Qur'an: A Short Introduction

Rating:
Summary: A Great Introduction Despite A Lack Of Engagement By Author
Review: I loved Farid Esacks previous book "Qur'an Liberation and Pluralism", and this one is also well written and organized. I liked how he systematized the different approaches to the text in a lover (interpreter) and beloved (Qur'an). While this title is extremely well written, I would have liked to see what the Author, being a scholar himself, thinks about the future of Qur'anic interpretation and the role the Qur'an will play in the ever-evolving tradition. The Author cites many interesting facts, and gives the audience a complete overview of the history of Qur'anic interpretation, touching on the difficult themes with scholarly eloquence. I especially enjoyed the reference to the contribution of Shah Wali al Dehlawi. The only thing that I missed from this one is that I would have liked to see Farid Esack deal with the issues raised instead of simply documenting them. Anyway, in my humble opinion, this is the most up to date work of its kind.