Democracy, in particular, is an essentially contested concept that cannot be worked out in debate. People have diametrically opposed definitions of the concept. He defined the three title concepts from a world historical perspective. Islam as a faith is founded on the words of the Qur an and the prophet. People disagree on the interpretation of those words and terms such as imam and caliph, yet the words of the Qur an and the prophet establish the grounds for the discourse.
Modernity is an historic phenomenon with a definable beginning.
It is a major transformation of life, making it qualitatively different from pre-modern life. This transformation began in Western Europe, yet as it spread from there it eventually lost the characteristics unique to its origination point. Therefore, modernity should not be equated with Westernization. Finally, democracy is a modern phenomenon in which everyone has a voice in the government. By this definition, democracy is new, even to the United States.