Whilst Christian approaches to the problem of evilhave been much discussed, the issue of theodicy inIslam is relatively neglected. A Muslim Response to Evilexplores new insights and viewpoints and discussespossible solutions to theodicy and the problem of evilthrough the early philosophy and theology of Isla-m aswell as through a semantic analysis of evil (sharr) in theQur’a-n.

Reflecting on Said Nursi’s magnum opus, the Risale-i Nur Collection(Epistles of Light), Tubanur Yesilhark Ozkan puts Nursi’s theodicy intodiscourse with so called ‘secular’ theodicy or ‘anthropodicy’, supportedby scholars such as Newton, Descartes, Leibniz, Spinoza, Hume, and Kant.Her study offers a fascinating new perspective on the problem of evil forscholars of comparative religion, philosophy of religion, and Islamicthought.

At last a new and distinctive young female Muslim voice has emerged.Tubanur Yesilhark Ozkan has written a bold, fascinating, deep study ofIslamic theodicy. She has taken the concept of sharr, combined it with theexegesis of Said Nursi, to produce a distinctive and compelling theodicy.Naturally scholars of Islamic studies will want to have this book on theirbookshelves, but it should be read more widely by philosophers andtheologians. It is a truly great book.

Ian Markham, Virginia Theological Seminary, USA

Evincing an impressive command of the Risale-i Nur, Tubanur YesilharkOzkan provides in this book an astute and insightful study of Said Nursi’stheodicy. In ten crisply argued chapters Ozkan explores the Qur’ānicconception of evil before going on to analyse the creative way Nursiaddresses the challenge with which evil confronts the believer. This finestudy will be an important resource not only for Nursi scholars andstudents of Islam, but for all thoughtful people struggling with thechallenge the problem of evil poses to theism.

David Law, University of Manchester, UK

Cover photograph: Arches of Ahmad Ibn Tulun Mosque in old Cairo, Egypt. Credit:Ahmed Aboul-Seoud / Thinkstock.

Contemporary Thought in the Islamic WorldSeries Editor: Carool Kersten, King’s College London, UK

Contemporary Thought in the Islamic World promotes newdirections in scholarship in the study of Islamic thinking.Muslim scholars of today challenge deeply ingraineddichotomies and binaries. New ideas have stimulated anupcoming generation of progressive Muslim thinkers andscholars of Islam to radically rethink the ways in whichimmediate and emergent issues affecting thecontemporary Islamic world are to be assessed. Central inthese new discourses are notions such as cosmopolitanism,exile, authority and resistance. This series aims to take thefield beyond the usual historical-philological and socialscience-driven approaches, and to insert the study of Islamand the Muslim world into far wider multi-disciplinaryinquiries on religion and religiosity in an increasinglyinterconnected world.

Tubanur Yesilhark Ozkan holds the degree of Doctor ofPhilosophy from Durham University. She graduated inIslamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations (MA) fromHartford Seminary, USA.

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Said Nursi on the Theodicy

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