Islam in South Asia (vol. IV): The Realm of the Secular

The present volume, the fourth in a series on "Islam in South Asia", focuses on the significance of the secular within the broad framework of largely ‘Muslim’ concerns. Though Islam and Muslims form an integral part of the rich history and culture of India, their voices-especially inn the realm of the secular-is muted, almost unheard. Academic discourses-be they in the West or in India-are increasingly engaged with Islam per se choosing to ignore the existence of the substantial body of secular writings. This volume articulates all those suppressed voices that speak of the everyday and the commonplace. Instead and the commonplace. Instead of the frightening monolith of popular perception, the Muslim who emerges from within the pages of this volume is one who can, indeed has for centuries, lived in harmony with people of other faiths. The Indian Muslim seen here is indeed the inheritor of the great Indian civilization and the great Indian tradition of living together separately in a plural society. Writers represented in this volume include David Lelyveld, Halide Edib, Mujeeb, Alam Khundmiri, Rafiq Zakaria, Aziz Ahmad and Wilayat Ali ‘Bambooque’ among others.