From the Hereafter to the Here and Now
From the Hereafter to the Here and Now
The Reading of Asghar Ali Engineer
This chapter explores the Qur’anic commentary of the Indian intellectual Asghar Ali Engineer. After providing some historical and biographical background, it unpacks his interpretive method. The chapter argues that there is an intrinsic connection between, on the one hand, Engineer’s hermeneutical prioritization of the Qur’an over other Islamic texts and, on the other hand, his sharp criticism of clerical authority. The chapter also critiques certain essentialist tendencies in his exegesis; examines his (generally) holistic approach to social liberation, bringing together questions of class, gender, and pluralism; and pays attention to the Battle of Karbala (680), which is a key paradigm in his liberationist discourse. The chapter ends by scrutinizing three pervasive themes in Engineer’s writings: (a) secularism, (b) modernism, and (c) peace.
Keywords: Asghar Ali Engineer, India, Qur’an, clerical authority, Battle of Karbala, pluralism, secularism, modernism, peace
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