Maintaining its student‐friendly approach – with illustrative examples, clear summaries, helpful timelines and a comprehensive glossary – this edition engages both Western academic perspectives and the rich interpretive traditions that have evolved from the time of Prophet Muhammad to the present day. This essential guide bridges historical understanding with contemporary relevance, offering readers a balanced and thorough introduction to Islam’s foundational text and its profound influence across centuries of religious thought.
Abdullah Saeed is the Sultan of Oman Professor of Arab and Islamic Studies and Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor at the University of Melbourne. He has written widely on the Qur’an, Islamic thought, and contemporary Muslim issues. His publications include Contemporary Muslim Qur’ānic Hermeneutics (editor, 2026), Contemporary Approaches to the Qur’an and Its Interpretation in Iran (co‐author, 2020), Reading the Qur’an in the Twenty‐First Century: A Contextualist Approach (2014), Interpreting the Qur’an (2006), Approaches to the Qur’an in Contemporary Indonesia (editor, 2005), Freedom of Religion, Apostasy and Islam (co‐author, 2004), Islam and Political Legitimacy (co‐editor, 2004), Islam in Australia (2003) and Islamic Banking and Interest (1996).