Over the last three decades, Hezbollah has developed from a small radical organization into a major player in the Lebanese, regional, and even international political arenas. Its influence in military issues is well known, but its role in shaping cultural and political activities has not received enough attention. Kanaaneh sheds new light on the organization's successful evolution as a counterhegemonic force in the region's resistance movement, known as "Maqawama". Founded on the idea that Islam is a resisting religion, whose real heroes are the poor populations who have finally decided to take action, Hezbollah has shifted its focus to advocate for social justice issues and to attract ordinary activists to its cause. From the mid-1990s on, Hezbollah has built alliances that allow it to pursue soft power in Lebanon, fighting against both the dominant Shi'ite elites and the Maronite-Sunni, as well as Israeli and US influence in the region. Kanaaneh argues that this perpetual resistance - military as well as cultural and political - is fundamental to Hezbollah's continued success.

The Waqf (pious endowment in Islam) fulfilled vital political, social and economic functions. Reiter presents a picture of the role of Islam in mandatory Je.0rusalem through the resources of the Waqf. The Waqfs, as owners of 80% of the land in the old city of Jerusalem, and their socio-political influence, lie at the root of the present debate about the character and future of this Holy City. The prevalent image of institutionalized corruption within the Waqf system, involving beneficiaries, administrators and members of the elite is not completely supported by the findings ofthe present study.

The waqf (pious endowment) was a major Islamic institution in Jerusalem under British Mandate and it fulfilled vital political, social and economic functions. This book considers how the waqf adapted to modern times and reflects on its role in Islamic life in Jerusalem in the light of the political debate between the Palestinian Arab national movement and the Jewish Zionist movement. One of the weaknesses of Islamic endowments was the lack of proper supervision of their administration. The image of institutionalized corruption within the waqf system, involving beneficiaries, administrators, qadis and members of the elite, however, is not completely supported by the findings of the present study. Alongside cases of neglect and poor administration of waqf in Mandatory Jerusalem, there were numerous instances of estates being properly maintained and well managed. The waqfs own 80 per cent of the land in the Old City of Jerusalem, and their socio-political influence lies at the root of the present debate about the character and future of this holy city.

"Precisely the kind of book that Western economists have been waiting for."-John Presley, former professor of economics, University of Loughborough A systematic and rigourous exposition of various aspects of the economics of Islam. These essays not only provide an overview of the various dimensions of Islamic economics but also convincingly establish the viability of the application of these concepts in the contemporary set-up. The analysis presented in this book also establishes the amenability of Islamic economics to scientific investigation and hence its conclusions and analysis directly comparable with what is known as the science of Economics. The scope of this book as well as the analytical and rigorous approach used in presenting Islamic economics makes this a useful and perhaps the only book so far available that can be utilized as teaching material in graduate programs in universities both in the East and the West where this subject is taught. It fulfills the need of graduate students of economics in that it provides rigorous reading material to assist them in their course work or in pursuing their own research on the subject. M. Fahim Khan is the president of the Islamic Society of Institutional Economics at the International Institute of Islamic Economics, Islamabad, Pakistan, and is the author of ten monographs on Islamic economics.

Since 9/11 interest in Islamophobia has steadily increased - as has the number of academic publications discussing the phenomenon. However, theoretical expositions have dominated the field. Lived experiences of Islamophobia, by contrast, have received little attention. In recognition of the importance of addressing this imbalance, this book provides theoretically-informed analyses alongside everyday testimonies of anti-Muslim racism, set comparatively in an international context. Carr argues that the failure of the neoliberal state to collect data on anti-Muslim racism highlights the perpetuation of 'race' blindness within governance. Not only does this mean that the salience of racism is denied in the lives of those who experience it, but this also enables the state to absolve itself from challenging the issue and providing the necessary supports to Muslim communities. Offering original empirical research and theoretical engagement with the concept of 'race'-blind neoliberal governance, this book will appeal to students and scholars across the social sciences, in addition to policymakers and activists working in this topical area.

