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Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World (Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks) Paperback – August 30, 2004

by Carl W. Ernst (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 63 ratings
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Avoiding the traps of sensational political exposes and specialized scholarly Orientalism, Carl Ernst introduces readers to the profound spiritual resources of Islam while clarifying diversity and debate within the tradition. Framing his argument in terms of religious studies, Ernst describes how Protestant definitions of religion and anti-Muslim prejudice have affected views of Islam in Europe and America. He also covers the contemporary importance of Islam in both its traditional settings and its new locations and provides a context for understanding extremist movements like fundamentalism. He concludes with an overview of critical debates on important contemporary issues such as gender and veiling, state politics, and science and religion.
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  1. Part of series
    Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks
  2. Print length
    272 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    The University of North Carolina Press
  5. Publication date
    August 30, 2004
  6. Dimensions
    5.25 x 1 x 8.25 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0807828378
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0807855775
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

[A] thoughtful and finely balanced primer on contemporary Islam." —New York Review of Books



An impressive scholarly work."—The Telegraph-Calcutta



Well-written and lucid. . . . The book's narrative flow is generally masterful. Ernst successfully moves from present to past and back again in a manner that is both logical and clear to follow. . . . An elegant and masterful presentation of a religious tradition in an accessible manner, as well as a heartfelt plea for non-Muslims to understand it." —American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences



A pleasure to read. Ernst has a multilayered and self-assured understanding of Islam, and his writing exemplifies a fluency in explaining it that is unique to him. . . . Delicate and complex points about Islam as a religion and culture, about Sufism, and even about Osama bin Laden, flow off the page effortlessly. . . . The book's greatest strength is Ernst's unrelenting but well-reasoned critique of how the West has consistently marginalized Islam and Muslims from the first encounters onward. Ernst is fair, however— while he admonishes the West for indulging in negative and inaccurate stereotypes of Islam and Muslims, he calls upon Muslims to participate fully in the pluralistic society the world has become."—Publishers Weekly



In seeking to restore a sense of proportion and balance to the image of Islam for his Western readers, Ernst gives proper weight to the layers of mystical humanism, philosophical speculation and hermeneutical flexibility that are no less a part of the Islamic tradition than the legacies of conquest and militancy. He also points out that intolerance and bigotry are far from being the exclusive prerogative of the Western media industries." —Times Literary Supplement



A helpful resource for university religion departments. It is not a straight 'Islam 101' resource, and because of that, it is very refreshing. . . . A very helpful tool as an introduction to a course on Islam and contemporary religion."—Journal of the American Academy of Religion



Ernst introduces the larger Islamic world and its history in engaging, thought-provoking prose. . . . Readers will come away with a good understanding of the different schools of Islamic thought and practice. . . . Ernst's obvious passion for Islam comes through quite beautifully here, and the rare mix of clear writing and careful scholarship makes this an important purchase for any Islamic studies collection."—Booklist



This timely volume should be recommended enthusiastically to anyone who wants to gain a nuanced and balanced understanding of the contested position of Islam in the modern world. It fully deserves to be recognized as the single best choice for academic courses dealing with Islam and Middle Eastern studies, in both the undergraduate and graduate levels. . . . This is the rare work that only a scholar at the very zenith of his/her field can write, an even more daunting task given all the polemics about Islam today. There is no better, more profound place to begin - or end - a sophisticated discussion about contemporary Islam than Ernst's masterpiece."—Middle East Journal



Ernst provides an overview of Sufism, Shi'ism, and Islamic art. Here we really see the richness and diversity of this tradition."—Spirituality and Practice

Review

Highly accessible and a major step forward in understanding Islam, this book should be read from the schoolroom to the State Department." —Francis Robinson, Royal Holloway, University of London

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0807855774
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The University of North Carolina Press; 9/27/03 edition (August 30, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0807828378
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0807855775
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 1 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 63 ratings

About the author

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Carl W. Ernst

Carl W. Ernst

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Carl W. Ernst is a specialist in Islamic studies, with a focus on West and South Asia. His published research, based on the study of Arabic, Persian, and Urdu, has been mainly devoted to the study of Islam and Sufism. His book Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World (UNC Press, 2003) has received several international awards, including the Bashrahil Prize for Outstanding Cultural Achievement (Cairo, 2004). He has received fellowships from the Fulbright program and the National Endowment for the Humanities. In 2009 he received a John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, and he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His current research projects include a study of the Qur’an as literature, studies of Muslim interpreters of Indian religions, and a translation of the Arabic poetry of al-Hallaj.

