Common Ground Between Islam and Buddhism

About the authors

Reza Shah-Kazemi: Dr. Reza Shah-Kazemi studied International Relations and Politics at Sussex and Exeter Universities before earning his PhD in Comparative Religion from the University of Kent in 1994. He subsequently served as a consultant to the Institute for Policy Research in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He is a Research Associate at the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London, where his projects have included a new annotated translation of Nahj al-Balagha, the discourses of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib. He is the founding editor of the Islamic World Report. His authored works include 'The Spirit of Tolerance in Islam' (IIS/IB Tauris, 2012), 'Spiritual Quest: Reflections on Qur'anic Prayer according to the teachings of Imam Ali' (IIS/IB Tauris, 2011), 'Common Ground Between Islam and Buddhism' (Fons Vitae, 2010), 'Paths to Transcendence: According to Shankara, Ibn Arabi and Meister Eckhart' (World Wisdom, 2006), 'Justice and Remembrance: Introducing the Spirituality of Imam Ali' (IIS/IB Tauris, 2006), and 'The Other in the Light of the One: The Universality of the Qur'an and Interfaith Dialogue' (Islamic Texts Society, 2006).

Hamza Yusuf: Hamza Yusuf hafidhahullah (born 1960) is one of the most prominent American Muslim scholars of his generation and co-founder of Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California. A steadfast advocate of classical learning in Islam, he has promoted Islamic sciences and traditional pedagogical methodologies throughout the world. He serves as an advisor to the Centre for Islamic Studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, and as a member of the board of advisors of George Russell's One Nation, a national philanthropic initiative promoting pluralism and inclusion in America. He also serves as vice-president of the Global Centre for Guidance and Renewal, an institution founded and presided over by Abdallah bin Bayyah. He is among the signatories of A Common Word Between Us and You, an open letter from Islamic scholars to Christian leaders calling for peace and understanding. His published works include translations such as The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi and Purification of the Heart, and authored titles such as Agenda to Change Our Condition and Caesarean Moon Births.

Mohammad Hashim Kamali: Mohammad Hashim Kamali (born 7 February 1944, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan) is a prominent Afghan Islamic scholar whose work spans Islamic jurisprudence, human rights in Islam, Islamic finance, and constitutional law. He graduated from the University of Kabul and later from the University of London. From 1985 to 2004 he served as Professor of Islamic Law and Jurisprudence at the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), where he also served as Dean of the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC). He subsequently became the Founding CEO of the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia. He holds fellowships at the Royal Academy of Jordan, the Institute of Advanced Study Berlin, and Afghanistan's Academy of Sciences. Among his many works are Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence, Freedom of Expression in Islam, Freedom Equality and Justice in Islam, The Dignity of Man, Islamic Commercial Law (2000), and studies on Islamic finance including Islamic Finance: Issues in Sukuk and Proposals for Reform. His writing addresses both classical usul al-fiqh and contemporary applications of Shariah principles across law, ethics, and governance.