Islam before Modernity: Aḥmad al-Dardīr and the Preservation of Traditional Knowledge

Includes bibliographical references (pages 301-329) and index.

1. Introduction -- 2. Al-Dardīr and the foundations of the Islamic educational paradigm -- 3. Al-Dardīr's Sufi-theology: synthesis of Kalām and Taṣawwuf epistemologies -- 4. Weighted synthesis (tarjīḥ) and al-Dardīr's methodology regarding the Fiqh tradition -- 5. Al-Dardīr: ʻĀlim, Sufi and intercessor for the masses -- Conclusions -- Appendix: Translation of al-Dardīr's Minor Creed -- Bibliography -- Index.

"This book examines the role of tradition and discursive knowledge transmission on the formation of the ulama the learned scholarly class in Islam, and their approach to the articulation of the Islamic disciplines. This book argues that a useful framework for evaluating the intellectual contributions of post-classical scholars such as Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Dardir involves preserving, upholding, and maintaining the Islamic tradition, including the intellectual "sub-traditions" that came to define it"-- Provided by publisher.