Islam in South Africa
Mosques, Imams, and Sermons
by
Abdulkader I. Tayob
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Until now, researchers on Islam in Africa have paid
little attention to the continent’s southern tip. In
the first English-language study of the subject,
Abdulkader Tayob examines the Islamic institutions of
South Africa, tracing their development over the last 200
years, from the first European colony in the 17th century
through British colonialism and apartheid.
Beyond the institutions, Tayob also examines the sermons
of South Africa’s Imams as expressions of the
country’s Islamic faith. He argues that the sermons
function both as symbols of the Word of God and as venues
for contextual interpretations of the Qu’ran. The
unusual character of South Africa, he maintains, has not
only shaped the country’s Islamic institutions but
has also helped to define its Muslim identity.
For outsiders to either Islam or South Africa, Tayob
interprets the symbols of Islam, the overly politicized
dimensions of South African Islamic life, and the sacred
spaces within each community. Writing as an
"insider" to the faith, he also reveals a rich
history of Muslim institutions previously inaccessible to
non-Moslems.
Abdulkader I. Tayob is associate professor in the
Department of Religious Studies at the University of Cape
Town, where he teaches Islamic studies and the history of
religions. He is the author of Islamic Resurgence in
South Africa: The Muslim Youth Movement.
1999. 192pp. 6 X 9.
5 tables, notes, bibliography, index.
ISBN 0-8130-1651-7 Cloth, $49.95s
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"An illuminating micro-level study of the way in which grassroots communities operate in a religious context. Its creative methodology reveals much about two contrasting Islamic traditions, and enhances our understanding of the local specificities within which they operated."-- International Journal of African Historical Studies
"The most authentic current representation of
the mosque discourse in the South African context. A readable, enjoyable and instructive book. It is based almost entirely on primary South Africa sources and the language and style are very accessible. It deserves to be read by anyone interested in Islam in Africa."
-- Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations
"Judicious
juggling of insider and outsider perspectives. [Tayob]
brings real knowledge and experience of South African
Islam. . . . Anyone interested in religion in the South
African context as well as those interested in Islam in
different contexts should be interested in this
book."--Rosalind I. J. Hackett, University of
Tennessee
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