What Is Islam?

Winner of the 2016 Best First Book in the History of Religions, American Academy of Religion One of Choice’s Outstanding Academic Titles for 2016 “Anyone interested in exploring the intricacies and complexities of Islam as a religion, philosophical system and social text should study the new bookWhat Is Islam?… [A] perfect antidote to our present discourse.”–Hussein Ibish, New York Times “One can’t but be impressed by the grandeur of Ahmed’s vision.”–Malise Ruthven, London Review of Books “This is an enduring and timely work well worth the effort for those interested in discerning the essence of Islam beyond the seeming paradoxes of its own representations.”–Publisher’s Weekly “A bold new conceptualisation of Islam that reflects its contradictions and rich diversity.”–Bookseller Buyer’s Guide “[A] major new study … a strange and brilliant work, encyclopedic in vision and tautly argued in the manner of a logical proof, yet pervaded by the urgency of a political manifesto.”–The Nation “We can be grateful … that Ahmed managed to complete this extraordinary work. Scholars from east and west will be under his influence for years to come.”–Sameer Rahim, Prospect “In this monumental work, the late Shahab Ahmed sought new answers to important questions: How does one understand what Islam is? How does one study it meaningfully? … This volume will be central to the study of Islam and of religion more broadly for the foreseeable future.”–Choice “Remarkable.”–Damian Howard, The Tablet

Shahab Ahmed (1966-2015) was postdoctoral associate in the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University.