Da'wa - (New Edinburgh Islamic Surveys) by Matthew J Kuiper (Paperback)

About the Book

In this engaging study, Matthew J. Kuiper tells the fascinating story of how Islam became a world religion and cultural phenomenon of immense scale, astonishing diversity and global impact. His starting point is the dramatic upsurge in da'wa: 'inviting' to Islam, or Islamic missionary activism.

Book Synopsis

In this engaging study, Matthew J. Kuiper tells the fascinating story of how Islam became a world religion and cultural phenomenon of immense scale, astonishing diversity and global impact. His starting point is the dramatic upsurge in Islamic missionary activism and widespread Muslim recovery of the classical concept of da'wa ('inviting' to Islam, or Islamic mission) in recent times.
Going back to Islam's origins, Kuiper then carefully chronicles 14 centuries of history, from the 7th-century da'was of the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad to diverse da'wa initiatives in today's global religious marketplaces. Paying attention to changing contexts, and to themes like the interplay between the religious and the political, Islamic relations with other religions, and the transformations of modernity, he develops a nuanced and original portrait of the past, present and future of Islamic missionary thought and practice.

From the Back Cover

Surveys 1400 years of Islamic missionary thought and practice In this engaging study, Matthew J. Kuiper surveys the fascinating story of how Islam became a world religion and cultural phenomenon of immense scale, astonishing diversity and global impact. His starting-point is the dramatic upsurge in Islamic missionary activism and widespread Muslim recovery of the classical concept of da'wa ('inviting' to Islam or Islamic mission) in recent times. Going back to Islam's origins, Kuiper then carefully chronicles 14 centuries of history, from the 7th-century da'was of the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad to diverse da'wa initiatives in today's global religious marketplaces. Paying attention to changing contexts, and to themes like the interplay between the religious and the political, Islamic relations with other religions, and the transformations of modernity, he develops a nuanced and original portrait of the past, present and future of Islamic missionary thought and practice. Key Features  Accessible, single-volume survey of the full sweep of Islamic missionary history  Includes fresh readings of the Qur'an and the life of Muhammad and examines key developments in pre-modern Islam through the lens of da'wa  Shows how contemporary da'wa has been shaped by both classical precedents and the transformations of modernity  Emphasises the diversity of da'wa thought and practice over time  Offers compelling insights into why missionary da'wa has become the outlet of choice for many activist Muslims in modern times  Includes dozens of illustrations, maps and case studies, giving the reader further insight into da'wa past and present Matthew J. Kuiper is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies specialising in Islam at Missouri State University.

Review Quotes

Kuiper presents a carefully contextualized survey of the complex history of 'calling' others to Islam. From deliberate proselytization to almost incidental Islamization, Kuiper shows the variety of mechanisms by which Islam became a global religion, while highlighting important distinctions between the spread of Islam in medieval times and the modern emergence of formal missionary movements. This is a lucid, judicious and much-needed overview of a key dimension of Muslim religious history.-- "Nile Green, author of Global Islam: A Very Short Introduction"

About the Author

Matthew J. Kuiper is Assistant Professor of Religion at Hope College, and author of Da'wa and Other Religions: Indian Muslims and the Modern Resurgence of Global Islamic Activism (Routledge, 2018).