Islamic Thought is a comprehensive introduction to the philosophies, thought and doctrines of Islam. Abdullah Saeed, a distinguished Muslim scholar, traces the development of religious knowledge from the pre-modern period to the present day. This book examines how Muslim thought has evolved, exploring the production, transmission, and interpretation of religious knowledge, and the trends, schools, and movements that have shaped it. Key topics in Islamic culture and thought are discussed, including the development of the Islamic intellectual tradition, the Qur’an and hadith, legal and theological thought, mystical traditions, Islamic art, philosophy, political thought, and contemporary renewal, reform, and rethinking.
This thoroughly revised new edition offers expanded coverage of Shi i and other non-Sunni perspectives, alongside the significant emphasis on the Sunni tradition covered in the first edition. Through this rich and varied discussion, Saeed offers a compelling portrayal of the workings of Islamic thought, both in the past and in the present. Islamic Thought is essential reading for students approaching the study of Islam for the first time and anyone interested in learning more about one of the world’s great religions.
Islamic Thought is a comprehensive introduction to the philosophies, thought and doctrines of Islam. This thoroughly revised new edition offers expanded coverage of Shi i and other non-Sunni perspectives, alongside the significant emphasis on the Sunni tradition covered in the first edition.
Introduction
1. Transmission of religious knowledge and Islamic thought
2. The Quran: the primary foundation text
3. The Sunna of the Prophet
4.
Legal thought
5. Theological thought
6. Mystical thought: Susm
7. Artistic
expression
8. Philosophical thought
9. Political thought
10. Renewal, reform
and Muslim modernism Epilogue: Trends in Islamic thought today
Abdullah Saeed is the Sultan of Oman Professor of Arab and Islamic Studies and Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor at the University of Melbourne, Australia. He has written widely on the Quran, Islamic thought, and contemporary Muslim issues. His publications include Contemporary Muslim Quranic Hermeneutics (editor, 2026), Contemporary Approaches to the Quran and Its Interpretation in Iran (co-author, 2020), Reading the Quran in the Twenty-First Century: A Contextualist Approach (2014), Interpreting the Quran (2006), Approaches to the Quran in Contemporary Indonesia (ed., 2005), Freedom of Religion, Apostasy and Islam (co-author, 2004), Islam and Political Legitimacy (co-editor, 2004), Islam in Australia (2003), and Islamic Banking and Interest (1996).
