The Islamic Moses
How the Prophet Inspired Jews and Muslims to Flourish Together and Change the World
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected 10 Sept 2024
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- CHF 14.00
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- Pre-Order
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- CHF 14.00
Publisher Description
A theological and historical exploration of the connection between Islam and Judaism through the single most-mentioned character in the Quran: Moses.
There is one human mentioned in the Quran more than any other: Moses. Why is it that the Jewish prophet dominates the Islamic scripture? Because he is the role model for Muhammad, Islam’s own prophet. Because Islam, just like Christianity, is deeply intertwined with Judaism — although surprisingly little attention has been given to this fascinating connection between the two religions.
Author and journalist Mustafa Akyol takes readers on a theological and historical walk through that much-neglected side of the Abrahamic triangle: the Judeo-Islamic tradition. Using Moses’ presence in the Quran as a jumping-off point, Akyol explores the first historical encounter between Muslims and Jews, the creative symbiosis and mutual enrichment that occurred between the two belief systems in medieval times, and the modern emergence, development, and perception of the two religions.
At a time of bitter conflict in the Middle East, The Islamic Moses dives into the older, deeper, and often unexpectedly brighter story of Jews and Muslims. Readers of any background will be surprised by the common historical and theological ground that exists between the two religions, and will come away with a better understanding of both.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Journalist Akyol (The Islamic Jesus) draws theological, philosophical, and cultural links between Islam and Judaism in this innovative study inspired by the prophet central to both faiths. Framing Moses, who is mentioned 137 times in the Quran, as the "historic precedent for Muhammad," Akyol traces an "Judeo-Islamic" tradition that began in seventh-century Medina when Jews introduced monotheism to their polytheistic Arab neighbors, paving the way for their eventual acceptance of Islam. While tensions flared as the two faiths lived side-by-side, their traditions continued to enrich one another across history, according to Akyol. Examples include how Islamic theology (kalam) informed Jewish theological study in the eighth and ninth centuries and how some present-day Muslims draw on Jewish models for adapting certain religious practices to Western societies (certain Muslim communities in the U.K. have established sharia councils, "which clearly follow the example of the Halakhic courts called beth din"). The parallels Akyol draws fascinate, including a detailed dissection of how the two religions each experimented with "strict textualism" versus "rationalist" approaches in their codes of law. Elsewhere, Akyol examines how present-day Jews and Muslims living in Western societies might join together to protect shared religious practices, including kosher and halal animal slaughter and circumcision. It's a thought-provoking challenge to those who see only deep divisions between the faiths.
