Dr Suha Taji-Farouki

Research Interests

My research field is the interface between Islam and modernity, particularly the impact on Islamic thought of modernity in its colonial and post-colonial contexts, and its associated cultural transformations. This encompasses methodologies, key concerns, inner tensions, relation to historical traditions, and outcomes for Muslim societies and relations with significant others. My research addresses the major expressions of modern Islamic thought (Islamist, modernist, and sufi, for example), while tracking influential historical legacies as appropriated by these. My focus is on Arab and Sunni traditions, but I also have an interest in European, Turkish, trans-national and global arenas. I adopt a multi-disciplinary approach, combining framings and debates from the social sciences and a historical register with textual analysis.

My early publications focused on Islamist thought and activism, especially the trans-national Islamist movement Hizb al-Tahrir. I have since explored trends that run counter to Islamism, including contemporary modernist or progressive thinkers, and Sufis. My most recent publications address aspects of Sufism in the contemporary world through a study of the legacy of the thirteenth century Andalusian Sufi scholar Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi.

Research Students

I have supervised doctoral research theses on diverse aspects of Islamic thought in the modern period, various Islamist movements in the Arab and Muslim worlds, and aspects of the Muslim presence in Europe. I can supervise research students working in these and related areas.