Between the East and the West Aqwam al-masālik fī ma‘rifat ahwāl al-mamālik Hayr of ad-Dīn at-Tūnusī (1822-1890)

The work of At-Tunusi resulted from the Tunisian experience within the Ottoman Empire and was supposed to explain his reformatory thoughts on the political and social situation of his motherland and the whole world of Islam, based on the conviction that the system of power indeed offers a key to solve its main problems.The solution consists in imitating the West while simultaneously protecting the roots and the national values of Arab and Muslim states. At-Tunusī distinguished himself from other initiators of changes in the world of Islam in the 19th century by the fact that he combined in a unique way two different kinds of activity – that of a reformer and that of a politician who realized in practice the ideas he had developed in theory.