The Future of Islam
A New Edition
An English anti-imperialist asked in 1882 what Islam would become, and argued the answer had to come from Muslims.
Blunt was an English poet, horse breeder and anti-imperialist who knew Egypt well and counted the reformer Jamal al-Din al-Afghani among his friends. Published in 1882, this is the first book to ask what Islam would become, and it argues for reform arising from within Muslim societies rather than being imposed from Europe. Written by an Orientalist against the grain of his own moment, it remains oddly readable more than a century on.
Recommended by 1 Person
Ziauddin Sardar
It should not come as a surprise to discover that the first book on the future of Islam was written by an Englishman: Wilfrid Scawen Blunt. Blunt was an accomplished Orientalist, and wrote a numbers books on the Middle East. He was also a close friend of Jamaluddin Afghani, the famous 19th-century Muslim reformer of Egypt.
Interview · June 2010
As an Amazon Associate, bookstoread.org earns from qualifying purchases. Links to Amazon on this page may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Spotted an error on this page? Tell us and we will fix it.