Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies – serie

Islam, one of the world’s great faiths, was born as a result of the revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad (c. 570-632) in Arabia. A proper understanding of the Islamic present depends on an accurate knowledge of the way in which Islamic thought developed from medieval times onwards. For instance, Islam evolved a sophisticated theology and set of philosophical systems of its own, which owed something to the impact of Greek thought, but became uniquely Islamic because of the vital presence within that faith of the Qur’an.Furthermore, Islam soon came into contact with Greek philosophy and science, and a translation movement into Arabic began. The roles of Kason and Revelation, and the primacy that was to be given to one or the other, came to the fore. Problems which had also vexed Christianity such as anthropomorphism, free will and predestination provided intellectual stimulation for Islamic thinkers, while the mystical impulse, articulated in Islamic Sufism, imbued the writings of several of the theologians and philosophers considered in these volumes.Taken together, all of these issues constitute a golden period of Islamic debate and intellectual inquiry, and the articles collected in this fascinating set reflect that Islamic dynamic.

The area of Middle Eastern geography and travel has attracted large numbers of scholars over the last fifty years. This new collection from Routledge features key articles from the field to create a major and continuing resource for scholars and students alike.The first volume concentrates on the Islamic geographers who mapped and made navigable the routes followed by later travellers. While travel, and in particular the rihla (or ‘travel to Mecca’) did not depend for its impetus on formal geography, both were highlighted in the travellers’ diaries and travelogues which helped to make known and illuminate the boundaries of an expanding empire. Links between geography and the pilgrim routes to Mecca and Medina are particularly significant. Because of their huge significance in illuminating the medieval world of Islam, a very large number if articles deal with the travels of Ibn Jubayr (1145–1217) (Volume II) and Ibn Battuta (1304–368/9 or 1377) (Volume III), while Volume IV covers the post-medieval and early modern period.

The four volumes of this set bring together key contributions to the study of Shi’ism, giving access to material that has hitherto been scattered and difficult to locate. While the majority of the material stems from the past fifty years, earlier studies are included, providing insight into the field’s development. This collection reflects the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of today’s Shi’ite studies. Volume One covers the birth of Shi’ism and traces its development. The emphasis is on the socio-political history of communities self-identifying as Shi’ite, focusing largely on the majority ‘Twelvers’, but also covering ‘offshoot’ sects.Volume Two consists of articles which explore the theologies and philosophical ideals of Shi’ism. Particular emphasis is given to those aspects of Shi’ite orthodoxy and orthopraxy which distinguish them from the Sunni majority. Volume Three is devoted to Shi’ite law, with special reference to the evolution of ‘independent reasoning’ – the principle which underpins the inherent dynamism of Shi’ite jurisprudence and which has ensured continuation of development down to the present day. Volume Four concentrates on the development of theories of government among the Shi’ite scholarly milieu, tracing political Shi’ism from its turbulent beginnings to its pre-modern and contemporary manifestation.

Reflecting the diversity of Islam, this collection focuses on the presence of Muslims in countries outside the traditionally conceived heartlands of the Islamic world. The history of the arrival of Islam in such countries and the nature of the way in which Islam is practised in such places is the thematic focus of the materials selected for inclusion.Today, the community of Muslims around the globe looks to the Arab world (and Iran) as a source of identity and authority. While this is driven as much by finances as by religious ideology, it does create a sense of there being a central Islamic world and a ‘diaspora’ which can be separated and considered. This separation may also be considered a historical phenomenon: the core ‘Islamic world’ came into existence as a result of the early military expansion of the Arabs up to about 750CE; after that point, the spread of Islam occurred by different and more gradual means (often influenced by trade especially). Both of these ways of conceptualizing the region of interest results is a vast amount of territory in which to explore the special manifestations of Islam.Materials selected for inclusion in this Major Work provide general information on Islam rather than being overly specific. A number of aspects are considered:• the history of the introduction of Islam into the area;• the means by which Islam spread;• the attitude Muslims took to the surrounding culture;• the character of the Islam which resulted;• the sense of Muslim identity in the area; and• the issues which might have emerged as a result.The gathered material is grouped geographically with an attempt to include as many individual countries as possible within each area, while also paying attention to each of the above criteria. An initial selection of articles on ‘world Islam’—the process and means of the spread of Islam in general and some consideration of what it means to talk about the presence of Islam in the world and a survey of the general diversity of characteristics of Islam—serves as an introductory section to the volumes. Additional groupings are geographical and include South Asia; South East Asia; Australia and islands of the Pacific; China; countries of the former Soviet Union; South Africa; East Africa; West Africa; Europe; North America; Central and South America.

Bringing together canonical and the best cutting-edge scholarship in one useful reference resource, the shortcomings as well as the successes of Islamism are fully examined in this three volume collection of seventy-five key journal articles on all aspects of modern political Islamism.'Political Islam' here means political movements which argue that the state must be based on their interpretation of Islamic law, viewing this as an alternative to Arab nationalist, traditional monarchist, or semi-secular democratic states. Such movements may seek power through violence or elections. They also usually set up their own educational, social service, and cultural institutions to influence individuals and the society at large.This work is organized into sections discussing the origins and world view of political Islam and its relationship with the issues of terrorism and democracy. The collection also includes a number of case studies that examine the ideas, strategy, tactics, leadership, and opposition to the movement both in the Middle East and in other parts of the world.

In recent years, interest in Sufism – often regarded as the mystical dimension of Islam – has blossomed. Taught in European and American universities for many years, Sufism is an increasingly popular area of research in disciplines such as Islamic studies, comparative religion, area studies, anthropology, history, and politics.In this new Routledge Major Work, the editor, a leading scholar in the field, has gathered in four volumes the canonical and the very best cutting-edge literature on Sufism to create an indispensable reference resource. The collection focuses on: origins and development; hermeneutics and doctrines; ritual, authority, and word; and modern Sufism.

Islamic law is a legal tradition entrenched within a religious context; it is one of the most intriguing and fascinating areas of Islamic Studies. Many practitioners of Islam believe that their lives should be governed by a divinely revealed and sanctioned form of law that affects every aspect of their daily routines. Thus, whether it be a conventional religious act such as prayer, a customary practice such as marriage, or commercial activities such as trade, all these activities are determined by their legal validity within the Islamic law.Islamic law has developed over many centuries of juristic effort into a subtle, complex, and highly developed reality. Thus, Islamic law, like any other, has its 'sources' (al-masadir); it also has its 'guiding principles' (al-usul) that dictate the nature of its 'evidence' (al-adilla); it equally employs the use of 'legal maxims' (al-qawa’id) and utilizes a number of underlying 'objectives' (al-maqasid) to underpin the structure of its legal theory.Volume I of this new Routledge collection brings together the best scholarship to detail the origins and sources of Islamic law. The materials in Volume II, meanwhile, examine the genesis of schools of law, their utilization of specific juristic methodologies, and their development of legal theory. Volume III focuses on the consolidation and stagnation of Islamic law in the medieval period, since although the development of the schools and a number of competing legal theories played a huge role in the codification of Islamic law, at the same time the competitive nature of such methodologies led to divisiveness because of strict adherence to a specific school. The final volume in the collection examines Islamic law today, and the challenges of living in a modern, technologically advanced world.Supplemented with a full index, Islamic Law includes a comprehensive introduction newly written by the editor which places the collected material in its historical and intellectual context. It is certain to be valued as a vital research resource.

The Prophetic traditions of Islam, which are commonly referred to as the hadiths (literally: ‘reports’), preserve the sum and substance of the utterances, deeds, directives, and descriptive anecdotes connected with the life of the Prophet Muhammad and his Companions. Together with the Qur’an, the hadiths provide the religion of Islam with its principal scriptural sources. The collection features an accessible and informative introduction which presents an outline of the significance of the hadiths within the religious tradition while also reviewing classical scholarship devoted to the literature of the traditions; moreover, the introduction decisively sets into context the academic debates and arguments which are fleshed out in the articles selected. It also charts developments in the academic study of hadiths, summing up the current state of the field and features a detailed bibliography listing primary classical sources germane to the field of Prophetic traditions together with recent research monographs and articles devoted to the subject. This Major Work provides an authoritative collection of the seminal research articles produced by western academic scholarship on the subject of the hadith over the past century, including recent papers on the subject. In bringing together the finest examples of scholarship devoted to the hadith and the classical literature that surrounds it, these volumes provide an indispensable reference resource for academics, research institutions, governmental organizations, and those with a general interest in Arabic and Islamic Studies, Religious Studies, Arabic Cultural Studies, and Middle East History.

