Islam in the Modern World

The foremost U.S. authority on Islam and, Seyyed Hossein Nasr discusses today’s hot button issues—including holy wars, women’s rights, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, and the future of Moslems in the Middle East—in this groundbreaking discussion of the fastest-growing religion in the world. One of the great scholars in the modern Islamic intellectual tradition, and the acclaimed author of books such as The Garden of Truth and The Heart of Islam, Nasr brings incomparable insight to this exploration of Muslim issues and realities, delivering a landmark publication promoting cross-cultural awareness and world peace. To understand the challenges facing the Islamic world, Nasr makes a crucial distinction between traditional Islam, modernism, and fundamentalism, providing clarity on: Modernism and Fundamentalism: An incisive analysis of how both modern secularism and recent fundamentalist movements pose unique challenges to the authentic, centuries-old Islamic intellectual tradition. The Meaning of Jihād: A powerful reframing of one of the most misunderstood concepts in Islam, moving beyond the headlines of "holy war" to explain its deeper spiritual and ethical significance. Sufism and Islamic Spirituality: An exploration of the heart of Islam, covering the esoteric and mystical dimensions of the faith that have nurtured saints, philosophers, and artists for centuries. Shī‘ism and Sunnism: A clear-eyed look at the historical and theological realities of the two major branches of Islam, essential for understanding the dynamics of the modern Middle East. Islamic Science and Philosophy: An overview of the rich intellectual heritage of Islamic civilization, from its contributions to science and mathematics to its profound philosophical and metaphysical schools of thought.