Ottoman Empire envisaged the introduction of the modern sciences into medrese education and their joint teaching with the traditional religious sciences. This demanded the acceptance of science by the religious scholars of standing, the ulema, who were held in respect by the people, in both the medreses and the mosques. Most probably due to the influence of certain traditional schools of thought, the ulemas' literalist interpretation of verses of the Qur'an and Hadiths, together with their lack of knowledge of modern science and their associating it with increasing European influence, had led many of them to bitterly oppose it, chiefly on the grounds that some of its matters conflicted with Revelation. In this they were in agreement with religious sceptics who lacked knowledge of Islam and put their faith in science. Bediuzzaman therefore specified literal- ism and those who practised it as a key factor hindering the development and progress of the region and the Ottomans generally.

The solution for the above situation that Bediuzzaman offered with this book lay in his setting out a number of rational principles for Qur'anic exegesis, included in a variety of disciplines. What he was proposing was not new as is shown below; what was new was his approach and style and his pinpointing specific problems associated with literalism and his demonstrating how they could be overcome. He was also at pains to show that, if interpreted correctly in the light of such sciences as rhetoric, Arabic, and logic, verses of the Qur'an that had been imagined to conflict with modern science, were in fact congruent with it.

The basis of Bediuzzaman's argument was that "Islam ... is founded on reality, girded with proof, consults with reason, is seated on the throne of truth, and is conformable with the principles of wisdom [in the cosmos] that continue in sequence from pre- eternity to post-eternity." In the course of time, however, Islam as it was in reality had become obscured due to neglect and other circumstances, causing the decline of the Muslims and Islamic world. Bediuzzaman argued that since the Qur'an addresses the human reason and conscience and other inner faculties, it indicates both the path to be taken to reverse the decline, and its superiority over other