The origin of the Bengali Muslims became a much debated question after it was found out that they formed the majority of the population of Bengal, especially in the rural areas. This thesis does not tackle the whole problem (origin of the Bengali Muslims); it is primarily concerned with one aspect of it, viewed over a limited period of history which seems peculiarly significant. It starts with the question: how did Islam spread into Bengal during the pre-Mughul period (1204-1538 A.D.)? The attention is focused on Islam as a religious belief, in an attempt to review and assess different factors which may account for its spread in Bengal. Chapter I ("Pre-Islamic Bengal") surveys the past history of Bengal and its condition at the time of the Muslim conquest, in order to suggest a link between some trends of that history and the developments of the Muslim period. Chapter II ("Socio-political factors") summarizes the political history of the Muslim period undar review, pointing out features which form the context of the religious developments; it examines the part played by the immigration of Muslims from other areas, and discusses the situation of the non-Muslim subjects in relation with the phenomenon of conversion to Islam. Chapter III ("Religious factors") tries to describe and assess the prominent role played by the Sufi saints in the spread of Islam in Bengal. Their activities are related to the general background of Sufism in India, to the features of Islâm in Bengal as well as to pre-Islamic history; this suggests a reassessment of the modern idea of "conversion" as applied to the phenomenon recorded in Bengal during that period.

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M.A. / Coming to terms with the challenge of modernity has been a major concern for Muslim scholars. Faced with the reality of the global system of nation states, and the question that the challenges of secularism, democracy and religious pluralism pose for a traditional understanding of Islâm, many contemporary Muslim scholars have sought to develop new visions of their faith in order to engage seriously with these concerns. This dissertation looks at the writings of the Indian âlim, Sayyid Abul Hasan `Ali Nadwi, who has developed an incisive approach to the challenges of da`wah and dialogue Muslims globally and Indian Muslims particularly are faced with. This study examines how he as a member of the Muslim minority in India, has sought to present Islâm in terms that are intelligent to the modern mind, as well as making it possible for Muslims in India to attempt to create a balance as loyal citizens of the state, on the one hand, and as practising believers of their religion, on the other. Furthermore this vision is given a global dimension for Muslims living in the West where the challenges are not dissimilar from the Indian context. / Prof. J.F.J. van Rensburg

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The socio-economic and political changes effected in Kerala by the British and colonial discourse at the beginning of the twentieth century challenged traditional structures of power. This eventually resulted in social mobility within various communities which, as a result, embraced modernity and began to pursue modern education. However, Mappila Muslims' long-standing tradition of struggle against colonial powers and their hatred of British rule had led them to resist the modernization process and consequently become more socially and educationally backward than other communities in Kerala. It was in this context that Vakkom Muhammad Abdul Khadir Moulavi (1873-1932), who is acknowledged as the "father" of the Muslim socio-religious reform movement in Kerala, undertook to persuade Mappilas to embrace various aspects of modernity, especially modern education. Based mainly on primary sources written in Malayalam, this pioneering study argues that Vakkom Moulavi's thought was largely shaped by the colonial discourse on modernity. It shows how he reinterpreted Islamic principles and Muslim history using the framework of the rational, secular, universal humanism of the European Enlightenment. One result of this was that his reinterpretation precluded the possibility of understanding Islam as discursive tradition, which in turn reified Islam and negated the potential vibrancy of Islamic societies. At the same time his championing of modern education as a means to modernization eventually tore traditional Muslim education from its historical and cultural roots. The study also demonstrates that, because he saw the state is a key agent in the modernization process, he was keen to educate people about their rights and responsibilities. In sum, this analysis of Vakkom Moulavi's career demonstrates that, in order to understand the intellectual framework and activities of modern socio-religious reform movements, these latter need to be studied in the light of colonial discourse on modernity.

Note: / This work is a result of the need felt and the McGil Institute of Islamic Studies to ahve a fair list of literature available in Montreal as an aid to the Seminar on modern Islam in India and Pakistan. [...]

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In the development of Islam in India in the nineteenth century, the impact of the interaction between modernist Muslims and Christian administrators and missionaries can be seen in the writings of three Evangelical Christians on the role of the H&dotbelow;adith and the responses of Indian Muslims. The writings of Sir William Muir, an administrator in the Indian Civil Service, were characterized by European Orientalist methods of textual criticism coupled with the Evangelicals' rejection of Muh&dotbelow;ammad. In his response, Sir Sayyid Ah&dotbelow;mad Khan, an influential Muslim modernist, supported the traditional perception of the H&dotbelow;adith but also initiated a new critical approach. The writings of Thomas P. Hughes and Edward Sell, missionaries with the Church Missionary Society, tended to portray Islam as bound by this body of traditions, with the rejoinders of Sayyid Amir 'Ali and Chiragh 'Ali presenting an increasing rejection of the religious authority of the H&dotbelow;adith and an impassioned defense of Islam.