The Impossible State

Islam, Politics, and Modernity's Moral Predicament

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, International, International Relations, History
Cover of the book The Impossible State by Wael Hallaq, Columbia University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Wael Hallaq ISBN: 9780231530866
Publisher: Columbia University Press Publication: November 20, 2012
Imprint: Columbia University Press Language: English
Author: Wael Hallaq
ISBN: 9780231530866
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Publication: November 20, 2012
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Language: English

Wael B. Hallaq boldly argues that the "Islamic state," judged by any standard definition of what the modern state represents, is both impossible and inherently self-contradictory. Comparing the legal, political, moral, and constitutional histories of premodern Islam and Euro-America, he finds the adoption and practice of the modern state to be highly problematic for modern Muslims. He also critiques more expansively modernity's moral predicament, which renders impossible any project resting solely on ethical foundations.

The modern state not only suffers from serious legal, political, and constitutional issues, Hallaq argues, but also, by its very nature, fashions a subject inconsistent with what it means to be, or to live as, a Muslim. By Islamic standards, the state's technologies of the self are severely lacking in moral substance, and today's Islamic state, as Hallaq shows, has done little to advance an acceptable form of genuine Shari'a governance. The Islamists' constitutional battles in Egypt and Pakistan, the Islamic legal and political failures of the Iranian Revolution, and similar disappointments underscore this fact. Nevertheless, the state remains the favored template of the Islamists and the ulama (Muslim clergymen).

Providing Muslims with a path toward realizing the good life, Hallaq turns to the rich moral resources of Islamic history. Along the way, he proves political and other "crises of Islam" are not unique to the Islamic world nor to the Muslim religion. These crises are integral to the modern condition of both East and West, and by acknowledging these parallels, Muslims can engage more productively with their Western counterparts.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Wael B. Hallaq boldly argues that the "Islamic state," judged by any standard definition of what the modern state represents, is both impossible and inherently self-contradictory. Comparing the legal, political, moral, and constitutional histories of premodern Islam and Euro-America, he finds the adoption and practice of the modern state to be highly problematic for modern Muslims. He also critiques more expansively modernity's moral predicament, which renders impossible any project resting solely on ethical foundations.

The modern state not only suffers from serious legal, political, and constitutional issues, Hallaq argues, but also, by its very nature, fashions a subject inconsistent with what it means to be, or to live as, a Muslim. By Islamic standards, the state's technologies of the self are severely lacking in moral substance, and today's Islamic state, as Hallaq shows, has done little to advance an acceptable form of genuine Shari'a governance. The Islamists' constitutional battles in Egypt and Pakistan, the Islamic legal and political failures of the Iranian Revolution, and similar disappointments underscore this fact. Nevertheless, the state remains the favored template of the Islamists and the ulama (Muslim clergymen).

Providing Muslims with a path toward realizing the good life, Hallaq turns to the rich moral resources of Islamic history. Along the way, he proves political and other "crises of Islam" are not unique to the Islamic world nor to the Muslim religion. These crises are integral to the modern condition of both East and West, and by acknowledging these parallels, Muslims can engage more productively with their Western counterparts.

More books from Columbia University Press

Cover of the book Trading the Genome by Wael Hallaq
Cover of the book The Columbia Guide to American Indians of the Northeast by Wael Hallaq
Cover of the book The Breaking Jewel by Wael Hallaq
Cover of the book The Classic of Changes by Wael Hallaq
Cover of the book Exception Taken by Wael Hallaq
Cover of the book Secular Translations by Wael Hallaq
Cover of the book The Most Important Thing Illuminated by Wael Hallaq
Cover of the book Transgression in Anglo-American Cinema by Wael Hallaq
Cover of the book Stalking Nabokov by Wael Hallaq
Cover of the book The Scandal of Susan Sontag by Wael Hallaq
Cover of the book Molecular Gastronomy by Wael Hallaq
Cover of the book Sentimental Tales by Wael Hallaq
Cover of the book Picture Imperfect by Wael Hallaq
Cover of the book The Restructuring of Capitalism in Our Time by Wael Hallaq
Cover of the book Levinas and the Cinema of Redemption by Wael Hallaq
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy