The Politics of Knowledge in Premodern Islam: Negotiating Ideology and Religious Inquiry (Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks) [Paperback]

Omid Safi (Author)

Book Description

Series: Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks | Publication Date: January 18, 2006

The eleventh and twelfth centuries comprised a period of great significance in Islamic history. The Great Saljuqs, a Turkish-speaking tribe hailing from central Asia, ruled the eastern half of the Islamic world for a great portion of that time. In a far-reaching analysis that combines social, cultural, and political history, Omid Safi demonstrates how the Saljuqs tried to create a lasting political presence by joining forces with scholars and saints, among them a number of well-known Sufi Muslims, who functioned under state patronage.

In order to legitimize their political power, Saljuq rulers presented themselves as champions of what they alleged was an orthodox and normative view of Islam. Their notion of religious orthodoxy was constructed by administrators in state-sponsored arenas such as madrasas and khanaqahs. Thus orthodoxy was linked to political loyalty, and disloyalty to the state was articulated in terms of religious heresy.

Drawing on a vast reservoir of primary sources and eschewing anachronistic terms of analysis such as nationalism, Safi revises conventional views both of the Saljuqs as benevolent Muslim rulers and of the Sufis as timeless, ethereal mystics. He makes a significant contribution to understanding premodern Islam as well as illuminating the complex relationship between power and religious knowledge.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An important step forward in raising questions and problematizing previously unstudied issues . . . It can readily serve both as a foundation and as an inspiration for future studies."
— Journal of American Academy of Religion

"Quite contemporary, not just in vocabulary and method, but in intellectual tastes and opinions as well."
— Islamic Studies

From the Inside Flap

Safi examines the rule of the Great Saljuqs, a Turkish-speaking people from central Asia, who, in the 11th century, established rule over the eastern half of the Islamic world that lasted for 150 years. In an analysis that combines social, cultural, and political history, Safi examines the Saljuqs' efforts to create a lasting political presence by joining forces with scholars and saints who functioned under state patronage. He revises conventional views of the Saljuqs as benevolent Muslim rulers and of the Sufis as timeless, ethereal mystics.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (January 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807856576
• ISBN-13: 978-0807856574
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #874,105 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Omid Safi is one of the leading American Muslim public intellectuals.

He is a professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, and for the past seven years has led the Study of Islam Section at the American Academy of Religion. He is the author of Memories of Muhammad: Why the Prophet Matters, as well as Politics of Knowledge in Premodern Islam. In addition, he edited the Progressive Muslims: On Gender, Justice, and Pluralism collection.

Omid draws on the Sufi tradition of Islam, connected to social justice traditions of liberation to articulate a dynamic vision of Islam rooted in mysticism and striving for a life of dignity for all.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Phenomenal book, May 1, 2008

By 

S. J. Weeks "Periens Quotidie" (Albuquerque, NM, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Politics of Knowledge in Premodern Islam: Negotiating Ideology and Religious Inquiry (Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks) (Hardcover)

I came across this book in a course on Byzantium, and was very impressed with Safi's analysis of the Saljuk influence on Islam, and most particularly in the realm of the mystics bartering baraka for orthodoxy and political influence. Safi's argument is convincing, even if it is a movement away from more traditional scholarship. This book is very well written and engaging definitely one of my favorite books in the realm of Islamic scholarship.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Medieval Islam - political/religious relations sound oddly familiar, December 7, 2008

By 

Dennis P. Waters (Mercer County, NJ) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Politics of Knowledge in Premodern Islam: Negotiating Ideology and Religious Inquiry (Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks) (Paperback)

Let me start by saying that I am no scholar of medieval Islam - just an interested lay reader. So I cannot pass judgment on Omid Safi's scholarship or the correctness of his conclusions, only on the potential interest of the book to a novice.

Safi focuses on the eleventh and twelfth century reign of the Saljuqs, a ruthless tribe of nomadic heathens that roared in from central Asia and conquered much of the eastern half of the Islamic world. In order to legitimatize their regime they converted to Islam and set about bargaining with the religious establishment to gain its seal of approval.

It is this negotiating process that Safi documents in detail through several generations of Saljuq political rulers, Islamic scholars, and Sufi mystics, including famous names like al-Ghazali and Nizam al-Mulk. In many ways it is reminiscent of other church-state negotiations throughout history and up to the present time.

Safi's somewhat depressing point is that it was relatively easy for the Saljuqs to buy off the religious community through patronage and, as a result, to gain an undeserved reputation as defenders of the faith, a reputation that persists in modern scholarship.

The lone hold-out exception was the Sufi Ayn al-Qudat Hamadani, who opposed the Saljuqs and wound up executed for his trouble. Ayn al-Qudat is clearly Safi's hero.

The prose is fairly dry, though fortunately Safi manages to suppress most of the inevitable postmodern jargon. The cast of characters is large and mostly alien to an outside reader. A couple of good maps would have helped. But the tale is interesting and familiar, and I would recommend this book to any non-expert interested in the topic and willing to work through the text.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating reading of Islamic history, February 14, 2006

By 

History Lover, student of Islam "history lover" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Politics of Knowledge in Premodern Islam: Negotiating Ideology and Religious Inquiry (Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks) (Paperback)

I was very intrigued by this book. It is an in depth look at medieval Islamic society, and I found it fascinating that there is not just one view on issues, but always a range of perspectives. It was particularly good on the relationship between religion and politics, and also the social role of scholars and mystics. beautifully written!