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This book investigates the complex and evolving relationship between Islam and the West, tracing its origins from the Prophet Muhammad s time to the present day. It argues that while this relationship has often been marked by conflict, through wars, colonization, and political rivalries, it has also been a conduit for significant intellectual, cultural, and economic exchange. The book offers a historical overview of key encounters such as al-Andalus, the Crusades, European imperialism, and post-9/11 debates, highlighting both confrontation and cooperation. It also examines Muslim intellectual responses to Western modernity, focusing on figures such as Jamal al-Din Afghani, Muhammad Abduh, Ali Shariati, Allama Iqbal, and Ottoman/Turkish thinkers like Said Halim Pasha, Namik Kemal, and Ziya Gökalp. The book further places special emphasis on the thought of Bediüzzaman Said Nursi (1876 1960), one of the most influential yet underexplored Muslim intellectuals of the twentieth century. Living through the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, two world wars, and the rise of the Turkish Republic, Nursi developed an original approach to the challenges of secularism, atheism, and declining religious education. His writings and activism aimed to preserve Islamic faith in the modern age while resisting uncritical Westernization.
By weaving together historical analysis and intellectual history, the book shows how Islam West relations have been shaped not only by political events but also by competing narratives, worldviews, and theological concerns. It contributes to scholarship by bridging history, religious studies, and political thought, while offering new perspectives on how Muslim intellectuals have grappled with the enduring challenge of engaging the West.
List of contents
Chapter 1. Islam and the West: An Overview.- Chapter 2. Muslim Response to the West.- Chapter 3. Said Nursi: A Biographical Account.- Chapter 4. A Critique of Nursi's Response to the West.
About the author
Dr. Zubair Hamid is currently engaged with teaching at Higher Education Department, Jammu and Kashmir (On Contractual Basis) from last three years. He has graduated in Social Sciences from GDC Sopore, and completed his Masters in Islamic Studies (with a Gold Medal) from Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora, Kashmir (2013). He has been awarded Ph.D. on the topic “
Islam and the West: A Critique of Said Nursi
” from Department of Islamic Studies, Aligarh Muslim University, India, in 2019. He has published his research work in the journals published from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey and USA. He has contributed to the Edited Books and Encyclopedias as well. He has published some articles in the dailies of Kashmir. He has been a recipient of fellowships from IFSC (Turkey) 2016-2017 and IOS (New Delhi). He has presented and participated in many national and international conferences and seminars. He has to his credit an edited book “
The Poets of Kashmir: A Connection with Patrimony
”. His areas of interest are Islam-West Discourse, Nursi Studies, Multiculturalism besides Sufism and Kashmir (Culture, History and Poetry).
Summary
This book investigates the complex and evolving relationship between Islam and the West, tracing its origins from the Prophet Muhammad’s time to the present day. It argues that while this relationship has often been marked by conflict, through wars, colonization, and political rivalries, it has also been a conduit for significant intellectual, cultural, and economic exchange. The book offers a historical overview of key encounters such as al-Andalus, the Crusades, European imperialism, and post-9/11 debates, highlighting both confrontation and cooperation. It also examines Muslim intellectual responses to Western modernity, focusing on figures such as Jamal al-Din Afghani, Muhammad Abduh, Ali Shariati, Allama Iqbal, and Ottoman/Turkish thinkers like Said Halim Pasha, Namık Kemal, and Ziya Gökalp. The book further places special emphasis on the thought of Bediüzzaman Said Nursi (1876–1960), one of the most influential yet underexplored Muslim intellectuals of the twentieth century. Living through the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, two world wars, and the rise of the Turkish Republic, Nursi developed an original approach to the challenges of secularism, atheism, and declining religious education. His writings and activism aimed to preserve Islamic faith in the modern age while resisting uncritical Westernization.
By weaving together historical analysis and intellectual history, the book shows how Islam–West relations have been shaped not only by political events but also by competing narratives, worldviews, and theological concerns. It contributes to scholarship by bridging history, religious studies, and political thought, while offering new perspectives on how Muslim intellectuals have grappled with the enduring challenge of engaging the West.
