Preface 1 » Introduction to al-Baqarah 7 » An Overview: Five Thematic Groups of Verses 12 » The Change of Leadership 15 » Guidance on Social Ethics 17 » The Uniqueness of Qur''anic Guidance 17 » Preservation of the Qur''an 20 » The Earlier Scriptures 21 » The Most Appropriate Universal Guidance (Hidayah) 24 » The Universality of the Qur''an 27 » Taqwa is a Prerequisite of Hidayah 29 » The Ethical Empowerment of Human Beings 32 » The Role of Guidance (Hidayah) in Achieving Taqwa, Virtue, Piety and Servitude 34 » Taqwa as a Behavioural Practice, Objective of all Acts of Devotion and a Key Theme in the Qur''an 40 » The Real Success (Falah) 44 » The Culture of Infaq 45 » Two Types of Human Conduct and Behaviour: Disbelief (Kufr) and Hypocrisy (Nifaq) 47 » The Meaning of Hypocrisy (Nifaq) 49 » The Inimitability of the Qur''an 53 » The Wisdom (Hikmah) in the Challenge to Produce Something Like the Qur''an 54 » Comprehensiveness of the Din 56 Lessons from the Story of Prophet Adam 61 » Iblis''s Modern Forms of Temptations: Cultural Colonialism and Entrepreneurial Capitalism 63 » The Fourfold Implication of Khilafah: What Khilafah is and is not 65 » The Leadership Role of Earlier Peoples: The Case of Bani Isra''il 67 » In the Wilderness of Sinai 69 » Shirk (Associating with Allah) and Nifaq (Hypocracy), The Two Major Transgressions that Lead to Helfire 73 » Realizing Tawhid in the Social Sphere 74 » The Transgressions of the Israelites 76 » Allah''s Mercy and the Israelites'' Response 77 » A Universal Message: Tawhid as the Common Ground 79 » The Israelites'' Practice of Double Standards 82 » The Negative Effects of the Israelites'' Cultural Assimilation in Egypt 83 » The Response of the Jewish Community in Madinah 84 » Immediacy Instead of Ultimacy 86 » The Dialogical Approach 90 » Implications of the Covenant: Serving Allah Through Salah and Zakah 94 » Serving Parents as a Demand of Tawhid 96 » The Qur''anic Model of Extended Family 98 » The Rights of the Marginalized: The Culture of Ihsan 100 » The Ethics of Communication 101 » The Culture of Using Communication in a Dignified Way 104 » The Status of Earlier Sacred Laws 105 » Religious Pluralism and the Right to Worship in an Islamic Polity 111 » Similarity of and Constancy in the Message (Da''wah) of all the Prophets 113 » The Conferment of Leadership on Prophet Ibrahim 115 » A Dialogue Based on the Abrahamic Faith 116 » Sibghat Allah: From Physical Identity to Ideological Identity and from Symbolic Colours and Signs of Devotion to Substantial Transformation and Exemplary Conduct 117 » Allah''s Colour 118 » The Leadership Role of the Muslim Ummah 119 » Conferment of the Leadership Role of the Muslim Ummah 121 » The Ummah as a Model of Justice (''Adl) and Moderation (Wasatiyyah) 123 » The Obligations of the Leadership of Mankind 127 » The Culture of Gratitude, Perseverance and Remembrance 128 » The Culture of Ethical Intelligence and Striving (Jihad) 131 » Continuity and Change in the Shari''ah 133 » The Unreasonableness of the People of the Book 136 » The Culture of Research, Reason, and Introspection 136 » Qur''anic Pointers 138 » Is Religion a Personal Matter? 140 » The Culture of Righteousness, Piety, and Allah-consciousness: The ayat al-Birr 141 » The Sanctity of Life and Legal Equality: The Principle of Justice (''Adl) and Excellence (Ihsan) 145 » Implications of the Qur''anic Ordinance: The Principle of Legal Equality 148 » Social Justice 148 » The Supremacy of Law and the State 149 » Social and Legal Fairness 151 » The Dimensions of Piety 153 » Fasting and the Inculcation of Allah-Consciousness 154 » The Culture of Tazkiyah in Financial, Trade and Economic Transactions 159 » Liberation from Superstitions 160 » War Ethics 161 » The Prohibition of Self-infliction of Harm 163 » The Globalisation of Da''wah and Islamic Brotherhood 164 » Two Types of Personality 170 » The Holistic Personality 174 » The Unity of Humankind 176 » The Culture of Benevolence (Infaq) and Social Engagement 179 » The Culture of Benevolence 182 » War Ethics 184 » The Dynamics of Faith and Migration (Hijrah) 186 » The Gradual Removal of Social Evils through Ma''ruf 190 » The Institutionalization of Social Engagement 192 » The Building of a Compassionate Family 197 » Family Ethics 199 » A Graceful Family Life 201 » Striving to Achieve Justice and Peace 204 » The Leadership of Mankind 206 » The Role of Reason, Revelation and Miracles 210 » Encouragement of Social Engagement and the Culture of Spending on Others (Infaq) 212 The Beauty of the Verse of the Throne (Ayat al-Kursi) 213 » Religious Freedom 215 » Rushd and Taghut 216 » Experiential Truth 219 » Manifestation of Faith in Infaq (Spending on Others for Allah''s Sake) 223 » The Gift of Wisdom 225 » The Culture of Almsgiving (Sadaqah) 230 » The Secular Concept of Corporate Social Responsibility vs. The Culture of Infaq and Sadaqah 233 » Establishing an Interest-free Society 233 » No Gender Disparity in Legal Matters 236.