This thesis examines in depth the thought and ideas of the Egyptian intellectual Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd as a representative of modernist Isalmic thought. In unpacking and analysingAbu Zayd’s ideas, this thesis focuses on five major issues: shari‘a, Islam and politics, the Arab-Islamic heritage, history, and the issue of women’s rights. This thesis argues that Abu Zayd’s thought suffers from some of the same weaknesses he attacked in traditional and Islamist thought. By focusing on Abu Zayd I not only contribute to understanding a major intellectual in contemporary Islamic thought but also shed light on his wider intellectual family.

Scholars of Islamic history have long recognized the fascinating transition of Sufism from a loose set of distinct tendencies in the third/ninth centuries, to a self-conscious movement which, by the beginning of the sixth/twelfth century, had entered into the mainstream and began to pervade all levels of society. Many have sought to explain the developments in the interim between the third/ninth and sixth/twelfth centuries which resulted in the eventual popularization of Sufism by the end of that period. It is known that instrumental to this process was the rising prominence of the so-called awliyā’ Allāh (“Friends of God”) who before long, were primarily identified with masters of the Ṣūfī path. Given the integration of Sufism into mainstream Sunnī Islam, Sunnī theology came to adopt the miracles of the Friends as markers of sainthood (wilāyah). My project seeks a more comprehensive understanding of how this took place, and the challenges that presented against this development. To this end, this project explores the debates on the Friends and their miracles between two opposing camps, the emerging Sunnī-Ṣūfī majority in contradistinction to the Muʿtazilah. I adopt a combination of textual, source-critical, and contextual approaches to Sunnī and Muʿtazilī writings on sainthood from the third/ninth to the fifth/eleventh century and place these sources in conversation with one another to better understand the stakes involved. This project also highlights the discursive nature of the Islamic tradition, with Muslim writers dynamically acting and reacting to one another, and to their social environments, in their attempts to define the boundaries of Islamic thought. / Religion

Magister Artium - MA / Includes bibliographic references (leaves 184-195)"In this thesis, I contrast Qutbs approach towards jihad with that which is found in the primary sources of Islam and as espoused by the proponents of the four schools of thought, as well as key Islamic scholars. This study also attempts to explore the conceptual confusion between terrorism, jihad, and legitimate defense and resistance by comparing the legislation on jihad in Islam with that which exists in international law and conventions. I then turn my attention to the focal point of this study, the writings of Sayyid Qutb on jihad..."

Objetivamos analisar a construção do conceito de inimigo representado nos discursos de Osama bin Laden, durante o período de 1996 a 2004. Estes inimigos são constituídos a partir da edificação de uma realidade que apresenta Estados Unidos, Israel e seus aliados, como opressores dos muçulmanos. A fim de melhor compreender esta construção simbólica, buscaremos estudá-la com base na dinâmica de dois eixos fundamentais para a constituição do pensamento político-religioso de bin Laden: a herança teórica do islamismo radical, conjugada com a sua percepção acerca dos principais eventos geopolíticos contemporâneos envolvendo o mundo muçulmano. Dentro desta perspectiva, empregaremos o construtivismo em sua corrente linguística dos autores Nicholas Onuf e François Debrix como arcabouço teórico. Nos guiaremos pela prerrogativa de que a compreensão do mundo e da realidade ocorre de acordo com o modo como nós nos referimos a eles a partir de nossa linguagem. Como referencial metodológico que orientará nosso exame da construção do conceito de inimigo nos discursos de bin Laden, utilizaremos as categorias de operação da ideologia propostas por John Thompson na obra “Ideologia e Cultura Moderna – Teoria Social Crítica na Era dos Meios de Comunicação”. / We aimed to analyze the construction of the concept of enemy represented in Osama bin Laden‟s speeches, during the period 1996 to 2004. These enemies are making from the building of a reality that presents U.S., Israel and its allies, as oppressors of muslims. To better understand this symbolic construction, we will seek to study it based on the dynamics of two pillars for the constitution of bin Laden's politico-religious thought: the theoretical heritage of radical islam, combined with the author's perception about the main events contemporary geopolitical involving the muslim world. From this perspective, we will employ the Linguistic Constructivism of the authors Nicholas Onuf and François Debrix, as theoretical framework. We will be guided by the prerogative of the understanding of the world and reality occurs according to the way we refer to them from our language. As a methodological framework that will guide our examination of the construction of the concept of enemy in bin Laden's speeches, we will use the categories of operation of ideology proposed by John Thompson in his work "Ideology and Modern Culture - Critical Social Theory in the Era of the Media."

