The Ascendant Qur'an: Realigning Man to the Divine Power Culture, Volume 1 - Muhammad H. al-Asi

The Ascendant Qur'an: Realigning Man to the Divine Power Culture is the first tafsir to be written directly in the English language. It is also the first tafsir to be written specifically to reinterpret the lessons of the noble Qur'an for the needs of Muslims living in the modern world, and particularly for those active in the contemporary Islamic movement. Imam al-Asi, the mufassir, has emphasized two particular elements of his work: first, that by writing directly in English, now the most widely spoken language of the Muslim world, the precise meaning of the Qur'anic verses can be conveyed in the language in which the tafsir is being read; and second, that by highlighting elements of the Qur'an that are often missing from other tafsirs, such as the dimensions of power, authority, and wealth - which are particularly relevant to the struggle of the contemporary Islamic movement and the understanding of institutional injustice, disparity, and oppression in the world - it gives Islamic workers and those struggling for social justice a sense of urgency in observing their divine responsibilities. This first volume deals with the explanation of the verses in Surah al-Fatihah and Surah al-Baqarah through verse 141. It helps the reader understand how the Qur'an classifies the various power constituencies in humanity, the way it elucidates the identity of the Children of Israel and their role in the historical dissemination of scripture, and the manner in which it encourages the new Covenant bearers who have inherited the Abrahamic commitment.