Commanding Right and Forbidding Wrong in Islamic Thought

Commanding Right and Forbidding Wrong in Islamic Thought
AuthorMichael Cook
PublisherCambridge University Press
Publication date
2000
Pages719
ISBN978-0521130936

Commanding Right and Forbidding Wrong in Islamic Thought is a 2000 non-fiction book by Michael Cook. It discusses the evolution of the Islamic concept of enjoining good and forbidding wrong (al-amr bi-ma’ruf wa nahi ‘an al-munkar). The book is a winner of Albert Hourani Book Award[1] and Farabi Award.[2]

The 700-page book is divided into five sections and 20 chapters.[3] It was translated into Persian in 2005 and received widespread attention in Iran, where it went through three printings by 2008. The Persian editions sold more copies than the English editions did. Indonesian and Arabic translations of the book are also available.[2] An epitome of Michael Cook's book was published by the Cambridge University Press in 2003 under the title Forbidding Wrong in Islam. According to Cook, while the first title is organized around "schools, sects, and individuals", the epitome version focuses on the thematic questions.[4]

Cook argues that despite this topic being understandable in almost every culture, very few have given it such accurate attention.[3] Michael Cook analyzes the differences between Islamic and Western conceptions of wrong as well as a suggested course of action. Islam has laws and procedures to prevent wrongdoing, but the West prefers to wait until a wrong has been committed before acting. It is a fundamental difference between Islam and the West. When anything goes wrong, Cook describes the Western approach as "rescue", but the Islamic viewpoint is "forbidding wrong".[4]

  1. ^ Albert Hourani Book Award Archived 16 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b Quiñones, Eric (7 February 2008). "Cook honored for book on Islamic thought". Princeton University. Retrieved 14 August 2023. Michael Cook, Princeton's Class of 1943 University Professor of Near Eastern Studies, has been awarded a Farabi International Award by Iran's Ministry of Science, Research and Technology for his book "Commanding Right and Forbidding Wrong in Islamic Thought."
    Cook received the award, which recognizes achievement in the humanities, at a ceremony in Tehran in January.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).