Heidelberg Asian Studies Publishing

The 19th century is characterized by a colonial encounter with South Asia. The religions of South Asia are analyzed, categorized and compared with Christianity by the Europeans. Missionary and Orientalist criticism, as well as modern science, present an entirely new confrontation for the Muslims of South Asia. The aim of "Translating Islam, Translating Religion" is to analyze Muslim responses to this confrontation, which imply both a translation of Islam according to the reference point of Christianity and a reinterpretation of the concept of religion itself. The focus here is on the Aligarh movement, which is intensively involved in these debates and tries to put forward a new interpretation of Islam.