Appendix I: Brief Biographies of Key Scholars
Introduction: This appendix provides biographical information for scholars whose work significantly contributes to understanding Qur'anic transmission, interpretation, and preservation. The selection includes both traditional Islamic authorities and contemporary researchers across various methodological approaches. Inclusion represents scholarly contribution rather than endorsement of any particular theological position, and readers are encouraged to engage with diverse perspectives as tools for deeper, respectful study.
Organization: Scholars are organized by primary area of contribution, though many work across multiple fields. Both Muslim and non-Muslim scholars are included, reflecting the global nature of contemporary Qur'anic studies while honoring the foundational role of traditional Islamic scholarship.
Classical Islamic Authorities
Al-Imam al-Tabari (d. 310/923)
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari The foundational figure in Qur'anic commentary whose Jami' al-Bayan 'an Ta'wil Ay al-Qur'an remains the most comprehensive classical tafsir. His methodology of presenting multiple interpretive traditions with careful attribution established standards for scholarly exegesis that continue to influence contemporary interpretation. Key contribution: Systematic compilation of early interpretive traditions For more: Appendix D (Major Tafsir Traditions)
Al-Imam al-Suyuti (d. 911/1505)
Jalal al-Din Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr al-Suyuti Prolific scholar whose al-Itqan fi 'Ulum al-Qur'an (The Perfection in Qur'anic Sciences) systematized the various disciplines related to Qur'anic study. His comprehensive approach to 'ulum al-Qur'an provided methodological foundations for later scholarship. Key contribution: Systematization of Qur'anic sciences For more: References throughout appendices
Ibn Mujahid (d. 324/936)
Ahmad ibn Musa ibn Mujahid The scholar who systematized the Seven Canonical Qira'at, establishing the framework for authentic Qur'anic recitation that remains authoritative today. His work balanced preservation of oral diversity with community unity. Key contribution: Canonization of authentic recitation traditions For more: Appendix B (Ahruf, Qira'at, and Recitation)
Contemporary Traditional Scholars
Muhammad Mustafa al-A'zami (1932-2017)
Distinguished Islamic scholar and Professor Emeritus at King Saud University. His works The History of the Qur'anic Text and Studies in Hadith Methodology provide traditional Islamic responses to historical-critical approaches, emphasizing the reliability of Islamic preservation methods. Key contribution: Traditional Islamic perspective on textual preservation Approach: Defense of traditional transmission methods
Dr. Taqi Usmani
Leading Pakistani scholar and former Justice of the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. His works on Islamic jurisprudence and Qur'anic interpretation represent contemporary Deobandi scholarship, emphasizing traditional methodologies while addressing modern challenges. Key contribution: Contemporary traditional jurisprudence and interpretation Approach: Classical methodology applied to contemporary issues
Dr. Abdullah Saeed
Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Melbourne and prominent advocate for progressive Islamic interpretation. His works, including Interpreting the Qur'an: Towards a Contemporary Approach, argue for contextual and ethical approaches to Qur'anic interpretation. Key contribution: Progressive Islamic hermeneutics Approach: Contextual and ethical interpretation
Manuscript and Textual Studies
François Déroche
Professor at the Collège de France and leading expert in Islamic codicology and paleography. His comprehensive studies of early Qur'anic manuscripts, including work on the Codex Parisino-Petropolitanus, have significantly advanced understanding of early textual transmission. Key contribution: Paleographic analysis of early Qur'anic manuscriptsApproach: Historical-critical manuscript studies
Behnam Sadeghi
Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Stanford University. Known for his groundbreaking work on early Qur'anic manuscripts, particularly the Sana'a palimpsest, using scientific methods to understand early textual development while respecting Islamic beliefs about preservation. Key contribution: Scientific analysis of early manuscripts Approach: Empirical manuscript studies For more: Appendix F (Manuscript Discoveries)
Alba Fedeli
Research fellow and manuscript specialist whose work on the Birmingham Qur'an manuscript and other early fragments contributes to understanding of early Qur'anic transmission. Her paleographic analysis provides crucial dating evidence for early Islamic texts. Key contribution: Early manuscript analysis and dating Approach: Scientific paleography
Yasin Dutton
Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Edinburgh, specializing in early Islamic law and Qur'anic manuscripts. His work bridges traditional Islamic scholarship and modern academic methods in studying textual transmission. Key contribution: Integration of traditional and modern approaches to manuscript study Approach: Respectful academic engagement with Islamic sources
