Da'wa and Other Religions Indian Muslims and the Modern Resurgence of Global Islamic Activism Routledge Islamic Studies Series

Da?wa, a concept rooted in the scriptural and classical tradition of Islam, has been dramatically re-appropriated in modern times across the Muslim world. Championed by a variety of actors in diverse contexts, da?wa ?"inviting" to Islam, or Islamic missionary activity ? has become central to the vocabulary of contemporary Islamic activism.

Da?wa and Other Religions explores the modern resurgence of da?wa through the lens of inter-religious relations and within the two horizons of Islamic history and modernity. Part I provides an account of da?wa from the Qur?an to the present. It demonstrates the close relationship that has existed between da?wa and inter-religious relations throughout Islamic history and sheds light on the diversity of da?wa over time. The book also argues that Muslim communities in colonial and post-colonial India shed light on these themes with particular clarity. Part II, therefore, analyzes and juxtaposes two prominent da?wa organizations to emerge from the Indian subcontinent in the past century: the Tabl?gh? Jam??at and the Islamic Research Foundation of Zakir Naik. By investigating the formative histories and inter-religious discourses of these movements, Part II elucidates the influential roles Indian Muslims have played in modern da?wa.

This book makes important contributions to the study of da?wa in general and to the study of the Tabl?gh? Jam??at, one of the world?s largest da?wa movements. It also provides the first major scholarly study of Zakir Naik and the Islamic Research Foundation.Further, it challenges common assumptions and enriches our understanding of modern Islam. It will have a broad appeal for students and scholars of Islamic Studies, Indian religious history and anyone interested in da?wa and inter-religious relations throughout Islamic history.

Introduction Part I – Da‘wa and Other Religions in Scripture and History 1. Da‘wa and Other Religions in the Scriptural Sources of Islam 2. Da‘wa and Other Religions in the Pre-Modern History of Islam 3. Da‘wa and Other Religions in the Modern World Part II – Da‘wa and Other Religions in Modern India: Two Case Studies 4. The Tablīghī Jamā‘at: Background and Context5. The Formative History and Inter-Religious Concerns of the Tablīghī Jamā‘at6. Zakir Naik and the Islamic Research Foundation: Background and Context7. The Formative History and Inter-Religious Concerns of Zakir Naik and the Islamic Research Foundation Conclusion

Matthew J. Kuiper (Ph.D., University of Notre Dame) is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Missouri State University. His research and teaching interests include classical and modern Islam, inter-religious relations, and the history of the Indian subcontinent.