This article by a non-Straussian sets out to think about Leo Strauss's theories of how to read Islamic philosophical texts. It considers the main components of Strauss's hermeneutics and investigates in detail his presentation of his theory of persecution, provides a brief overview of the principal criticisms of Strauss's approach to the history of philosophy, ponders the ramifications of this debate for reading philosophical texts and attempts to place this unique set of ideas in an early twentieth century perspective.