Description: Abul A'la Maududi (1903-1979) was arguably one of the most influential and controversial thinkers of the twentieth century, and a foundational Islamist thinker. This volume brings together a broad range of his important works for the first time, covering concerns such as anticolonialism, permissibility of violence, capitalism and gender roles, principles for an Islamic economy, innovation in legal frameworks as well as the limits of nationalist politics. Showcasing his writings across different genres, this volume includes influential early works such as his seminal Al Jihad fil Islam, Quranic exegesis and essays as well as later works on Islamic law. An extensive introduction situates Maududi's ideas within global anticolonial conversations as well as Islamic and South Asian debates on urgent contemporary political questions and highlights the conceptual innovations he carried out. Fresh translations allow readers to critically engage with Maududi's writings, capturing nuances and shifts in his ideas with greater clarity.
Brief description: Humeira Iqtidar is a Professor of Politics at King's College London. Her research focuses on modern Islamic and South Asian thought with an emphasis on questions of justice and tolerance, legacies of colonialism as well as the place of religion in contemporary politics. She is the author of Secularizing Islamists? (Chicago, 2011) and has published widely in leading journals such as American Political Science Review, Journal of Politics and Political Theory.