Magic in Islam offers a look at magical and occult technologies throughout Muslim history, starting with Islam's earliest and most canonical sources. In addition to providing a highly accessible introduction to magic as it is defined, practiced, condemned, and defended within Muslim traditions, Magic in Islam challenges common assumptions about organized religion.
Michael Muhammad Knight's deeply original book fills a gap within existing literature on the place of magic in Islamic traditions and opens a new window on Islam for general readers and students of religion alike. In doing so, the book counters and complicates widespread perceptions of Islam, as well as of magic as it is practiced outside of European contexts.
Magic in Islam also challenges our view of 'organized religions' as clearly defined systems that can be reduced to checklists of key doctrines, texts, and rules. As a result, Magic in Islam throws a monkey wrench into the conventions of the 'intro to Islam' genre, threatening to flip popular notions of a religion's 'center' and 'margins.'
Praise for Michael Muhammed Knight:
'He may be one of the most necessary and, paradoxically enough, hopeful writers of Barack Obama's America.' San Francisco Chronicle
'A manifesto for the Muslim punk movement.' Newsweek
'The Hunter S. Thompson of Islamic literature.' The Guardian
'Groundbreaking.' Maclean's
