Describing this study in lofty terms such as highly original, truly groundbreaking, and pioneering does not do it justice. I found this book to be all this, but also a profoundly perspicacious reflection upon the purpose of the Islamic faith. This book should be read by all students of Islamic studies and comparative religious studies. But it is an especially indispensable source to all readers interested in the future of Islamic ecumenism. * Khaled Abou El Fadl, Omar and Azmeralda Alfi Distinguished Professor of Law, UCLA School of Law * Abdelnour ventures into retrieving the purpose of theology in Islamic thought. He draws on early literary genres in a bid to grapple with a more normative, rather than a defensive posture for theology. Bold in his aspiration, this book will spark energetic conversation among various stakeholders in these debates. * Ebrahim Moosa, Mirza Family Professor of Islamic Thought & Muslim Societies, the University of Notre Dame * Mohammad Gamal Abdelnour has written a book that is both deeply rooted in Islamic intellectual traditions and also thoroughly engaged with vital contemporary debates in theology and philosophy. The book draws on longstanding ideas of the Maqid al-Shar?a, or the higher purposes of the law, to develop an account of the higher objectives of Islamic theology. This innovative and convincing engagement between jurisprudence and theology offers a creative argument for how Muslims can understand faith, moral action, and religious difference in the contemporary world. Abdelnour is an exciting new voice in the revival of Islamic theology and the book contributes not only to Islamic Studies, but also to comparative theology, philosophical theology, and intellectual history. * Joshua Ralston, Reader in Christian-Muslim Relations, University of Edinburgh *
