The Islamic economy may be broadly divided into three main sectors: the government, the commercial, and the voluntary. In Islamic states, these sectors play complementary roles in accordance with the tenets of Islam. In the non-Islamic states of Southeast Asia where there are, nevertheless, large Muslim communities, the Islamic voluntary sector has to assume greater responsibilities if the economic welfare and development of Muslim communities in the region are to be consonant with Islam. In this volume, several scholars examine the role of the Islamic voluntary sector (broadly defined) in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore. and Thailand, and explicate issues such as the mobilization, administration, and management of zakat and its various forms, waqf, and saddaqah.

The Islamic economic system places a high premium on human initiative in a manner consonant with the tenets of Islam. The Islamic perspective of the private sector is an interesting one; while the acquisition of wealth through legitimate means is permitted, there is the need to drive a middle course between profit maximization, and social and religious responsibility. In Islamic states, the private sector generally operates in ways consonant with Islam. In the non-Islamic states of Southeast Asia where there are, nevertheless, large Muslim communities, the Islamic private sector functions in a larger economic context which is not based on Islamic economic principles. In this volume, case studies from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand provide valuable insights not only into ways in which Southeast Asian Muslims attempt to resolve conflicts between Islamic economic theory and practice, but also into the socio-economic structures of Muslim communities in the region.

This volume investigates the appropriate position of Islam and opposing perceptions of Muslims in Southeast Asia. The contributors examine how Southeast Asian Muslims respond to globalization in their particular regional, national and local settings, and suggest global solutions for key local issues.

In an era when Islam ostensibly lies at the heart of a volatile nexus of a global campaign of war on terrorism, simplistic notions and dangerous misunderstandings about the cultures and nature of Southeast Asian Islam, in all its variants, are used to inform and justify policies.

The renewal of the Muslim faith, which has occurred not only in Asia but in other parts of the world, has prompted warnings of an imminent "clash of civilizations" between Islam and the West. Islam in an Era of Nation-States examines the history, politics, and meanings of this resurgence in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines and explores its implications for Southeast Asia, the larger Muslim world, and the West. This volume will be of interest to students of Islam, Southeast Asian history, and the anthropology of religion. In examining the politics and meanings of Islamic resurgence, it will also speak to political scientists, religious scholars, and others concerned with culture and politics in the late modern era.