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Essential Writings Ismail al Faruqi
Foreword by Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim
Reviewed by John L. Esposito
“Essential Writings Ismail al Faruqi is an important tribute and insight into the scholarship and perspective of one of the major Muslim scholars and teachers of Islamic Studies in the late-twentieth century. Professor Faruqi established the robust program of Islamic Studies section within Temple University’s Department of Religion program. Most importantly, he was an indefatigable scholar and mentor to a generation of students both in the US and globally, many of whom he recruited and supported.”
-Prof. Dr. John L. Esposito, University Professor and Professor of Islamic Studies, Georgetown University, USA
Professor Ismail al Faruqi (1921-1986) was a trailblazer of what he called Islamics or Islamic Studies in the modern age with a special focus on the study of Islam from the perspective of phenomenology and history of religions and interreligious dialogue. He is also well known in the Muslim world for his theory of Islamization of knowledge, which is only one of his many intellectual contributions to the relationship between Islam and knowledge.
This book is an introduction to Professor Ismail al Faruqi’s scholarly views, excerpted from his famous writings, concerning topics such as the pre-Hijrah sources of Islam, religious interdependence, religio naturalis and metareligion.
Dr. Imtiyaz Yusuf is an Associate Professor, the Deputy Dean for Students Development and Community Engagement, and Coordinator of the Islam and Buddhism Program at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC-IIUM) in Malaysia. Dr. Yusuf was formerly a Senior Fellow at the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU) in Georgetown University, Washington, DC. He was also the Director of the Center for Buddhist-Muslim Understanding at the College of Religious Studies in Mahidol University, Thailand.
Reviewed by John L. Esposito
“Essential Writings Ismail al Faruqi is an important tribute and insight into the scholarship and perspective of one of the major Muslim scholars and teachers of Islamic Studies in the late-twentieth century. Professor Faruqi established the robust program of Islamic Studies section within Temple University’s Department of Religion program. Most importantly, he was an indefatigable scholar and mentor to a generation of students both in the US and globally, many of whom he recruited and supported.”
-Prof. Dr. John L. Esposito, University Professor and Professor of Islamic Studies, Georgetown University, USA
Professor Ismail al Faruqi (1921-1986) was a trailblazer of what he called Islamics or Islamic Studies in the modern age with a special focus on the study of Islam from the perspective of phenomenology and history of religions and interreligious dialogue. He is also well known in the Muslim world for his theory of Islamization of knowledge, which is only one of his many intellectual contributions to the relationship between Islam and knowledge.
This book is an introduction to Professor Ismail al Faruqi’s scholarly views, excerpted from his famous writings, concerning topics such as the pre-Hijrah sources of Islam, religious interdependence, religio naturalis and metareligion.
Dr. Imtiyaz Yusuf is an Associate Professor, the Deputy Dean for Students Development and Community Engagement, and Coordinator of the Islam and Buddhism Program at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC-IIUM) in Malaysia. Dr. Yusuf was formerly a Senior Fellow at the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU) in Georgetown University, Washington, DC. He was also the Director of the Center for Buddhist-Muslim Understanding at the College of Religious Studies in Mahidol University, Thailand.
253 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2021
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October 12, 2025
Essential Writings Ismail Al-Faruqi is an outstanding compilation that distills the depth and vision of one of Islam’s foremost modern thinkers. Edited by Imtiyaz Yusuf, it brings together al-Faruqi’s most important essays in a clear, accessible format. The book captures his lifelong mission to unite reason, faith, and ethics within a universal human framework. Essential reading for anyone interested in Islamic philosophy, interfaith dialogue, or the moral foundations of knowledge.
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