Description
Book SynopsisSamira Haj conceptualizes Islam through a close reading of the writings of Muhammad ibn 'Abdul Wahhab (1703-87) and Muhammad 'Abduh (1849-1905)—each of whom is representative of a distinct trend, chronologically as well as philosophically, in the constitution of modern Islam.
Trade Review"Samira Haj has made a very important and timely contribution to contemporary discussions of Islamic reform movements.
Islamic Reform challenges many of the common assumptions undergirding popular and scholarly treatments of contemporary Islamic activity. The concept of 'Islamic modernity' developed here is endowed with far more substance and specificity than is found in almost any other scholarly text on the question." -- Charles Hirschkind * University of California, Berkeley *
"This is a sensitive and insightful treatment of how tradition evolves within the womb of the modern. Politics and ideas are subtly treated by Haj to reveal how complex notions of the self, subjectivity and society are shaped and transformed over time in modern Islam." -- Ebrahim Moosa, Department of Religion * Duke University *
Table of ContentsContents Acknowledgments Chapter 1 The Islamic Reform Tradition Chapter 2 Rethinking Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab Chapter 3 Islamic Reconfiguration of Colonial Modernity Chapter 4 Governable Muslim Subjects Chapter 5 Love and Marriage Chapter 6 Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index