Last night, just before the Conference dinner, AAIMS celebrated Dr Mahsheed Ansari’s new book publication titled Modern Debates on Prophecy and Prophethood in Islam: Muhammad Iqbal and Said Nursi, published by Routledge. The book was celebrated and launched by Islamic Studies scholar and Teaching Professor of Islam and Science at the University of Notre Dame, Mahan Mirza.

ABOUT THE BOOK

While prophethood is the backbone of the Islamic tradition and an uncompromised tenet of faith, the impact of modernity with its ambivalent status afforded to the prophet and institution of prophethood shook many Muslim scholars. Through analysis of these modern debates on prophethood in Islam, this book situates Muhammad Iqbal’s (1877–1938) and Said Nursi’s (1877–1960) discourses within it and assesses their implications on the modern period. This book introduces the “what, who and how” of the prophets in the Islamic tradition. It unveils the rich Islamic literature of both the classical and modern periods and analyses the construction of their philosophies and theologies. Concise in both historical and textual analyses, this book makes an important contribution to our understanding of contemporary debates on prophecy and prophethood in Islam and will be of great interest to postgraduate students and researchers of Islam, religious studies, medieval studies and contemporary studies of Islam and religion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr Mahsheed Ansari is the Higher Degrees Research Coordinator and a Senior Lecturer in Islam and Contemporary Islamic Studies at the Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation at Charles Sturt University. She is also a Research Fellow at the Centre for Religion and Ethics and Society (CRES), Charles Sturt University. Furthermore, she is a sessional Law lecturer at Western Sydney University. Mahsheed is also a Sessional Law Lecturer at Western Sydney University.

She holds a double degree in Law and Arts from Western Sydney University, a Master of Arts in Arabic and Islamic Studies from Sydney University, and completed her PhD in Historical Studies and Islamic Studies from Monash University.

Her research interests and publications explore various facets of Islamic intellectual history, theology, philosophy, and ethics. Additionally, she is interested in the historical and cultural presence of Islam and Muslims in Australia.

She has been a community activist working in the areas of interfaith dialogue, social harmony, and leadership-mentoring programs with Muslim women and youth, serving the community since the early 2000s. She is a mother to an almost 3-year-old and enjoys the challenge and opportunities arising from the school of motherhood.

Mahsheed frequently addresses audiences on issues related to Islam, Muslims, and ethics to public audiences and the media. She has appeared on the ABC radio program alongside other interfaith leaders and scholars of religion, as well as the God Forbid show and podcasts such as Blogging Theology.

Congratulations, Mahsheed!