The Koran (Qur’an) Books

Book SynopsisThe Holy Quran edition includes original Arabic text, Roman transliteration, and English translation side by side for readers' benefit. Unique format aids understanding and comparison of text versions, making it valuable for students and those seeking deeper insight.

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Book SynopsisFakhr al-Din Razi''s Tafsir, The Great Exegesis, also known as Mafatih al-Ghayb, is one of the great classics of Arabic and Islamic scholarship. Written in the twelfth century, this commentary on the Qur''an has remained until today an indispensable reference work. The Great Exegesis is a compendium not only of Qur''anic sciences and meanings, but also Arabic linguistics, comparative jurisprudence, Aristotelian and Islamic philosophy, dialectic theology and the spirituality of Sufism.The present volume is the first ever translation into English from The Great Exegesis and focuses on the first chapter of the Qur''an, the Fatiha. This scholarly yet accessible translation gives readers a thorough understanding of the most commonly recited chapter of the Qur''an; it also opens up for readers a window into the thought and practice of one of Islam''s greatest theologians. This volume includes a foreword by Professor M.A.S. Abdel Haleem, King Fahd Professor of Islamic Studies, University of London.

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Book SynopsisThe Sufi commentary on the Qur''an by ''Abd al-Razzaq al-Kashani (Ta''wilat al-Qur''an)long believed to have been written by Muhyi al-Din Ibn ''Arabi (d. 1240)is one of the masterpieces of Sufi exegesis. It is a complete commentary on the Qur''an, commenting on every chapter but not on every verse. A Sufi Commentary on the Qur''an is the first translation into English of this seminal work. Though little is known about the life of ''Abd al-Razzaq al-Kashani (d. between 1329-35), it is accepted that he studied under Mu''ayyid al-Din al-Jandi, who himself had studied with Sadr al-Din Qunawi, the stepson of Ibn ''Arabi and leading exponent of Akbarian doctrine. Despite the paucity of information on his life, Kashani is recognised for the significant contribution he made to the school of Ibn ''Arabi; his influence and legacy lie in his systemisation of the ideas and thoughts of Ibn ''Arabi. The central theme of Kashani''s commentary on the Qur''an is gnosis or direct experiential knowledge of God: the seeker of the Divine is to engage in dedicated spiritual exertion in conformity with the Sacred Law until the heart becomes illuminated.The Ta''wilat al-Qur''an has been translated in two volumes: Volume I includes the commentary from the first Chapter, The Opening (al-Fatiha), until the eighteenth Chapter, The Cave (al-Kahf); while Volume II includes the commentary from Chapter nineteen, Mary (Maryam), to the end of the Qur''an.

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Book SynopsisTabari''s Qur''an Commentary, Comprehensive Exposition of the Interpretation of the Verses of the Qur''an, is one of the great monuments of classical Arabic and Islamic scholarship which, over a millennium, has been a fundamental reference work for scholars engaged in the tradition of Qur''anic exegesis. This two-volume translation focuses on thirty selected verses and Suras, or Chapters, associated with special merits and blessings and also includes Tabari''s own introduction to the Comprehensive Exposition.Volume II contains: The Companies (39:53-55); The Smoke; The Beneficent; The Inevitable Occasion; Iron; The Gathering (59:18-24); Sovereignty; The Resurrection; The Most High; The Sun; The Night; The Earthquake; The Chargers; Rivalry; The Disbelievers; Aid; Sincerity; Daybreak; People.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The Study Quran could not be more timely. This painstaking work will do much to enlighten and inform the reading strategies of all who seek to understand the Holy Writ of Islam, especially as it relates to the beliefs and practices of Muslims." -- Sherman A. Jackson, King Faisal Chair of Islamic Thought and Practice, The University of Southern California "A huge and significant scholarly undertaking, a major service to Islamic studies. This work solves the perennial problem of how to introduce students to the Quranic text, offering what is perhaps the closest one can get to an ecumenical exegesis of the Quran." -- Jonathan Brown, Associate Director, Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim Christian Understanding at Georgetown University "Even the non-Arabist will gain an impression of the way specific verses have been understood. By giving attention to a wide range of commentators the editors capture the diversity and depth of the exegetical ideas that have been brought to the Quran-- a useful resource." -- Peter Adamson, Professor of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat in Munich and at King's College London "A truly magisterial and the most comprehensive study of the Quran to date. Highly recommended as an unparalleled reference work for engaging the Quran in its many different aspects." -- Asma Afsaruddin, Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at