Holy Quran and Contemporary Issues, The

Journal of Third World Studies, Fall 2006 by Maiko, Saneta

Bangura, Abdul Karim. The Holy Quran and Contemporary Issues. New York: iUniverse, 2003. 152pp.

How does the Quran serve in guiding its adherents to better understand and deal with those challenging issues that face society and humanity today? Abdul Karim Bangura brings to the readers a rare compendious book in the field of Islamic studies. Issues as religion, language, family, gender, marriage, and divorce are discussed. Other issues include ecology, civil society, governance, crime, and jurisprudence, war, unity, and ethics. This study not only discusses these subjects, but also examines what the Quran teaches about them.

The book is more descriptive than interpretive and the author often fails to give his own opinion after citing other scholars. In the introduction the author provides a historical sketch of the revelation of the Quran. Chapter 2 gives a general interrelationship of Islam with other major religions of the world: Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism. It is interesting to note that the Quran uses mystical imageries and literary language to convey meaning and purpose to the faithful. Chapter 3 explores the Quranic evidence on the use of mystical language, which often makes it difficult for many readers to understand the real meaning in the Quran. Chapter 4 investigates family and its importance to Muslims, including teachings about parents, children, brotherhood, relatives, friends, orphans, and inheritance.

Chapter 5 surveys the contradiction found in the Quran. On the one hand, there is the notion of equality between men and women. On the other hand, there is reference to women as inferior to men (p. 32-33). Bangura is helpful in showing the context of such contradictions. Marriage and divorce are analyzed in Chapter 6; the author juxtaposes the diversity of scholarly opinions about the role and place of a Muslim woman. Above all, he illustrates the point by referring to several Quranic verses regarding women, marriage, and divorce in Islam (pp. 60-66). In Chapter 7 Bangura draws attention to Quranic teachings about environmental issues. The author makes the reader aware that, according to Islam, God is involved and always concerned about His creation. Civil society and governance are dealt with in Chapter 8 where Bangura articulates several important questions: What is the role of Citizenry and government? Are Islam and democracy compatible? What does the Quran reveal about the role of political leaders and the populace? (p. 83)

A more appealing section in the book is Chapter 9 that addresses crime, punishment, justice, and jurisprudence. In particular, the author demonstrates the applicability of Quranic teachings to human responsibility, freedom, justice, and the Day of Judgment (pp. 102- 111). Chapter 10 is on war, victory, peace, and unity. In a world of terror and victimization, this chapter is relevant for understanding global politics. In the last chapter, Bangura focuses on ethics as a major tenet of proper behavior for Muslims. The teaching of the Quran here clearly provides us with an understanding of the behavior of Muslims in everyday life.

Judging from the bibliography, the work shows a limited survey of the literature. However, the author often offers a general overview of other scholars and cites relevant Quranic sources to support those views. Because his research relies on the Quran, Bangura is cautious in addressing how the Quran serves the contemporary society regarding several pertinent issues. The book is a must read for students interested in the relevance of the Quran in contemporary world. I strongly recommend it to students of seminary, those in secular learning institutions, and for general reading. More specifically, I strongly recommend it to students and scholars interested in understanding the basic teachings of the Quran on real life situations.

Saneta Maiko Concordia Theological Seminary