Jihad (or ‘struggle’) and martyrdom in Islam have an ever-greater relevance in today’s world, but there remains a great deal of ignorance about these critical concepts. This new four-volume collection from Routledge brings together a broad range of scholarly opinion to provide a work of reference to assist students and researchers who wish to unravel and understand the many historical constructions of jihadism and martyrology.Volume I contains material on classical and pre-modern manifestations of jihad, focusing on the early Islamic conquests and the development of the concepts of jihad both in the field and within the legal literature up to and including the period of the Crusades (1099–1291). Volume II, meanwhile, explores alternative analyses of jihad, such as Sufi interpretations of the ‘greater jihad’, Shi’ite interpretations of jihad, and the martyrology of both groups. Volume III focuses on colonial and near-contemporary manifestations of jihad, including alternative versions, such as those of the Bahais and the Ahmadis that radically reinterpret the concept, and anti-colonial jihadi movements in Africa, the Middle East, Russia, India, and Southeast Asia. The final volume in the collection deals with contemporary thinking about jihad and radical Islam, concentrating on the legal discussion of contemporary radical Muslim tactics, the development of jihadi mythologies, the ideological tensions within the Salafi jihadi world, and the emergence of contemporary Shi’ite interpretations of jihad.With a comprehensive introduction, newly written by the editor, Jihad and Martyrdom is an essential collection and is destined to be valued by all scholars and students of Islam as a vital one-stop research resource.

The Islamic community in Southeast Asia is widely regarded as one of the most moderate and tolerant in the Muslim world. While most of the region’s Muslims are Sunni and fairly orthodox, the Islamic faith as practised in the region has historically been a syncretic blend of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and folk religions. The syncretic roots of Southeast Asian Islam also underscores the pluralistic nature of Islam in the region today, where Muslims have generally lived peacefully in religiously mixed communities, even in areas where they constituted a large majority.Alongside these pluralistic trends in Southeast Asian Islam are some alternative streams of social-political activism that threaten its traditionally inclusivist character. While most Southeast Asian Muslims are known for their moderation, there has historically been a very small but vocal minority who have been drawn to the more puritanical or extremist variants of the faith. In addition, there is a gradual but clearly discernible trend of conservatism among the general Muslim population, particularly in Malaysia and Indonesia, which has given rise to exclusivist attitudes towards non-Muslims.The material gathered in Volume I of this new Routledge collection focuses on the historical, cultural, sociological, theological, and intellectual aspects of Islam in Southeast Asia. Volume II, meanwhile, assesses trends in Muslim politics in Southeast Asia, investigating the success and failure of political Islam in the Muslim-majority cases of Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as the Muslim-minority contexts of Thailand, Philippines, and Singapore.Volume III identifies and analyses the primary actors and agents that are involved in the formation and development of a burgeoning pan-regional parallel civil society network bringing together religiously inspired Islamist NGOs, civil society actors and agencies, the media, professionals’ associations, and political parties; the work collected here charts out a virtual map of the new Islamist activist geography of Southeast Asia. Finally, Volume IV examines the nexus between Islam, politics, and terrorism in the aftermath of the Bali bombings of 2002. It also interrogates the interaction between mainstream political Islam and more extremist fringes of the Islamic communities across the region, as well as domestic and international factors driving radicalism.Fully indexed and with an introduction newly written by the editors that comprehensively places the collected material in its historical and intellectual context, this new Routledge Major Work is an essential research and teaching resource.

