Revival of the IQRA! Principle

Description

This book is a welcome addition to the library of contemporary Islamic studies. Although the subject matter is highly scholarly in nature, the lucid style of the author makes it accessible to scholars and lay persons alike. It makes unique and significant contributions in its selection of the topic, its rigorous methodology which is at once textual, inter textual and contextual, and its conclusions. Although the subject matter “the Iqraa Principle” is current among both traditional and contemporary scholars of Islam, the author’s unique approach in framing the issues is new. Furthermore, the grounding of the components of the Iqraa Principle both in the Quran itself and the Arabic language (with an eye to the historical evolution of the language and the cultural transformations in usage) are all testimony to her rigorous methodology; not to mention her sensitivity to negative influences that creeped into the popular Muslim imagination - and practices- as well as some of the renowned Tafsirs. Another important element of her strategy is the reference drawn between these components and current Muslim realties or the human condition at large, always concluding with a message directed to the readers in general, and the youth in particular. She moves skillfully between the lexical meaning of words, to their position within their texts, to the interrelationship between groups of texts, to the overarching message revealed in Quran or Hadith or both. A major feature of this book is the strong presence of the author’s individual voice throughout an interpretive work that is highly structured and thematic. She introjects and integrates personal experience and observations into the text without compromising the integrity of her analysis, a testimony to both her creativity, her intellectual skill and her courage. Her spirited “call to action” that marked her interpretive journey put her squarely within the category “scholar activist”. Indeed, the book is more than a call to act