Conceptualising the Umma: An Introduction

Muslim societies, like all others, are inexorably interconnected with cultural exchanges, intimate political interactions and a degree of economic interdependence.2 Building on historical precedents, Islam has seemed naturally cosmopolitan. Over time Muslims have developed a sense of interconnectedness, even an idealisation of unity, as seemingly contradictory trends unfolded as states and parochial identities became entrenched in the Muslim world and as broader networks have emerged. A cosmopolitan sense of identity has at times taken on the form of an explicit ideology panIslamism which itself has often been viewed as hostile and aggressive. The umma or community of faith has emerged as one of the central concepts of contemporary Islam, hardened in some quarters into an ideology, even a weapon, but also conceived of and represented in diverse cultural forms as well as in the everyday practice of the faith. This issue of Muslim World seeks to examine how the idea of the umma has been constructed in the modern era, even though its precise meaning has remained vague.