Science and Civilisation between Islam and Christianity

A translation of a seminal work by Muhammad Abduh.

This book is a translation of Muhammad Abduh's Al-Islam wa-l-Nasraniyya maa al-Ilm wa-l-Madaniyya (Science and Civilization between Islam and Christianity). Abduh was an Egyptian jurist, religious scholar, theologian, and reformer of Al-Azhar—Egypt's oldest university and a renowned seat of Islamic learning—who died in 1905. His impact on modern Islam cannot be overstated. In fact, much of modern Muslim thought has, in one way or another, been a reaction to his ideas. Although he is the subject of numerous English studies, only one treatise of his has been translated into English: Risalat al-tawhid (Theology of Unity) by Ishaq Masaad and Kenneth Cragg, in 1966.

Far too little attention has been paid to the treatise translated here and its impact on the Islamic theology of Christianity. This first English translation fills a serious gap in the genre of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations.

This is a most important translation, for it widens the available corpus of Muhammad ʿAbduh’s writings for English-speaking readers. ʿAbduh presents a view of Christianity from an Islamic perspective that is timely and challenging. This is a significant book for Muslims and for Christians.

—Professor Gavin D’Costa, University of Bristol

‘Translations are essential in helping different communities to understand one anothers’ thinking. This work by Muhammad ‘Abduh explicitly addresses the issue of Muslim-Christian mutual perceptions, yet ironically has never before been translated into any European language. So this new and clear translation is to be welcomed –not least by those who find themselves described, and may want to engage with the ideas presented. After all, the exchanges of over one hundred years ago can sound strangely contemporary’.

— Dr Martin Whittingham, Academic Dean, The Centre for Muslim-Christian Studies, Oxford

 

Muhammad ʿAbduh has long been a polarising figure in modern Islamic thought, often criticised as a ‘reformer’ accused of undermining tradition in his engagement with modernity. This first translation of Science and Civilisation: Between Islam and Christianity presents a corrective, offering a clear and accessible presentation of ʿAbduh’s nuanced and forward-looking ideas. It showcases his ability to address the challenges of modernity without compromising the richness of the Islamic tradition, underscoring his enduring relevance in contemporary discourse. Love or hate ʿAbduh, this vital contribution to Islamic studies more broadly and Islam and Science in particular, will be invaluable for academics and readers seeking to engage with the complexities of his intellectual legacy.

—Dr. Shoaib Ahmed Malik, Lecturer in Science and Religion

Mohamed Gamal Abdelnour is a faculty member at the Faculty of Usul al-Din, Al-Azhar University (Cairo) and a research fellow at the department of philosophy, University of York, U.K. He received his primary, secondary and undergraduate education at Al-Azhar, where he memorized the Qur'an at the age of eleven, deeply studied the various disciplines of the Islamic tradition, and graduated as valedictorian of his class with a bachelor's in Islamic Studies and Philosophy in 2011 (Al-Azhar University, Cairo). He holds an MA in Catholic Theology (Durham University, U.K.) and a PhD in Comparative Theology (SOAS University of London).

Umran Khan obtained a BA Arabic and History from SOAS, University of London. He works as an Arabic-English translator, editor and proofreader. He also writes on Islamic history and politics, having written for the online magazine Muslim Matters on Islam in the Indian subcontinent and an award-winning essay on Muslim Intellectual Life in 8th Century Baghdad for Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar. He teaches Arabic and Islamic History at the Hounslow Jamia Masjid & Islamic Centre and is currently the programme manager at Al-Salam Institute, London, an institute specialising in teaching Arabic and the Islamic sciences.

Muhammad 'Abduh (1849-1905) was a religious scholar, philosopher, jurist, and reformer, who led the late 19th-century movement in Egypt and other Muslim societies to revitalize Islamic teachings and institutions in the modern world.

Muhammad A. S. Abdel Haleem is the King Fahd Professor of Islamic Studies and director of the Centre for Islamic Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies of London University, as well as editor of the Journal of Qur'anic Studies. His Quran translation is one of the most commonly cited in the field.

David Thomas is an Emeritus Professor of Christianity and Islam at the University of Birmingham and a priest in the Church of England. Throughout his career, he has combined teaching and research in Islamic thought and Christian-Muslim relations with church involvement at the parish, diocesan and national levels.

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