Indiana University Bloomington "A monument of religious literature in its own right, The Study Quran presents the sacred text in a meticulous new English rendering. One of this ambitious project's greatest strengths is the breadth and variety of exegetical sources and methods that inform the commentary throughout --most impressive." -- John Renard, Professor of Medieval Islam at Saint Louis University "A stupendous achievement. An indispensable handbook. The Study Quran contains everything readers will need. The translation is lucid and eloquent; the extensive commentaries offer continuous insight; the various essays cover virtually every aspect of the Quran. I cannot praise their collective work enough!" -- Eric Ormsby, Formerly Professor of Islamic Philosophy and Theology at McGill University's Institute of Islamic Studies "A major milestone for the study of the Qur'an. Elegantly written, the project is ambitious yet amply fulfills its promise. Invaluable for anyone interested in understanding the Qur'an and essential reading for students of the Qur'an at all levels." -- Dr. Michael Sells, Barrows Professor of the History and Literature of Islam, University of Chicago "This scholarly yet accessible work speaks directly to the tensions and misunderstandings of our gravely polarized world. It should be on the shelves of libraries and universities throughout the English-speaking world." -- Karen Armstrong, author of Fields of Blood "The contributors guide the reader through the intricacies of the sacred text in a way that lays bare the superficiality, selectivity and inaccuracy of some modern interpretations of the Quran at a time when this is sorely needed." -- Karen Armstrong, author of Fields of Blood "This impressive tome-the fruit of a patient collective venture-offers an extraordinary panoptic survey of the history of tafsir: some forty traditional commentaries-ancient and modern, Sunni and Shi'i-have been summoned here... Special mention is due to the translators of the Qur'an for their often remarkable achievement." -- Dr. Michel Chodkiewicz, author of Seal of the Saints and An Ocean Without Shore "A stunningly successful collaboration of scholars who have produced a modern masterpiece of clarity and eloquence. Never before in one place has so much Qur'anic scholarship been made accessible to the intelligent general reader." -- Ingrid Mattson, London and Windsor Community Chair in Islamic Studies at Huron University College, University of Western Ontario "An extraordinary scholarly achievement, The Study Quran brings the text to life, gently guiding readers into the exciting interpretive worlds of Muslims in all of their rich diversity." -- Zareena A Grewal, PhD, professor of Religious Studies at Yale University "The Study Quran is a well-guided tour. The work of the editors is uniformly meticulous, comprehensive, and erudite. Whether the reader is a novice to the Quranic text, longtime student, or scholar, they will find much to reflect upon in this extraordinarily valuable resource." -- Kristin Zahra Sands, Harlequin Adair Dammann Chair in Islamic Studies, Sarah Lawrence College "The Study Quran represents a breakthrough for bringing the message of the Quran to the English-speaking world. The translation itself is beautiful, but the commentary truly makes this an indispensable resource for anyone -- whether Muslim or non-Muslim -- who wishes to appreciate the Quran's message." -- Mohammad Fadel, Associate Professor of Law, University of Toronto Faculty of Law "The Study Quran is a fascinating and pioneering academic achievement. With analytical depth and clarity, it offers to both specialist and general readers, Muslim and non-Muslim, uniquely learned insights into the reception and interpretation of Islam's sacred scripture within the various Muslim intellectual and spiritual traditions." -- Sebastian Gunther, Professor and Chair of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Gottingen, Germany "This new English translation conveys the music and meaning of the Arabic. That it is accompanied by a learned commentary distilled from the highly varied classical, modern and contemporary exegetical traditions provides unparalleled access to a uniquely influential yet understudied scripture sacred to one out of four human beings." -- Todd Lawson, Professor of Islamic Thought, University of Toronto "A magnificent scholarly achievement, The Study Quran offers an eminently readable, thought-provoking and nuanced understanding of Islam's sacred text that will help both Muslims and non-Muslims appreciate the richness and diversity of understandings of the Quran throughout the ages." -- Shafique N. Virani, Distinguished Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Toronto "The monumental The Study Quran is a truly indispensable reference. As with every sacred scripture, the meanings of the Quran are mediated by a range of interpretive traditions which have long been accessible only to Muslim scholars. Now a team of editors have provided an impressively accessible synthesis." -- James W. Morris, Dept. of Theology and Islamic Civilization and Societies Program, Boston College "An invaluable resource that the general