The Theology of Unity by Muhammad Abduh

by Muhammad Abduh

The first of his works to be translated into English, Risalat al-Tauhid, represents the most popular and systematic of Muhammad 'Abduh's work, and one of the most influential Muslim theological writings of the contemporary period. The essentials of 'Abduh's modernist thought are contained in this treatise.

Genres: Islam, Philosophy, Religion

Paperback

First published March 1, 2013

Reviews

[Sherif Elmaghrabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommend for anyone tired of dogmatic interpretations of faith.

Tough read, particularly in the beginning as 3bduh bears out logical proofs in relation only to themselves (he warns in the Preface that his audience is his students). Gets easier as more proofs are established.

Middle chapters on topics like the unity of God or the need for prophetic mission were the most interesting. 3bduh combines his skills at logical reasoning with a strong understanding of human motivation.

This that rare sweeping book that manages to do justice to every topic it touches on. Totally understand how 3bduh’s writings, believing in the rational capacity of the individual, might spark reform movements and counter movements.

[Connor Baldwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dense reading but a really interesting book on how Islam interacts with the concept of liberty.

[Roland Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

When everyone you admire holds a certain set of values and they belittle your religion because it doesn’t seem to fit their idea of what is right, it is very tempting to change your religion to make it fit with the values of the world. In his most famous work, The Theology of Unity (1897) the Egyptian scholar and jurist Muhammad ‘Abduh (1849-1905) did just that.

Read my full review here: http://wordsbecamebooks.com/2014/07/1...

[G Barahona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not for the light-hearted. Written in a classical Arabic style and translated thus it can be circuitous getting to the main points.