Many scholars were convinced that the existing Western style of life, thought, and political institutions could easily be adapted to Muslim societies by bringing them into line with Islamic belief systems and rules. But after some experiences they were surprised when even intellectuals who had Western academic training remained deeply attached to Islam. In this book, Davutoglu develops a comparative analysis between Western and Islamic political theories and images. His argument contends that the conflicts and contrasts between Islamic and Western political thought originate from their philosophical, methodological, and theoretical background rather than mere institutional and historical differences. The questions of how and through which processes these alternative conceptions of the world affect political ideas via a set of axiological presuppositions are the crux of the book. Contents: Transliteration; Introduction; I. Theoretical Inquiries. Western Paradigm: Ontological Proximity; Islamic Paradigm: Tawhid and Ontological Differentiation; II. Political Consequences. Justification of the Socio-Political System: Cosmologico-Ontological Foundations; Legitimation of Political Authority: Epistemologico-Axiological Foundations; Power Theories and Pluralism; The Political Unit and the Universal Political System; Concluding Comparative Remarks.

Making European Muslims provides an in-depth examination of what it means to be a young Muslim in Europe today, where the assumptions, values and behavior of the family and those of the majority society do not always coincide. Focusing on the religious socialization of Muslim children at home, in semi-private Islamic spaces such as mosques and Quran schools, and in public schools, the original contributions to this volume focus largely on countries in northern Europe, with a special emphasis on the Nordic region, primarily Denmark. Case studies demonstrate the ways that family life, public education, and government policy intersect in the lives of young Muslims and inform their developing religious beliefs and practices. Mark Sedgwick's introduction provides a framework for theorizing Muslimness in the European context, arguing that Muslim children must navigate different and sometimes contradictory expectations and demands on their way to negotiating a European Muslim identity.

This volume explores various facets of the Islamic search for knowledge. It examines figures as diverse as Abu Najib al-Suhrawardi and Ibn al-'Arabi on the one hand, and Ibn Battuta and Ibn Jubayr on the other. The volume is divided into two main sections - Thought and Travel - but all the essays are linked by the common theme of the quest for knowledge. This collection offers insights which should be of interest all students and scholars of Islamic thought and travel.

Infibulation is the most extreme form of female circumcision. It plays an important role in the Islamic societies of northeastern Africa. Until now, the social significance and function of this practice has been poorly understood. This has been no less true of Western commentators who have condemned the practice than of relevant governments that have attempted to curb it. In Infibulation, Esther K. Hicks analyzes female circumcision as a cultural trait embedded in a historically traditional milieu and shows why it cannot be treated in isolation as a single issue destined for elimination. In its brief history it has been recognized as a pioneering piece of research with enormous consequences.

As Hicks demonstrates, much of the popular resistance to official efforts to eradicate infibulation has actually come from women. Circumcision constitutes a rite of passage for female children. It initiates them into womanhood and makes them eligible for marriage. Often, this is the only positive status position available to women in traditional Islamic societies. Hicks points out that although female circumcision predates the introduction of Islam into the region, the religious culture has successfully codified infibulation into the structural nexus of marriage, family, and social honor at all socioeconomic levels.

This volume explores various facets of the Islamic search for knowledge. It examines figures as diverse as Abu Najib al-Suhrawardi and Ibn al-'Arabi on the one hand, and Ibn Battuta and Ibn Jubayr on the other. The volume is divided into two main sections - Thought and Travel - but all the essays are linked by the common theme of the quest for knowledge.;This collection offers insights which should be of interest all students and scholars of Islamic thought and travel.

Politics in Indonesia describes the attitudes, aspirations and frustrations of the key players in Indonesian politics as they struggle to shape the future. The book focuses on the role of political Islam; Douglas E. Ramage shows that the state has been remarkably successful in maintaining secular political institutions in a predominantly Muslim society. He analyses the way in which political questions are framed with reference to the national ideology, the Pancasila.