reader and students of Islamic disciplines will benefit from. The wealth of detailed information it contains makes The Study Quran a valuable text in understanding the centrality of the Quran and its role in shaping the spiritual and mundane lives of Muslims." -- Liyakat Takim, Sharjah Chair in Global Islam, McMaster University "The publication of The Study Quran is a joyous occasion for all scripture lovers: a new English translation that celebrates the dignity and formality of sacred discourse, running commentary, and, as a very special signature, compelling and deeply instructive essays by fifteen of today's leading scholars on Islam." -- Peter Ochs, Bronfman Professor of Modern Judaic Studies, University of Virginia "A monumental milestone in the study of the Quran in western academia and a veritable touchstone of authenticity for all who are asking: what does the Quran actually say? With clarity and comprehensiveness, the editors and translators of this magnificent volume have helped distinguish the true spirit of Islamic faith." -- Reza Shah-Kazemi, The Institute of Ismaili Studies "The Study Quran is a treasure trove of insights and information. There is nothing quite like it in English: a single volume comprising an accessible translation, a survey of classical commentaries, essays by prominent scholars, informative appendices, and multiple maps. Indeed a massive, unprecedented undertaking." -- Mohammad Hassan Khalil, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies and Director of the Muslim Studies Program, Michigan State University "The Study Quran is a unique work. It provides a clear, readable translation of the Quran and detailed explanations of Quranic ideas and concepts. Its accessibility is likely to gain a large readership. An indispensable Quranic studies resource for scholar and student." -- Mustansir Mir, Youngstown State University "A work of extraordinary significance, The Study Quran makes accessible in English Islam's sacred scripture along with an array of material necessary to appreciate the nuances of the text. An invaluable and much needed resource for understanding the Quran. A monumental accomplishment." -- Ali Asani, Professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures and Director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Islamic Studies Program, Harvard University "Never before has the depth of Quranic exegesis been available in a single volume. We can think of few tasks more urgent in the global climate than discovering the universal character of this misunderstood text. We owe the editors our profound gratitude." -- Dr. Waleed El-Ansary, University Chair of Islamic Studies at Xavier University "Seyyed Hossein Nasr has assembled a magnificent team of younger scholars, not only competent in Quranic studies but suffused with Muslim faith as well, to open its reaches in the world today. A prodigious effort of scholarship in the service of faith. " -- David Burrell, Theodore Hesburgh C.S.C. Professor Emeritus in Philosophy and Theology, University of Notre Dame "The Study Quran will remain for many decades to come the key reference work in English for students of Islamic Studies and scholars of religion alike, as well as ordinary readers interested in the spiritual content, historical context and literary monument of the revelation of Islam." -- Dr. Leonard Lewisohn, Senior Lecturer in Persian, University of Exeter, U.K. "The Study Quran is a milestone in Islamic studies. It will become the standard reference for anyone interested in traditional Muslim interpretation of the Quran." -- Carl W. Ernst, William R. Kenan, Jr., Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill "This is perhaps the most important work done on the Islamic faith in the English language to date. We owe a great debt to Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, one of the intellectual giants of our time, and his team for bringing this labor of love to fruition." -- Hamza Yusuf, Co-Founder of Zaytuna College "The Study Quran will be an essential book for every English speaking student of Islam and every Muslim (and every Sufi) for generations to come. It answers every question about the meaning of Quranic verses that the vast majority of readers of the Quran will have." -- Dr. Alan Godlas, Associate Professor , Department of Religion, University of Georgia "An important event in the history of Quranic studies. It will make available the Quranic text along with a clearly written commentary, thus it's much more important than another translation. An extremely useful work, particularly since it will allow readers who are not Arabists to engage easily with the Quran." -- Devin Stewart, Associate Professor at Emory University "Many English translations of the Quran have been ill-suited to foiling extremist ideology or introducing Americans to Islam. Ten years in the making, The Study Quran is an effort to change that." -- Daniel Burke, CNN "The publication of The Study Quran is a landmark. It contains an original translation of the Quran [and] an extensive scholarly apparatus, pointing readers to the ways that Quranic verses have been interpreted, especially during the first several centuries