An Alternative Introduction to Islam
Buch, Englisch, 277 Seiten, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 452 g
ISBN: 978-3-031-22361-7
Verlag: Springer International Publishing
This book introduces Islam through a "humanistic" lens, by highlighting the affective traditions and expressions associated with Sufism and Shi'ism. While most introductory books emphasize the shari’a, and especially the “Five Pillars,” as the primary defining characteristic of Islam, Vernon James Schubel provides an alternative introduction which instead underscores the importance of humanity and the human being within Islamic thought and practice. The book stresses the diversity of Islamic beliefs and practices, presenting them as varied responses to the shared multivalent concepts of tawhid (the unity of God), nubuwwa (prophecy) and qiyama (the Day of Judgment). Readers are introduced to essential aspects of Islam including the life of the Prophet Muhammad, the Qur’an, the development of the shari‘a, and the emergence of the Sunni, Shi‘a and Sufi traditions. The book concludes with a call to redefine “mainstream” Islam, as a religious tradition focused on the centrality of love and rooted in the importance of humanity and universal human virtues.
Zielgruppe
Upper undergraduate
Autoren/Hrsg.
Fachgebiete
Weitere Infos & Material
1 Introduction: Teaching Humanity—Islam as a Humanistic Tradition.- Islam as a Humanistic Tradition.- Defining Humanism and the Humanities.- Orientalism and the Study of Islam.- Islam as a Legalistic Tradition.- Three Men and an Elephant: Describing Islam.- Islam: The Straight Path, or Is It?.- Islam or Islam(s)?: Accounting for Islamic Diversity.- Talal Asad: Islam as a Discursive Tradition.- Shahab Ahmed and the Critique of Asad.- The “Pre-Text”.- The “Con-Text”: The Product of Engagement.- Islam as an Affective Tradition.- Challenging Textual Essentialism.- Moving Beyond the Text: There Is a Reason They Call It Folk Wisdom Teaching Humanity: An Alternative Introduction to Islam.- Questions for Discussion.-2 Islam’s Diverse Paths, Part One: Patterns of Belief.- Defining Islam.- Islam’s Diverse Paths.- Islam: A Man and A Book.- Islam: Unity in Diversity.- Usul al-Din: The Roots of Religion.- Tawhid: The Unity of God.- Mansur Al-Hallaj: The Secret of Ana al-Haqq.- Nubuwwa: Belief in Prophets.- A Brief Outline of the Life of the Historical Muhammad.- Following Muhammad: The Prophet as a Model for Later Generations Qiyama: Belief in the Day of Judgment.- Conclusion.- Questions for Discussion.- 3 Islam’s Diverse Paths, Part Two: Patterns of Practice and Identity.-The Path of “Law”: The Shari?a.- ?Ibadat and Mu?amalat: Shari?a as Ritual and Social Practice.- Mu?amalat: Shari?a as Social Practice.- Shari?a: Islamic Law?.- The Path of Morality and Etiquette: Akhlaq and Adab.- Paths of Love: Mahabba and ?Ishq.- Walking the Path of Love: The Story of Layla and Majnun.- Islam’s Diverse Communities: Shi?a, Sunni, and Sufi.- The Force of History: From Saqifa to Karbala.- A Man and a Book: Accounting for Sunni and Shi?i Islam.- Shi?i Islam: The Path of Devotional Allegiance.- Shi?i Islam’s Diverse Paths.- Sunni Islam: The Islam of the Sunna and the Community.- Belief in the Awliya?Allah: The Sufi Tradition.- Wahdat al-Wujud and the Sufi Tradition.- Conclusion: Islam as a Humanistic Tradition.- Questions for Discussion.- 4 Teaching Humanity: The Human Being as the Object and Means of Revelation in Islamic Piety.-Approaching the Qur?an.- The Qur?an as Sacred Presence.- The Form and Content of the Qur?an.- Qur?anic Verses: Affirmations of Tawhid and Qiyama.- Qur?anic Verses: Practice and Ethics.- Qur?anic Verses: Narratives.- Interpreting the Qur?an.- Muhkamat and Mutashabihat Verses.- Teachers of Humanity: Prophets, Imams, and Awliya?.- Adam in the Qur?an.- Iblis and Adam in the Qur?an.- Mansur al-Hallaj and the Creation of Adam.- The Alevi Understanding of the Adam and Iblis Story.- The Narrative of Khidr and Musa.- Conclusion: Humanity in the Qur?an.- Questions for Discussion.- 5 Patterns of Devotional Allegiance: God’s Friends (Awliya?Allah) and Perfected Persons (al-Insan al-Kamil).- Devotional Allegiance to the Prophet Muhammad.- Love and Devotional Allegiance to the Prophet Muhammad.- Love and Devotion for ?Ali b. Abu Talib.- Karbala: Shi?i Islam’s Spiritual Fulcrum.- Karbala as a Meme.- Karbala as a Root Paradigm.- Victor Turner on Human Nature: Communitas and Structure.- Etic and Emic.- Devotional Allegiance in the Sufi Tradition.- The Story of Baba Farid Shakr Ganj and Mullah Sahab.- Interpretation.- Ahmet Yesevi in the Vilayetname.- The Proclamation of the Praiseworthy Qualities of Hoca Ahmet Yesevi Hezretleri Analysis.- Conclusion.- Questions for Discussion.- 6 My Qibla Is a Man: Islam Beyond the Shari?a.- Defining Alevilik.- The Nature of Alevi Religion.- Alevilik as Shi?i Piety.- Alevilik as a Sufi Tradition.- The Cem.- The Origin of the Cem in the Miraç of the Prophet.- Contemporary Alevilik.- Urban Cems and Cem Evis.- Alevi Music and Performance.- The Saz and the Minaret.- Contemporary Alevi Literature.- Narratives from the Vilayetname.- The Narrative of the Lineage and Birth of Haci Bektas in the Vilayetname.- The Vilayetname as an Islamic Text.- The Narrative of Güvenç Abdal.- My Qibla is a Man: Islam Beyond the Law.- Questions for Discussion.- 7 Conclusion: Not an Excess of Religion, But a Lack of Humanity—In Search of “Mainstream Islam”.- Radical Muslims and Muslim Extremists.- How to Write About Muslims.- Islam and Humanity.- The “Reformers” and Their Legacy.- In Search of “Mainstream” Islam.- “I Created Everything for You and You for Me:” An Alternative View of Islam.- Creating Insan al-Kamil: The End of Humanity.- “Mainstream Islam” and Shari‘a.- “Mainstream Islam” and Modernity.- Conclusion.- Questions for Discussion.- Glossary.- Bibliography.