Qur'anic Interpretation and Hermeneutics
Fazlur Rahman (1919-1988)
Pakistani-American Islamic modernist whose Major Themes of the Qur'an influenced contemporary approaches to Qur'anic interpretation. Advocated for historical-contextual interpretation while maintaining commitment to Qur'anic authority. Key contribution: Modernist Qur'anic hermeneutics Approach: Historical-contextual interpretation
Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Distinguished philosopher and professor at George Washington University, representing traditional Islamic intellectualism and perennial philosophy. His works emphasize the spiritual and metaphysical dimensions of Qur'anic interpretation. Key contribution: Traditional Islamic philosophy and spirituality Approach: Perennial philosophy and traditional wisdom
Amina Wadud
Professor emerita and pioneering scholar in feminist Qur'anic interpretation. Her Qur'an and Woman challenged traditional gender interpretations while working within Islamic hermeneutical frameworks. Key contribution: Gender-conscious Qur'anic interpretation Approach: Feminist Islamic hermeneutics For more: Appendix E (Women in Qur'anic Interpretation)
Asma Barlas
Professor emerita at Ithaca College, known for anti-patriarchal readings of the Qur'an. Her "Believing Women" in Islamargues for egalitarian interpretations based on Qur'anic principles of justice and divine unity. Key contribution: Anti-patriarchal Qur'anic interpretation Approach: Theological feminism within Islamic framework
Ingrid Mattson
Former President of the Islamic Society of North America and Professor at Huron University College. Her work on Qur'anic ethics and community leadership demonstrates practical application of Qur'anic guidance in contemporary Muslim life. Key contribution: Practical Qur'anic ethics and community leadership Approach: Community-centered interpretation and application
Sherman Jackson
Professor at the University of Southern California, specializing in Islamic law and African American Islamic identity. His work explores how different communities authentically engage with Islamic texts while maintaining cultural integrity.Key contribution: Cultural diversity in Islamic interpretation Approach: Community-conscious Islamic scholarship
Historical and Contextual Studies
Fred M. Donner
Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern History at the University of Chicago. His works Narratives of Islamic Origins and Muhammad and the Believers examine early Islamic community formation and the role of the Qur'an in identity development. Key contribution: Early Islamic social and political history Approach: Historical-critical analysis of early Islamic sources
Jonathan A.C. Brown
Professor of Islamic Civilization at Georgetown University. His works Misquoting Muhammad and studies of hadith transmission explore the relationship between textual authority and interpretive tradition in Islamic scholarship. Key contribution: Analysis of authority and interpretation in Islamic tradition Approach: Historical analysis with sensitivity to Islamic concerns
Angelika Neuwirth
Professor Emeritus at the Freie Universität Berlin. Her comprehensive project The Qur'an and Late Antiquity places the Qur'an within its historical context while respecting its religious significance for Muslim communities. Key contribution: Historical contextualization of Qur'anic text Approach: Late antique studies and comparative scripture
Gabriel Said Reynolds
Professor of Islamic Studies and Theology at the University of Notre Dame. His The Qur'an and the Bible examines intertextual relationships while engaging respectfully with both Christian and Islamic perspectives. Key contribution: Comparative scriptural studies Approach: Interfaith scholarship and textual analysis
Nicolai Sinai
Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford. His The Qur'an: A Historical-Critical Introduction provides rigorous academic analysis while engaging constructively with traditional Islamic scholarship. Key contribution: Historical-critical Qur'anic studies Approach: Academic rigor with interfaith sensitivity
Contemporary Scholarly Voices
Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi
Director of Studies at the École Pratique des Hautes Études (Sorbonne), specializing in early Shi'i history and theology. His work illuminates the diversity of early Islamic interpretive traditions and Shi'i contributions to Islamic scholarship.Key contribution: Shi'i intellectual history and textual traditions Approach: Historical analysis of denominational diversity
Walid Saleh
Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Toronto, specializing in tafsir history and development. His studies of classical commentators like al-Tha'labi demonstrate the evolution of interpretive traditions across time and region. Key contribution: History of Qur'anic commentary traditions Approach: Historical development of interpretive schools
Kecia Ali
Professor of Religion at Boston University, focusing on Islamic law, ethics, and early Islamic history. Her works examine how textual interpretation shapes religious practice and legal development. Key contribution: Islamic legal hermeneutics and historical development Approach: Critical analysis of legal and social traditions
Marion Katz
Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at NYU, specializing in Islamic law, ritual, and gender studies. Her research explores the intersection of textual authority with lived religious practice. Key contribution: Ritual studies and religious practice Approach: Anthropological and legal analysis
Ayesha S. Chaudhry
Professor of Islamic Studies and Gender Studies at the University of British Columbia. Her work examines how classical interpretive traditions address contemporary ethical questions, particularly regarding gender and social justice. Key contribution: Ethical interpretation and contemporary application Approach: Critical engagement with classical sources for contemporary ethics
Abdolkarim Soroush
Iranian intellectual and philosopher known for his theory of "contraction and expansion of religious knowledge." His work explores the relationship between revelation and human understanding in Islamic thought. Key contribution: Philosophy of religious knowledge and interpretation Approach: Philosophical hermeneutics
Influential Historical Figures (Posthumous Recognition)
Shahab Ahmed (1966-2015)
Former Professor of Islamic Studies at Harvard whose posthumous What Is Islam? challenged conventional boundaries in Islamic studies. His work emphasized the diversity and complexity of Islamic civilization beyond textual orthodoxy. Key contribution: Broadening definitions of Islamic civilization Approach: Cultural and intellectual history
Andrew Rippin (1950-2016)
Influential scholar who helped establish Qur'anic studies as a distinct academic discipline. His work fostered respectful academic engagement with Islamic texts while maintaining rigorous scholarly standards. Key contribution: Development of academic Qur'anic studies Approach: Text-critical analysis with interfaith respect
Franz Rosenthal (1914-2003)
Renowned translator and scholar of Islamic intellectual history whose work on Ibn Khaldun and other classical sources illuminated the sophistication of Islamic scholarly tradition. Key contribution: Translation and analysis of classical Islamic scholarship Approach: Philological and intellectual history
Regional and Emerging Voices
Abdullahi Ahmed an-Na'im
Sudanese-American scholar focusing on Islamic law, human rights, and secularism. His work explores how Islamic principles can address contemporary legal and social challenges. Key contribution: Islamic law and human rightsApproach: Reform-oriented legal scholarship
Farid Esack
South African scholar and activist whose contextual theology emphasizes liberation themes in Qur'anic interpretation. His work demonstrates how local contexts shape authentic engagement with Islamic texts. Key contribution: Liberation theology and contextual interpretation Approach: Social justice-oriented hermeneutics
Asghar Ali Engineer (1939-2013)
Indian Islamic scholar and social activist who advocated for progressive interpretation of Islamic texts in addressing social justice issues, particularly in South Asian contexts. Key contribution: Progressive Islamic social thought Approach: Social reform through Qur'anic interpretation
Khaled Abou El Fadl
Professor at UCLA School of Law, specializing in Islamic jurisprudence and human rights. His work addresses authority, interpretation, and ethics in Islamic law and scholarship. Key contribution: Islamic legal ethics and authority Approach: Legal scholarship with human rights focus
Cross-Reference Guide for Readers
For Traditional Islamic Perspectives:
Al-Tabari, Al-Suyuti, Ibn Mujahid, Muhammad Mustafa al-A'zami, Taqi Usmani, Seyyed Hossein Nasr
For Historical and Manuscript Studies:
François Déroche, Behnam Sadeghi, Alba Fedeli, Yasin Dutton, Fred Donner, Angelika Neuwirth
For Contemporary Interpretive Approaches:
Fazlur Rahman, Amina Wadud, Asma Barlas, Abdullah Saeed, Jonathan Brown, Ingrid Mattson
For Interdisciplinary and Comparative Studies:
Gabriel Said Reynolds, Nicolai Sinai, Shahab Ahmed, Andrew Rippin, Khaled Abou El Fadl
For Regional and Cultural Perspectives:
Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi, Sherman Jackson, Farid Esack, Abdullahi an-Na'im
Note on Scholarly Diversity: This collection represents the breadth of contemporary engagement with Qur'anic studies across different methodological approaches, religious backgrounds, and cultural contexts. The diversity of perspectives reflects the global nature of scholarly interest in the Qur'an while recognizing that Muslim scholars maintain a special relationship to the text as members of the community that has preserved and lived by its guidance. Readers are encouraged to engage with multiple voices while remaining mindful of the different contexts and commitments that shape scholarly work.
For Further Exploration: Many of these scholars have extensive bibliographies available through academic databases and university websites. Their works are cited throughout this book's chapters and other appendices, providing pathways for deeper engagement with specific areas of interest.