloved Model Fidelity to the Law 3 THE DOUBLE-EDGED DISCIPLINE: GHAZALI AND THEOLOGY Theology vs Philosophy Against a “Religion of Donkeys” Ghazali the Theologian The Dogmatic Manual al-Iqtisad fi’l-i‘tiqad Ghazali’s Mode of Argument in “The Just Balance” The Shadow of Ibn Sina A Human Accent Ghazali on Divine Names The Absence of Insight as Insight A Manual for Meditation Ghazali’s Attitude towards Kalam 4 THE POISON OF PHILOSOPHY AND ITS ANTIDOTE Did Ghazali Destroy Philosophy in Islam? The Seductiveness of System The Exposition of Philosophy: the Maqasid al-Falasifa The Attack: Tahafut al-Falasifa 5 CRISIS AND RECOVERY The Breakdown of 1095 Sickness and Health Al-Munqidh min al-Dalal (“The Deliverer from Error”) Scepticism and Ghazali: His Early Crisis The Significance of Dream The Four Ways The Decisive Break and the Departure from Baghdad Baghdad, the “Nest of Darkness” The Role of Ahmad Ghazali 6 THE REVIVAL OF ISLAM The Character of the Ihya’ The Architecture of the Ihya’ CONCLUSION: KNOWLEDGE IN ACTION The Return to Teaching Death and Posthumous Career Bibliography Index

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Book Synopsis‘Abd al-Mu’min (c.1094–1163) did not establish the first caliphate in the Islamic West, but his encompassed more territory than any that had preceded it. As leader of the Almohads, a politico-religious movement grounded in an uncompromising belief in the unity of God, he unified for the first time the whole of North Africa west of Egypt, and conquered much of southern Spain. Studying every facet of ‘Abd al-Mu’min’s rule, from his violent repression of opposition to the flourishing of scholarship during his reign, Maribel Fierro reveals an intelligent leader and a skilled military commander who sought to build a lasting caliphate across disparate and diverse societies.Trade Review‘Maribel Fierro, an internationally acclaimed authority on the Almohads, presents an accessible account of the true founder of the Almohad empire, ‘Abd al-Mu’min… Despite their importance, ‘Abd al-Mu’min and the Almohads rarely receive the coverage they deserve in surveys of the Islamic world and Fierro uses her deep erudition to address the balance in a way that will intrigue the novice and encourage the expert to think again.’ -- Amira K. Bennison, Professor in the History and Culture of the Maghrib, University of Cambridge‘‘Abd al-Mu’min is a little known but very important figure in the history of the Almohad caliphate and the twelfth-century Maghrib in general. Maribel Fierro has brilliantly brought him to life. Grounded in her in-depth scholarship and with a clear narrative strand, this biography should be the first port of call for anyone interested in this controversial figure.’ -- Hugh Kennedy, Professor of Arabic, SOAS, University of LondonTable of ContentsForeword 1 ‘Abd al-Mu’min, the Zanata Berber Who Built an Empire and Became Prince of the Believers 2 Looking for Knowledge: The Encounter with Ibn Tumart Travelling East in Hammadid territory: Mallala and Ibn Tumart Travelling West Through Almoravid territory to Igiliz: Mahdism Travelling North: Tinmal and the Purges Ibn Tumart’s Death and ‘Abd al-Mu’min’s Succession History, Legend and Anthropology 3 From the Mountains to Empire: Submission to the Almohad Cause (al-tawhid) Through Jihad Discrediting and Fighting the Almoravids The Long Road to Marrakesh, the Rebellion of al-Massi and the Great Purge The Expansion Eastwards, the Rebellion of Ibn Tumart’s Brothers and the Fight Against Arabs and Normans The Conquest of al-Andalus and ‘Abd al-Mu’min’s Death Jihad, the Army and the Collection of Taxes 4 Balancing Power to Achieve Dynastic Rule: The Almohad Hierarchies Ibn Tumart’s Family and Inner Circle: The Ahl al-Dar and the Council of Ten The Almohad Tribes, the Council of Fifty and the Shaykhs Purging the Almohads (Tamyiz and I‘tiraf) and Facing Rebellion ‘Abd al-Mu’min’s Family and Genealogies The Sayyids, the Talaba, the Huffaz and the Husaba’ 5 Establishing God’s order (al-Amr al-‘Aziz): How to be a Maghribi caliph Mahdism, Caliphate and al-Amr al-‘Aziz The Writings of Ibn Tumart and ‘Abd al-Mu’min Berber and Arabic, Igiliz/Tinmal and Mecca/Medina The Square: Coins, Drums, Books The Caliph, Provider of Happiness and Baraka: Banquets and Itinerancy 6 Giving Shape to the Caliphate: Buildings, Religious Practices, Law and Philosophy Building the Caliphate: Mosques, High Minarets, Towns and Gardens Purity, Islamic Rituals and the ‘Uthmanic Mushaf Forced Conversion: The Abolition of the Dhimma Malikism, Law and the Judges Re-imagining Ibn Tumart and ‘Abd al-Mu’min: Ibn Tufayl and Ibn Tahir 7 The Caliph’s Men and the Rest: Administration and Knowledge Secretaries, Viziers nd Preachers Poets, Historians and Grammarians Doctors, Philosophers and Astronomers The Ghuraba’, the Mystics and the Saints Shifting Trajectories and the Non-Almohads 8 ‘Abd al-Mu’min’s Significance and Legacy Sources and Select Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn Western Europe the Golden Age of Islamic metalwork in Iran was (and is) generally considered to be the earlier period, and later metalwork was collected almost by accident and has been correspondingly little studied and poorly published, though in recent decades the imbalance has been somewhat modified. The Hermitage Collection, which numbers 162 pieces is the largest collection in the world of later Iranian Islamic metalwork, from the West of Iran as far as the Punjab. The great majority of these are household utensils, and their manufacture is characteristic of the middling levels of urban societies, though in Khurasan in the late-15th and early 16th centuries brasses or bronzes inlaid with gold and silver were made for its Timurid rulers. The substantial numbers of Iranian copper-alloy astronomical instruments of this period were made by different craftsmen, for a different public, and deserve separate treatment, though not magic bowls, used in folk-medicine and divination, which are noticed in this volume.In his Introduction, Anatolii Ivanov gives a valuable directoryof museums and other institutions of the former Soviet Union with significant collections, which complement the holdings of the Hermitage and together amount to a truly substantial corpus. The latter were acquired from private collections, but the core of the collection, from the museum attached to the school of industrial drawing founded by Baron Stieglitz, came to the Hermitage in the 1920s, when this was broken up. As well as minutely detailed descriptions of each piece and analyses of their decoration, Ivanov presents a detailed critical survey of the limited documentary evidence afforded by the inscriptions many pieces bear, which is of permanent value as a basis for further scholars working on later Islamic metalwork in general.

