Iqbal Akhtar

This interview examines the concept of surrender as it is understood within the Islamic and Sufi traditions, framed around the theological observation that the word Islam itself denotes submission to God. Iqbal Akhtar distinguishes two complementary orientations within the tradition: a legal-observant path centered on fidelity to divine law—prayer, fasting, and ritual practice—and a mystical (Sufi) path oriented toward the experiential dissolution of the ego into God. He traces the early emergence of Sufism among the saints of Iraq and situates it within the post-prophetic routinization of charisma and the foundational Sunni–Shia question of authority, arguing that Sufism is best understood as an orientation that cuts across sectarian lines rather than a separate sect. Surrender, on this account, is realized less through ascetic self-denial than through the disciplined remembrance of God (dhikr), the melodic recitation of the Qur’an, gratitude, and service to others, culminating in fleeting states of ecstatic union and, ultimately, in self-annihilation (fanāʾ). Akhtar contrasts the Islamic affirmation of attachment to family and community as a ground of spiritual realization with the renunciatory logics of Hindu and Buddhist asceticism, reframes suffering as a divine test that deepens devotion rather than an end in itself, and affirms a robust place for divine grace and prophetic intercession alongside human works. He closes by addressing distorted Western perceptions of Islam, commending the call to prayer and Qur’anic recitation as accessible openings onto the tradition’s contemplative depth.

The earlier volume in this series dealt with two religions of Indian origin, namely, Buddhism and Jainism. The Indian religious scene, however, is characterized by not only religions which originated in India but also by religions which entered India from outside India and made their home here. Thus religious life in India has been enlivened throughout its history by the presence of religions of foreign origin on its soil almost from the very time they came into existence. This volume covers three such religions—Zoraoastrianism, Judaism, and Islam. In the case of Zoraostianism, even its very beginnings are intertwined with India, as Zoroastrianism reformed a preexisting religion which had strong links to the Vedic heritage of India. This relationship took on a new dimension when a Zoroastrian community, fearing persecution in Persia after its Arab conquest, sought shelter in western India and ultimately went on to produce India’s pioneering nationalist in the figure of Dadabhai Naoroji ( 1825-1917), also known as the Grand Old Man of India. Jews found refuge in south India after the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 C.E. and have remained a part of the Indian religious scene since then, some even returning to Israel after it was founded in 1948. Islam arrived in Kerala as soon as it was founded and one of the earliest mosques in the history of Islam is found in India. Islam differs from the previously mentioned religions inasmuch as it went on to gain political hegemony over parts of the country for considerable periods of time, which meant that its impact on the religious life of the subcontinent has been greater compared to the other religions. It has also meant that Islam has existed in a religiously plural environment in India for a longer period than elsewhere in the world so that not only has Islam left a mark on India, India has also left its mark on it. Indeed all the three religions covered in this volume share this dual feature, that they have profoundly influenced Indian religious life and have also in turn been profoundly influenced by their presence in India.