The publication of Islamic Civilisation in the Malay World can indeed be seen as yet another effort by indigenous scholars of Southeast Asia to understand and explain the social and cultural ramifications of the advent spread and entrenchment of Islam in the region. The scholars contributing chapters to this book perceive their efforts as an exercise in the rediscovery and reinterpretation of the social and cultural history of the Malay world - a cultural domain in which Islam has indeed played a crucial role. Given the uniquely 'native' perspective of their contributions the contents of the book therefore reflect the historical cultural and sociological distinctiveness of the Malay world as a product of the dynamic interplay between Islam and Malay culture.