He studied comparative religion at Stanford University (A.B. 1973) and Harvard University (Ph.D. 1981). He has done extended research tours in India (1978-79, 1981), Pakistan (1986, 2000, 2005), and Turkey (1991), and is a regular visitor to the Gulf, Turkey, and Iran for lectures and conferences. He has taught at Pomona College (1981-1992) and has been appointed as visiting lecturer in Paris (EHESS, 1991, 2003), the University of Seville (2001), and the University of Malaya (2005). On the faculty of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill since 1992, he has been department chair (1995-2000) and Zachary Smith Professor (2000-2005). He is now William R. Kenan, Jr., Distinguished Professor (2005- ) and Director of the Carolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations. He and Bruce Lawrence are co-editors of the Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks Series at the University of North Carolina Press.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
63 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

David Fowler
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read: beyond sound-bites and think-tank "experts"
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2010
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Simply put, this is a well written and informative book that I would whole-heartedly recommend to anyone interested in Islam, especially someone approaching the subject for the first time. Ernst begins the book by looking at how Islam has been misunderstood, sometimes very deliberately, in the "Western" (essentially Christian) world for the last 1400 years. In doing so, which, at least to me, accounted for some of the most interesting reading in the book, some will no doubt accuse Ernst of acting as an apologist, but the evidence he brings to bear on the issue, in an attempt to set the record straight, is so well presented, both in terms of writing style and in the appropriateness of historical examples etc., that such a line of argumentation is exposed as amateurish and specious. Ernst clearly knows what he's talking about and one certainly gets the sense that he is merely scratching the surface in marshaling evidence to support his various arguments and points.

This last issue dove-tails into the only significant critique I have of the book - namely, that I wanted MORE detail, MORE examples etc. As I mentioned, Ernst is a great reservoir of information on Islam and one cannot therefore help but want to hear more from him. However, I certainly understand the need to limit the scope of any one portion of the book, and there is a good deal ahead after these opening issues. The remainder of the book looks very much like a somewhat unconventional, though still very good, introductory text on Islam - with sections on Muhammad, the Qur'an, Sufism, ethics etc.

To conclude, one of the reasons I like Ernst's book is because he challenges us to think twice about how we look at the world - he asks us to reflect critically on certain issues (colonialism, Western scholarship, Christianity etc.) that, for some, might be difficult or awkward. But, asking us to do this does not make him an apologist for radical Islamists - it simply means he's painting a more complex picture and, if there is anything we should admit about Islam and its study, it's that 1400 years of history demands such complexity.
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Jan
4.0 out of 5 stars Very good narrative and fresh style
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2014
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There are many books and articles written on Islam and its ways and history. I found Ernst's book to be exceptional in the way it interacted with the reader and brought the author's fresh perspective to challenge the orthodox way of describing Islam as a religion and force.

I read this in conjunction with Rippin's "Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices" and found "Following Muhammed" to be much more easy to read and follow.
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Patricia A. O'Conor
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2017
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Very informative and interesting. A new perspective on Islam and Muslim peoples.
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William L. Phipps
5.0 out of 5 stars a must read for anyone interested in Islam
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2017
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a must read for anyone interested in Islam today
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L. Lawrence
4.0 out of 5 stars Getting to "know" a culture and a people is mandatory!
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2013
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Ernst gives a powerful discussion on understanding the scope and complexity of the Islamic tradition, its culture, its people and the dynamic context from which many in the Western world have often been confused. This is a good read and an important text in approaching any level of understanding of Islam with integrity.
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Enquirier
5.0 out of 5 stars Balanced & Objective Analysis
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2010
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A very objective analysis by an American, this read should be a compulsory part of curriculum so that students (read future leaders) have a very balanced view of Islam.
6 people found this helpful
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Omid Safi
5.0 out of 5 stars The best place to begin a study of contemporary Islam
Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2004
It has often been stated that the tragedy of 9/11 has forced Muslims of both scholarly and devotional backgrounds to deal with the profound issues in their communities with an unprecedented openness, courage, and criticism. A not dissimilar challenge has also been presented to more liminal voices, non-Muslim scholars of Islam who have spent their entire career studying Islam and Muslims from a humanistic perspective, scholars whose outlook has often been shaped through extended periods of living in Muslim countries and profound contact, relationships, and friendships with Muslim scholars, artists, and spiritual leaders. Carl Ernst is widely considered one of the leading scholars of Islam. The excellent volume Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World is Ernst's learned, profound reflection on the situation of the Islam, Muslims, and the world at large.

