Muslim Cosmopolitanism

Abstract

Does cosmopolitanism exist in the Muslim world? Does it reflect a distinct ambience in Muslim societies that links to other expressions of cosmopolitanism beyond Islam? This deftly-crafted book amounts to a manifesto that answers both questions with a resounding: YES! Yes, there is a cosmopolitan trajectory with Muslim overtones and undertones, and yes, it can be found in places and persons identified with Islam, especially but not solely in Southeast Asia. There it becomes part of what the author labels, following Azyumardi Azra, Islam Nusantara (86-91). The author begins by reviewing several previous efforts to locate, then describe, and interpret or explain what is cosmopolitanism and who are Muslim cosmopolitans. He correctly notes that “as a concept, Muslim cosmopolitanism suffers from being used too loosely and too indiscriminately to describe anything that Muslims say and do which points towards some degree of inclusivity” (xix). He then looks to forms of everyday expression—“ a style of thought, a habit of seeing the world, and a way of living”— all linked to Islam in its broadest formulation as maqāṣid al-sharīʿa, that is, the purposes of Islamic law defined in five mandates that apply to Muslims but also to all humankind: to preserve self, to preserve mind, to propagate via marriage, to preserve society, including property, and also to preserve and defend belief in God ...