ABD AL-GHANI AL-NABULUSI: ISLAM AND THE ENLIGHTENMENT

"'Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulusi (1641-1731) of Damascus was a key figure of the Islamic enlightenment. Often characterized solely as a Sufi saint, his thought and teachings were of a much wider remit. A contemporary of many major thinkers, scientists, poets, and philosophers of the European Enlightenment, his life and works offer a new perspective on the roots of modernity in the Arab world." "Through a fresh reading of his biographical sources and large body of mostly unpublished works, Akkach examines al-Nabuusi's life and thought, exploring his contribution to the intellectual development of Islam and to the debate over its relationship with science. A biography of a key figure in the history of Islam, this book also offers an invaluable comparison of how rationalism operated in Enlightenment Europe and the Islamic world."--Jacket.