Acknowledgements

   For my Mother and Father

   I would like to thank Oliver Leaman for his patience, encouragement, practical wisdom and generous assistance in the writing of this book. He helped out in the final stages by writing entries on the following topics: aesthetics, afterlife, creation vs. eternity of the world, epistemology, essence and existence, ethics, God’s knowledge, God (unity of), Illuminationism, language, law, logic, modern Islamic philosophy, mysticism, Nasr (Seyyed Hossein), political philosophy, prophecy, science and Sufism. The entry on Islamism is a collaborative effort. I am responsible for all other entries, and of course, any errors or lacunae that might be found there. I’d like to express my appreciation to a few other folks, too: my colleagues in the Bucknell Philosophy department, as well as philosophical interlocutors from other departments and institutions, my former teachers, and my students, all of whom have helped me keep thinking and growing. Special thanks go out to Abdur-Rahman Syed and Kaley Keene, who generously read through the manuscript and made many thoughtful suggestions regarding translation and transliteration, and to Laury Silvers, who offered so much helpful advice along the way. Finally I would like to thank my family and friends for their good-humored patience and support, and especially my love Valerie, who is in my heart, whether she’s in Pennsylvania, Switzerland or Belgium.