Islam developed over the course of its history one of the world’s most innovative and interesting scientific and medical traditions. In this context, the term Islam should not simply be understood as referring to the religion of the prophet Muhammad, but rather to a civilization which was once surprisingly open to foreign influences, and eager to engage with the proverbial Other. Yet Islam is often perceived as being opposed to (Western) science and methodology.Islamic Medical and Scientific Tradition presents a selection of works that illustrate the intellectual curiosity and theoretical vigour with which Arabs and non-Arabs living in the medieval Muslim world pursued scientific endeavours. The focus is firmly on scholarship published within the last twenty years, during which period the discipline has enjoyed a new bloom.Starting with the theoretical framework of the sciences in Islamic philosophy and theology, this new collection from Routledge elucidates the position of mathematics, physics, and medicine within the hierarchy of the sciences. Another topic discussed is Ancient (or Greek) versus traditional (or Muslim) sciences; and Islamic theological views on the pure pursuit of knowledge. The life sciences of Biology, Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine are examined, as are those of the physical sciences: Physics and Astronomy. The occult ‘sciences’ of Astrology, Alchemy, and Geomancy are also discussed. Close attention is paid to the mathematical sciences of Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry, Optics (including the introduction of zero, the invention of algebra, the squaring of the circle, conics, and the nature of vision). The practical sciences, Agriculture, Engineering, and Horticulture, are also examined in detail.Fully indexed, and with a comprehensive introduction newly written by the editor, that places the collected material in its historical and intellectual context, this is an essential work destined to be valued by scholars, students, and researchers as a vital one-stop reference resource.

In recent decades, the number of Muslims in the West has increased rapidly, and interesting transformations of Islam have taken place—to some extent with repercussions in Islamic or predominantly Muslim countries in Asia and Africa. This new four-volume Major Work collection from Routledge helps to make sense of the burgeoning scholarship in this area.Volume I (‘Regions and History’) includes studies on the historical development of Islam, as well as key work on the current situation in various regions and countries. Volume II focuses on religion and culture, while Volume III (‘Social and Economic Issues’) assembles vital materials on topics such as gender, family structures, class, poverty, and health. The final volume in the collection (‘Politics and Law’) gathers the best work on, among other things, Muslim involvement in political life; Muslim presence in the public sphere; the media coverage of Islam; and issues of integration and so-called ‘Islamophobia’. Legal issues covered include laws on freedom of religion, minority rights, separate legislation, and debates about veils and halal slaughter.With a full index, together with comprehensive introductions newly written by the editors, which place the collected material in its historical and intellectual context, Islam in the West is an essential new addition to Routledge’s Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies series.

Insight into the origins and early development of Islam has become relevant not only to the specialist, but underlies a thorough understanding of debates relating to Islam and the Middle East in the contemporary period. Over the past decades, the field has seen the publication of some excellent in-depth studies on aspects of Islamic history 600–1000 CE, and has also undergone a revision of its own boundaries. Some studies have thus placed the origins of Islam in the wider context of Late Antiquity, and argued for an examination of the development of Islam as a religion and civilization in a broader monotheistic and Mediterranean context.Moreover, the historiographic debates of the 1970s are far from resolved: in the seventies a new critical approach to the study of early Islamic history emerged, often described as the sceptical or revisionist approach. Questioning the reliability of the Muslim tradition about Islamic origins, the ‘revisionists’ also at times suggested that it is impossible to recover any kernel of historical truth (what ‘actually happened’). Their assumptions and findings have been (and continue to be) criticized in numerous works, though not often in sustained or comprehensive manners. More recently, the field has witnessed a return to more ‘conventional’ approaches, where attempts are made to recover and reconstruct aspects of early Islamic history by analysis of the transmission history of hadith traditions and their chains of narrators. An understanding of the sources and the historiography thus remains pivotal to discussions of early Islamic history. This important issue is addressed particularly in the first volume, and in a thorough introduction which draws together the main themes and developments of the period. Early Years of Islam provides excellent reference work and very useful teaching material for a number of different university level courses, in subjects including History, Area Studies, Religious Studies, and Islamic Studies.

