The fourth volume of the groundbreaking Handbook of Qur¿anic Hermeneutics comprises 29 chapters dealing with the hermeneutical approach to the Qur¿an by Muslim authors of the 19^th and 20^th centuries. These authors had to deal with the changes and influences of modernity on Muslim society. Scientific progress and related developments in the natural sciences and humanities posed new questions and challenges to the traditional interpretation of the Qur¿an.

The confrontation with the colonial period also shaped the way of thinking of some of these authors and their hermeneutical work. This led them to a search for identity and a reassessment of their own traditions and beliefs. Authors in this volume reflect on these historical experiences in their interpretation of the Qur¿an.

The hermeneutical approaches to the Qur¿an in this volume are, thus, closely linked to the social, political, and intellectual conditions in which the authors have done their work. They represent a response to the challenges and changes of their time. By critically engaging with modernity, scientific progress, and the colonial legacy, these authors contributed to understanding and interpreting Islam in a new context.

Georges Tamer, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg