Redefining the Muslim Community: Ethnicity, Religion, and Politics in the Thought of Alfarabi

Writing in the cosmopolitan metropolis of Baghdad, Alfarabi (870—950) is unique in the history of premodern political philosophy for his extensive discussion of the nation, or Umma in Arabic. The term Umma may be traced back to the Qur'ān and signifies, then and now, both the Islamic religious community as a whole and the various ethnic nations of which that community is composed, such as the Turks, Persians, and Arabs. Examining Alfarabi's political writings as well as parts of his logical...