Accusations of Unbelief in Islam
Accusations of Unbelief in Islam

Author: Camilla Adang

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2015-10-20

Total Pages: 552

ISBN-13: 9004307834

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The present volume—the first of its kind—deals with takfīr: accusing one ́s opponents of unbelief (kufr). Originating in the first decades of Islam, this practice has been applied intermittently ever since. The nineteen studies included here deal with cases, covering different periods and parts of the Muslim world, of individuals or groups that used the instrument of takfīr to brand their opponents—either persons, groups or even institutions—as unbelievers who should be condemned, anathematized or even persecuted. Each case presented is placed in its sociopolitical and religious context. Together the contributions show the multifariousness that has always characterized Islam and the various ways in which Muslims either sought to suppress or to come to terms with this diversity. With contributions by: Roswitha Badry, Sonja Brentjes, Brian J. Didier, Michael Ebstein, Simeon Evstatiev, Ersilia Francesca, Robert Gleave, Steven Judd, István T. Kristó-Nagy, Göran Larsson, Amalia Levanoni, Orkhan Mir-Kasimov, Hossein Modarressi, Justyna Nedza, Intisar A. Rabb, Sajjad Rizvi, Daniel de Smet, Zoltan Szombathy, Joas Wagemakers.

Al-Ghazali's Philosophical Theology
Al-Ghazali's Philosophical Theology

Author: Frank Griffel

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2009-05-28

Total Pages: 423

ISBN-13: 0199724725

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The Muslim thinker al-Ghazali (d. 1111) was one of the most influential theologians and philosophers of Islam and has been considered an authority in both Western and Islamic philosophical traditions. Born in northeastern Iran, he held the most prestigious academic post in Islamic theology in Baghdad, only to renounce the position and teach at small schools in the provinces for no money. His contributions to Islamic scholarship range from responding to the challenges of Aristotelian philosophy to creating a new type of Islamic mysticism and integrating both these traditions-falsafa and Sufism-into the Sunni mainstream. This book offers a comprehensive study of al-Ghazali's life and his understanding of cosmology-how God creates things and events in the world, how human acts relate to God's power, and how the universe is structured. Frank Griffel presents a serious revision of traditional views on al-Ghazali, showing that his most important achievement was the creation of a new rationalist theology in which he transformed the Aristotelian views of thinkers such as Avicenna to accord with intellectual currents that were well-established within Muslim theological discourse. Using the most authoritative sources, including reports from al-Ghazali's students, his contemporaries, and his own letters, Griffel reconstructs every stage in a turbulent career. The al-Ghazali that emerges offers many surprises, particularly on his motives for leaving Baghdad and the nature of his "seclusion" afterwards. Griffel demonstrates that al-Ghazali intended to create a new cosmology that moved away from concerns held earlier by Muslim theologians and Arab philosophers. This new theology aimed to provide a framework for the pursuit of the natural sciences and a basis for Islamic science and philosophy to flourish beyond the 12th century. Al-Ghazali's Philosophical Theology is the most thorough examination to date of this important thinker.

What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur'an
What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur'an

Author: James R. White

Publisher: Baker Books

Published: 2013-05-01

Total Pages: 316

ISBN-13: 1441260528

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A Look Inside the Sacred Book of One of the World's Fastest-Growing Religions What used to be an exotic religion of people halfway around the world is now the belief system of people living across the street. Through fair, contextual use of the Qur'an as the primary source text, apologist James R. White presents Islamic beliefs about Christ, salvation, the Trinity, the afterlife, and other important topics. White shows how the sacred text of Islam differs from the teachings of the Bible in order to help Christians engage in open, honest discussions with Muslims.

The Quran and the Secular Mind
The Quran and the Secular Mind

Author: Shabbir Akhtar

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2007-10-31

Total Pages: 411

ISBN-13: 1134072562

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This book is concerned with the rationality and plausibility of the Muslim faith and the Qur'an, and in particular how they can be interrogated and understood through Western analytical philosophy. It also explores how Islam can successfully engage with the challenges posed by secular thinking. The Quran and the Secular Mind will be of interest to students and scholars of Islamic philosophy, philosophy of religion, Middle East studies, and political Islam.

On the Boundaries of Theological Tolerance in Islam
On the Boundaries of Theological Tolerance in Islam

Author: Sherman A. Jackson

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13:

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"Abu Hamid al Ghazali, one of the most famous Muslim intellectuals in the history of Islam, set out to provide a legally sanctioned definition of Unbelief (kufr) as the basis for a criterion for determining who is to be considered a Muslim and who is not, as far as theology is concerned. The translation is preceded by an extensive commentary in which the author reconstructs the historical and theoretical context of the Faysal and discusses its relevance for contemporary thought and practice." "This is particularly relevant to the contemporary Muslim theological scene, given the on-going controversy between Revivalist groups, Rationalist and Traditionalist, as to what is the true interpretation of religion and what constitutes a grave deviation from it."--BOOK JACKET.

