Review by Hannah Jacobson

The short:

Daniel Brown traces the emergence of the modern debates of the sunna (the traditions and practices of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)).

The long:

Focusing on Egypt and Pakistan, where debates over the authenticity and authority of the sunna were the most prominent, Brown assesses the implications that new legal approaches had on contemporary Islamic revival movements. Rather than solely focusing on the viewpoints of the revivalists who won the debate, Brown offers a balanced account of both those who sought to narrow and expand the sunna. In the process, readers are encouraged to look beyond the definition of conservatives being those who cling to tradition and modernizers who rely on reason. 

To read or not to read:

Read! While this is not a book to read when you want to have a lazy Sunday afternoon, it’s a great introduction for readers who want to learn about modern Islam from a more scholarly approach.