Political Quietism in Islam - Sunni and Shi'i Practice and Thought

In recent years, Islam - whether via the derivatives of ''Political Islam'' or ''Islamism'' - has come to be seen as an ''activist'' force in social and political spheres worldwide. What such representations have neglected is the strong countervailing tradition of political quietism. Political quietism in Islam holds that it is not for Muslims to question or oppose their leaders. Rather, the faithful should concentrate on their piety, prayer, religious rituals and personal quest for virtue. This book is the first to analyze the history and meaning of political quietism in Islamic societies. It takes an innovative cross-sectarian approach, investigating the phenomenon and practice across both Sunni and Shi''i communities. Contributors deconstruct and introduce the various forms of political quietisms from the time of the prophetic revelations through to the contemporary era. Chapters cover issues ranging from the politics of public piety among the women preachers in Saudi Arabia, through to the legal discourses in the Caucasus, the different Shi''i communities in Iran, Lebanon, Iraq and Pakistan, and the Gulen movement in Azerbaijan. The authors describe a wide range of political quietisms and assess the continuing significance of the tradition, both to the study of Islam and to the modern world today.>

Product details

• Authors: Saud al-Sarhan, Saud (King Faisal Centre for Research a Al-Sarhan
• Assisted by: Faisal Abdullah Abualhassan (Editor), Saud al-Sarhan (Editor)
• Publisher: Tauris, I.B.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 30.11.2019
• EAN: 9781838602192
• ISBN: 978-1-83860-219-2
• No. of pages: 280
• Series: King Faisal Center for Researc; King Faisal Center for Researc; King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies Series
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > Other religions; Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Islam, HISTORY / Middle East / General, RELIGION / Islam / General, RELIGION / Religion, Politics & State, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Comparative Politics, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Islamic Studies, Islamic Studies, Religion & politics, Comparative Politics, Middle Eastern history, Religion and Politics, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Religion, Politics & State, Relating to Islamic / Muslim people and groups, Social groups: religious groups and communities, HISTORY / Islamic