Bookshelf: Islam and Democracy in the 21st Century
Book Details:
Title: Islam and Democracy in the 21st Century
Author: Tauseef Ahmad Parray
Publication Details: New Delhi, India: Oxford University Press, (Sep) 2023
About of the book
This book starts with the prevailing idea of a conflicting relationship between Islam and the Western concept of democracy, both in theory and in practice. With this backdrop, the author addresses the crucial question—Is Islam compatible with democracy? The book offers very useful discussions in framing the contemporary debates surrounding Islam and democracy, treads through diverse theoretical Islamic texts like the ‘Quran’ and ‘Sunnah’, discusses the historical evolution of the concept of Shura-the primary source of democratic ethics in Islam, provides an assessment of the views and visions of some selected Muslim scholars (from 19th to 21st centuries) on Islam-democracy compatibility, and examines the elements of compatibility between Islam and democracy without ignoring the basic differences that exist between the Western approach to democracy and Islamic political thought.
About the author
Tauseef Ahmad Parray (PhD, Postdoc) is Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies, J&K Higher Education Department (since 2016). He is the author of seven (7) books on the Islamic intellectual tradition, Islam and Modernity, and Quranic scholarship. He has also published papers in various reputed journals, book chapters, essays, reviews and has been a regular columnist with many newspapers as well. His areas of interest include Islam and democracy, Modernist/ Reformist thought in South Asia, and recent trends and English scholarship in Qur’anic Studies.
Advance praise for the book
“Dr. Tauseef Parray’s book, Islam and Democracy in the 21st Century, … is central to Islam and democracy, and any future research on the topic can and should begin with this book. … Thoughtful and comprehensive…. This book is beneficial to students of Islam and politics”. (Prof. M. A. Muqtedar Khan, University of Delaware, USA)
“In this book, Tauseef Ahmad Parray offers a lucid and insightful discussion of the relationship between Islam and democracy. … [A] timely and much-needed intervention on this critical topic that is more salient than ever”. (Prof. Asma Afsaruddin, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA)
“Islam and Democracy in the 21st Century is a must read for those who would like to have a clear and insightful understanding of why a consultative political system is at the heart of legitimate governance in Islam.” (Prof. Louay M. Safi, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar)
“This book provides a comprehensive survey of the debate on Islam and democracy. … Both students and scholars of Islam and politics will find this book very beneficial”. (Prof. Abdullah Saeed, University of Melbourne, Australia)
“Tauseef Ahmad Parray’s latest work, ‘Islam and Democracy in the 21st Century’, is an important contribution … [and] will be an essential reading for both students and scholars of Islam and Democracy for many years to come”. (Dr. Joseph J. Kaminski, International University of Sarajevo, Bosnia)