There are more Muslims – over 400 million – in South Asia than in any other region in the world. Many of the most important political, intellectual and spiritual developments within Islam have had their origins, or have flourished, in the area, and Muslims from the region have played important roles in the global history of Islam. Pakistan was specifically created to provide a homeland for South Asia’s Muslim population, and its trials and tribulations over the past 60 years have been carefully watched by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Muslims constitute India’s largest minority, with an often uneasy relationship to the majority.The early history of Islam in South Asia, including migration, conversion and Muslim dynasties, as well as religious developments, are studied in depth, as is the role of Islam in the colonial period, including resistance to colonial rule, and intellectual responses to, and dialogue with, Western thought. Articles also cover Islam since independence, including political movements, Muslims as majorities and minorities, and the South Asian Muslim diaspora. In addition, Islam and development, including material related to women and Islam, legal reform, Islamic finance, and education issues, are all areas that Islam in South Asia considers.During the last hundred years there has been extensive English-language writing and research on Islam in South Asia, both by Muslim scholars and by non-Muslims. This new Major Work from Routledge brings together the most significant and enduring work, most of it published in the past thirty years, but with occasional use of older material. Islam in South Asia, with a comprehensive introduction, newly written by the editor to place the collected material in its historical and intellectual context, is destined to be an essential work of reference.Available now at a special introductory price. This price is applicable until 3 months after publication. For more information, please contact us (reference@routledge.com).

Within the classical Islamic tradition, the field of Qur'anic exegesis, more commonly referred to as tafsir, occupies a revered place among the traditional Muslim sciences. Although tafsir encompasses various approaches to the explication of the Qur’an and these include legal, theological, rhetorical, linguistic, mystical, literary, and philosophical treatments, it is the technical tools and methodologies applied in Qur’anic exegesis and the history of their development which make the discipline so unique in its Islamic context. Given the significance of tafsir within the religious tradition, western academic scholars have devoted considerable attention to the field. This interest remains vigorous today and represents one of the key areas of research in modern Islamic studies. This collection of articles on tafsir provides a definitive overview of the tradition of tafsir in its early, medieval, and modern settings.Tafsir: Interpreting the Qur’an includes works germane to the history and development of exegesis; materials which focus on the tradition’s great commentators and their commentaries; articles which look at the genres, themes and contexts of the tafsir tradition; research on exegetical ideas, sources, and constructs; and, finally, articles which examine the hermeneutic tools defined by scholarship for the explication of the sacred text. It is an essential work of reference destined to be valued by scholars and students as a vital one-stop research resource.

This is a new four-volume collection from Routledge’s Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies series. It brings together in one ‘mini library’ the canonical and the best cutting-scholarship to explore the complex relationship between Islam and religious diversity.The collection is supplemented with a full index, and includes an introduction to each volume, newly written by the editor, which places the assembled materials in their historical and intellectual context.

SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY PRICE!(Valid until three months after publication)To what extent can concepts such as orthodoxy and heresy—originating from a different religious and cultural tradition—be applied in an Islamic context? This new Routledge collection of major works synthesizes the latest scholarship to address and answer this question. It explores the terminology on religious ‘deviation’ found in Islamic texts, and looks at specific debated issues that shed light on the implications of the theoretical discussions.The readership for this collection will be wide: teachers and students in Islamic Studies, Religious Studies, Medieval Studies, Sociology, and Anthropology will all welcome this essential work of reference.

This four-volume compendium delves into topics such as the theology of rights in Islam, comparative explorations, and a historical study of human rights in Muslim-majority societies spanning Africa, the Middle East, and South and South East Asia during the 20th and early 21 centuries. Moreover, it explores how Muslim women and men have understood their faith and evolving notions of rights and liberties. Volume 1 analyzes the relationship between religion and human rights along with "Western" and "Islamic" human rights schemes. Volume 2 traces early and later Muslim responses to human rights during the 20th century. Volume 3 considers the political context in the struggle for human rights in Muslim societies by focusing on state-society relations. Volume 4 explores shariʽah and contemporary human rights controversies by surveying subjects such as: women’s rights which is described as the locomotive of societal change, apostasy and blasphemy laws, as well as LGBT and labor rights.