Acknowledgements
This book is a revised version of my 2021 PhD thesis in Theology and Religious Studies at the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge. I have had the extraordinary good fortune of being supervised and taught by Dr. Tony Street. My sincere gratitude goes to him. Since the first email I sent enquiring about the prospect of applying for a PhD in Cambridge in 2014, and until today, his kindness and support have been beyond measure. After our meetings in his office in the Faculty of Divinity I would usually find myself perplexed and in awe of his knowledge and penetrating insights which force me to rethink what I had written. But it was these meetings and critical comments that taught me immenselyâand it is these moments that I cherish and sorely miss. Dr. Street, the formidable master of Arabic logic, not only taught me about logical ways of thinking, but I also learnt from his akhlÄq and ethical character.
The thesis was examined by Professor Walid Saleh (Toronto) and Dr. Timothy Winter (Cambridge). It has been an honour to be examined by them. Their detailed comments and feedback have been immensely valuableâI sincerely thank them.
I am also grateful to Professor Mehmet Asutay. I first encountered Professor Asutay as a postgraduate student at Durham University in 2010. In subsequent years he continued to guide me and encourage me to pursue ethical topics. He continues to be an extraordinary model of ethics, integrity, academic scholarship, and above all, kindness. I am deeply thankful to him for all these years of loving care and for his role in my academic career. Professor Asutay opened up the world of Islamic ethics to meâI will forever be in his debt.
It was a pleasure to work with Brill and to include my book in the significant Texts and Studies on the QurʾÄn series which includes, among many important works, Theodor Nöldekeâs The History of the QurʾÄn. I am indebted to the Editors of the series and to Nienke Brienen-Moolenaar who deftly oversaw the publication of the book. My thanks are extended to the two anonymous reviewers who read the manuscript carefully and provided positive feedback, corrections, and suggestions. My heartfelt thanks are due to Professor Christopher Melchert who read a full draft of the book and offered penetrating comments and suggestions for improvement. Any remaining errors are, of course, my own.
In the University of Oxford, I would like to thank my academic home, Regentâs Park College, for providing a friendly and warm environment. I am deeply grateful to HRH Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad of Jordan for supporting the fellowship that enabled me to complete this book. I must also acknowledge Professor Paul S. Fiddes for his continued support and friendship.
My brother Taha needs to be singled out for his help and encouragement, and for always pushing me to pursue scholarly work. I am especially grateful to my wife Eslah for the countless ways in which she has helped me on this journey and for nourishing me with her care. To my wonderful children Ahmed and Emanâthank you for the meaning and happiness you bring to my life, for being my inspiration and wonder, and for the joy of being your father. I hope that you will share my fascination with the QurʾÄn.
Over three decades ago, my father, after attending the JumÊ¿ah prayer in ShaÊ¿biyyat al-BadÊ¿ in Dubai, advised me to start learning the QurʾÄn. From that point, my parents did everything they can possibly do to help me learn the QurʾÄn. This book is therefore dedicated to my parents, Hesham and Eman, with love and gratitude.
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