What is Islam?
How do we understand a human and historical phenomenon characterized by great diversity and contradictions? What makes Islamic philosophy or Islamic art 'Islamic'? Should we speak of Islam or of multiple Islams? And should we distinguish the religious (the Islamic) from the cultural (the Islamicate)? Or is it better to abandon the term 'Islamic' entirely as an analytical framework?
New insights and approaches
In What Is Islam? Shahab Ahmed presents an innovative understanding of Islam that deviates from the traditional categories of 'religion' and 'culture', and from the emphasis on legislation and scriptures. He shows that these approaches actually hinder, distort, and diminish our understanding of Islam.
Content and themes
- A new language and paradigm for analyzing Islam
- Historical understanding of revelation and why Muslims embrace values such as exploration, ambiguity, aesthetics, polyvalence, and relativism
- The place of practices such as figural art, music, and wine drinking within Islam
- A renewed insight into Islamic legislation and its relationship to philosophical ethics and political theory
Target audience and language
This book is suitable for anyone who wants to better understand Islam, both in education, work, and self-study. The language is academic but accessible, aimed at a high language level (C1-C2).
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