Max Weber and Islam is a major effort by Islamic-studies specialists to reexamine and appraise Max Weber's perspectives on Islam and its historical development. Eight specialists on Islam and two sociologists explore many dimensions of Weber's comments on Islam, along with Weber's conceptual framework. The volume's introduction links the discussions to contemporary issues and debates. Wolfgang Schluchter reconstructs Weber's conceptual apparatus as it applies to Islam and its historical development. In subsequent chapters, Islamic specialists consider such major topics as the developmental history of Islam, Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic reform, Islamic law and capitalism, secularization in Islam, as well as the value of attempting to apply Weber's concept of sects to Islam. While some authors find flaws in Weber's factual knowledge of Islam, they also find considerable merit in the kinds of questions Weber raised. Contributors to the volume include highly respected contemporary international scholars of Islam: Ira Lapidus, Nehemia Levtzion, Richard M. Eaton, Peter Hardy, Rudolph Peters, Barbara Metcalf, Francis Robinson, Patricia Crone, Michael Cook, and S.N. Eisenstadt. Toby Huff's introduction not only knits the thematics of the separate essays together but adds its own stresses while engaging the contributors in dialogue and debate about fundamental issues. This acute collective analysis establishes a new benchmark for understanding Weber and Islam. This book also provides an up-to-date overview of the developmental history of many aspects of Islam. A major reappraisal of the entire span of Max Weber's sociological thought on Islam, this book will appeal to a wide range of scholars and laymen interested in the Islamic world. It will be of particular interest to sociologists specializing in religion and Middle East area specialists.

This study examines the attitude of Egyptian intellectuals towards the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in modern Egypt. Though acknowledging that Islam is the basis of every aspect of life in Egyptian society, the intellectuals believe that to establish an Islamic state would mean a return to the Middle Ages and that Western values do not necessarily contradict Islam. Without taking advantage of the scientific and technological progress achieved in the West, Egypt cannot solve its social and economic problems and move forward into the 21st century. How far will these liberal intellectuals influence the future in Egypt?

Sheikh Yusuf al- Qaradawi is regarded as the most influential contemporary Muslim religious figure. His best-selling book, Al-Halal wal-Haram fi al-Islam ("The Forbidden and the Permitted in Islam") is perhaps one of the most widely read Islamic works, after the Qur'an. The subject of jihad in Palestine is a salient feature of Qaradawi's thought and is addressed frequently in his books. His views on Israel and on the Jews shape those of many Muslims throughout the world. This book paints al- Qaradawi's portrait within the context of the subject of the struggle for Palestine and assesses why he is committed so fervently to the Palestinian course. It also sheds light on another important aspect of al-Qaradawi's thought, namely the marked contrast between his ideas regarding the Muslim world and his views on relations with other religions and countries. Whereas al- Qaradawi is considered to be a moderate in Islamic matters, his attitude toward the Jews and to Israel is one of abiding hatred and uncompromising struggle. The book aims to classify Qaradawi's thought along the axis of moderation and extremism by drawing comparisons between Qaradawi's teachings and those of other Muslim jurists. Furthermore, it compares the features of antisemitic writing with that of Qaradawi in order to answer the question as to whether Qaradawi's teachings actually constitute an expression of anti-semitism. Despite the subject of jihad in Palestine being so central to Qaradawi's thought, there has not been a comprehensive and systematic academic study of this to date. The book therefore represents a major contribution to the field and will appeal to anyone studying the Israel-Palestine conflict, Islamic Studies, Jewish Studies, Terrorism and Political Violence.

This work focuses on the life and teachings of Islam's most dramatic and controversial mystic, Husayn ibn Mansur - better known as "al-Hallaj". It includes translations of his poetry and prose which are used to supplement contemporary 10th century accounts of the martyr's life. The author assesses the mystic's place in the traditional calling that he represents, and presents his conclusions in a single accessible volume designed for the general reader of religious traditions and philosophies.

Israel is the only new state among the twenty-one countries in the world today that have maintained democracy without interruption since the end of the Second World War. Israel's case is all the more notable because its democracy was established under extremely adverse conditions: massive immigration; severe social dislocation; the introduction of ethnic, cultural, linguistic, religious, and national differences; rapid economic growth; a permanent security threat that led to five major wars in thirty-five years; and a population that, in the main, had little or no experience of a democratic order. In this insightful study of Israel's founding period from 1948 to 1967, Peter Medding addresses this puzzle, providing a lucid account of the political and historical conditions that gave rise to this distinctive period, as well as the changes which brought it to an end. The result is an eminently readable account of the state-building process and of the role played by David Ben-Gurion and other politicians in moving from consensus politics to a majoritarian-like democracy. Medding's analysis is further enriched by his comparisons of the development of Israeli democracy with that of other countries.

