The book that is presented here, written by Abdullah Saeed, is another
manifestation of this tendency, and is a particularly striking one. Using
the tools of historical-critical scholarship to analyse the resources of the
Muslim tradition, Saeed sets forth a model of Qur∞ånic interpretation that
is solidly scholarly and, at the same time, relevant to the central concerns
of the Muslim community. The knowledge of the past provided by
scholarly tools allows for interpretations to be put forth that have a solid
grounding in a firmly understood and well-documented Muslim world
view. This respect for that past and the willingness to learn from it are
the central marks of the approach and are what put it at such a distance
from studies that are often termed Salaf⁄ or ‘fundamentalist’ with their
rhetorical denial of the value of the cumulative development of the community
through history. Gone, too, is the customary alibi of scholarship
that pretends that the work undertaken by academics is just ‘there’, to be
accepted or rejected by the Muslim community with no value judgement
or even concern attached to the impact of the study.