THE PROMISE OF PIETY: Islam and the Politics Of Moral Order In Pakistan by Arsalan Khan

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In The Promise of Piety, Arsalan Khan delves into the passionate commitment to face-to-face preaching (dawat) among Pakistani Tablighis, members of the Tablighi Jamaat, a global Islamic movement. Tablighis believe that Muslims have strayed from their religious duties, causing moral decay and turmoil within families, nations, and the broader Islamic community. They assert that dawat is the key to restoring moral order and bringing Muslims back to their faith. This claim, in a country where Islam is deeply embedded in public life, is both striking and controversial.

Arsalan Khan’s The Promise of Piety examines how Tablighis create a unique form of pious relationality through their everyday practices of dawat. He explores the potential and limitations of their efforts to build an Islamic moral order that transcends the political fragmentation and violence of postcolonial Pakistan. This work is essential for understanding the complexities of Islamic piety and its role in contemporary society. The Promise of Piety is a significant contribution to the study of Islam and religious movements.