Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Three ways to compare Talal Asads The Idea of an Anthropology of Islam and Akbar S.
Talal Asad and Akbar are two Muslim scholars engaged in the discussion around the idea of
an Islamic anthropology, however, as Akbar himself points out in his paper, Talal Asad
represents the Muslim Left in Social sciences while the work of Akbar focusing on the
emancipatory potential of Islam and Jihad may seem to be leaning towards the opposite side.
Their projects have the obvious difference of approach where Asad uses the concept of
The first point of reference from where Asad and Akbar differ is their notions of
Essence and Diversity. These two terms are apparently different in meaning but they are key
words in discourse over the conceptualization of social realities. Assigning or discovering the
essence of a subject, for instance Islam, relates to the unification of its possibly varying forms
and tends to reduce it. On the other hand, the notion of diversity delves into variations and
exceptions under an umbrella term. Asad critiques Gellners attempt at interpreting Islam in a
narrow conceptualization and tries to find diversity through the investigation of discursive
traditions to identify marginalized questions. He also shows the dangers of following the
conceptualization of Islam as a historical totality. Akbar, although, is arguing for the merits
essential elements to Islam. These elements are the widely accepted inseparability of Islam as
a whole way of life and its fundamental role even in structures of Political life and power.
Secondly, Akbar and Asad apart from being involved in the same project of reviewing
the idea of Islamic Anthropology are also similar because they are both responding to
Orientalism. Both of them may seem to critique orientalist knowledge production but Asad
more than Akbar is successful in that project. Akbar mentions the problem of orientalist
it but fails to critique Gellner who shows such tendencies. Asad on the other hand identifies
Gellnerss tendency drawing from his predecessors of French Sociology of Maghrib and so
on. In terms of, Orientalism and Post-Colonialism, the work of Gellner plays an exoticizing
and reducing role that Asad has aptly brought into light.
Finally, Akbar and Asad also present contrasting projects when you look at the
scale of their study. The former has used more generalizations, assumptions and established
notions while the latter has challenged established scholarship and therefore has had to utilize
a plethora of details. Therefore, Asad has been able to present a stronger and more unique
study using a large number of observations which are interconnected. In this way, Asad has
been able to present a breakthrough in knowledge through this original paper and has even
been able to introduce a new concept i.e. Discursive Traditions. On the other hand, Akbar has
followed a conventional approach, which had to rely more on declarations rather than
In conclusion it will be useful to add that Talal Asads notion of the Anthropology of
Islam is clearly more suitable for the study of Islam, rather than, the Islamic Anthropology of
Akbar S. Ahmed because the former succeeds in identifying new ways of engaging with the