Kashmir College Professor Publishes Book with Peter Lang, a Renowned International Publisher
A college professor from Jammu and Kashmir’s Higher Education Department (JK-HED) has achieved a remarkable feat by publishing a book with the Peter Lang Publishing, a prestigious international publisher.
Dr Tauseef Ahmad Parray, an Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies currently posted at Government Degree College (GDC) Ganderbal has published “Perspectives on Interpreting Islam in the Contemporary Indo-Pak Subcontinent: Issues and Trends, a comprehensive study of Islamic intellectual tradition in the context of the Indo-Pak subcontinent.
Dr Parray, who joined as an Assistant Professor in 2016 and hails from Tral area of district Pulwama, is a renowned scholar with a substantial body of work. Author of eight books and numerous journal articles, his areas of specialization include Islamic political thought, Islam and modernity, Islamic intellectual tradition, and Quranic studies. Previously he published Islam and Democracy in the 21st Century with the prestigious Oxford University Press.
The book, which spans over 260 pages, consists of six thematic chapters discussing some “major 21st century trends, issues, and challenges of Islamic intellectual tradition vis-à-vis the contributions, academic outpouring and approaches of some prominent contemporary Muslim scholars of the Indo-Pak subcontinent within the broader context of ‘reformism’ and through the lens of ‘reformist thought’.”
The book covers key themes pertaining to Islamic primary sources, the Quran and the Prophet’s Seerah, and engages in legal, socio-political and gender aspects through the writings of thinkers of the Subcontinent, including Abdur Raheem Kidwai, Yasin Mazhar Siddiqui, Muhammad Nejatullah Siddiqi, Muhammad Khalid Masud, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan and like-minded.
The book has received praise from internationally acclaimed scholars of Islamic Studies specializing in contemporary Islamic thought. Professor Kersten Carool (Catholic University Leuven, Belgium) has described it as a valuable resource on “contemporary Islamic intellectual history” and for Dr Abdul Kader Choughley (Ahsan Academy of Research, Springs, South Africa) it is a latest addition to the scholarship on mapping out the “intellectual Islamic tradition in the Indo-Pak Subcontinent.” Professor Asma Afsaruddin of Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana, USA, has provided a Foreword for the book, praising it as a “commendable accomplishment” that effectively addresses “critically vital topics” that have “gained much traction in the contemporary period”.
Ms. Nandini Ganguli, Acquisitions Editor at Peter Lang India said that Dr Tauseef Ahmad Parray’s work is insightful and well-researched and provides a comprehensive analysis of contemporary Islamic thought in the Indo-Pak subcontinent. This book is particularly useful for students and scholars of Islamic Studies and South Asian Studies, and anyone interested in understanding the evolution of Islamic intellectual tradition in South Asia.”
Dr Parray’s achievement is significant, as he becomes the first academician from Kashmir to be published by Peter Lang. The book serves as a valuable resource for students and scholars of Islamic Studies and South Asian Studies.
Peter Lang, with offices in Berlin, Bruxelles, Lausanne, New York, Oxford, and Chennai, officially announced the book on March 22, 2025, and it is now available on their official website and other online platforms.
