Rethinking Tradition in Modern Islamic Thought

An exploration of the impact of modernity on religious authority.

Daniel W. Brown (Author)

9780521653947, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 4 March 1999

196 pages
22.8 x 15.2 x 1.4 cm, 0.325 kg

'... a good introduction for the reader who is interested in learning about modern Islam and who seeks a serious scholarly treatment of the subject.' Digest of Middle East Studies

Questions about the authenticity and authority of sunna have long been of central importance to the study of Islam, especially to those concerned with Islamic law. In this fascinating study, Daniel Brown traces the emergence of modern debates over sunna, focusing in particular on Egypt and Pakistan where these controversies have raged most fiercely, and assesses the implications of new approaches to the law on contemporary movements of Islamic revival. Using the case of modern Islam as a starting-point, the author considers how adherents of any great tradition deal with change.

Introduction: the prism of modernity
1. The relevance of the past: classical conceptions of Prophetic authority
2. The emergence of modern challenges to tradition
3. Boundaries of revelation
4. The nature of Prophetic authority
5. The authenticity of hadith
6. Sunna and Islamic revivalism
7. Conclusion: the spectrum of change.

Subject Areas: 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW], Asian history [HBJF]