Islam on the Street deals with the popular side of Islam, as described not only in tracts and manuals written by Sufi shaykhs and Islamist thinkers from among the more militant groups in Islam, but also in writings by other, more secular thinkers who have also influenced public opinion. Muhsin al-Musawi explains the growing rift that has occurred between the secular intellectual—the forerunner of Arab and Islamic modernity since the late nineteenth century—and the upsurge of Islamic fervor in the street, at the grassroots level, and what these secular intellectuals can do to reconnect with the masses.

"The subtlety and finesse with which al-Musawi analyzes and describes Arabic literary works sets this book apart from other discussions of modern Arabic literature and makes it of fundamental importance to any program of Arabic literature. Essential." - CHOICE

"In this delightfully written and ambitious work, Muhsin al-Musawi explores representations of Islam 'as viewed by the public and as it appears in modern Arabic literary production.' . . . A meticulously nuanced approach to representations of Islam allows al-Musawi to draw a dynamic and multifarious map of the modern Arabic literary field, one that compels a re-evaluation of the dynamics of its production, as well as-and perhaps more importantly-a reassessment of the institutions of its criticisms." - Journal of Arabic Literature