In this magisterial near-1000 page study of the current state of Islam the author surveys today’s situation in the light of the sociology and doctrines that have affected the world Muslim community over the last 150 years. Based on a vast research, a carefully argued case is put which is both a critique and analysis of deviation, and a construct for Islam’s future.
The author delineates the key term of “esotericism” in Part 1 of the book, describing it as that tendency to consider what is inward more important than what is outward, and therefore to transform Islam into an esoteric, or inward, religion of `Islamic principles’, in which outer matters, and ultimately the Shari‘ah, are negotiable, abrogated, to be modernised, contingent, or merely of secondary importance.
Throughout the book he couples this phenomenon with the integration and assimilation of the Muslim Ummah into the new religion of capitalism, unveiling the doctrine of “All religions are equal” as actually meaning “All religions are equally wrong”, and defining the supposedly inclusivistic perennialist movements, as well as modernist movements, all as means of allowing the Muslims to submit to the now dominant capitalist dogma. Now, he states, the religions, and in particular Islam, can be democratically questioned, only capitalism and its laws remain aloof, unquestionable.
The extensive appendices, glossaries, footnotes and bibliography make up a monumental study resource and fascinating reading in their own right.
There is no other book of this kind in existence today. One of its greatest achievements is to depict the modernist/wahhabi and perennialist/pseudo-sufic fronts as merging in the assimilation into capitalism. The esoteric deviation is a philosophy of defeat. The Muslim seeking answers to the modern predicament will inevitably come to the door of this work, and in it will find relief, openings, and an opportunity to start afresh and return to the beginning, reminded of the obligation of obedience over and against utilitarian pragmatism, and of Allah’s promise to the Muslims of victory.
“For a hundred years we have been without Khalifate. For the last hundred years a reform was introduced in Islam on two fronts which was meant to paralyse Islam, the only force that could prevent capitalism from reaching its final destiny, the world state. One front was an exoteric modernism and the second was an esoteric traditionalism or perennialism. Both were influenced by freemasonry and incited by freemasons. In our present day, both fronts have merged into one front. This esoteric deviation is preparing Islam to enter the final phase of capitalism. We will prevent it. This book is the first step to eradicating this hundred year old plague. Insha’allah.