Contemporary Perspectives on Revelation and Qur'anic Hermeneutics: An Analysis of Four Discourses

Ali Akbar examines the works of four noted scholars of Islam: Fazlur Rahman (Pakistan), Abdolkarim Soroush (Iran), Muhammad Mujtahed Shabestari (Iran) and Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd (Egypt). His study shows that the consequences of taking a humanistic approach to understanding revelation are not confined to the realm of speculation about the relationship between God and humans, but also to interpreting Qur’ānic socio—political precepts. The four scholars emerge as a distinctive group of Muslim thi...