Islam in Victorian Britain: The Life and Times of Abdullah Quilliam

Geaves points out that Quilliam’s story highlights the problems of applying blanket statements like Islamists to currents of Muslim activism. -Islamic Horizons

This is the first full biography of Abdullah Quilliam (1856-1932), the most significant Muslim personality in nineteenth century Britain. Uniquely ennobled as the Sheikh of Islam of the British Isles by the Ottoman caliph Sultan Abdul Hamid II in 1893, Quilliam created a remarkable Muslim community in Victorian Liverpool, which included a substantial number of converts. Ron Geaves examines Quilliam’s teachings and considers his legacy for Muslims today.

Ron Geaves is professor of the comparative study of religion at Liverpool Hope University and has contributed substantially to the study of British Islam, religion in South Asia, and fieldwork in religious studies.