Islamic Charities and Islamic Humanism in Troubled Times

Bibliographic Data

ID20003024
AuthorsJ Benthall (0000-0001-5825-014X, corresponding author)
Year2016
Pages236
Publication date2016-03-16
Open AccessNo
TypeBOOK
VenueIslamic Charities and Islamic Humanism in Troubled Times (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherWinchester University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.7228/manchester/9781784993085.001.0001
OpenAlexW2887480922
ISBN9781784993085
Open LibraryOL28597408M
LanguageEN
Citations received15

This book is the fruit of twenty years’ reflection on Islamic charities, both in practical terms and as a key to understand the crisis in contemporary Islam. On the one hand Islam is undervalued as a global moral and political force whose admirable qualities are exemplified in its strong tradition of charitable giving. On the other hand, it suffers from a crisis of authority that cannot be blamed entirely on the history of colonialism and stigmatization to which Muslims have undoubtedly been subjected – most recently, as a result of the “war on terror”. The book consists of seventeen previously published chapters, with a general Introduction and new prefatory material for each chapter. The first nine chapters review the current situation of Islamic charities from many different viewpoints – theological, historical, diplomatic, legal, sociological and ethnographic – with first-hand data from the United States, Britain, Israel–Palestine, Mali and Indonesia. Chapters 10 to 17 expand the coverage to explore the potential for a twenty-first century “Islamic humanism” that would be devised by Muslims in the light of the human sciences and institutionalized throughout the Muslim world. This means addressing contentious topics such as religious toleration and the meaning of jihad. The intended readership includes academics and students at all levels, professionals concerned with aid and development, and all who have an interest in the future of Islam

Colonialism · Epistemology · History of Islam · Humanism · Islam · Islamic studies · Meaning (existential) · Muslim world · Political science · Politics · Sharia · Sociology · Theology · Toleration · Viewpoints · Education and Islamic Studies · Islamic Finance and Banking Studies · Law · Philosophy · Religion, Society, and Development · Religious studies · Charities · History · Humanism, religious · Islam and humanism · Islam and politics · Religious tolerance

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