Although the question of 'What is Islam?' is ancient, it remains constantly renewed, appearing from time to time in various fields of knowledge, especially in anthropological studies of Islam. Perhaps the reason for this is the existence of many differences in practices and beliefs between countries, leading to the question: can we call all these practices Islamic?

In this context, this study discusses the plurality of Islamic practices throughout history, focusing specifically on those prevalent in societies from the Balkans to Bengal.

The work is divided into three main sections: The first section, 'Questions,' details six questions stemming from the fundamental inquiry: What is Islam? The second section, 'Conceptions,' contains three chapters discussing various prevalent notions about Islam and law, religion and civilization, religion and culture, the religious and the secular, and the sacred and the profane. The third section, titled 'Reconstructing Conceptions,' includes two chapters that discuss rebuilding perceptions related to the text and pre-text, context, the private and public, and form and meaning.

This book has been received with great acclaim in Western academic circles. Princeton University Press wrote that it is the work that answers the question: How do we understand Islam? Is there one Islam or multiple Islams? What is 'Islamic' in Islamic philosophy or Islamic art? Should we differentiate between 'Islamic' denoting a religion and 'Islamic' denoting a culture? Or should we abandon the use of the term 'Islam' as an analytical term?

• Author: Shahab Ahmed
• Translator: Badr al-Din Mustafa
• Publisher: Mominoun Without Borders for Studies and Research - Beirut
• Year of Publication: 2020
• ISBN: 9789953640549