Civilizational Unity

The published record

Writing

Five books and a wider record of articles, chapters and public essays trace a long inquiry into civilizational identity, institutions, governance, historical method and encounters between Muslim and Western worlds.

This is a selected, source-linked record rather than a claim of completeness. Publication types remain visible so readers can distinguish books and scholarly publications from public commentary.

Begin with five works

A route through the intellectual arc

Not a ranking. This is one compact path from institutions and identity to civilizational dialogue, historical method and governance.

  1. 01
    OIC: Introduction to an Islamic Political Institution (1988)Begin with the institutional question: a sustained early study of a modern Muslim-world political organization.
  2. 02
    Ummah or Nation? Identity Crisis in Contemporary Muslim Society (1992)Move from institutions to belonging and the tension between civilizational community and the modern nation-state.
  3. 03
    “Dialogue of Civilizations: Islamic and Western Perceptions” (2011)Enter the long-running inquiry into dialogue, conflict and the historical record of Muslim–Western encounter.
  4. 04
    “Problems of Eurocentric Views of History” (2013)Turn the lens toward historical method itself: how vantage point shapes the record.
  5. 05
    Qur’anic Guidance for Good Governance (2017)Return to institutions through the moral question of governance, co-edited with Stephen B. Young.

Selected bibliography

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Book chapter2025

Israel's Gaza War: A Symbol of Collapsing Civilization

In Genocide in Gaza: Voices of Global Conscience, eds. Ahmet Davutoglu and Richard Falk. Clarity Press, pp. 121–136.

Book chapter2020

Iqbal's Visions of Civilization, Modernity and Nationalism: Are his Ideas Relevant Today?

In Islamska Kultura U Tranziciji: Eseji u cast Fikreta Karcica, ed. Ahmet Alibasic et al. Center for Advanced Studies, Sarajevo, pp. 77–100.

Peer-reviewed2018

Is Pakistan a Failed State?

Insight Turkey 20, no. 1

Peer-reviewed2018

The Question of Palestine and the Muslim World

New Middle Eastern Studies 8, no. 2

Peer-reviewed2017

The Never-Ending Kashmir Dispute

Al-Shajarah 22, no. 1

Peer-reviewed2016

What is History?

International Journal of Islamic Thoughts 5, no. 1, pp. 17–32

Peer-reviewed2013

Problems of Eurocentric Views of History

Al-Shajarah 18, no. 1

Peer-reviewed2013

Civilizational Conflict, Renewal, or Transformation

Islam and Civilisational Renewal 4, no. 4

Peer-reviewed2011

Dialogue of Civilizations: Islamic and Western Perceptions

Al-Shajarah 16, no. 2

Peer-reviewed2008

Law, Religion and Human Dignity in the Muslim World Today: An Examination of the OIC's Cairo Declaration of Human Rights

Journal of Law and Religion 24, no. 2, pp. 569–597

Book2008

Guidance for Good Governance: Explorations in Qur'anic, Scientific and Cross-cultural Approaches

Co-edited with Stephen B. Young. IIUM Press and Caux Round Table. Second edition 2013.

Book chapter2006

Political Discourse of the Organization of the Islamic Conference

In The Blackwell Companion to Contemporary Islamic Thought

Book chapter2004

The Organization of the Islamic Conference: History, Function and Organization

In Malaysia and the Islamic World, ed. Abdul Razak Baginda. ASEAN Academic Press, London, pp. 31–68.

Peer-reviewed2004

Conflict among Muslim Nations: Role of the OIC in Conflict Resolution

Intellectual Discourse 12, no. 2

Peer-reviewed2003

Pakistan since Independence

The Muslim World 93, nos. 3–4, pp. 351–371

Peer-reviewed2002

On History, Progress and Civilization

American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 19, no. 2

Peer-reviewed1999

Muslim and European Perceptions of Oceanic Trade

Intellectual Discourse 7, no. 2

Peer-reviewed1998

Elite Formation in Muslim Countries: Capable Administrators or Loyal Servants?

Islamic Studies 37, no. 1

Peer-reviewed1997

Images of Islam: Islamic Terrorism or Terrorizing the Truth?

Pakistan Journal of History and Culture 18, no. 2

Policy report1996

Muslim Transnationalism: Implications for the US

Muslim Politics Report no. 8, Council on Foreign Relations, pp. 6–7

Book1995

A History of Khulafa-i-Rashidun

Iqra International Educational Foundation, Chicago. Reprinted five times.

Peer-reviewed1994

The Spread of Islam in Pre-Mughal Bengal

Intellectual Discourse 2, no. 1, pp. 41–55

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Author archives and library records

The site points outward rather than pretending to replace publisher, repository and library records. The Current Affairs Forum archive is a multi-author forum rather than a personal archive; his contributions there are identified by byline. IslamiCity files his work under two author pages; both are listed here because both are his.

IIUM repository → Informed Comment → IslamiCity (al-Ahsan) → IslamiCity (Ahsan) → Al Jazeera → Middle East Monitor → Pegasus → Current Affairs Forum →

Bibliographic details on this page are drawn from Professor al-Ahsan’s supplied CV and the linked records. Citation data for the five books is available as BibTeX.