Argues that Islam's cultural stasis is not due to the Muslim faith itself, but to the nature of the sacred it is infused with and that penetrates every aspect of life - spiritual and material. This book shows how the sacred in Islam suspends the acceleration of social time, hinders change, and circumvents secularization and modernity.

Preface ix Introduction 1 Chapter 1: KNOWLEDGE AND DEVELOPMENT The State of the Arab World 11 "Orientalism" and Its Adversaries Rifa'ah at-Tahtawi and the Arab Human Development Report Language and Social Lifeworlds Knowledge and Technology Freedom and Prosperity Power and Benefit Military and Politics Mehmed Ali and Gamal Abdel Nasser Ground Rent and Productivity Oil Wealth and Stasis Chapter 2: GEOPOLITICS AND RELIGIOUS ZEAL Radicalization in the Muslim East 38 Between Palestine and Kashmir Cold War and Decolonization England and Russia Gladstone and Disraeli Caliphate and Pan-Islam Kemal Pasha and Enver Pasha Hindus and Muslims Colonialism and Alienation Arabism and Islamism Mawdudi and Sayyid Qutb Political Th eology and Civil War Chapter 3: TEXT AND SPEECH The Rejection of the Printing Press 69 One God, One Book Mechanical Reproduction and Profanation Consonants and Vowels Arabic and Hebrew Baruch Spinoza and Walter Benjamin Romanization and Secularization Recitation and Reading Literacy and Diglossia Fusha and Ammiya Chapter 4: RISE AND DECLINE Ottoman Perplexities in the Early Modern Period 96 Europe and Asia Ottomans and the New World Gold and Silver Piri Reis and Selim I Mamluks and Venetians ThePrice Revolution and Mercantilism Janissaries and Bureaucrats Merchants and Craftsmen Inflation and Rebellion Stasis or Crisis Mustafa Ali and Katip Celebi Chapter 5: POLITICAL POWER AND ECONOMIC BENEFIT Muslim Social Environment in the Classical Age 126 Desert and Steppe Tribute and Tax Central Power and Urban Culture Umayyads and Abbasids Mercenaries and Traders Polis and Medina "Public" and "Private" Benefices and Capital Labor and Property Time and Liturgy Ethics and Morals Sacred and Profane Chapter 6: HISTORICAL THOUGHT AND DIVINE LAW Converting Sacred into Profane Time 153 Acceleration or Deceleration Law and History Cyclical versus Linear Time Ibn Khaldun and Giambattista Vico Past Utopias and Future Worlds Islam and Judaism Leo Strauss and Moses Maimonides Dual Law and Dual Time Muhammad Asad and Moses Mendelssohn Law of the Land and Secularization Notes 181 Index of Proper Names 211

"All the evidence--yes, all--points to the ossification of Muslim thought and Muslim behavior in the world... [Lost in the Sacred: Why the Muslim World Stood Still] makes the point clearly and convincingly."--Martin Peretz, New Republic "[Diner] analyzes how the Middle East, which led in cultural, mathematical, and scientific innovation during Europe's Dark Ages, lost momentum... A deep and thorough analysis of the causes of the problems identified by the Arab Human Development Report that will be of interest to followers of Middle Eastern history and politics and those looking to under-stand the differences with the West."--Deirdre Sinnott, ForeWord Magazine "Lost in the Sacred offers a very refreshing perspective into the thinking of the Arab world as compared to the Muslim world... This book is invaluable for anyone willing to go beyond the political rhetoric and understand the multiple factors that brought on the ossification of Arab society and, to a lesser degree, the Islamic world."--Tarek Fatah, The Globe and Mail "Diner seeks to explore and understand the nature of the sacred in Islam through a combination of historical overview, socio-cultural reflection, politico-economic consideration and analysis of the role played by knowledge, language and speech in the formation of the Islamic worldview."--Muhammad Khan, Muslim News "Diner's connection of various dates, places, and persons flowing together in a polished narrative. He fills his relatively short book with an abundance of information that manages never to overwhelm."--Joshua Arnold, Common Review "This book makes an exceptionally important contribution to our understanding of the Muslim world... It can be highly recommended."--Mia Roth, European Legacy

"Dan Diner's breadth of knowledge, capacity for clear and broad interpretation, and stylistic sovereignty will no doubt make this a classic in the field."—Anson Rabinbach, Princeton University"A controversial but refreshingly un-Anglo-Saxon search for answers to some outsized questions."—Michael Cook, Princeton University"Lost in the Sacred offers a broad synthesis on a key problem of the contemporary Middle East, hence of the world at large. It sets out to describe and account for a strange historical phenomenon: how is it that the Arab world so slowly changes—nay, came to some sort of a standstill? Diner handles the best sources and secondary literature with great skill and literary talent."—Rémi Brague, author of The Law of God

Dan Diner's breadth of knowledge, capacity for clear and broad interpretation, and stylistic sovereignty will no doubt make this a classic in the field. -- Anson Rabinbach, Princeton University A controversial but refreshingly un-Anglo-Saxon search for answers to some outsized questions. -- Michael Cook, Princeton University Lost in the Sacred offers a broad synthesis on a key problem of the contemporary Middle East, hence of the world at large. It sets out to describe and account for a strange historical phenomenon: how is it that the Arab world so slowly changes--nay, came to some sort of a standstill? Diner handles the best sources and secondary literature with great skill and literary talent. -- Remi Brague, author of "The Law of God"