Five centuries after the expulsion of Muslims and Jews from Spain, Europe is once again becoming a land of Islam. At the beginning of a new millennium, and in an era marked as one of globalization, Europe continues to wrestle with the issue of national identity, especially in the context of its Muslim citizens. Muslim Europe or Euro-Islam brings together distinguished scholars from Europe, the United States, and the Middle East in a dynamic discussion about the Muslim populations living in Europe and about Europe's role in framing Islam today. The book raises several crucial questions: Does Islam offer a special case for citizenship? Is assimilation or multiculturalism the model to be followed in the case of Muslims in Europe? How powerful a force is Islam in determining identity? And why is Islam--after centuries of being a presence in Europe--not considered a European religion? Working at the knotty intersection of cultural identity, the politics of nations and nationalisms, and religious persuasions, this is an invaluable anthology of scholarship that reveals the multifaceted natures of both Europe and Islam.

This study focuses on a famous work by a mediaeval Arab grammarian who was once called the "second Sibawayhi" (the pioneer of Arabic grammatical studies). Mughni l-Labib is an encyclopaedic work of immense richness, in which Ibn-Hisham (d.761/1359) analyzes the major syntactic elements of the Arabic language in a manner which has often been described as unique. What sets this work apart in particular from previous grammatical treatises of the mediaeval period is Ibn-Hisham's keen awareness of some of the semantic aspects of Arabic, many of which would normally fall within the domain of the rhetorician. In the Mughni he looks closely at the relationship between form and meaning, particularly in exegetical issues, in an attempt to further an understanding of the sacred work in the form of the Qur'an. This present study attempts to determine why the Mughni has always been held in such high esteem. It also assesses its significance in a wider social and historical context by demonstrating that Arabic grammar was a discipline that could never be studied in isolation without due consideration being given to the interrelated Islamic science of jurisprudence.

For Iran, the years since Ayatollah Khomeini's death have been dominated by the need for political consolidataion and economic reconstruction. The book assesses the critical dilemmas of the regime both prior to and since the demise of its first spiritual leader. The vital issues of political succession and constitutional reform are addressed, contributing to an analysis of the structures and politics of power. How these have reflected upon economic policy is considered with close attention being given to the reform policies of Rafsanjani. Foreign policy and security issues are discussed in both regional and global terms and include a study of Iranian defence strategy and its controversial rearmament drive. The final chapter examines the direction and context of all of these major policy areas. It provides an analysis of whether the Islamic Republic truly represents a revolutionary alternative for the Third World or whether in fact it has developed in time to fall within a similar mould to other notable revolutions, casting by the wayside any uniquely Islamic agenda and alternatives.

A collection of Muslim traditions.

First Published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

First Published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

"The clash of civilizations" has become a common phrase in discussions of U.S.-Middle East relations. This book explores the nature of the friction between the Muslim world and Western states, looking at legitimate perceptions and grievances on both sides involving historical, political, economic, cultural, psychological, and strategic elements.Arguing that "Islam versus the West" does not represent the arena of the next global ideological struggle, the authors examine specific issues of a bilateral nature that require careful handling to prevent the consolidation of states into opposing blocs. They discuss Islam's efforts to politically enhance the real power of Muslim states and to equalize relations with the West in the strategic arena; the enlarged role of Islam in the internal politics of Muslim countries; and the urgency of political, economic, and social change to break away from traditional authoritarian orders. A central theme of the book is that political Islam threatens the established order in most Muslim countries far more than it threatens the West and that violent confrontation can best be circumvented by integrating Islamist forces into the political process.

First Published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The triple themes of this book - migration, pilgrimage and travel in Islam - are as old as the religion itself. The Prophet Muhammad made his famous archetypal "Hijra" (migration) from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD, a year which became the Year 1 of the Muslim lunar calendar; the "Hajj" (pilgrimage) of Farewell enacted by the Prophet in 632 AD provided the paradigm for all future pilgrimages to the sacred Ka'ba in Mecca; while a much quoted hadith portrays the Founder of Islam counselling his followers that they should seek knowledge even as far as China. The concept of "Rihla" (travel) in search of knowledge thus became a primary motif in the lives of many medieval - and modern - Muslim scholars, jurists, collectors of tradition and, indeed, ordinary people.;The editor is also author of "A Popular Dictionary of Islam".