Conventional discussions of Islam today begin with two vastly divergent points: There is the mushrooming and uneven body of political writings about Islam that focus on the Middle East, collapsing the 1400 years of Islamic history into the last two generations, particularly since the creation of the state of Israel. The other discourse about Islam is philological in nature, focusing on "classical" (i.e., pre-modern) legal, Qur'anic, and philosophical texts usually in Arabic. Carl Ernst posits a different starting point, one so radically brilliant and simple that one has to ask why more scholars have not adopted this perspective. Ernst starts by examining Islam as a religious tradition, one shaped and understood through the human lens of practitioners of this tradition. As such, he approaches Islam not in a transcendent timeless fashion, or as one fixed eternally in the 7th century, nor yet as a variable only of interest for understanding the post-colonial trauma of the last 40 years. Instead, Ernst moves with ease and grace through the 1400 years of practices, rituals, institutions, and ideas that have been marked as Muslim. He does not focus on the Arab world exclusively, but recognizes that 82% of all Muslims are non-Arab, with the majority being South and South East Asians. He judiciously avoids the many traps and pitfalls that mar conversation about contemporary Islam. He refuses to yield the discussion of Islam to Salafis who insist that all of Islam must be collapsed to Qur'an and hadith. While probing the crucial sources of Islam, Ernst also engages Islamic ethics, spirituality, music, literature, philosophy, and piety. It is this holistic and humanistic approach that few scholars of Islam can undertake with such mastery, and here is where Ernst truly shines. No less than this is expected of Ernst, who most today regard as the leading Western scholar of Sufism, the true heir to the incomparable Annemarie Schimmel, to whom the volume is dedicated.
Nor does Ernst restrict his challenge only to Muslim blind spots: He also takes on dominant Western triumphalist notions. Here again Ernst breaks with the crowd in documenting that it is not simply a result of simple Western misunderstanding that Muslims comes across as inhuman or subhuman. He carefully documents that the blind spots are directly tied to the shameful period of colonialism, a period to which many -particularly in America - seem to have an allergic or amnesic reaction. His discussions of European colonialism, American imperialism, the impact of Zionism, and the political debates over Orientalism are a model of depth, balance, and insight. In the writings of lesser scholars, these analyses are filled with polemics and apologetics. Commendably, Ernst manages to steer away from these pitfalls.
The book is set out in six succinct and highly readable chapters: Islam in the Eyes of the West, Approaching Islam in Terms of Religion, The Sacred Sources of Islam, Ethics and Life in the World, Spirituality in Practice, and a postscript. Ernst's mastery of the spiritual, ethical, and aesthetic realms of Islam stands out clearly in having devoted two chapters to these crucial topics. Far too often in introductory volumes, the picture of Islam that emerges is that of a purely legalistic, ritualistic tradition completely bereft of beauty, art, and love. Ernst's work nicely reflects the historical understanding of many Muslims, one that is shaped as much by the spiritual teachings of Sufi masters and ethicists as it is by Qur'anic virtues.
UNC Press has positioned this text as the leading volume in their forthcoming series Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks, and has done a superb job in its production. The book is beautifully illustrated, containing eight pictures and six luminous calligraphy pieces by the contemporary South Asian calligrapher, Rasheed Butt.
This timely volume is recommended enthusiastically to anyone who wants to gain a nuanced and balanced understanding of the contested position of Islam in the modern world. It fully deserves to be recognized as the single best choice for academic courses dealing with Islam and Middle Eastern studies, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. While one cannot recommend it strongly enough to students and scholars of Islam, hopefully political scientists and historians of the Middle East and beyond, not to mention policy makers, will also avail themselves of it. Ernst's volume breaks new theoretical ground while remaining completely accessible to the intelligent lay reader. This is the rare work that only a scholar at the very zenith of his/her field can write, an even more daunting task given all the polemics about Islam today. There is no better, more profound place to begin - or end - a sophisticated discussion about contemporary Islam than Ernst's masterpiece.

Omid Safi, Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies, Colgate University
Co-chair for the Study of Islam Section at the American Academy of Religion
Editor, Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism (Oxford: Oneworld, 2003).
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Top reviews from other countries

Prof.Del
3.0 out of 5 stars Hopefully more to follow...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2011
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Disjointed but a pretty good read.The title is misleading.Prof Ernst only touches the surface and to me it seems rather rushed.
The chapter on spiritualism is rather limited in it's scope. Went away wanting more.
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Tawsif Elahi Chowdhury
4.0 out of 5 stars Islam and Modernity
Reviewed in Canada on June 29, 2019
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A look into how Muslims understand and reform their traditions today.
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R J
4.0 out of 5 stars I like it. The book is very new and very ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2014
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I like it.
The book is very new and very clean
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Karim Ayad
2.0 out of 5 stars Read as a primer, but beware of bias and misrepresentation
Reviewed in Canada on July 9, 2021
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Unfortunately I was disappointed with the book as soona s I delved beyond the first few pages. It does have a very good start and it seems one of the few books that attempts to be more just and fair in handling the topic of Islam. However, there are lots of mistakes in representation. What I find very disappointing is that the author falls into the same mistakes that he calls out other orientalist of willfully committing. Albeit I think he is not as mal-intent as they were. He gives a very prescreptive view on reformist and does not cover their thoughts in any meaningful depth other than repeating the portrayed view of them in the media. In addition he goes way out of way to prove some of his theories which are completely wrong even with outright verses in Quran disqualifyibg his hypotheses. For example he proposes Islam as a religion was never known as such except as a colonial response. In the Quran it is stated clearly that Allah is "content with Islam as a religion" and that this is the only religion he accepts. Also I find there is a Shia inclination and over representation as opposed to proper Sunni views. In any case I still recommend a read of this book only because he at least opens a positive dialogue and can be an impetus for better understanding of Islam as a religion with more value than lots of westerners may be willing to admit.
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