Faith and World
Contemporary Ismaili Social and Political Thought
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- 1,49 €
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- 1,49 €
Beschreibung des Verlags
Faith and World explores the way contemporary Ismaili institutions articulate the ethics of the Qur’an using the language of modern liberal discourse. It is the fi rst comprehensive study of contemporary Ismaili social and political thought. The Ismailis are a transnational Muslim community headed by the 49th Ismaili Imam, Aga Khan IV, who views liberal pluralism as supporting the tenets of ethical Islamic living in the present day. Contemporary Ismaili thought views the Ismaili tradition as connected to a historical past deriving from Qur’anic principles and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and his heirs, the Shi`a Imams. Thus, contemporary Ismailism’s focus on liberal values like democracy, pluralism, and education are seen as contemporary forms of eternal Qur’anic ethical principles. The book furthers Western understanding of Islam, a key to overcoming misconceptions about the interconnected relationships between today’s converging civilizations. Faith and World incorporates the following: • a review of both popular and academic literature about the Aga Khan and the Ismailis; • an exploration and explanation of the essentially Ismaili approach to Qur’anic exegesis; • a survey of the work of the AKDN in Afghanistan, serving as the basis to explore the Aga Khan’s ethical impetus for the existence and work of the network; • a look at the core liberal commitments that inform contemporary Ismaili thought, such as democracy, pluralism, and civic education; and • an examination of the emergence of the transnational Ismaili community and the role of the Imamate in fostering a sense of loyalty and unity among the diverse ethnocultural Ismaili communities.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Miraly's lucid book surveys the current intellectual landscape of Ismaili Muslims (a branch of Shi'a Islam) and serves as a worthwhile introduction to the faith. Going beyond headlines about the Aga Khan the leader, or imam, of Ismaili Muslims worldwide and his reported resplendence, Miraly provides a new reading of Ismaili perspectives on justice, democracy, and pluralism. By looking at Ismaili institutions and intellectuals in various locations including Central Asia, Europe, Kenya, and Canada Miraly illustrates how Ismailis are trying to connect their historical approach to mystical and esoteric knowledge with modern commitments to social justice, liberal democracy, and devotion to the imamate (their understanding of Islamic leadership as residing in the line of imams stretching back to the prophet Muhammad). This book serves as a quasi-apologetic for Ismaili Islam and positions Ismailis as Muslims in tune with ideals of democracy and liberal pluralism. Although it could do with a bit more critical nuance, the work still serves as a substantial overview to Ismaili principles, prominent thought leaders, history, and contemporary practice. Miraly's survey helpfully contributes to an ever more complex picture of the global Muslim community beyond Sunni and Sufi sects that are widely known in the Western world. (BookLife)
