About The Book

Essays in Honour of Professor Syed Ali Ashraf: Honouring a Visionary of Faith-Based Education

This illuminating volume honours the legacy of Professor Syed Ali Ashraf (1924–1998)—a pioneering educator, literary critic, and Sufi scholar whose ideas continue to shape the discourse on Islamic education around the world. Through over 40 deeply engaging chapters—including reflections by friends, former students, and globally respected scholars—this festschrift offers the first comprehensive English-language exploration of Professor Ashraf’s life, philosophy, and far-reaching impact.

Professor Ashraf believed that true education must cultivate the “interior”—the heart and soul of the human being—as well as the intellect. He devoted his life to challenging the dominance of secularist models and instead developed a powerful, Qurʾān-based framework that integrates spiritual, moral, and intellectual development.

Contributors include: Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Osman Bakar, Ahmad Salah Jamjoom, Akbar S. Ahmed, Ghulam Nabi Saqeb, Shaikh Abdul Mabud, Syed Farid Alatas, Sarah Smalley, Syed Ali Naqi, Mashhad Al-Allaf, Nor Faridah Abdul Manaf, Muhammad Abdul Jabbar Beg, Waffie Mohammed, Tosun Bayrak.