Ahmad Q?bel and Contemporary Islamic Thought
Rational Shariah in Twenty-First-Century Iran

An original examination of the writings of reformist Muslim thinker, Ahmad Q?bel, whose work sought to rationalise and modernise Islamic law.

Lloyd Ridgeon (Author)

9781009322225, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 6 April 2023

288 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 2.1 cm, 0.55 kg

‘Lloyd Ridgeon has brilliantly captured the thoughts of Ahmed Q?bel, a reformist Muslim thinker who has received scant attention in the West. Q?bel’s views on the rationalist Shariah are especially illuminating and compelling. The book will be of great benefit to all scholars of contemporary Islam, especially those interested in an Islamic reformation.’ Liyakat Takim, McMaster University

Ahmad Q?bel (1954–2012) was one of the key figures in the 'New Religious Thinking' trend of reformist thought, whose radical views were some of the most daring of his generation, seeking to rationalize and modernize Islamic law. In this comprehensively researched and accessibly written book, Lloyd Ridgeon offers an original examination of Q?bel's writings, including his seminal work Shari'at-e 'Aql?ni (Rational Shariah). Throughout his career, Q?bel crossed many political and religious redlines, resulting in several prison terms and hastening his premature death while under hospital arrest. Chapters covering topics from jurisprudence and politics to gender relations and society unravel Q?bel's worldview, introducing and illuminating his work for all readers. With extended translations from Q?bel's compositions, including two whole chapters from Shari'at-e 'Aql?ni, Ridgeon offers the necessary context to understand the resounding significance of Q?bel's ideas and arguments.

Introduction
1. Biography of Ahmad Q?bel: crossing redlines
2. Jurisprudence: rational Shariah
3. History: the faces of Imam Hosayn
4. Politics: Q?bel's view of Vel?yat-e Faqih
5. Gender: women's rights
6. Apostasy and freedom of religion
7. Society: the role of Islam in society
8. Reason and superstition
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Religious & theocratic ideologies [JPFR], Islamic theology [HRHT], Postwar 20th century history, from c 1945 to c 2000 [HBLW3], Middle Eastern history [HBJF1]