Freedom of Religion, Apostasy and Islam
Freedom of Religion, Apostasy and Islam

Author: Abdullah Saeed

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-03-02

Total Pages: 225

ISBN-13: 1351935747

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Debate on freedom of religion as a human right takes place not only in the Western world but also in Muslim communities throughout the world. For Muslims concerned for this freedom, one of the major difficulties is the 'punishment for apostasy' - death for those who desert Islam. This book argues that the law of apostasy and its punishment by death in Islamic law is untenable in the modern period. Apostasy conflicts with a variety of foundation texts of Islam and with the current ethos of human rights, in particular the freedom to choose one's religion. Demonstrating the early development of the law of apostasy as largely a religio-political tool, the authors show the diversity of opinion among early Muslims on the punishment, highlighting the substantial ambiguities about what constitutes apostasy, the problematic nature of some of the key textual evidence on which the punishment of apostasy is based, and the neglect of a vast amount of clear Qur'anic texts in favour of freedom of religion in the construction of the law of apostasy. Examining the significant challenges the punishment of apostasy faces in the modern period inside and outside Muslim communities - exploring in particular how apostasy and its punishment is dealt with in a multi-religious Muslim majority country, Malaysia, and the challenges and difficulties it faces there - the authors discuss arguments by prominent Muslims today for an absolute freedom of religion and for discarding the punishment of apostasy.

Apostasy in Islam
Apostasy in Islam

Author: Taha Jabir Alalwani

Publisher: International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT)

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 169

ISBN-13: 1565643631

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It is an established fact that the Prophet never, in his entire life, put an apostate to death. Yet, the issue remains one of the most controversial to have afflicted the Muslim world down the centuries. It is also the source of much damaging media coverage today as Islamic jurisprudence stands accused of a flagrant disregard for human rights and freedom of expression. The subject of this book is a highly sensitive and important one. The author rightly concentrates on evidence, to examine the historical origins of the debate in rigorous detail, as well as the many moral and contextual issues surrounding it. Disputing arguments put forward by proponents of the death penalty he contends that both the Qur’an and the Sunnah promote freedom of belief including the act of exiting the Faith and do not support capital punishment for the sin of al-riddah. Note that attention is on the word sin, for there is qualification: as long as one’s apostasy has not been accompanied by anything else that would be deemed a criminal act, particularly in terms of national security, then according to the author, it remains a matter strictly between God and the individual. Of interest is the fact that the Qur’an significantly refers to individuals repeatedly returning to unbelief after having believed, but does not mention that they should be killed or punished. This work has been written at a time of great complexity and vulnerability when a true understanding of the higher intents and values of the Qur’an and the Sunnah, maqasid al-shariah, is sorely needed. The author employs a strong evidence-based approach examining in detail the Qur’an and authentic Hadith, taking into consideration traditional approaches to the study of the Islamic textual sciences and other fields of knowledge, as well as analyzing scholastic interpretation. Taking the life of a person without just cause is according to the Qur’an equivalent to the killing of the whole of mankind. It is vital therefore, that in the interests of compassion and justice, as well as freedom of belief, this subject is clearly addressed once and for all.

Ibn Taymiyya's Theodicy of Perpetual Optimism
Ibn Taymiyya's Theodicy of Perpetual Optimism

Author: Jon Hoover

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 283

ISBN-13: 9004158472

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This comprehensive study of Muslim jurist Ibn Taymiyya's (d. 1328) theodicy of perpetual optimism exposits and analyses his writings on God's justice and wise purpose, divine determination and human agency, the problem of evil, and juristic method in theological doctrine.

Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi
Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi

Author: Sagi Polka

Publisher: Syracuse University Press

Published: 2019-06-13

Total Pages: 497

ISBN-13: 0815654804

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One of the most prominent Sunni clerics in the Muslim world today, Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi influences the discourse around matters central to the Islamic faith and to Islam’s relationship with Western culture. As the spiritual leader of the wasat.iyya movement, he is the voice of the moderate current in contemporary Islam. In this volume, Polka explores al-Qaradawi’s life and development as a Muslim scholar and likewise examines the philosophy of the wasat.iyya movement. In so doing, Polka compares wasat.iyya to two rival schools of contemporary Islamic thought—jihadist Salafism and secular liberalism—creating a thorough analysis of the Islamic tradition. Polka offers a broad panoramic view of these three trends and their positions on core issues debated in the Muslim world: Islamic reform, democracy and human rights, feminism, the concept of jihad, and suicide attacks and the killing of civilians. Through his writing and preaching, al-Qaradawi has become the Islamic legal authority for Hamas and for the current generation of the Muslim Brotherhood but remains a controversial figure. While his many students admire him as their spiritual mentor, others have accused him of exploiting his pulpit and his media stardom in order to promote terrorism and violence toward both Muslims and non-Muslims. Polka helpfully explores this duality, providing a much-needed comprehensive analysis of al-Qaradawi’s philosophy and the centrist approach within Islamic thought.

Blasphemies Compared
Blasphemies Compared

Author: Anne Stensvold

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-11-29

Total Pages: 284

ISBN-13: 1000291863

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This volume examines both historical developments and contemporary expressions of blasphemy across the world. The transgression of religious boundaries incurs more or less severe sanctions in various religious traditions. This book looks at how religious and political authorities use ideas about blasphemy as a means of control. In a globalised world where people of different faiths interact more than ever before and world-views are an increasingly important part of identity politics, religious boundaries are a source of controversy. The book goes beyond many others in this field by widening its scope beyond the legal aspects of freedom of expression. Approaching blasphemy as effective speech, the chapters in this book focus on real-life situations and ask the following questions: who are the blasphemers, who are their accusers and what does blasphemy accomplish? Utilising case studies from Europe, the Middle East and Asia that encompass a wide variety of faith traditions, the book guides readers to a more nuanced appreciation of the historical roots, political implications and religious rationale of attitudes towards blasphemy. Incorporating historical and contemporary approaches to blasphemy, this book will be of great use to academics in Religious Studies and the Sociology of Religion as well as Political Science, Media Studies, History.