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Muslim Societies in Africa: A Historical Anthropology , written by Roman Loimeier

Muslim Societies in Africa: A Historical Anthropology , written by Roman Loimeier Bloomington, in : Indiana University Press, 2013. Pp. xv + 358. Price $55, hardcover (ISBN: 978-0-253-00788-9). Roman Loimeier has written another powerful book that synthesizes a rich variety of sources offering fresh insight into the history of Islam in Africa that emphasizes its uniqueness, while recognizing its diversity. Covering the period from the 7 th century ce to the end of the colonial era, and focusing on the various vectors of conversion and transmission of religious knowledge, he offers a deeper explanation for what may be appropriately described as “African Islam” without falling into colonialist tropes of benign and impure black Islam versus pure but militant Arab Islam. He stresses that neither the Arab world nor Africa was immune to the resilience of customs and practices susceptible to doctrinal contestations, especially pre-Islamic customs that were historically “incorporated as non-objectable,” but remained objects of attack by movements of reform (p. 34). While rejecting the normative dichotomy between African and Arab Islams , he also questions the uniqueness of “African Islam” in terms of historical processes and debates about cultural and ritual orthodoxy. The book comprises an introduction followed by twelve chapters, a short conclusion and an Appendix. Each chapter http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Islamic Africa (continuation of Sudanic Africa) Brill

Muslim Societies in Africa: A Historical Anthropology , written by Roman Loimeier

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Publisher
Brill
Copyright
© 2015 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands
Subject
Book Reviews
ISSN
0803-0685
eISSN
2154-0993
DOI
10.1163/21540993-00602009
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Bloomington, in : Indiana University Press, 2013. Pp. xv + 358. Price $55, hardcover (ISBN: 978-0-253-00788-9). Roman Loimeier has written another powerful book that synthesizes a rich variety of sources offering fresh insight into the history of Islam in Africa that emphasizes its uniqueness, while recognizing its diversity. Covering the period from the 7 th century ce to the end of the colonial era, and focusing on the various vectors of conversion and transmission of religious knowledge, he offers a deeper explanation for what may be appropriately described as “African Islam” without falling into colonialist tropes of benign and impure black Islam versus pure but militant Arab Islam. He stresses that neither the Arab world nor Africa was immune to the resilience of customs and practices susceptible to doctrinal contestations, especially pre-Islamic customs that were historically “incorporated as non-objectable,” but remained objects of attack by movements of reform (p. 34). While rejecting the normative dichotomy between African and Arab Islams , he also questions the uniqueness of “African Islam” in terms of historical processes and debates about cultural and ritual orthodoxy. The book comprises an introduction followed by twelve chapters, a short conclusion and an Appendix. Each chapter

Journal

Islamic Africa (continuation of Sudanic Africa) – Brill

Published: Jul 6, 2015

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