Synopses & Reviews
In this unique look at a key figure in the Islamic enlightenment, Samer Akkach examines the life and works of Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulusi (1641-1731) of Damascus: a contemporary of many major thinkers, scientists, poets, and philosophers of the European Enlightenment. Often characterized solely as a Sufi saint, his thought and teachings were of a much wider remit. Through a fresh reading of his unpublished biographical sources and large body of mostly unpublished works, Akkach examines early expressions of rationalism among Arab and Turkish scholars, and argues that Abd al-Ghani helped herald the beginning of modernity in the Arab world.
Synopsis
In this unique look at a key figure in the 'Islamic enlightenment', Samer Akkach examines the life and works of 'Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulusi (1641-1731). Often characterized solely as a Sufi saint, his thought and teachings were of a much wider remit, and symptomatic of a growing rationalism among Islamic scholars during his lifetime. Through a fresh reading of his large body of mostly unpublished works, Akkach argues that 'Abd al-Ghani helped to herald the beginning of modernity in the Arab world.
Samer Akkach is Senior Lecturer in Architecture, History, and Theory, and Founding Director of the Centre for Asian and Middle Eastern Architecture (CAMEA) at the University of Adelaide, Australia.