Modern Islamic Authority and Social Change, Volume 1: Evolving Debates in Muslim Majority Countries

Description

At the turn of the twenty-first century, scholarship and policy debate on Islam and Muslim societies has come to focus primarily on Islam’s ability to make young Muslims gravitate towards anti-modernity movements. Many attribute Islamic militancy, as well as the general socio-economic and political stagnation experienced in some Muslim societies, to Islamic theological or legal dictates. Yet Islamic scholarly tradition is highly pluralistic, and today’s leading Islamic authority structures are developing competing conceptual and methodological approaches which vary greatly in their ability to engage with societal change. This volume focuses on the four most influential Islamic authority structures with a visible following among Muslims around the globe. It makes a major contribution to refining our understanding of the plurality of Islamic tradition in contemporary times, helping to counter the dominant narrative of an inevitable clash of civilisations. It presents evidence of great creative energy within many Islamic scholarly platforms (old as well as new); an energy which aims to provide dynamic answers to modern day challenges from within the Islamic legal and theological tradition. Preface Note on Transliteration Glossary Introduction Part I al-Azhar University and Mosque Network Chapter 1. al-Azhar University: A Crisis of Authority Chapter 2. History and Continuity: al-Azhar and Egypt Chapter 3. al-Azhar, Wasaṭīyah, and the Wāqi’ Part II Saudi Salafism Chapter 4. Saudi Salafism amid Rapid Social Change Chapter 5. Evolution of Saudi Salafism Chapter 6. Post-Salafism: Salman al-Ouda and Hatim al-Awni Part III Deobandi Madrasah Network Chapter 7. The Deobandi Network: Steadfast in Taqlīd Chapter 8. Darul Uloom Deoband and South Asian Islam Chapter 9. Deoband’s Conservatism: The Dār al-Iftā’, Nadwatul Ulama and Muftī Muhammad Taqi Usmani Part IV Diyanet Chapter 10. Diyanet: Taking Center Stage Chapter 11. Religion in the Service of the State: Diyanet and Republican Turkey Chapter 12. Turkish Islamic Debates: Diyanet, Hayrettin Karaman, and Recep Şentürk Notes on the Contributors Index