Islam,
the West and
the Challenges
of Modernity
Tariq Ramadan
Translated by Saïd Amghar
THE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION
© The Islamic Foundation, 2001/1421 H.
Reprinted 2004/1424 H., 2008⁄1429 H. and 2009/1430 H.
All rights reserved.
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without the prior permission of the copyright owner.
Published by
THE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION
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British library Cataloguing-in-publication data
a catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-0-860373-11-7
typeset by: N.A. Qaddoura
cover design: Imtiaze Ahmad Manjra
Contents
Introduction
I. History of a Concept
II. The Lessons of History
Part OneAt the Shores of Transcendence Between God and Man
At the Shores of Transcendence
II. Ijtihād: Between the Absoluteness of Sources and the Relativity of History
3. The rights of God and the responsibility of men
Part TwoThe Horizons of Islam Between Man and the Community
3. Social Organisation: The Principle of Justice
a. The individual dimension: the example of the veil
1. The Religious and the Political
a. The domain of the political: the Islamic framework
2. Shūrā or Democracy?
a. The principle of managing pluralism
b. Human rights
c. “Non-Muslims” in Islamic society
The Foundations History Contemporary Problems
3. The Pitfalls
a. The compartmentalisation of competences
b. The absence of a political culture
c. The absence of a political will
d. Corruption
III. Economic Directivess
1. The Moral Reference
a. Zakāt
b. Individual spending
c. Community life
2. General Economic Principles in Islam
a. Tawhīd and gerency
b. Private property
c. The prohibition of ribā
3. A Profound Reform
A. At the Local and National Level