after the life of the Prophet Muhammad." -- Patheos blog "Some of us-particularly those of us who have no particular expertise regarding Islam-should seize the opportunity just now made available to us, The Study Quran. Many have already noted that in a time when ignorance is rampant and violent, this can be a book of great value." -- America magazine "New Study Quran seeks to increase understanding." -- Amanpour, CNN "The Study Quran... will fuel a new understanding of Islam for anyone with a desire to grow beyond their own private religious paradigm." -- Clarion Journal of Spirituality and Justice "The Study Quran, joins the groaning shelves of 'study Bibles' as a resource for Muslims-and for Christians who want to learn more about this closely related sister faith." -- ReadTheSpirit.com "The Study Quran from HarperOne is a historic and ground-breaking work produced by a distinguished team of Islamic Studies scholars." -- Maxwell Institute podcast "What distinguishes The Study Quran is not merely its collective authorship but the scope and scale of its ambition." -- The Muslim World "Happily, the publication of this excellent new Study Quran ... holds out the prospect of a better-informed body of Muslims, Christians and others able to discuss with clarity and precision what Islam is really all about." -- The Tablet "The Study Quran puts this great religious work in historical perspective. It is causing a stir and maybe something of a revolution [and] pissing off the Saudis. This interpretation would seem to challenge extremists and seeks to remedy the previous absence of solid historical discourse." -- The Daily Beast "A stimulating, intelligent volume. This project will appeal not only to Muslim students but also to non-Muslims eager to advance their knowledge and comprehension of the Islamic faith. A refreshingly contemporary interpretation that ... fills a sorely felt gap." -- Abdullah Drury, Islam and Christian Muslim Relations Journal "Much-needed. English-speakers can now gain ready access to authoritative scholarship representing the grand tradition of this massive religion." -- GetReligion.org "A compendious new version...this edition succeeds in presenting eh Qur'an to a general reader in the English-speaking world." -- Quest journal "This Quran is impressive, timely, and necessary, especially for Western audiences debating the nature of Islam in light of attacks made by Islamist groups throughout the Middle East and the West, and increasingly heated presidential campaign debates regarding Muslims in the United States." -- The Diplomat "Nasr and his team have done the English-speaking world an enormous favor with their erudite and profound translation and commentary on the Qur'an combined with essays by some of the most learned scholars on the Qur'an-a timely contribution in a world that has become infected by Islamophobia and intolerance." -- Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl, UCLA School of Law, and author of The Great Theft

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewDeeply thoughtful…A delight. * The Economist *A closely researched and engrossing study of a subset of the Republic of Letters—those scholars who, having learned Arabic, used their mastery of that difficult language to interpret the Quran, study the career of Muhammad, write the history of medieval Islam and introduce Europeans to the masterpieces of Arabic literature…[Bevilacqua] has joined the ranks of a latter-day Republic of Arabic Letters that, in its scholarship and scholarly cooperation, is in no way inferior to its early-modern precursor. -- Robert Irwin * Wall Street Journal *What makes his study so groundbreaking, and such a joy to read, is the connection he makes between intellectual history and the material history of books. The re-evaluation of Islam that took place in the 17th century was closely connected to the acquisition of a much wider range of empirical sources than had been available before: it was the stockpiling of Oriental collections in the great libraries of Europe that enabled this work to take place. -- Gavin Jacobson * Financial Times *[A] tour de force study of the origins of modern Islamic scholarship in the West and its central role in the Enlightenment…Bevilacqua’s extraordinary book provides the first true glimpse into this story…It has taken until now for a book to tell the history of the origins of the Western study of Islam, as Bevilacqua’s does. Few have his linguistic and cultural expertise. He, like the tradition he describes, is a rarity. -- Jacob Soll * New Republic *Erudite and eloquent…What [Bevilacqua’s] meticulous scholarship reveals is that between the mid-17th and mid-18th centuries, the engagement with Islam really did transform Europeans’ understanding not only of Islam but also of their own Christian faith. -- Dmitri Levitin * London Review of Books *Anyone interested in the Enlightenment, or Islam, or both, should read Alexander Bevilacqua’s The Republic of Arabic Letters. -- Ritchie Robertson * Times Literary Supplement *Bevilacqua offers many surprising discoveries. One of them is that robust modern scholarship on Islam was shaped in an ostensibly improbable source, namely