Acknowledgements

ACkNOwLEDGEMENTSOver the past four years, personal and global events have unfolded in ways that have left me both exhilarated and unsettled.On a personal note, much of the research and writing for this book unfolded against the steady hum of my two sons in the background -noise I learned to tune out, though my gratitude for them remains unwavering.Global upheavals that transpired during my writing include the Covid-19 pandemic, which began as soon as I commenced my doctoral studies; the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in 2021; Russia's drawn-out invasion of Ukraine the following year; the assassination of Al-Qaeda's Emir, Ayman al-Ẓawāhirī in July 2022; Israel's horrific and unending genocide in Gaza; and the mujahideen's rapid takeover of Syria at the end of 2024.With few signs of abating conflict amid the waning hegemony of Pax Americana, I hope this book offers a timely, if not belated contribution to understanding Islam's role in shaping the world's future.In achieving this aim, this book diverges from stereotypical characterisations of Islam that are prevalent in academic and media discourse.This study is, furthermore, an indictment of the neocolonial system that maintains its global dominance after winning the 'war of ideas' (al-ghazw al-fikrī) -as the post-Nahḍā Arab thinkers put it.This asymmetric, intellectual war manifests itself through different dichotomies: the 'good' versus 'bad' Muslim, humanitarian intervention versus terrorism, Islam versus the West, and moderate versus extremist.My humble contribution is to reveal the multilayered reality of