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Book SynopsisA Collection of Sufi Rules of Conduct (Jawami'' Adab al-Sufiyya) was written by one of the foremost early masters of Sufism and is considered as the first work devoted to the description of the way of life and the customs of the Sufis. It represents an early attempt to illustrate the conformity of Sufi beliefs and manners with the Qur''an and the example of the Prophet (Sunnah). A Collection of Sufi Rules of Conduct is therefore not only a pioneering work of ethics and mysticism, it is also a summary of the views of Sufis up till the eleventh century. It was a major influence on the development of Sufism from the eleventh century onwards.The translation by Dr Elena Biagi includes an introduction that places the author in his historical, literary and religious context, and a general glossary of Sufi technical terms.

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Book SynopsisCitizenship and Accountability of Government: An Islamic Perspective is the final volume in Prof. M. H. Kamali''s series on fundamental rights and liberties in Islam. It includes discussions of: the definitions of citizenship; the rights of citizens; the duties of citizens; citizenship laws; the concepts of dar al-Islam (abode of Islam), dar al-harb (abode of war) and the dar al-''ahd (abode of treaty); the ummah and the nation-state; government as a trust; the selection of officials; the relationship between authority and citizens; corruption and the misuse of public funds; despotism and dynastic misrule; the right of complaint; the limits of obedience; impeachment of officials and heads of state; the foundation of institutions of accountability.In addition to the topics of citizenship and accountability of government, this volume contains a discussion of freedom of movement in Islam, which is the last of the fundamental rights in Prof. M. H. Kamali''s series.