the Vatican…It is indicative of the West’s tortuous engagement with Islam that the foundation of European scholarship on Islam had to wait until now to be uncovered; it is all the more creditable that Bevilacqua has cleared the ground to build on it. -- Benedikt Koehler * Standpoint *A succinct and erudite overview of 17th- and 18th-century European scholars and writers who focused on Islamic studies. * Publishers Weekly *A closely researched and elegantly written book…The Republic of Arabic Letters brings back to life a fascinating moment in intellectual history. -- Francis Ghiles * Arab Weekly *An extraordinary achievement, displaying wide-ranging and often profound scholarship…A book of great originality, based on an astonishingly wide array of sources, some previously uninvestigated, and all carefully interpreted…Will be essential reading, not only for those concerned with ‘Islam and the European Enlightenment,’ but for anyone interested in the intellectual history of the eighteenth century, or in the achievements of Arabists in the seventeenth. -- G. J. Toomer * Erudition and the Republic of Letters *The great names of the second phase [of reinterpretation of Islam] are known, among them secular men of letters like Montesquieu and Voltaire. The scholars of the first phase, however, are forgotten. The fascinating study of the American historian Alexander Bevilacqua studies these figures. Many of them were, unlike the Enlighteners after them, pious Christians or even clerics. They engaged on the basis of their faith with Islam, out of curiosity and as scholars. Thus Bevilacqua draws the portrait of a ‘Republic of Letters’ dedicated to the Islamic-Arabic world that was not known until now. -- Rainer Hermann * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *Fabulous…Bevilacqua narrates in lucid prose how the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries witnessed a transformation in European knowledge of Islam and its peoples. -- Richard Calis * Marginalia *[A] fascinating book. -- Fitzroy Morrissey * History Today *Bevilacqua explores a new humanism in early modern Europe that sought a more accurate representation of Muslims…The resulting wave of scholarship has impacted Europe’s relations with Muslims ever since. -- I. Blumi * Choice *In this passionate, lucid, and enjoyable book, Bevilacqua successfully pursues the connection between intellectual history and material history of books, showing how new texts and new information changed the traditional understanding of Islam. And in so doing he considers, rightly, the birth of the republic of Arabic letters to have been an episode in the history of the global Enlightenment or, at least, ‘a significant chapter in the long and painstaking global advance of philological learning and interreligious knowledge.’ -- Franco Giudice * Il Sole 24 Ore *Fascinating, eloquent, and learned, The Republic of Arabic Letters reveals a world later lost, in which European scholars studied Islam with a sense of affinity and respect. With deep research and insight, Alexander Bevilacqua delivers a powerful reminder of the ability of scholarship to transcend cultural divides, and the capacity of human minds to accept differences without denouncing them. -- Maya Jasanoff, author of The Dawn Watch: Joseph Conrad in a Global WorldAmong the many things produced by the Enlightenment we must now include a vast expansion of European scholarly engagement with Arabic and Islam. That engagement shaped much of how future Christians and Muslims would think about each other and themselves. Alexander Bevilacqua’s learned and luminous The Republic of Arabic Letters is both a recovery of a fascinating moment in intellectual history, and an exploration of the conditions of thought in our own time. -- David Nirenberg, author of Neighboring Faiths: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism in the Middle Ages and TodayA lucid, erudite, and in many respects engaging study of a dimension of the European Enlightenment and its precursor traditions that has not previously been examined. -- William Graham * European Legacy *The Republic of Arabic Letters contends that Maracci, d’Herbelot, and Sale, along with a few other scholars scattered across Europe, were responsible for transforming Europe’s understanding of Islam. A worthy chronicler of these meticulous and erudite figures, Bevilacqua moves easily between multiple languages to trace a trans-European story packed with colorful anecdotes and elegantly told lives. -- Ian Coller * Journal of Modern History *

