The current war against al-Qaida and their affiliates has forced necessary debate on the differences between Islam and Islamism. When the President of the United States remarks that Islam is a hijacked religion, there is no explanation as to what that may mean, even Muslims are remiss in this need to tangibly explain and demonstrate the pseudo-intellectual and medieval arguments of Islamist militant ideology. However in the realm of books and glimmers of movements from Indonesia to Tunisia, there is what can only be described as needed discourse on future of Islamic thought in the 21st century. Three books will be recommended as a means of demystifying Islamic history. But before tackling these more complex books on Islamic history it is recommended that those with little knowledge of Islam read Karen Armstrong's book, "Islam: A Short History," (New York: Random House, paperback, 2002) and her recent biography of Prophet Muhammad.
The first book entitled Islam vs. Islamism: The Dilemma of the Muslim World (Westport, Connecticut: Praeger, 2006) by Professor Peter Demant of Brazil's University of Sao Paolo, who lived eight years in Jerusalem before lecturing on Asian history. His book covers the complex and diverse history of Islam with a focus on basic Islamic law and contrasting it to embellished or politicized Islam as a means of addressing setbacks in history. The book is divided in three parts, one entitled, and "Yesterday," the other "Today," and the third part is the entitled, "The Future." One cannot understand how Islamist militant clerics suppress aspects of Islam that do not fit their worldview without understanding Islam's foundation and past. The second part discusses the ideologues who have shaped Islamist radicalism, and corrupted the faith like Ibn Taymiyyah of the 13th century, Sayed Qutb (1906-1966) and Mawdudi (1903-1975) and is balanced with a counter argument like the Islamic Judge Ali Abdul-Razak, a disciple of the modernist reformer Muhammad Abduh, the Grand Mufti of Cairo (1849-1905). Judge Abdul-Razak would publish a book arguing that the Caliphate is not Islamic orthodoxy but Islamic political tradition that even pre-dates Islam. Demant proposes in his final part that the revival of Islamic reformist thought and energizing constructive interpretation from Ibn Rushd (1126-1198) and Ibn Khuldun (1332-1406) to an honest assessment of Prophet Muhammad as not just that of a warrior, but as civic leader, husband, merchant, father and a look at his life in totality. This is the counter-balance against Islamist militancy, takfiri ideology, and other intolerant strains of Islam that has only dishonored the faith. At its root, al-Qaida seeks to change the nature and character of Islam into one homogenous and intolerant strain, Muslims must come to recognize this and be outraged.
Martin Lings a Sufi Muslim convert and Arabic linguist published perhaps one of the most comprehensive biographies of Prophet Muhammad; it is hidden gem that was introduced to me by a Defense Department colleague. Entitled, "Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources," (Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions International, 1983) is not for the novice, and it delves into the life of Prophet Muhammad (570-632 AD) from the earliest sources of the Hadith (prophet's sayings and actions) along with reports of those who knew Muhammad, his wives, partners, advisors, early converts and his adversaries. It is these details of Prophet Muhammad's life that is completely missing from Islamist militant diatribe, they are reduced by Zawahiri and other militants into a warlord, and therefore does dishonor to the Prophet and richness of his life. Readers will understand how Muhammad, before becoming a Prophet had a deep interest in why justice, and protection of the weak (those not affiliated with a tribe) had been abandoned by the Arabs. He questioned why a primitive rule of law existed in Byzantium but not among Arab tribes? This meant the slightest provocation would mean a tribal blood feud in Muhammad's time. There are discussions of his treatment of non-Muslims from the context of seventh century Arabia. Such as the details behind his treatment of three Jewish tribes in his confederacy of Medina, and the succession crisis which was brought on by a lack of clarity in who would succeed Muhammad. The book paints a realistic portrait of Muhammad's life within the context of his times. Reader will find many surprises such as the influence and importance of Christians on early Islam, the historical context of the war verses and much more. This history is neglected by politicized Islamist militancy. This book can be found in libraries today or you can obtain it through inter-library loan, this book was acclaimed by Muslim scholars of the mid-eighties.
Readers must spend time understanding the period of Islam between the death of Prophet Muhammad in 632 to 661 AD. This period of the first four Caliphs, typically called the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Wilfred Madelung of Oxford University wrote, "The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate," (Cambridge, Great Britain: Cambridge University Press, 1997). Looks at the men who would succeed Prophet Muhammad and explore the intrigues and tribal politics they faced in keeping the infant Islamic society intact. Perhaps one of the most important figures was Omar ibn al- Khattab, who would eventually become the second Caliph after Muhammad's death. Omar would be instrumental in positioning the first Caliph Abu Bakr to succeed Muhammad and the book reveals how these two combined with Abu Ubaydah used cajolery, negotiation, bribery and argument, the realism of tribal politics to develop and retain an Islamic society. Abu Bakr would face tribal rebellion and tribes wanting to leave Prophet Muhammad's confederacy. Omar, the second Caliph would see an expanding empire and would institute the rudiments of an administration called diwans. It was under his rule Byzantine forces were defeated and the Levant and Egypt lay open. The third caliph Uthman ibn Affan would see much division and outrage about his nepotism and he would succumb to assassins, the earliest instance of Muslim on Muslim political violence. Finally Ali ibn Abi Talib would face challenges being implicated in the murder of Uthman because of his criticism of the former caliph. His challenger would be Muawaiyah governor of Damascus, and with the involvement of the Prophet's wife Aisha (Abu Bakr's daughter) Ali's caliphate would be opposed and the first wider Muslim civil war ensued. This history is vital to understanding the issues and problems of the modern Middle East. American military planners must immerse themselves in this history to understand the region, and the selective imagery used by our adversaries.
Editor's Note: LCDR Aboul-Enein is a Middle East Analyst, who served as advisor and Middle East Country Director at the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 2002 to 2006.