Abstract:
In this paper I explore the impact of modernization and social change on the
Islamic ummah (community of believers) and how they are shaping the emerging
struggle between ‘hybridity’ and ‘authenticity’ among Muslims and Islamic
movements. The paper will explore the challenges of this struggle and its
sociological implications for the ‘de-centering’ of the Muslim world into multiple
autonomous regions. The future of Muslim ummah may gain strength not as a
unified and unitary community, but as a differentiated community consisting of
ummahs representing different Islamic regions, each regional ummah possessing and
embodying a unique character moulded by the history and temperament of its
people. The paper concludes with observations on the future religious, intellectual,
economic and political trajectories of Muslim countries.
