Revival and Reform in Islam: The Legacy of Muhammad al-Shawkani (Cambridge Studies in Islamic Civilization) [Hardcover]

Bernard Haykel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 16, 2003 | Series: Cambridge Studies in Islamic Civilization

This intellectual biography of Muhammad al-Shawkani, one of the founding fathers of modern Islamic reformism, is also a study of an important transitional period in Yemeni history which saw the shift from traditional Shi'ism to Sunni reformism. The transition propelled political, religious and social change. While Shawkani espoused a socio-religious order which echoed aspects of Western thinking, the book demonstrates that it was indigenous to Islamic thought. Shawkani's ideas remain vital to the intellectual debates happening in Islam today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Haykel's thorough analysis of Sunni Traditionism in Yemen is a model study in its comprehensive utilization of local sources and the in-depth understanding of the debates of the era of al-Shawkani and the continuing importance of the issues raised in those debates. Haykel makes a very important contribution to understanding movements of revival and reform in Islam both as they developed in the eighteenth century and as they continue to develop at the beginning of the twenty-first century.' Islamic Studies

Book Description

Revival and Reform in Early Modern Islam is both an intellectual biography of Muhammad al-Shawkani, one of the founding fathers of modern reformism, and a study of an important transitional period in Yemeni history which saw the shift from traditional Shi'ism to Sunni reformism. This transition propelled political, religious and social change. The book demonstrates that, while Shawkani espoused a socio-religious order which echoed aspects of Western thinking, it was indigenous to Islamic thought. Shawkani's ideas remain central to the intellectual debates taking place in Islam today.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 284 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (June 16, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521816289
• ISBN-13: 978-0521816281
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,534,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to Salafi ideology, October 23, 2005

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Ahsan ul-Haqq - See all my reviews

This review is from: Revival and Reform in Islam: The Legacy of Muhammad al-Shawkani (Cambridge Studies in Islamic Civilization) (Paperback)

I found this book to be an incredibly instructive introduction to Salafi thought and legal practice. Imam al-Shawkani, along with Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, is one of the principal scholars of the Salafi movement. This book situates al-Shawkani's life in the intricate context of Yemeni history and politics, but do not be put off by this because it repays the effort. Haykel is able to show how and why some scholars adopt a Salafi methodology and in so doing accumulate an awesome degree of authority and power. Among the many things I learned from this book is why the Salafis are obsessed with expelling non-Muslims from Arabia and what arguments they put forth for this against Muslims who disagree on this point. This topic it turns out was hotly debated in 18th-century Yemen, well before Shaykh Usama Bin Laden brought it up in more recent times.

Khuda Hafiz, Ahsan ul-Haqq, Deoband, India