بمنحة من معهد فولبرايت.. د. سعاد تاج السر تحاضر بالجامعة الامريكية بالكويت.. الف مبروك!

A Religion, Not a State
Ali ‘Abd al-Raziq’s Islamic Justification of Political Secularism

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Souad T. Ali

August 2009

6 x 9, 192 pp.

Paper $25.00

978-0-87480-951-0

Middle East

Utah Series in Turkish and Islamic Studies

In this notable work, Souad T. Ali examines the seminal writings of Egyptian reformist scholar Ali ‘Abd al-Raziq, often regarded as the intellectual father of Islamic political secularism, and his controversial argument that the caliphate should be considered a human innovation, rather than a religious imperative. ‘Abd al Raziq contended that Islam is “a religion, not a state; a message, not a government,” a major departure from the traditional view that religious and political spheres are intertwined and inseparable in Islam.

Opponents denounced ‘Abd al-Raziq’s ideas as a foreign corruption imported from the West. Souad T. Ali’s careful, objective, and scholarly examination of ‘Abd al-Raziq’s work, however, reveals that his arguments are not based in Western thought. Rather, they sit firmly within the dictates of Islam’s sacred texts, particularly the Quran and Hadith, and also enjoy considerable support from the historical record. The author uses textual analysis, historical contextualization, and comparative approaches to provide a detailed, objective discussion of both ‘Abd al-Raziq’s arguments and the counter-arguments set forth against his claims. Ali’s work moves beyond simply providing new perspectives on a work central to an important debate within the Muslim community and begins to scrutinize the status of Islam’s complex representations, cultural discourses, and historical developments as they relate to the question of Islam and the state.

This analysis critically challenges prevalent misinterpretations of Islam that have endured for centuries. Ali recognizes the varied models and discourses that have arisen throughout different epochs, especially so the role that Western intervention has played in placing the question of Islam’s modernity at the forefront of intellectual debate. Throughout, the study emphasizes the atmosphere of openness and tolerance that is a requisite for free, intelligent debate.

Souad T. Ali is an assistant professor of Arabic and Middle East and Islamic Studies and head of Classics and Middle East Letters and Cultures at the School of International Letters and Cultures at Arizona State University. She has recently been named a Fulbright Scholar.
Praises and Reviews:

“Ali succeeds in situating the (Islamic political secularism) debate in its historical contexts and in lucidly presenting the positions of major players with balance and objectivity. Her writing style is clear and this helps make the material accessible even for someone who approaches it for the first time.”
- Mohamed A. Mahmoud, Tufts University

“With its rich historical background and extensive literature review…this book would be an excellent source for students of Islamic political thought…While [Abd al-] Raziq’s ideas were discussed in other important books on Islamic political theory… this book fulfills the need for a more detailed, independent volume.”

- Hasan Kosebalaban. Michigan State University