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In
The Higher Objectives of Islamic Theology, Mohammed Gamal Abdelnour introduces a new field of inquiry to the Islamic tradition by basing it on a scheme of core values (Truth, Justice, Beauty), instead of a scheme of
hudud (penalties), arguing that the tradition's current overemphasis on law (justice) has relegated both theology (truth) and Sufism (beauty) to the periphery of the tradition.
List of contents
- Acknowledgments
- Transliteration and Dating
- Introduction
- -Important Definitions and Clarifications
- -Monograph's Epistemological Paradigm
- -Key Arguments
- -Structure of the Monograph
- -Important Caveats
- Chapter I. Historical Roots of Maqasid al-'Aqida
- -Maqasid al-'Aqida before al-Ghazali
- -Al-Ghazali's Contributions to Maqasid al-'Aqida
- -Maqasid al-'Aqida after al-Ghazali
- -Muhammad 'Abduh's Contributions to Maqasid al-'Aqida
- -Explaining the Underdevelopment of Maqasid al-'Aqida
- Chapter II. Sources and Methods of Maqasid al-'Aqida
- -The Qur'an and Maqasid al-'Aqida
- -The Sunna and Maqasid al-'Aqida
- -Maqasid al-'Aqida between Exotericism and Esotericism
- Chapter III: Towards a Theory of Maqasid al-'Aqida
- -"Interrogating" the Classical "Theory" of Maqasid al-Shari'a
- -"Generating" the Higher Objective/s of Islamic Theology
- -Is Islam the Only Valid Path to the Truth?
- Chapter IV: "Integrating" the "Tools" of Maqasid al-Shari'a into Maqasid al-'Aqida
- -Definition and Transmission
- -Al-Firqa al-Najiya between al-Daruriyyat, al-Hajiyyat, and al-Tahsiniyyat
- -Faith vis-à-vis Deeds between al-Daruriyyat, al-Hajiyyat, and al-Tahsiniyyat
- -Prophet Muhammad between al-Daruriyyat and al-Hajiyyat
- Chapter V: Why Does Maqasid al-'Aqida Matter?
- -Al-Ghazali's Maqasidi-oriented Approach and Treating the Wahhabi-Shiite Conflict
- Conclusions
- Way Forward
- Bibliography
About the author
Mohammed Gamal Abdelnour is a tenured faculty member at Al-Azhar University, Cairo and a postdoctoral research associate at the University of York.
Summary
In The Higher Objectives of Islamic Theology, Mohammed Gamal Abdelnour introduces a new field of inquiry to the Islamic tradition by basing it on a scheme of core values (Truth, Justice, Beauty), instead of a scheme of hudud (penalties), arguing that the tradition's current overemphasis on law (justice) has relegated both theology (truth) and Sufism (beauty) to the periphery of the tradition.
Additional text
Mohammad Gamal Abdelnour has written a book that is both deeply rooted in Islamic intellectual traditions and also thoroughly engaged with vital contemporary debates in theology and philosophy. The book draws on longstanding ideas of the Maqāṣid al-Sharī?a, or the higher purposes of the law, to develop an account of the higher objectives of Islamic theology. This innovative and convincing engagement between jurisprudence and theology offers a creative argument for how Muslims can understand faith, moral action, and religious difference in the contemporary world. Abdelnour is an exciting new voice in the revival of Islamic theology and the book contributes not only to Islamic Studies, but also to comparative theology, philosophical theology, and intellectual history.