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Book Synopsis A Philosopher for All Seasons is an introduction to the life and thought of the mediaeval Persian polymath Nasir al-Din Tusi (d. 1274). Tusi''s scholarly impact on the history of Muslim theoretical and practical wisdom is comparable only to that of Ibn Sina (Avicenna) who served as a model for Tusi''s philosophical and scientific endeavours. During his eventful and controversial career, Tusi produced invaluable texts on almost all the areas of knowledge of the day. He was as interested in the natural world as well as the human and social domains of religion, ethics, logic, astronomy, economics, politics and the arts. Tusi''s intellectual orientation was towards crossing boundaries between Hellenic, Peripatetic, Illuminationist, Twelver, Isma''ili and Sufi discourses. In so doing, he contributed to the formation of a fruitful conversation between different intellectual discourses that led to the redirection of Islamic philosophy towards a more synthetic methodology. His contributions to science, and astronomy in particular, made him the link between Ptolemy and Copernicus and earned him the privilege of having a crater of the Moon named after him, ''Nasireddin''.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThis book guides us through one of the most fascinating theories of causality, where the only true causal agent is God, and all occurrences in the universe are but moments of divine creation. This expanded and updated 2nd edition, edited by Nazif Muhtaroglu, weaves together philosophical perspectives from both the Islamic and Western traditions.

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Book SynopsisThe Art of Orientation explores the mosque through 125 artefacts from across the Islamic world. It employs an original and contemporary approach by incorporating essays by leading Arab and international authors, which provide a fresh interpretation of the cultural history behind the shown objects by interweaving concepts, histories and ideas. The Publication is a tribute to the mosque and an exploration of its origins, meanings and functions through a careful selection of artifacts, including intricate and striking pulpits, prayer rugs, lamps and manuscripts. The book examines the progression from the humble mud-brick structure of the prophet’s first Mosque in Medina to the imposing stone mosques of Cairo and Istanbul. It includes contributions from a range of highly acclaimed international scholars. Personalized and insightful they present these masterpieces of Islamic Art in an entertaining and accessible way.Trade Review“The book should fill a real gap in contextual information, explaining the accoutrements of mosques and also their wide range of functions, as schools, hospitals, treasuries.” -- Jane Jakeman * The Art Newspaper *"As the subtitle, An Exploration of the Mosque through Objects, suggests, the volume proposes to re-examine the mosque through a close reading of the artistic and social histories of the objects that inhabited its spaces, examining the history and development of the mosque through these artifacts rather than through its architecture. To this end, the editors have compiled a series of essays by scholars, architects, and artists that contextualize a selection of the exhibited artifacts." * 21 Inquiries *

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Book SynopsisWith the help of scholars, historians and artists, and through a range of diverse media, this book sets out to follow in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad (*), retracing his movements during the famous Hijrah ‘migration’, from Makkah to the oasis town of Yathrib soon to become Madinat an-Nabi, the ‘’City of the Prophet”. Situating the Hijrah firmly within the geography in which it unfolded, the book uses the sacred landscape of the Hijrah as a receptacle for its stories, memories and the events that took place along the route, thus providing tangible links between us and this momentous journey as never before experienced. For over fourteen hundred years, al-Hijrah, the famous story of the Prophet Muhammad’s (*) ‘migration’ from Makkah to Madinah, has been told and retold by generations of Muslims throughout the world. This story, one of endurance overcoming adversity in pursuit of religious freedom to establish a nation united by bonds of brotherhood and faith, has continued to be an inspiration from which renewed meanings have been drawn. This book follows in the footsteps of the Prophet (*), retracing his movements during this crucial journey, and examining what occurred as he left his home in Makkah to the oasis town of Yathrib soon to become the “City of the Prophet”. However, unlike anything seen before, this book anchors the Hijrah firmly within the geography in which it unfolded. Acting as a receptacle for its stories, memories and the events that took place along the route, the sacred landscape of the Hijrah provides tangible links between us and this momentous journey as never before, bringing a greater appreciation of the Hijrah story.

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