Islam and the Foundations of Political Power

by Ali Abdel Razek, Abdou Filali-Ansary (Editor), Maryam Loutfi (Translator)

Overview

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.

Scholarly features include
A substantial introduction that places the essay in its context and explains its impact

An appendix of Razek's sources with full publication details

Explanatory notes beside Razek's original footnotes

Additional notes about particular people, events or vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to modern readers

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780748689835
Publisher:	Edinburgh University Press
Publication date:	09/24/2013
Series:	In Translation: Contemporary Thought in Muslim Contexts
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Abdou Filali-Ansary is Director of the Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilizations.

Maryam Loutfi formally worked in the Ministry of Finance and Economy and is presently working in the area of Education.

Table of Contents

About the Author

A Tribute to Ali Abdel Razek Amr Hamed

Preface, Abdou Filali-Ansary

Introduction, Abdou Filali-Ansary

Foreword, Ali Abdel Razek

Book One: The caliphate and Islam
1: The nature of the caliphate
2: The status of the caliphate
3: The caliphate from the social point of view

Book Two: Islam and government
4: The system of power at the time of the Prophet
5: Prophecy and power
6: Islam: a message from God rather than a system of government a religion rather than state

Book Three: The caliphate and the government throughout history
7: Religious unity and the Arab people
8: The Arab State
9: The nature of the caliphate

Bibliography
Appendix

What People are Saying About This

Azim Nanji

There could not be a more propitious time for this translation that - almost a century after its publication - raises issues still relevant to the governance of Muslim societies and authority

There could not be a more propitious time for this translation that - almost a century after its publication - raises issues still relevant to the governance of Muslim societies and authority.

Editorial Reviews

'It is somewhat astonishing that Ali Abdel Raziq's Al-Islam Wa Usul Al-Hukm, one of the most discussed and most significant books of early twentieth-century Egyptian, Arab, and Islamic intellectual history, should have gone so long without a translation into English. Its appearance, in Edinburgh's 'In Translation: Modern Muslim Thinkers' series, is therefore especially welcome ... Filali-Ansari's introduction situates the work in its own context, particularly stressing its importance in sparking what might be seen as the first major 'public-opinion' controversy of modern Middle Eastern history.' — James McDougall, Trinity College, Oxford, Journal of Islamic Studies

From the Publisher

‘It is somewhat astonishing that Ali Abdel Raziq’s Al-Islam Wa Usul Al-Hukm, one of the most discussed and most significant books of early twentieth-century Egyptian, Arab, and Islamic intellectual history, should have gone so long without a translation into English. Its appearance, in Edinburgh’s ‘In Translation: Modern Muslim Thinkers’ series, is therefore especially welcome…Filali-Ansari’s introduction situates the work in its own context, particularly stressing its importance in sparking what might be seen as the first major ‘public-opinion’ controversy of modern Middle Eastern history.’

Journal of Islamic Studies - James McDougall

There could not be a more propitious time for this translation that - almost a century after its publication - raises issues still relevant to the governance of Muslim societies and authority.

Azim Nanji