Ali Azam, author of Islam and the West (2021)

About the book: Ali Azam grounds his analysis in the Prophetic tradition, specifically the hadith regarding the perfection of moral character as a primary ethical objective. He provides a systematic examination of the philosophical foundations of Western liberal values, such as tolerance and human rights, by engaging with the works of Locke, Kant, and Hume. Building on this cross-cultural foundation, he argues that these contemporary civilisational values are compatible with, and should be integrated into, Muslim social and political frameworks using Qur’anic principles. The work concludes by advocating for a realignment of Islamic jurisprudence and ethics with the a priori concepts of freedom and human dignity.

About the author: Ali Azam, a businessman by profession, received his MA in comparative philosophy from The Islamic College. He has lectured and debated extensively on moral philosophy.

His works have been published in the British Journal of Educational Studies as well as in the Journal of the Association for Character Education. He is the Co-founder of the Virtue Ethics Foundation. Recently, he has also authored a short book entitled Death of Hope, on Israel-Palestine conflict in the wake of 7 October 2023.

Publisher: TedPen

Discussant: Dr. Ali Al-Hilli