2015 Fall 241 By Ali Abdel Razek, translated by Mayram Louti, edited by Abdou Filali-Ansary Edinburg: Edinburg University Press, 2012, 131 pages, $89.95, ISBN: 9780748639786. Reviewed by Kayhan Ali Hasanoğlu Islam and the Foundations of Political Power Ali Abdel Razeks short treatise al-Islam wa-‘usul al-hukm, origi- nally published in Egypt, in 1925, contributed to a debate that still remains at the heart of political discourse in the Islamic world. he subject, essentially, the doctrinal status of politics in Islam, was all the more pertinent given the abol- ishment of the caliphate by Kemal Atatürk the preceding year; and with it an institution that had remained in existence since death of the Prophet, thirteen centuries previous. Given a new and contentious attempt to resurrect the caliphate in the Middle East, the work is espe- cially relevant again today. Islam and the Foundations of Political Power comes as the second instalment of the “In Translation” series of Edinburgh University Press, “Modern Muslim hinkers,” edited by Abdou Filali-Ansary and published in asso- ciation with he Aga Khan University. he clarity and charm of the English indicates the stylistic success of the translators, Maryam Louti and Aziz Esmail, who worked with the aid of the editor. he precise inluence of al- Islam is a matter of contention, but the work is undoubtedly amongst the most important of the early twentieth century for Islamic po- litical thought, making this translation, the irst into English, an important work. he book represents a systematic and tradi- tional scholarly work attacking the old and commonly held belief that the establishment and maintenance of the caliphate is part of a religious creed. Unfortu- nately for the author, the provoca- tive and novel nature of the work did not go ignored, and very quickly unfavorable responses appeared from other scholars (‘ulama) on be- half of Sunni orthodoxy. Almost just as switly, Abdel Rezak was called before an al-Azhar disciplinary committee, had his title of ‘alim revoked, and was barred from working in education and the judiciary. he introduction neatly describes the political context of Egypt at the time and the currents Abdel Razek was working against, making it clear that the government had a hand in his harsh treatment. here is also a short tribute from the author’s grandson, which delivers a personal account of the author’s religious sincerity and repudiates some of the cruder objections made towards him. he book is made up of nine chapters divided evenly into three books. Each of the chapters is formed of numbered sections, with the titles to each section listed at the beginning. Had the editor chosen to have them respec- tively included at the head of each section, the reader would have been spared the trouble of having to turn back to start of the chapter to learn the name of the section he or she is reading. Alternately, merely numbering the section titles where they are listed would have been helpful. Contrary to the editor’s sugges- tion, comparison of Islam to Wittgenstein’s