Other-worldly and this-worldly Islam and the Islamic Revival

Abstract

Early Islam was centred around a practical reordering of human society. Sufism gave rise to an other-worldly, mystical approach to Islam, which was not religiously exclusive and contributed to the spread of Islam through many different peoples in South and East Asia. From the 18th century onwards there has been a marked trend back to a this-worldly interpretation of Islam, with a strong emphasis on individual action and responsibility.