John L. Esposito - Islam: The Straight Path

Esposito, John L

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John L. Esposito

'

- ISLAM

N

THE STRAIGHT PATH

Third Edition

New York Oxford OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1998

Oxford New York

Athens Auckland Bangkok Bogota Bombay Buenos Aires Calcutta Cape Town Dar es Salaam Delhi Florence Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madras Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi Paris Singapore Taipei Tokyo Toronto Warsaw

and associated companies in''

Berlin Ibadan

Published by Oxford University Press, Inc.,

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Esposito, John L.

Islam : the straight path / by John L. Esposito.3rd ed.

p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-19-511233-4 (cloth).ISBN 0-19-511234-2 (pbk.) 1. Islam. I. Title.

BP161.2.E85 1998 297dc21 97-26850

Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper

For, Jeanette P. Esposito

Preface to the Third Edition ix Preface to the Second Edition x Preface to the First Edition xi Introduction xiii

1. Muhammad and the Quran:

Messenger and Message 1

2. The Muslim Community in History 32

3. Religious Life: Belief and Practice 68

4. Modem Interpretations of Islam 115

5. Contemporary Islam:

Religion and Politics 158

6. Islam and Change: Issues of Authority and Interpretation 223

Glossary 253 Notes 257

Select Bibliography 265 Index 273

"v~

V

The third edition of Islam: The Straight Path introduces substantial revisions. It updates and expands the coverage of the Islamic tradition as well as of the impact of religion on politics and society in the Muslim world. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, Islam is not only the second largest religion in the world but also the second or third largest religion in Europe and America. To better reflect these realities, this edition gives greater attention to global Islam, in particular in Asia, and adds a major section on the Muslims of the West, especially America.

In 1993, I moved to Georgetown University to become founding director of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding: History and International Affairs. The Center was born of the vision of Hasib Sabbagh, a Palestinian Christian, who with Christian and Muslim colleagues created the Fondation pour l'Entente entre Chretiens et Musulmans, Geneva. This foundation joined with Georgetown University to create the Center, whose mission is to study the relationship of Islam and Christianity, the Muslim world and the West. This vision had been a major reason for the original decision to write Islam: The Straight Path and later to produce The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World to which two of my current colleagues, John O. Voll and Yvonne Y. Haddad, were major contributors.

As in all my work, I continue to be indebted to so many Muslim colleagues and friends throughout the world whose lives breathe life into texts and historical facts. Special thanks go to Patricia Gordon, administrative officer of the Center, who has often made it possible for me to be "in two places at the same time." Muqtedar Khan and Natana J. DeLong-Bas provided important research assistance. Cynthia Read, my editor at Oxford, is the best of editors and friends. As always, my wife, Jean, and my parents remain the primary inspiration in my life and work.

Washington, D.C.

J.L.E.

The reception of Islam: The Straight Path by colleagues as well as by non-Muslim and Muslim audiences and its widespread use in academic and ecumenical contexts motivated Oxford University Press to publish an expanded edition for both text and trade use. This has provided me with an opportunity to include brief country case studies that exemplify the themes and issues embodied in the contemporary Muslim experience. The goal of the volume remains essentially the sameto enable readers to understand the faith and practice of Muslims. Because this edition will incorporate a broader nonacademic audience, the use of Arabic has been limited. However, most important technical terms have been retained and indicated in Arabic the first time they appear in the text. The select bibliography has been updated and expanded, as has the glossary.