Objetivamos analisar a construção do conceito de inimigo representado nos discursos de Osama bin Laden, durante o período de 1996 a 2004. Estes inimigos são constituídos a partir da edificação de uma realidade que apresenta Estados Unidos, Israel e seus aliados, como opressores dos muçulmanos. A fim de melhor compreender esta construção simbólica, buscaremos estudá-la com base na dinâmica de dois eixos fundamentais para a constituição do pensamento político-religioso de bin Laden: a herança teórica do islamismo radical, conjugada com a sua percepção acerca dos principais eventos geopolíticos contemporâneos envolvendo o mundo muçulmano. Dentro desta perspectiva, empregaremos o construtivismo em sua corrente linguística dos autores Nicholas Onuf e François Debrix como arcabouço teórico. Nos guiaremos pela prerrogativa de que a compreensão do mundo e da realidade ocorre de acordo com o modo como nós nos referimos a eles a partir de nossa linguagem. Como referencial metodológico que orientará nosso exame da construção do conceito de inimigo nos discursos de bin Laden, utilizaremos as categorias de operação da ideologia propostas por John Thompson na obra “Ideologia e Cultura Moderna – Teoria Social Crítica na Era dos Meios de Comunicação”. / We aimed to analyze the construction of the concept of enemy represented in Osama bin Laden‟s speeches, during the period 1996 to 2004. These enemies are making from the building of a reality that presents U.S., Israel and its allies, as oppressors of muslims. To better understand this symbolic construction, we will seek to study it based on the dynamics of two pillars for the constitution of bin Laden's politico-religious thought: the theoretical heritage of radical islam, combined with the author's perception about the main events contemporary geopolitical involving the muslim world. From this perspective, we will employ the Linguistic Constructivism of the authors Nicholas Onuf and François Debrix, as theoretical framework. We will be guided by the prerogative of the understanding of the world and reality occurs according to the way we refer to them from our language. As a methodological framework that will guide our examination of the construction of the concept of enemy in bin Laden's speeches, we will use the categories of operation of ideology proposed by John Thompson in his work "Ideology and Modern Culture - Critical Social Theory in the Era of the Media."

Objetivamos analisar a construção do conceito de inimigo representado nos discursos de Osama bin Laden, durante o período de 1996 a 2004. Estes inimigos são constituídos a partir da edificação de uma realidade que apresenta Estados Unidos, Israel e seus aliados, como opressores dos muçulmanos. A fim de melhor compreender esta construção simbólica, buscaremos estudá-la com base na dinâmica de dois eixos fundamentais para a constituição do pensamento político-religioso de bin Laden: a herança teórica do islamismo radical, conjugada com a sua percepção acerca dos principais eventos geopolíticos contemporâneos envolvendo o mundo muçulmano. Dentro desta perspectiva, empregaremos o construtivismo em sua corrente linguística dos autores Nicholas Onuf e François Debrix como arcabouço teórico. Nos guiaremos pela prerrogativa de que a compreensão do mundo e da realidade ocorre de acordo com o modo como nós nos referimos a eles a partir de nossa linguagem. Como referencial metodológico que orientará nosso exame da construção do conceito de inimigo nos discursos de bin Laden, utilizaremos as categorias de operação da ideologia propostas por John Thompson na obra “Ideologia e Cultura Moderna – Teoria Social Crítica na Era dos Meios de Comunicação”. / We aimed to analyze the construction of the concept of enemy represented in Osama bin Laden‟s speeches, during the period 1996 to 2004. These enemies are making from the building of a reality that presents U.S., Israel and its allies, as oppressors of muslims. To better understand this symbolic construction, we will seek to study it based on the dynamics of two pillars for the constitution of bin Laden's politico-religious thought: the theoretical heritage of radical islam, combined with the author's perception about the main events contemporary geopolitical involving the muslim world. From this perspective, we will employ the Linguistic Constructivism of the authors Nicholas Onuf and François Debrix, as theoretical framework. We will be guided by the prerogative of the understanding of the world and reality occurs according to the way we refer to them from our language. As a methodological framework that will guide our examination of the construction of the concept of enemy in bin Laden's speeches, we will use the categories of operation of ideology proposed by John Thompson in his work "Ideology and Modern Culture - Critical Social Theory in the Era of the Media."

