Toward An Islamic Reformation: Civil Liberties, Human Rights, and International Law (Contemporary Issues in the Middle East) - Softcover

Controversial as it is, this book is a welcome addition to the expanding library of works on current Islamic issues of Western languages....It offers the reader an interesting blend of fervent advocacy and solid scholarship.--American-Arab Affairs

Toward an Islamic Reformation is an ambitious attempt to modernize Islamic law, calling for reform of the historical formulations of Islamic law, commonly known as Shari'a that is perceived by many Muslims to be part of the Islamic faith. As a Muslim, Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im is sensitive to and appreciative of the delicate relationship between Islam as a religion and Islamic law. Nevertheless, he considers that the questions raised here must be resolved if the public law of Islam is to be implemented today. An-Na'im draws upon the teachings and writings of Sudanese reformer Mahmoud Mohamed Taha to provide what some have called the intellectual foundations for a total reinterpretation of the nature and meaning of Islamic public law.