Islam And The Foundations Of Political Power

About the Book

From the Back Cover
Established in London in 2002, the Aga Khan University, Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations aims to strengthen research and teaching about the heritages of Muslim societies as they have evolved over time, and to examine the challenges these societies face in today's globalised world. It also seeks to create opportunities for interaction among academics, traditionally trained scholars, innovative thinkers and leaders, in an effort to promote dialogue and build bridges. In Translation: Modern Muslim Thinkers Series Editor: Abdou Filali-Ansary This series aims to broaden current debates about Muslim realities which often ignore seminal works produced in languages other than English. By identifying and translating critical and innovative thinking that has engendered important debates within its own settings, the series hopes to introduce new perspectives to the discussions about Muslim civilisations occurring on the world stage. Islam and the Foundations of Political Power Ali Abdel Razek Translated by Maryam Loutfi Edited by Abdou Filali-Ansary 'There could not be a more propitious time for this translation that - almost a century after its publication - raises issues still relevant to the governance of Muslim societies and authority.' Azim Nanji, Stanford University The publication of this essay in Egypt in 1925 took the contemporaries of Ali Abdel Razek by storm. Challenging fundamental ideas about political power, it was the focus of much attention and the seed of a heated debate. It was especially potent as at this time the Muslim world was in great turmoil over the question of the abolition of the caliphate by Mustapha Kamal Ataturk in Turkey. The essay gave rise to a series of 'refutations' and unleashed the Arab world's first great public debate with polemics supporting or refuting Ali Abdel Razek's ideas published all over the press. Eventually he was tried by the Al-Azhar court, denounced, stripped of his title of 'alim and barred from future employment in education and the judiciary. Ali Abdel Razek graduated from Al-Azhar University in 1915 and went on to study for a short period at Oxford University. After returning to Egypt he served as an Al-Azhar 'alim, a judge in the traditional Islamic Courts of Alexandria and as a teacher of Arabic. Maryam Loutfi has worked as a freelance translator both in Morocco and in Europe. Abdou Filali-Ansary was the founding director of the Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilizations (2002-2009). He is author of several books including Is Islam Hostile to Secularism? and Reforming Islam? An Introduction to Contemporary Debates.