Neo-Traditionalism in Islam in the West

Studies the impact neo-traditionalism has on the religious and political subjectivities of Muslims in the West

• Shows the importance of neo-traditionalism in the changing conceptions of religious orthodoxy, religious authority and spirituality for young Muslims in the West
• Studies primarily – although not exclusively – three neo-traditionalist shaykhs: Hamza Yusuf, Abdal Hakim Murad and Umar Faruq Abd-Allah
• Analyses how neo-traditionalist shaykhs construct the notion of ‘tradition’ concerning what they perceive to have been lost in modernity
• Examines the political implications to their critiques of modernity – as it pertains to political quietism, race and gender

Examining Muslim neo-traditionalist scholars in the West and their community of young seekers of sacred knowledge, Walaa Quisay explores the emerging trend within Anglo-American Islam that emphasises the importance of ‘tradition’. This book focuses on spiritual retreats hosted by three main shaykhs – Hamza Yusuf, Abdal Hakim Murad and Umar Faruq Abd-Allah – to examine how religious authority is formed and affirmed.