Reading the Qur'an in the Twenty-First Century

by Abdullah Saeed

Reading the Qur’an in the Twenty-First Century considers the development of Qur’anic interpretation and highlights modern debates around new approaches to interpretation. It explores how Muslims from various theological, legal, socio-political and philosophical backgrounds think about the meaning and relevance of the Qur’an, and how their ideas apply in the contemporary world. The book: Abdullah Saeed provides a practical guide for interpretation and presents the principal ideas of a contextualist approach, which situates the original message of the Qur’an in its wider social, political, cultural, economic and intellectual context. He advocates a more flexible method of interpretation that gives due recognition to earlier interpretations of the Qur’an while also being aware of changing conditions and the need to approach the Qur’an afresh today.

Genres: Islam

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Abdullah Saeed is the Sultan of Oman Professor of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Melbourne. He is also the director of the National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies (a cooperative initiative of the University of Melbourne, University of Western Sydney, and Griffith University) and co-director of Melbourne's Centre for Islamic Law and Society. His publications cover Qur’anic hermeneutics, Islam and human rights, Islamic law reform, Islamic finance, Muslim communities in Australia, and Islam and freedom of religion. His publications include The Qur’an: an Introduction (2008) and Freedom of Religion, Apostasy and Islam (2004). Born in the Maldives, Saeed received his B.A. in Arab/Islamic Studies from the Islamic University (Saudi Arabia) and his Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from the University of Melbourne.