Né à Constantine en 1905 É.C., décédé à Alger en 1973 É.C., Malek Bennabi ce penseur algérien et réformateur musulman peu connu, s’est attaché durant sa vie, à étudier et analyser les problèmes liés à la civilisation du Monde arabo-musulman. Ingénieur sorti de l’Ecole Polytechnique de Paris, Malek Bennabi a jumelé deux cultures différentes : la culture islamique et la culture occidentale.C'est pour cette raison que ses analyses sont ornées d'expertise et d'expérience, d'innovation et d'émancipation. Sa réflexion est pleine d'animation, il a plus d'une vingtaine d'ouvrages, traitant des thèmes variés : la civilisation, le dialogue civilisationnel, la culture, l'idéologie, les problèmes de société, l’orientalisme, la démocratie, le système colonial ainsi que de sujets relatifs au phénomène coranique. À travers ses écrits, il s’attache à étudier et à analyser les raisons de la stagnation de la Société arabo-musulmane et les conditions d’une nouvelle renaissance. Malek Bennabi, s’attèle à tenter d’éveiller les consciences pour une renaissance de cette société. Ayant vécu l’expérience coloniale et post – coloniale dans son pays, Malek Bennabi demeurera tourmenté par les obstacles de développement. Pour lui l’accession à l’indépendance et la construction d’un État moderne n’auront pas suffi à arracher la société au sous-développement économique, social et culturel. En effectuant une relecture du patrimoine islamique, tout comme l’ont fait deux penseurs décédés récemment : Al Djâbiri et Mohamed Arkoun. Malek Bennabi cherchait à offrir une énergie sociale capable à arracher les sociétés arabo-musulmanes de leur sous-développement et décadence. C’est sous cet angle, que nous allons, dans ce mémoire, mener notre réflexion en l’articulant autour de la problématique centrale qui traverse la pensée de Malek Bennabi, à savoir celle du renouveau de la société islamique marquée par une grande diversité. Nous allons tenter de répondre à plusieurs questions, dont la principale est la suivante : est-ce que Malek Bennabi a présenté, à travers ses idées, de la nouveauté pour changer la réalité arabo-musulmane? / Malek Bennabi (1905 – 1973) was a Muslim philosopher, and reformer from Algeria. He was born in Constantine. Bennabi was particularily interested in understanding the civilization of the Arab-Muslim world. As an engineer who graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, he combined both Franco-Western and North-African Islamic cultures. His publications received a number of awards and prizes primarily due to his unique combination of expertise, experience, innovation, and emancipation. He wrote numerous articles and books on a variety of issues such as civilizations, culture, ideology, societies, Orientalism, democracy, and the phenomenon of the Qur'an. His writings focused mainly on the causes of contemporary Arabo-Muslim social problems as well as the conditions for a new renaissance or rebirth. The colonial and post-colonial contexts of Bennabi affected his thought. He did not consider an independent and modern state as sufficient conditions for reaching economic development or socio-cultural advancement. Similar to other thinkers, like the late Al Djâbiri Mohamed Arkoun, Malek Bennabi pursued to the logic that only through empowering Arab societies can there be prevention of their underdevelopment and decadence. This thesis focuses precisely on this point: the rebirth of the diverse Islamic society. It seeks to answer the following question: “What innovative thinking did Bennabi contribute to improve the lives of Arab-Muslims?”

La notion de scellement de la prophétie (khatm al-nubuwwa) est une doctrine centrale en Islam. R. Blachère (m. 1973) parle d’un « dogme théologique de valeur primordial ». Cependant, comme toute doctrine, celle-ci a une histoire qui, en l’occurrence, remonte aux débats survenus à la mort de Muḥammad pour savoir si la prophétie s’arrêtait ou continuait après lui. C’est un passage coranique, le Cor 33, 40, où l’épithète khātam est appliqué à Muḥammad, qui sera au coeur de ces débats et, par la suite, alimentera, jusqu’au VIIIe/XIVe siècle, de multiples controverses autour de la question de la prophétie et de l’héritage prophétique, de l’excommunication (al-takfīr), du consensus (ijmā‘), de la sainteté (al-walāya), etc. Toutefois depuis le XIXe siècle, plusieurs auteurs musulmans se proposent de renouveler les termes du débat à ce sujet. Sous leur plume, la notion de khātam al-nabiyyīn (sceau des prophètes) ou khatm al-nubuwwa (scellement de la prophétie) devient révélateur d’un ensemble de questions qui dépassent le seul fait de savoir si la prophétie continue ou s’arrête après Muḥammad. Par le biais de cette notion, c’est le rapport de l’Islam à la raison, à l’histoire, à la modernité qu’ils interrogent. Nous nous proposons donc de dresser, dans cette recherche, un tableau précis de la réception de ce passage coranique dans les premiers siècles et de ses relectures modernes et contemporaines. Une telle approche nous permettra de suivre, de manière concrète, l’évolution de la pensée islamique sur une doctrine fondamentale. Elle permettra aussi de montrer comment, dans la pensée islamique contemporaine, des auteurs tentent de soustraire le texte coranique des problématiques remontant aux premières générations. / The concept of finality of prophethood is a central doctrine in Islam. R. Blachère (d. 1973) talks about a “theological dogma of primary value”. However, like for all doctrines, this one has a background which goes back to the debates following Muḥammad’s death. Precisely, the debates were aimed at knowing if the prophecy was sealed after him? The crucial point of those debates concerns a passage from the Qur’ān, the Q. 33, 40, in which the epithet khātam is applied to Muḥammad. Indeed, numerous polemical debates had been fed by this passage up to the 8th/14th century concerning the question of prophecy, prophetic heritage, excommunication, consensus, sainthood, etc.However, since the nineteenth century, several Muslim thinkers proposed to renew the terms of the debate. In their writing, the concept of khātam al-nabiyyīn (seal of prophethood) or khatm al-nubuwwa (finality of prophethood) becomes indicative of a set of questions going beyond knowing if prophecy stops or continues after Muḥammad. Through this concept, they examine the relationship between Islam and Reason, Religion and History, Islam and Modernity, etc. In this study we raise a precise picture of the different interpretations of this concept both those developed in the earliest centuries of Islam and those written by modern and contemporary Islamic thinkers. Such an approach will allow us to follow concretely the evolution of the Islamic thought over a fundamental doctrine. It will also allow to highlight how, in the contemporary Islamic thought, some thinkers are trying to free the Qur’ānic text from issues goes back to the first generations of Islam.

