Faisal Devji - How Islam came to be a global phenomenon

Faisal Devji, Professor of Indian History at the University of Oxford, discusses the rise of global Islam.

About Faisal Devji "I’m Professor of Indian History at the University of Oxford.

My interest is in the intellectual history of India and Pakistan, as well as in political thought, specifically the political thought of modern Islam."

Key Points

• Islam historically referred to a set of actions and attitudes, not faith. Today, the term has evolved into a proper noun for a global religion. • The humanisation of the prophet Muhammad makes him a target for insult, which can trigger violence. • Global Islam derives its strength from numbers, but not necessarily from faith or theology.

Islam as a set of actions or attitudes

Islam seems to be an old name and word because you find it in the Koran, although it’s mentioned only a few times. However, I argue that it was created in the 19th century because this term, Islam, only came to be deployed frequently as a proper name from the second half of the 19th century. Before, Islam referred to a set of actions or attitudes. The term Islam is not a noun, but a kind of adjectival, semi-verbal construction. It's an adjectival verb. Therefore, it has to do with practice, doing something, and was rarely used as a name. It was used alongside other terms like Iman or Faith, and Deen, which is normally translated as religion. Often, that was the word used for the true religion instead of Islam.

The moment Islam becomes a proper name, interestingly, it becomes particular. It is no longer the true religion. It is simply a religion among other religions. Islam as a proper name is the product of a 19th century project to create what scholars have called world religions. There is Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, and so on. The thing about Islam as a proper name, is what does it name? It names a whole set of beliefs and practices organised systematically. It is no longer possible for these beliefs and practices to be tied to specific forms of authority, as they once were.