The Last Muslim Intellectual: The Life and Legacy of Jalal Al-e Ahmad

Jalal Al-e Ahmad was a prominent Iranian public intellectual of the mid-20th century, known for his vision of Muslim worldly cosmopolitanism. This biography explores his life, writings, and legacy, placing him alongside other influential anticolonial thinkers such as Frantz Fanon, Aim C saire, and Edward Said. Dabashi argues that Al-e Ahmad was the last Muslim intellectual to articulate this vision before militant Islamism degenerated into sectarian politics and intellectual alienation. The book offers a critical engagement with Al-e Ahmad's life and legacy, paving the way for a post-Islamist Liberation Theology.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2022
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Jalal Al-e Ahmad, a prominent Iranian public intellectual of the mid-20th century, is the subject of this captivating social and intellectual biography. Written by Hamid Dabashi, the book delves into the life and legacy of Al-e Ahmad, exploring his intellectual and political journey.

Born in 1923, Al-e Ahmad emerged as a seminal Muslim public intellectual during a time of significant anticolonial movements. His writings and activities placed him alongside other influential thinkers such as Frantz Fanon, Aim C saire, and Edward Said.

The book is divided into several chapters, each covering different aspects of Al-e Ahmad's life and work. These chapters include his intellectual and political life, his relationship with his wife, the novelist Simin Daneshvar, his essays, his fiction, his travel writing, his translations, and his legacy.

Dabashi argues that Al-e Ahmad was the last Muslim intellectual to articulate a vision of Muslim worldly cosmopolitanism. This vision, which emerged before the militant Islamism of the last half a century, sought to bridge the gap between Muslims and the broader world. However, Dabashi notes that this cosmopolitanism has been lost in the current sectarian politics that dominate Muslim discourse.

Through his engagement with Al-e Ahmad's life and legacy, Dabashi seeks to reclaim the lost vision of Muslim cosmopolitanism and offer a post-Islamist Liberation Theology. He believes that by adding a critical Muslim thinker to the established canon of anticolonial thinking, the future of Muslim critical thinking can be considered in liberated terms beyond the dead-end of its current sectarian predicament.

The Last Muslim Intellectual is a valuable contribution to the study of Muslim intellectual history and offers a fresh perspective on the challenges facing Muslim communities today. It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of Muslim identity and the role of intellectuals in shaping the world.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474479295