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Book SynopsisAn international best seller, Understanding the Qur'an Today offers a new perspective on one of the world's most influential texts and adds an invaluable contribution to the debate on Islam and modernity.Trade Review`Timely and provocative ... Knowledge of the context of revelation is indispensable to our very understanding of the Qur'an and of the wisdom behind sharia. This alone makes Hussein's work a much needed intervention, especially when dominant currents in modern and contemporary Islamic thought tend to ignore the particularity of the event in favour of the generality of the signifier.' Journal of the Society for Contemporary Thought and the Islamicate World; 'Understanding the Qur an Today, with its careful explanations and logical reasoning, is a much-needed contribution to modern Islamic philosophy.' KalimatTable of ContentsContents: 1. What the Qur'an says and what people make it say 9 2. The created and the uncreated 17 3. Understanding the Qur'an 21 4. The historical setting for Revelation 25 5. The beginnings of Revelation 29 6. The Qur'an in its historical context 39 7. The Qur'an in the time of Creation 43 8. Text and context 49 9. God replies to the arguments of the polytheists 53 10. God orders combat against the polytheists 69 11. God replies to the arguments of the Jews 75 12. God replies to the arguments of the Christians 85 13. God cares for the Muslim community 89 14. God guides His Messenger 107 15. Verses concerning the person of the Prophet 125 16. Verses concerning the contemporaries of the Prophet 129 17. Verses concerning historical events 133 18. The abrogated verses 141 19. Circumstances and causes 151 20. Yesterday and today 155 Notes 168 Works cited 175

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Book SynopsisThis comprehensive set includes thorough examinations of the QurÃn in Wherry''s essential four volume commentary. There is also an excellent overview of Islam by the well known scholar Edward Sell, The Faith of Islam which examines the history of Islam, the different forms of Islam and religious practice. This set will prove to be an excellent historical resource for anyone interested in western scholarship of Islamic doctrine, and the writings in the QurÃnTable of ContentsXLI.-ENTITLED SURAT AL FUSSILAT (EXPLANATION), XLII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL SHORI (CONSULTATION), XLIII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL ZUKHRAF (THE ORNAHENTS OF GOLD), XLIV.-ENTITLED SURAT AL DUKHAN (SMOKE), XLV.-ENTITLED SURAT AL JASIYAH (KNEELING), XLVI.-ENTITLED SURAT AL AHQAF (THE SANDHILL), XLVII.-ENTITLED SURAT MUHAMMAD, XLVIII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL FATAH (VICTORY), XLIX.-ENTITLED SURAT AL HUJRAT (THE INNER APARTMENTS), L.-ENTITLED SURAT AL QAF (Q.), LI.-ENTITLED SURAT AL ZARIYAT (THE DISPERSING), LII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL TUR (THE MOUNTAIN), LIII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL NAJM (THE STAR), LIV.-ENTITLED SURAT AL QAMR (THE MOON), LV.-ENTITLED SURAT AL RAHMAN (THE MERCIFUL), LVI.-ENTITLED SURAT AL WAQIA (THE INEVITABLE), LVII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL HADID (IRON), LVIII.-ENTITLED SURAT A.L MUJADALAH (SHE WHO DISPUTBD), LIX.-ENTITLED SURAT AL HASHR (THE EMIGRATION), LX.-ENTITLED SURAT AL MUMTAHINA (SHE WHO IS TRIED), LXI.-ENTITLED SURAT AL SAF (BATTLE-ARRAY), LXII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL JUMA (THE AsSEMBLY), LXIII.-ENTITLED SUBAT AL MUNAFIQUN (THE HYPOCRITES), LXIV.-ENTITLED SURAT AL TAGHABUN (MUTUAL DECEIT), LXV.-ENTITLED SURAT AL TALAQ (DIVORCE), LXVI.-ENTITLED SURAT AL TAHRIM (PROHIBITION), LXVII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL MULK (THE KINGDOM), LXVIII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL QALAM (THE PEN), LXIX.-ENTITLED SURAT AL HAQQAT (THE INFALLIBLE), LXX.-ENTITLED SURAT AL MAARIJ (THE STEPS), LXXI.-ENTITLED SURAT NUH (NOAH), LXXII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL JINN (THE GENII), LXXIII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL MUZZA1>fMIL (WRAPPED UP), LXXIV.-ENTITLED SURAT AL MUDDABSIR (THE COVERED), LXXV.-ENTITLED SURAT AL QiYAMAT (THE RESURRECTION), LXXVI.-ENTITLED SURAT AL INSAN (MAN), LXXVII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL MURSALAT (THE MESSENGERS), LXXVIII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL NABA (THE NEWS), LXXIX.-ENTITLED SUBAT AL NAZIAT (THOSE WHO TEAR FORTH), LXXX.-ENTITLED SURAT AL ABAS (HE FROWNED), LXXXI.-ENTITLED SURAT AL TAKWIR (THE FOLDING UP), LXXXII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL INFITAR (THE CLEAVING IN SUNDER), LXXXIII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL TATFIF (THOSE WHO GIVE SHORT MEASURE), LXXXIV.-ENTITLED SURAT AL INSHIQAQ (THE RENDING IN SUNDER), LXXXV.-ENTITLED SURAT AL BURUJ (THE CELESTIAL SIGNS), LXXXVI.-ENTITLED SURAT AL TARIQ (THE STAR WHICH APPEARED BY NIGHT), LXXXVII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL ALA (THE MOST HIGH), LXXXVIII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL GHASHIYA (THE OVERWHELMING), LXXXIX.-ENTITLED SURAT AL F-AJR (THE DAYBREAK), XC.-ENTITLED SURAT AL BALAD (THE TERRITORY), XCI.-ENTITLED SURAT AL SHAMS (THE SUN), XCII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL LAIL (THE NIGHT), XCIII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL ZUHA (THE BRIGHTNESS), XCIV.-ENTITLED SURAT AL INSHIRAH (HAVE WE NOT OPENED?), XCV.-ENTITLED SURAT AL TIN (THE FIG), XCVI.-ENTITLED SURAT AL ALAQ (THE CONGEALED BLOOD), XCVI I.-ENTITLED SURAT AL QADR (NIGHT OF POWER), XCVIII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL BAIYANA (THE EVIDENCE), XCIX.-ENTITLED SURAT AL ZILZAL (THE EARTHQUAKE), C.-ENTITLED SURAT AL ADIYAT (THE WARHORSES WHICH RUN SWIFTLY), CI.