‘Intellectually nimble and rigorously researched . . . admirably clear-eyed . . . Kadri is a precise and stylish writer, as good at explicating abstruse arguments as he is at conjuring vivid scenes . . . this brave and sane book could not be more timely’ – Stuart Kelly, The Scotsman

‘Captivating . . . an erudite and instructive book’ - Ziauddin Sardar, The Times (London)

‘Fascinating and funny’ - Mohammed Hanif (author of A Case of Exploding Mangoes), The News (Pakistan)

‘[A] fascinating journey . . . skilfully weaves history with travelogue to guide the reader through this most contentious and topical of territory . . . Kadri approaches his themes with unstinting humanity and intelligence, as well as great fluency’ – James Mather, The Spectator

‘A truly penetrating and provocative book’ – Aatish Taseer, The Observer

‘Provides a compelling overview of the historical events that shaped Islamic law, and an admirably even-handed account of its often fraught position today. . . greatly enriches our understanding of a much misunderstood subject’ - Ian Critchley, Sunday Times

‘A fresh eye, and a clear perspective. . . Learned, level-headed, engaging, Kadri’s [book] deserves praise on every front’ – Boyd Tonkin, The Independent

‘A journey, at once physical, spiritual and intellectual, during which Kadri discovers how Muslims understand and interpret sharia as divinely inspired and of continued legal relevance . . . Kadri ties past and present in a single, continuous narrative, melding historical fact with personal testimony’ – Professor Mona Siddiqui, New Statesman

‘A masterful contribution to a growing corpus of literature that seeks to reclaim Islamic tradition, both from the reactionaries who claimed it in the course of the faith’s bruising encounter with imperialism and from the Orientalists who have seen that reaction as organic to the faith itself. . . compelling scholarship . . . provides robust foundations for a genuine democratic political challenge to Islamism’ – Praveen Swami, Literary Review

‘[Four stars]. Lively, yet scholarly . . . As Kadri shows, these issues have been vigorously debated in the Muslim world for centuries’ – Sameer Rahim, The Daily Telegraph