Andrew Colin Gow, Ph.D.

Professor of History, Department of History and Classics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H4 CANADA The Integrated Encyclopedia of Quran is designed to allow scholars from all backgrounds to access traditional Islamic learning in English. The existing encyclopedias satisfy secular scholarly standards, but do not provide readers with access to a learned Islamic perspective. The difference should be evident: if scholars who do not read Arabic want to know what traditional scholarship says on a given topic (and the IEQ promises to cover both the canonical topics and practical ones), they must look for translations, which are rare, or consult a range of traditional scholars directly. This is not practical for scholarly work. The IEQ will open up the world of Islamic scholarship on Quran and its interpretation to a much broader audience of Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It is at the very least problematic to read the sacred texts of a given tradition without reference to that traditions own interpretations. The Quran has frequently been cited (in translation) in recent years by scholars and politicians without considering Muslim interpretations and scholarship. As an observant Jew and a scholar of religion, I am acutely sensitive to readings of Hebrew Scripture that ignore traditional Jewish interpretations. Such naive readings often impute to a religious group beliefs or interpretations that might be read out of sacred texts, but actually have little or no place in that groups own interpretive tradition. Therefore, I very much look forward to having immediate access to a variety of Muslim perspectives on the Quran in a language that I can read. Andrew Colin Gow, Ph.D. Professor of History Editor-in-chief, Studies in Medieval and Reformation Traditions. History, Culture, Religion, Ideas www.brill.nl/smrt Mailing address: Department of History and Classics 2-28 Henry Marshall Tory Building University of Alberta Edmonton, AB T6G 2H4 CANADA Office: 337-D Old Arts Bldg. Phone: 780-492-0853; message x3270; fax x9125 www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/historyandclassics/andrewgow.cfm