Jamal J Elias: 3 books

Key Themes for the Study of Islam examines the central themes and concepts indispensable to an informed understanding of Islamic religion and society. From “Gender” and “History” to “Prayer” and “Prophecy”, each authoritative chapter focuses on a single aspect of the religion and presents...

Westerners have a strong impression that Islam does not allow religious imagery. Elias corrects this view. Unearthing shades of meaning in Islamic thought throughout history, he argues that Islamic perspectives on representation and perception should be sought in diverse areas such as optics, alchemy, dreaming, vehicle decoration, Sufi metaphysics.

Alef Is for Allah is the first groundbreaking study of the emotional space occupied by children in modern Islamic societies. Focusing primarily on visual representations of children from modern Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan, the book examines these materials to investigate concepts such as innocence,...