-ENTITLED SURT AL QARIA (THE STRIKING), CI I.-ENTITLED SURAT AL TAKASUR (THE EMULOUS DESIRE OF MULTIPLYING), CIII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL ASAR (THE AFTERNOON), CIV.-ENTITLED SURAT AL HAMZA (THE SLANDERER), CV.-ENTITLED SURAT AL FIL (THE ELEPHANT), CVI.-ENTITLED SURAT AL QURAISH (THE QURAISH), CVII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL MAUN (NECESSARIES), CVIII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL KAUTHAR (ABUNDANCE), CIX.-ENTITLED SURAT AL KAFIRUN (THE UNBELIEVERS), CX.-ENTITLED SURAT AL NASR (ASSISTANCE), CXI.-ENTITLED SURAT AL ABU LAHAB, CXII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL IKHLAS (DECLARATION OF GOD'S UNITY), CXIII.-ENTITLED SURAT AL FALAQ (THE DAYBREAK), CXIV.-ENTITLED SURAT AL NAS (MEN), INDEX

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Book SynopsisMuslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices offers a survey of Islamic history and thought from the formative period of the religion to the contemporary period. It examines the unique elements which have combined to form Islam, in particular, the Qur?an and perceptions of the Prophet Mu?ammad, and traces the ways in which these ideas have interacted to influence Islam's path to the present. Combining core source materials with coverage of current scholarship and of recent events in the Islamic world, Bernheimer and Rippin introduce this hugely significant religion, including alternative visions of Islam found in Shi'ism and Sufism, in a succinct, challenging, and refreshing way. The improved and expanded fifth edition is updated throughout and includes new textboxes. With detailed illustrations and a new companion website, Muslims is the ideal introduction for students who wish to explore the key issues of Muslims, from the Qur?an to Islamic feminism, Trade Review"Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices provides an authoritative overview to both historical and contemporary issues when it comes to how Muslims have understood, interpreted and applied Islam. By its emphasis on complexity, source criticism and internal variations, the book provides a nuanced description that explains past and present developments, as well as dividing lines among Muslims. In this edition, Teresa Bernheimer has carefully revised and updated the late professor Andrew Rippin’s earlier editions. By addressing contemporary affairs and how Muslims are perceived in the twenty-first century, this book provides a user-friendly introduction to the study of Islam and its fascinating, but also very complex history." Göran Larsson, University of Gothenburg, Sweden."This fifth edition of Muslims continues to stand out due to its comprehensive coverage, critical historical perspective and attention to the dynamics of religious identity construction. It is gratifying to see the author’s legacy continue. Just the right amount of challenge for undergraduate students." F. Volker Greifenhagen, Luther College, University of Regina, Canada."This book remains a valuable and unmatched contribution to the field, with chapters that offer thematic, chronologically-based overviews of the key developments in the faith, scholarship, and practice of Islam. It offers highly readable prose and substantive, probing coverage of key issues from medieval to contemporary times. Undergraduates will find it challenging but eye opening, graduate students and the interested general reader will find it thought-provoking and insightful, and even experts in the field will find their knowledge enhanced and amplified. A tour de force." Andrea L. Stanton, University of Denver, USA."This textbook, while academic, remains respectful in tone, yet thoughtful in the issues raised throughout. It seems that the primary pedagogical purpose of Muslims is not only to inform, but to stimulate critical and reflective thinking, not only on questions of approach and method, but also on issues that are alive and well—and also alive and dangerous—in the contemporary situation today."Christopher Buck, Reading Religion.Table of ContentsList of IllustrationsPreface to the fifth editionIntroduction Part I: Formative elements of classical Islam 1 Prehistory 2 The Qurān 3 Muḥammad Part II: Emergence of Islamic identity 4 Political action and theory 5 Theological exposition 6 Legal developments 7 Ritual practice Part III: Alternative visions of classical Islamic identity 8 The Shī a 9 Ṣūfī devotion Part IV: Consolidation of Islamic identity 10 Intellectual culture 11 Medieval visions of Islam Part V: Modern visions of Islam 12 Describing modernity 13 Muḥammad and modernity 14 The Qurān and modernity 15 Issues of identity: ritual and politics Part VI: Re-visioning Islam 16 Women, intellectuals, and other challenges 17 Perceptions of Muslims in the twenty-first century Glossary References General index Index of Qurʾān citations

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Book SynopsisUtilising a pioneering theological and hermeneutic framework adapted from both classical Muslim literature and contemporary academic studies of the Qur'an, Ramon Harvey explores the underlying principles of its system of social justice.

