Kyriakos Th. Nikolaou-Patragas is one of the most renowned Greek specialists in Islam, specializing in Islamic Law and its Institutions, possessing a remarkable education that provides him with the tools for a well-structured scientific synthesis. Having rejected all forms of orientalist constructions and methodologies, he works strictly and exclusively with Islamic sources, which he interprets in a manner suitable for Islam.

While he does not personally embrace Islam, he respects it exemplary and does not attempt in dubious ways to alter its form or content. From his monumental and unique doctoral dissertation in the history of Western literature, "Genital Offenses in Both Justinian and Islamic Law," he demonstrated, strictly based on the Islamic sources themselves, the non-existence of the penalty of stoning in crimes related to sexual impulses, marking one of the most significant breaks in Islam.

This work, based on a deep knowledge of Arabic sources, opens new horizons in the research of the History of the Caliphate and its role in the Islamic world, as well as its consequences in world history. The author Kyriakos Nikolaou-Patragas, possessing a critical mind and research sensibility, sheds original light on the concept, system, and functioning of the Caliphate.

Indeed, the work places the history of the Caliphate and its relations with the religion of Islam in a new perspective, as well as the way of governing the Islamic world for thirteen centuries. The author's communications with distinguished scholars and jurists significantly marked his research, allowing him to deeply understand the subject.

Professor Ioannis Th. Mazis

Professor Grigorios D. Ziakas