Publisher Description

Offers the Islamic concept of ummah as an alternative to the can we live together without alienation, avoidance, and fear? How can we complement one another such that each of us can uniquely contribute to the making of our societies? To address these and other questions, Katrin A. Jomaa examines the moral, political, and spiritual understanding of the Qur'anic term ummah, which is commonly used to refer to the worldwide Muslim community but is employed more broadly in the Qur'an itself. Drawing on theology, history, philosophy, and political science, Jomaa argues that ummah, while often defined as a group of people united by ethnicity or religion, is, in its ideal sense, a community that demands active commitment and a conscious and continuous dedication to the highest moral ideals of that community rather than mere affiliation with a particular set of religious doctrines and practices. Jomaa begins by chronologically and thematically analyzing the word "ummah" in the Qur'an, a comprehensive study currently missing from Islamic scholarship, in order to propose a novel understanding of the term that connects all its different meanings. She then compares this new definition to the Aristotelean polis, which highlights the political features of ummah, thereby situating it within contemporary discourses on liberal politics and community and creating the space for an alternative sociopolitical order to the nation-state, both as a local unit and a global system.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
AcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Conceptual Meaning of Ummah in the Meccan Verses of the Qur'n
Ummah in the Literature
Analysis of the word ummah in the Meccan verses of the Qur'n
Ummah, Appointed Term (ajal), and Associated Responsibility
Ummah, Religion, and Forefathers
Ummah and al-Kitb
Ummah and Imm
Ummah and the Covenant (al-Mthq)
A Possible Order of a Global Ummah Composed of Different Umam?
Ummah, Umm Prophet, and the Global Ummah
Ummah and Sovereignty
Leadership, the Book, and Justice
Land (Territory)
Ummah and Nation-State
Al-Ummah al-Widah and Its Differentiation across Human History
Ummah of the Prophets
Dealing with Religious Diversity
Confederates of Evil (al-Azb)
The Reformers (Mulin)
Conclusion2. Ummah in the Medinan Verses of the Qur'n
The Notion of a Shared Ummah: Rights and Obligations
Prophet Abraham (Ibrhm) Was an Ummah
Defining the Ideology and Outlook of the Muslim Ummah through Prophet Abraham
The Best Religion (Dn) is Following Millat Ibrhm "al-anf "
Al-Mansik (the Rituals)
The Middle Ummah (al-Ummah al-Wasa) and the Witness (Shahda)
Ummah from Ahl Al-Kitb ( Jews and Christians)
The Best Ummah (Khayr Ummah) Ever Raised Up for Humankind
Ummah of the Book and Governance
Conclusion3. Ummah in the Medina Constitution
Al-Muminn ("The Believers")
Decrees Addressing the Believers
Decrees Addressing the Jews
Decrees Addressing Ahl as-afah (the People of the Constitution)
Sacred Land (aram)
Conclusion4. The Ummah and Political Governance—Comparative
The Ummah and the Aristotelian Polis
Khalfa and Political Animal
Khalfa
Khalfa in Early, Classical, and Modern Exegesis
Khilfa in Islamic Literature
Aristotelian Polis and Qur'anic Ummah
Polis and Ummah: Medium Whereby Citizens Exercise Virtuous Activity
Difference between Law and SharahRule of Law (Polis and Ummah)
Resolving Conflict by Invoking Competing Virtues in Aristotle and the Qur'n
Community and State in Contemporary Political Theory
Polis and Constitution versus Ummah and al-Kitb
Introducing Reforms through the Constitution
The Characters of Constitution and the Citizen Mirror Each Other
Constitutional Law Transformed into Community Norm
Polis and Justice versus Ummah and Wasaiyyah
Justice as a "Mean" and the Concept of "Wasa"
Understanding "Prophet Abraham Was an Ummah" through Aristotle's "Unity of Virtues"
Ummah Attains Justice through Shra (Collective Judgment of Khulaf)
Justice Is Manifested in the"Common Good" Resulting from Collective Judgment
Ummah and Political Power
The Just Leadership versus ght
Ul 'l-amr (Those Entrusted with Authority)
Ul 'l-amr in the Medina Constitution
Ul 'l-amr in the Modern PeriodConcluding RemarksAppendix
Bibliography
Index
Index of Qur'anic Citations

Review

"This study has much to offer the general reader, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, as well as non-specialist students in the university. It provides a compelling narrative on the meaning of umma and also many ideas for discussions on what it means to be a people guided by the good rather than by power." — Journal of Islamic Studies"…Jomaa's work is a tremendous and timely gift to the field of Islamic studies and the growing subdiscipline of 'ummahology' …. At its core, Jomaa's scholarship innovatively re-imagines what it means to be a member of the ummah in the contemporary, ultimately offering a new global paradigm for performing community in in the twenty-first century." — Reading Religion

Promotional

Offers the Islamic concept of ummah as an alternative to the nation-state.

Long Description

How can we live together without alienation, avoidance, and fear? How can we complement one another such that each of us can uniquely contribute to the making of our societies? To address these and other questions, Katrin A. Jomaa examines the moral, political, and spiritual understanding of the Qur'anic term ummah , which is commonly used to refer to the worldwide Muslim community but is employed more broadly in the Qur'an itself. Drawing on theology, history, philosophy, and political science, Jomaa argues that ummah, while often defined as a group of people united by ethnicity or religion, is, in its ideal sense, a community that demands active commitment and a conscious and continuous dedication to the highest moral ideals of that community rather than mere affiliation with a particular set of religious doctrines and practices. Jomaa begins by chronologically and thematically analyzing the word "ummah" in the Qur'an, a comprehensive study currently missing from Islamic scholarship, in order to propose a novel understanding of the term that connects all its different meanings. She then compares this new definition to the Aristotelean polis, which highlights the political features of ummah, thereby situating it within contemporary discourses on liberal politics and community and creating the space for an alternative sociopolitical order to the nation-state, both as a local unit and a global system.

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