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Book SynopsisThe teachings, style and impact of the Qur'an have always been matters of controversy, among both Muslims and non-Muslims. But in a modern context of intercultural sensitivity, what the Qur'an says and means are perhaps more urgent questions than ever before. This major new book by one of the world's finest Islamic scholars responds to that urgency. Building on his earlier groundbreaking work, the author challenges misinterpretations of particular Qur'anic verses from whatever quarter. He addresses the infamous 'sword' verse, frequently cited as a justification for jihad. He also questions the 'tribute' verse, associated with the Muslim state subjugating Jews and Christians; and the idea of Paradise in the Qur'an, often viewed by the West as emphasising merely physical pleasures, or used by Islamic fighters as their just reward for holy war. The author argues that wrenching the verses out of the context of the whole has led to dangerous ideologies being built on isolated phrases which have then assumed afterlives of their own. This nuanced, holistic reading has vital interfaith ramifications.

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Book SynopsisWhat is the nature of the Qur’an? It might seem a straightforward question, but there is no consensus among modern communities of the Qur’an, both Muslim and non-Muslim, about the answer. And why should there be? On numerous occasions throughout history, believers from different schools and denominations, and at different times and places, have agreed to disagree. The Qur’anic interpreters, jurists and theologians of medieval Baghdad, Cairo and Cordoba coexisted peacefully in spite of their diverging beliefs. Seeking to revive this ‘ethics of disagreement’ of Classical Islam, this volume explores the different relationships societies around the world have with the Qur’an and how our understanding of the text can be shaped by studying the interpretations of others. From LGBT groups to urban African American communities, this book aims to represent the true diversity of communities of the Qur’an in the twenty-first century, and the dialogue and debate that can flow among them.Trade Review‘Contains a very valuable range of perspectives… Students/readers will walk away with an appreciation of the messiness of communal lines and connections, practices of reading, meaning-making, and interpretation, and in some communities, even the embodied and practiced dimensions of a sacred text.’ * Review of Qur’anic Research *‘This lovely collection describes ten different interpretive communities, both Muslim and non-Muslim, of the Qur’an. It helps us to better understand the text that is central to the world’s Muslims, while illuminating their own diversity.’ -- Amir Hussain, Professor of Theological Studies, Loyola Marymount UniversityTable of ContentsForeword Reza Aslan Introduction Emran El-Badawi and Paula Sanders PART I: COMMUNITIES OF CULTURE AND EXPERIENCE 1 African-American Communities of the Qur’an Aminah Beverly Al-Deen 2 Nizari Ismaili Engagements with the Qur’an: the Khojas of South Asia Ali Asani 3 The Reception of the Qur’an in Popular Sufism in Indonesia: tadabbur among the Ma‘iyah Community Lien Iffah Naf’atu Fina and Ahmad Rafiq PART II: BETWEEN GENDER AND COMMUNITY 4 Musawah: Gender Equity through Qur’anic Discourse Amina Wadud 5 The Reception of the Qur’an in the LGBTQ Muslim Community Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle PART III: THE SILENT, SPEAKING AND LIVING WORD 6 The Speaking Qur’an and the Praise of the Imam: the Memory and Practice of the Qur’an in the Twelver Shia Tradition Sajjad Rizvi 7 The Qur’an and the Baha’i Faith Todd Lawson PART IV: COMMUNITIES OF TEXT AND TRADITION 8 How the Qur’an Shapes the Sunni Community Ingrid Mattson 9 The Qur’an and the Ahmadiyya Community: an Overview Mujeeb Ur Rahman 10 Why the Qur’anists are the Solution: a Declaration Ahmed Subhy Mansour Afterword Reuven Firestone Index

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Book SynopsisThe Qur’an is full of parables. Each one, when its meaning is unpacked and understood, offers wisdom and guidance. Surah Kahf, chapter 18 from the Qur’an, is particularly thought provoking, and Muslims are advised to read it at least once a week. But why? And what can we gain from it? In this book Yasir Qadhi leads us through Surah Kahf, unfolding the lines, stories and symbols that have inspired people for over a thousand years: the people of the cave, Prophet Musa’s momentous encounter with Khidr, the two men and their gardens, and Gog and Magog. And surely We have explained matters to people in the Qur’an in diverse ways, using all manners of parables. (Qur’an 18:54) Through Yasir Qadhi’s unmistakeable voice, modern Muslims may glimpse some of the Qur’an’s profound meaning. Say: “If the sea were to become ink to record the Words of my Lord, indeed the sea would all be used up before the Words of my Lord are exhausted…” (Qur’an 18:109)

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Book SynopsisThe Qur?an is the sacred religiousbook of Muslims around the world. Yet its history, from its inception in seventh-centuryArabia to its transmission in the modern world, remains understudied. