Faithlines: Muslim Conceptions of Islam and Society

This book explores key aspects of Muslim religious and social consciousness in Islamic societies. The analysis is based on interviews of 4500 Muslims from Indonesia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Egypt. It examines the nature of Muslim piety, the Ummah consciousness, and the images of Islam held by believers. The study breaks new ground in exploring the relationship between religion and politics and Muslim attitudes towards political Islam, gender roles, veiling and patriarchy. The evidence shows that these attitudes are shaped by a complex interaction between Islamic values and local social conditions. This study challenges the perception of Islam as an essentialist, monolithic and static phenomenon.