The book examines in particular the influence of the medieval rational school of theology known as the Mu'tazila, which all but disappeared in Sunni Islam in the late Middle Ages, but which has been rediscovered by modernist Muslim intellectuals as part of their challenge against fundamentalist interpretations of Islam
This is the first sourcebook to present a wide selection of contemporary materials on Islam in Southeast Asia, most of which have not previously been available in English. The material covers six broad themes: personal expressions of faith; Islamic law; state and governance; women and family; jihad; and interactions with non-Muslims and the wider Muslim world. The book looks at the ideological …