Assez peu reconnu à son époque et encore largement méconnu aujourd'hui, l'intellectuel algérien Malek Bennabi (1905-1973) a pourtant fait une entrée remarquée dans la vie intellectuelle en Algérie avec sa notion de "colonisabilité " en 1949. Il se fera connaitre ensuite dans le monde musulman notamment avec ses définitions fonctionnelles de la culture et de la civilisation. Néanmoins, sa conception réformiste de la religion, nommée " idée religieuse " et ayant une fonction sociale, a été très peu analysée. Or, elle est la clé de voûte de la compréhension de la pensée de Bennabi. Pour lui, " l'idée religieuse " doit être une idée vécue comme une " vérité travaillante ", authentique avec l'islam et efficace dans le monde moderne. Il mélange des savoirs issus à la fois de la Tradition musulmane et des sciences humaines et propose de connecter l'islam authentique avec l'esprit technique cartésien. Ainsi, dans un contexte de décolonisation, Bennabi veut réaliser, par le déploiement moral et social de " l'idée religieuse " un projet de société pérenne, prospère et ouvert sur la civilisation humaine. Par le biais de cette notion " d'idée religieuse ", nous proposons, tout d'abord, de situer Bennabi dans l'histoire de l'Algérie mais aussi de l'islam contemporain. Nous voulons ensuite comprendre les fondements et les finalités de sa pensée qui est singulière au sein du réformisme musulman. Ce qui permettra enfin de mesurer l'impact de " l'idée religieuse " dans son projet de société sur trois niveaux de réflexion ; l'homme, la société, l'humanité. / Although he is not really recognized by his contemporaries and still largely unknown today, the Algerian intellectual Malek Bennabi (1905-1973) nevertheless made a remarkable entry into the intellectual life in Algeria with his notion of "colonisabilité ". Then, he will be known in the Muslim world with its functional definitions of culture and civilization. Thus, his reformist conception of religion, having a social function, which he called "religious idea", was ignored. It is, however, the keystone of the understanding of Bennabi's thinking. For him, "The religious idea" must be an idea lived as a "working truth", being authentic with Islam and effective in the modern world. He mixes the knowledge of the Muslim Tradition with the human sciences and proposes to connect his vision of an authentic Islam with the Cartesian technical spirit. Moreover, in a context of decolonization, Bennabi wants to realize, by the moral and social deployment of the "religious idea", a project of sustainable society, which he sees as being prosperous and open to human civilization. Through this concept of "religious idea" we propose, first of all, to question the place of Bennabi in the history of Algeria but also of contemporary Islam. Then, we want to question the foundations and the purposes of his thought which is singular in Muslim reformism. Finally, this will allow us to measure the impact of the "religious idea" in its project of society on three levels of reflection: man, society, humanity.

The boundaries of normative Islam are critically explored in this thesis, which presents a translation of the most important aspects of a modern study on bid‘ah (heretical innovation), by the late Egyptian Reformist Scholar, Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazālī (1917 – 1996). The translator’s introduction contextualizes the life and work of the author and also briefly locates this particular study within the broader framework of classical and contemporary writings on the subject of bid‘ah. Only the book’s introduction, first three chapters (constituting the theoretical spine of the original work), and conclusion are translated. The first chapter is an introductory excursus into Islamic law, necessary to enable the reader to grasp the legal debate on bid‘ah. The second chapter casts a wider net, examining the influence of foreign elements upon Islamic thought, while the third chapter deals specifically with the topic of bid‘ah. The short conclusion reaffirms the importance of normative Islamic practice. / Religious Studies and Arabic / M.A. (Arabic)