A Companion To The Muslim World

What is the extraordinary text that is the Quran - and how does it relate to the life and times of the Prophet Muhammad? How did a legacy so richly varied in faith, law and civilization emerge from the message of the Revelation that came to be called 'Islam' (or submission to God's will)? This immaculately researched yet thoroughly accessible book offers a journey into the full range of experience - past and present, secular and sacred - of the diverse people and cultures of the Muslim world. Threads of continuity and change are woven through each chapter to make a coherent narrative covering a broad variety of themes and topics. Poets, cities and the architecture of mosques are as much a part of the exploration as multiple aspects of scripture, the status of women in the faith, and the emergence of a 'digital community' of believers. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, understanding what Islam is about and what Muslims believe is a vital concern across all frontiers. "A Companion to the Muslim World" is an attractive venture by distinguished scholars to contribute toward this urgent process of comprehension.

I.B.Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies Culture shapes every aspect of the relationship between God and the believer in Islam - as well as among believers, and with those beyond the fold. Fasts, prayers and pilgrimages are attuned to social rhythms old and new, no less than the designs of mosques and public gardens, the making of 'religious' music, and ways of thinking about technology and wellbeing. Ancient deserts and modern urban landscapes may echo with the same call for transcendence, but in voices that emerge from very different everyday realities. Scripture itself, as the Prophet Muhammad knew, is ever seen through a cultural lens; both language and what it communicates are intimately tied to context. And the cosmopolitanism that runs through Muslim history from the outset recalls T.S. Eliot's remark that culture is 'that which makes life worth living'. It frames how the deepest religious values are understood and practiced, from modesty in adornment and solidarity with the underprivileged, to integrity and accountability in political life. Muslims have never been content with a passive separation of faith from their daily lives, whether public or private. What are the implications of this holistic view in a diverse world of Muslims and non-Muslims? How do core ethical values interface with the particulars of local cultures in all their complexity, especially when it comes to matters like the status of women and the scope of individual religious freedom? The answers - at a time when secular and Muslim identities appear to be locked in conflict - are explored in this Companion by some of today's finest scholars.

"I.B.Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies Culture shapes every aspect of the relationship between God and the believer in Islam - as well as among believers, and with those beyond the fold. Fasts, prayers and pilgrimages are attuned to social rhythms old and new, no less than the designs of mosques and public gardens, the making of 'religious' music, and ways of thinking about technology and wellbeing. Ancient deserts and modern urban landscapes may echo with the same call for transcendence, but in voices that emerge from very different everyday realities. Scripture itself, as the Prophet Muhammad knew, is ever seen through a cultural lens; both language and what it communicates are intimately tied to context. And the cosmopolitanism that runs through Muslim history from the outset recalls T.S. Eliot's remark that culture is 'that which makes life worth living'. It frames how the deepest religious values are understood and practiced, from modesty in adornment and solidarity with the underprivileged, to integrity and accountability in political life. Muslims have never been content with a passive separation of faith from their daily lives, whether public or private. What are the implications of this holistic view in a diverse world of Muslims and non-Muslims? How do core ethical values interface with the particulars of local cultures in all their complexity, especially when it comes to matters like the status of women and the scope of individual religious freedom? The answers - at a time when secular and Muslim identities appear to be locked in conflict - are explored in this Companion by some of today's finest scholars."--Bloomsbury publishing.

Part of the Religions of the World series, this book traces the history of Muslim and looks at what it means to be a Muslim today. It describes ceremonies and festivals and looks at how they celebrate their gods.

The Blackwell Companion to Contemporary Islamic Thoughtreflects the variety of trends, voices, and opinions in thecontemporary Muslim intellectual scene. Challenges Western misconceptions about the modern Muslim worldin general and the Arab world in particular. Consists of 36 important essays written by contemporary Muslimthinkers and scholars. Covers issues such as Islamic tradition, modernity,globalization, feminism, the West, the USA, reform, andsecularism. Helps readers to situate Islamic intellectual history in thecontext of Western intellectual trends.

The three books comprising the Muslim World series provide a rich and balanced view of all aspects of Islamic religion and its varied manifestations through time and around the world, with emphasis on understanding modern Muslim society today. Illustrated Dictionary of the Muslim World contains hundreds of short entries on Islamic concepts, religious practices, historical events and personalities, geographical places, and fact files of nations with large Muslim populations. Islamic Beliefs, Practices, and Cultures begins with 14 chapters introducing the ideas promoted by the religion's founder in the seventh century and tracking their development into new doctrines, schools of thought, and philosophical, literary, and cultural traditions as diverse as recitation of scripture in madrassas in Egypt to gift giving at holiday time in the United States. Among the numerous special features are those examining the meanings of jihad, the persistence of mystical Islam, and stand-up comedy addressing the cultural divides surrounding muslims today. Modern Muslim Societies, with a total of twenty-three chapters, devotes nine to subjects such as family life, marriage, law, human rights, and Muslim extremism before turning to fourteen regional surveys on manifestations of Islam around the world, including the United States and Canada, Iran, Southeast Asia, Africa, and everywhere else Islam has flourished. From the women around Muhammad to pop stars of today, from medieval caliphates to breakthroughs in science and medicine, from love poetry to suicide, no aspect of a rich and diverse story goes unnoticed in the three books of Muslim World. Religion, philosophy, politics, economy, society, law, history, visual arts, architecture, literature -- all sides of Islamic thought and Muslim ways of life receive attention in this uniquely organized presentation for students and interested general readers. - Publisher.

"The relationship between the Middle East and the West is one of the greatest issues of today and will remain so for the forseeable future. Interest in Ameen Rihani is heightened because his ideas about how the Arab world and the West relate to each other are of particular contemporary relevance. Despite the contemporary resonance and importance of Rihani and his work, no other full examination of his entire literary and political writings yet exists. Ameen Rihani was a pioneering Arab-American writer and activist, a leading figure in the development of the 'mahjar' literary movement and the most prominent Arab humanist intellectual of the twentieth century. Undertaking a comprehensive and critical reading of Rihani's Arabic and English writings, Nijmeh Hajjar examines the dialectical link between Rihani's life experiences and his ideas and activism. She explores Rihani's secular humanist vision of Arab progress, democracy and social justice, and concern for respectful relations between the Arab world and the West. This fascinating illustration of an Arab-American encounter contributes to post-colonial discourse and provides a balancing counterpoint to the predominant ideological 'clash of civilisations' paradigms."--Bloomsbury publishing.

Examines the impact of the Gulen movement on the contemporary Muslim world.