This book could easily be called 'A Guide for the Modern Muslim', for someone to whom the sentiments of his or her ancestors resonate but who cannot accept the canonised formulas of a stultified education. Charfi spells out what, for him, is the essential message of Islam, followed by a history of its unfolding through the person of the Prophet Muhammad, who was a visionary seeking to change the ideals, attitudes and behaviours of the society in which he lived. The message and its history are delineated as two separate things, conflated by tradition. Charfi's reflections cross those horizons where few Muslim scholars have dared until now to tread. He confronts with great lucidity those difficult questions with which Muslims are struggling, attempting to reconsider them from a moral and political perspective that is independent of the frameworks produced by tradition."

This is the first English translation of this controversial essay that challenged fundamental ideas about political power. Egypt, 1925: the Muslim world is in turmoil over Mustapha Kamal Ataturk's proposal to abolish the caliphate in Turkey. The debate over Islam and politics re-ignites as traditional political systems dissolve under pressure from European powers and most Muslim countries lose their sovereignty. Into this debate enters Ali Abdel Razek, a religious cleric trained at Al-Azhar University, arguing in favour of secularism in his essay 'Islam and the Foundations of Political Power', translated here and published in paperback for the first time. It includes a substantial introduction that places the essay in its context and explains its impact. It features an appendix of Razek's sources with full publication details. It includes explanatory notes beside Razek's original footnotes. There are additional notes about particular people, events or vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to modern readers.

Current popular and academic discussions tend to make certain assumptions regarding Islam and its lack of compatibility with notions of pluralism. Some noted liberal thinkers have even argued that pluralism itself is inherently antithetical to Islam. This volume intends to address these assumptions by bringing clarity to some of its key suppositions and conjectures. It seeks to go beyond the parameters of political correctness by engaging in a dialogue that refutes these postulations in a direct, frontal debate. In this volume, as well as in the forthcoming volume, The Possibility of Pluralism, eminent scholars from around the world explore notions of pluralism, discussing the broad spectrum of its relevance and application to modern day societies, from secularism and multiculturalism to democracy, globalisation and the pivotal role of civil society.