New Books in Islamic Studies

Murad Idris, an Assistant Professor of Political Theory at the University of Virginia, delves into the complex interplay of war and peace across Western and Islamic thought. He examines how peace is often intertwined with violence, challenging traditional notions of 'violent peace.' Idris reveals how influential philosophers like Plato and Al-Farabi shaped these ideas, and discusses the implications of weaponizing peace in contemporary contexts. His insights provoke reflection on the political and moral dimensions of peace, urging a reevaluation of historical narratives and ideologies.

Ankur Barua, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, explores Hindu-Muslim dynamics in Bengal. He discusses how histories of amicability and antipathy shape contemporary identities, countering the notion of unbroken hostilities. The podcast dives into the literary contributions of Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam, highlighting their visions of cultural unity and religious humanism. Barua elaborates on socio-political influences transforming these relationships over centuries, revealing a rich tapestry of coexistence that challenges simplistic narratives.

Chiara Formichi, an Associate Professor in Southeast Asian Studies at Cornell University and author of "Islam and Asia: A History," discusses the need to rethink the historical narrative of Islam in Asia. She emphasizes the importance of local contexts and the rich cultural dynamics of regions like Kashmir and Indonesia. Formichi also shares insights on her personal experiences along the Silk Road, critiques the polarization between Islamic and Asian studies, and highlights the complexities of conversion and cultural exchange throughout the region's history.

Ian Johnson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, dives into the religious landscape of China post-Mao. He explores the impressive resurgence of faiths like Taoism, Buddhism, and Christianity amidst a backdrop of political repression and materialism. Johnson discusses the challenges of religious authenticity and identity, highlighting the role of rituals in everyday life. Reflecting on the complexities of modern faith, he emphasizes how these spiritual practices shape social values and community identity in contemporary China.

Amir Hussain, a Professor of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University, passionately addresses misconceptions about Islam and its relationship with Christianity. He discusses common values both faiths share, such as a belief in one God and commitment to peace and justice. Hussain highlights the importance of interfaith dialogue, especially in light of rising Islamophobia, advocating for understanding and compassion to bridge cultural divides. He shares personal stories that underscore the need for connection and reconciliation in diverse communities.

After Revelation: The Rabbinic Past in the Medieval Islamic World offers a dynamic new perspective on medieval Jewish legal thought and its integration in the wider Islamic world. Here, Marc D. Herman demonstrates that Jews were fully conversant in their contemporaries' ideas about revelation, law, and legal interpretation. Bookended by the two luminaries of medieval Judaism--Saadia Gaon and Moses Maimonides--After Revelation analyzes the legal theory that medieval Jews produced in Islamic lands, mostly in Arabic, and reveals previously unrecognized commonalities between Jewish and Islamic constructions of religious law. Herman tackles one of the central doctrines of post-biblical Judaism: that God had supplemented the written Hebrew Bible with an Oral Torah. Tracing this idea from Baghdad to Córdoba to Cairo, he shows that the Oral Torah took many new forms in the medieval Islamic world. After Revelation makes plain that medieval Judaism took the shapes that it did largely because of contact with Islam. You can pre-order this book now, and it will be published on August 5, 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies

M’hamed Oualdi is a full professor at Sciences Po in Paris and the author of A Slave between Empires: A Transimperial History of North Africa. He delves into the life of Husayn Ibn ‘Abdallah, exploring his remarkable journey from slavery to a prominent political figure. Oualdi challenges conventional narratives by focusing on the complex interplay of personal and political forces during colonization. He also discusses the impact of European colonialism on land ownership and legal conflicts in 19th century Tunisia, highlighting the significance of local elites in navigating these dynamics.

In December 2024, the long and bloody stalemate in Syria broke down. In a transformation breathtaking for its suddenness and speed, President Bashar al-Assad, the beating heart of Arab authoritarianism, fled to Russia, his dungeons emptying as rebels overcame the Syrian army with scarcely a fight. Euphoria at the collapse of a government people never voted for was tempered by fear for the future. The victorious insurgents were supported by outside powers and had a track record of brutality comparable to Assad’s in addition to religious fanaticism. Syrians—whose fragile, cosmopolitan mosaic has been repeatedly shattered by foreign-backed sectarians—faced rule by an avowedly Islamist regime that pledged to break with its past and show tolerance to all religious communities. In Syria: Civil War to Holy War? (OR Books, 2024), Charles Glass shows how Assad’s misrule, Sunni fundamentalism, and Western deceit combined to create and prolong the Syrian disaster, which since 2011 has claimed more than two hundred thousand lives and driven more than eight million people from their homes. Glass has reported extensively from the Middle East and travelled frequently in Syria for more than fifty years. Here he melds reportage, analysis, and history to provide an accessible overview of the origins and permutations defining the conflict, situating it clearly in the broader crises of the region. In this new and thoroughly revised edition of his earlier Syria Burning, Glass brings the story to the present, showing how we got here and what a post-Assad settlement might bring. About the Author: Charles Glass was ABC News Chief Middle East Correspondent from 1983 to 1993. Since 1973, he has covered wars in the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He is the author of Syria Burning, Tribes with Flags, The Tribes Triumphant, Money for Old Rope, The Northern Front, Americans in Paris, The Deserters, They Fought Alone and Soldiers Don't Go Mad: A Story of Brotherhood, Poetry, and Mental Illness During the First World War. His website is www.charlesglass.net. About the Host: Stuti Roy is a recent graduate with an MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies from the University of Oxford, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Toronto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies

Michael Cook, Class of 1943 University Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton, and author, delves into the rich history of the Muslim world. He discusses the evolution of Islamic civilization and the rise of the caliphate, detailing the roles of key figures like Muhammad and early caliphs. Cook examines the complexities of cultural identity beyond religious lines, and the profound impact of Persian literature on national identity. He also navigates the shifting perspectives between Muslims and Europeans and the intricate geopolitical ties between Iran and Israel.

Love in Sufi Literature: Ibn ‘Ajiba’s Understanding of the Divine Word (Routledge, 2023) explores the role of divine love in the Quranic commentary of the Moroccan Sufi scholar Aḥmad Ibn ʿAjība (d. 1224/1809). Through close textual analysis of Ibn ʿAjība’s exegesis al-Baḥr al-madīd—The Abundant Ocean—and drawing on his other Sufi writings the book illuminates the scholar’s theory of divine love, drawn from his scholarly antecedents, to elucidate its role and the scholar’s impact on the wider field of Quranic scholarship. This close analysis is supplemented by a comparative approach focusing on several other eminent and influential Sufi commentaries. What is displayed is that Ibn ʿAjība’s exegesis connected theoretical works on the concept of divine love to their practical application, a breakthrough in Sufi literature. The study situates Ibn ‘Ajība’s thought in theological and historical perspective, engaging with his mystical approach which integrates his theory of divine love with other Sufi doctrines in an accessible manner. As such, the Moroccan scholar’s work left an indelible impact on future generations of Quranic exegetes within North Africa and across the Islamic world. Love in Sufi Literature makes important contributions to the study of Sufism, Islam in North Africa, and late pre-modern Islamic intellectual history. Omneya Ayad is Assistant Professor of Sufi Studies at Üsküdar University in Istanbul, Türkiye. Yaseen Christian Andrewsen is a DPhil Candidate at the University of Oxford specialising in Islamic intellectual history in West Africa, focused on issues in Sufism, theology, and authority. Yaseen is a co-host for the New Books in Islamic Studies podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies