Mere Islam: Yet Another Gem by Sherman Jackson

Professor Sherman A. Jackson (Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Visiting Professor of Law, The University of Michigan. Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania; M.A. University of Pennsylvania; B.A., University of Pennsylvania) has produced yet another piece of intellectual fruit to be savored:

Literalism, Empiricism, And Induction:
Apprehending And Concretizing Islamic Law’s
Maqâsid Al-Sharî’ah In The Modern World
by Sherman A. Jackson

Just like the introduction to his translation of Imam al-Ghazali’s Faysal al Tafriqa, entitled On the Boundaries of Theological Tolerance in Islam in English, and his rebuttal to Khaled Abou El Fadl in his essay entitled Islam(s) East and West: Pluralism between No-Frills and Designer Fundamentalism (published in September 11 in History: A Watershed Moment?), this short paper is also chock-full of wisdom. As usual, the synthesis is amazing, as is the light that he sheds, from an Islamic perspective, on oft-overlooked points.

For those who haven’t read On the Boundaries of Theological Tolerance in Islam, well please know that the world would be a much better place if every Muslim read and reflected upon this small tome. Likewise, if you’re looking for a vision on where Islam in America should be going and how to fix some of the major problems that Muslims face in this country, look no further than Dr. Jackson’s Islam and the Blackamerican: Looking toward the Third Resurrection…but don’t forget to read the article. Although the latter book discusses the history and dynamics of “Blackamerican” religion, the advice Professor Jackson gives very much applies to Muslims of all backgrounds.