Islam: Beliefs and Institutions

This is a reprint of the late professor's work on Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (1838-1879) and his well-known Egyptian discipline Muhammad 'Abduh (1849-1905), the Mufti of Egypt. These two men have generally been seen as devout Muslims who helped rejuvenate their religion which had been stagnating for many centuries. The author provides evidence which suggests that these two men were involved in Islam's small and silent atheist movement which had a subversive rather than constructive influence on mainstream Islam. He also examines Afghani's and 'Abduh's political activities in Egypt before and during 'Urabi's revolt of 1870 and in the process throws new light on Egypt's politics during this turbulent decade. He argues that Afghani could have been a Russian agent, possibly a French one and probably offered his services to the British.

The cradle of Islam - pre-Islamite Arabia: the Hejaz; population; religion. Muhammad - the founder of Islam - Mekkan period; Medinese period. The Qoran - the sacred book of Islam: the five pillars of Islam. The "Sunna" or tradition of Islam. Jurisprudence and Islamic law. Asceticism and mysticism of Islam. The sects of Islam. Reformists and modernists.