In a richly narrated historical study, Soufi excavates an Islamic legal culture of critique from the 10th to 13th centuries. Focusing on the practice of munazara (disputation), Soufi explores how and why oral debates became a pervasive and revered part of the intellectual legal landscape of Iraq and Persia. The Rise of Critical Islam is an essential addition to studying Islamic intellectual history and holds important lessons for Muslims today. At a point often described by many as the peak of Islamic intellectual prowess, Muslims embraced alternative opinions and engaged in a culture of debate not necessarily aimed at reaching a definitive conclusion.