Islam: An Introduction

Islam: An Introduction

The question of a human’s relationship with the Divine is one that is eternal, revelatory and profoundly nuanced. It is one that blends tradition, culture, history, social context and human intelligence in the ongoing search for God through the path of love and worship – the path of Islam.

From Key concepts of the perception of “salam” to jihad of the soul, Islam: An Introduction journeys through some of the most fundamental concerns of spirituality and practice of one of the world’s most fascinating and misunderstood religions, offering a succinct response to complex ideas with expert navigation and sensitivity.

About The Author

Professor Tariq Ramadan holds MA in Philosophy and French literature and PhD in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of Geneva. In Cairo, Egypt he received one-on-one intensive training in classic Islamic scholarship from Al-Azhar University scholars. Dr Tariq Ramadan taught Islamic Studies and Philosophy as a professor at Freiburg University in Switzerland for many years. 

He held the post of Professor of Islamic Studies in the Classic Department and Luce Professor of Religion Conflict and Peacebuilding at Kroc Institute in 2004 at University of Notre Dame in the United States. He had to resign that post due to visa revocation by the USA administration.

Dr. Ramadan lectures at academic institutions and civic organisations around the world. He is a member of multiple international organisations and steering committees. He has authored and co-authored over 20 books and over 700 articles.

Through his writings and lectures he has contributed substantially to the debate on the issues of Muslims in the West and Islamic revival in the Muslim world. He is active both at the academic and grassroots levels, lecturing extensively throughout the world on ethics of citizenship, social justice, and dialogue between civilisations.

Ramadan, is the grandson of Hassan al-Banna, founder, in 1928, of the Ikhwan-e-Muslimeen ‘Muslim Brotherhood’, an Islamic revival movement that spread from Egypt throughout the Arab world, criticizing Western decadence and advocating a return to Muslim values. Yet Ramadan says, ‘I’m a European who has grown up here. I don’t deny my Muslim roots, but I don’t vilify Europe either.