The Tao of Islam

This is a genuine foundational work in Islamic studies, an open door into the very heart of Islamic civilization. It suggests the bases of important comparisons and insights for those interested in cognate areas in Western cultures. The Tao of Islam is a rich and diverse anthology of Islamic teachings on the nature of the relationships between God and the world, the world and the human being, and the human being and God.

Focusing on gender symbolism, Sachiko Murata shows that Muslim authors frequently analyse the divine reality and its connection with the cosmic and human domains with a view toward a complementarity or polarity of principles that is analogous to the Chinese idea of yin/yang. Murata believes that the unity of Islamic thought is found, not so much in the ideas discussed, as in the types of relationships that are set up among realities. She pays particular attention to the view of various figures commonly known as “Sufis” and “philosophers,” since they approach these topics with a flexibility and subtlety not found in other schools of thought. She translates several hundred pages, most for the first time, from more than thirty important Muslims including the Ikhwan al-Safa, Avicenna, and Ibn al-`Arabi.

“It is fascinating, truly original work in both its guiding perspectives and its comprehensive, clearly presented account of a central dimension of Islam. There is nothing like it, and it deserves a wide audience.” — James W. Morris

“This work is a true masterpiece, not only of translation and exposition, but of Islamic propagation, as well. The work as a whole provides the best rejoinder yet given to the attack made on Islam from various feminist quarters both in the West and in the Muslim world.” – Muhammad Legenhausen (via al-islam.org)

Author: Sachiko Murata

Language: English

Format: Hardback

Publisher: Suhail Academy

Pages: ~400

ISBN: undefined (9695190205)