Publisher's Synopsis
This well-researched and erudite study discusses the concept of religion with special reference to Dr. Ali Shariati, an eminent sociologist and Muslim scholar of Iran. He brought forth the unique dimensions of the comparative study of religions. The text provides a complete sociological background of various religions and stresses their contributions. In addition, different Islamic ideals and thoughts which need to be understood in modernist's religious perspective are discussed. For example, the concepts of Imamat, Ijtihad, Enjoining good and forbidding evil and Hajj are dealt from a sociological viewpoint. Finally, even the less known dimensions of Islamic ideologies are explained. The book is intended for the postgraduate students of Islamic Studies. Research scholars and postgraduate students of philosophy may also find the book useful. In addition, any reader who is interested in sociology of religion and, in particular, the ideology and other aspects of Islam will benefit from this book.
