Synopses & Reviews
Muhammad Rashid Rida is among the most influential Muslim thinkers of the modern period and yet, until this book, his writings on religious reform remained unpublished in English. In this paperback version of the flagship English edition, esteemed academic Simon A. Wood rights this wrong by translating and analysing one of his most important works, The Criticisms of the Christians and the Arguments of Islam. Responding to arguments made in the ninetenth century that Islam is irrational or inferior to Christianity, and that the unification of religious and political power is a barrier to progress, Rida sought to defend Islam and often charged Christianity of its own brand of irrationality. Wood analyses these arguments, showing that Ridas work cannot be separated from the period of colonial humiliation in which it originated. He also takes on the traditional accusation that Rida was a fundamentalist and argues that he was in fact distinctly modernist. Simon A. Wood is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of NebraskaLincoln. He is a leading expert on Rashid Rida.
Synopsis
Responding to arguments made in the Victorian period that Islam is 'irrational' or 'inferior to Christianity' and that the unification of religious and political power is a 'barrier to progress, ' Rida sought to defend Islam and often charged Christianity of its own brand of irrationality. Wood analyzes these arguments and contends that Rida's work cannot be separated from the period of colonial humiliation from which it originated. He also takes on the traditional accusation that Rida was a fundamentalist and argues that he was in fact distinctly modernist.
Synopsis
Muhammad Rashid Rida is among the most influential Muslim thinkers of the modern period and yet, until now, his writings on Christian-Muslim relations have remained unpublished in English. In this flagship English edition, Simon A. Wood rights this wrong by translating and analysing one of his most important works, The Criticisms of the Christians and the Proofs of Islam. Contending that Rida's work cannot be separated from the period of colonial humiliation from which it originated, he challenges the view that Rida was a fundamentalist and argues that his response to Christian criticisms was, in fact, distinctly modernist.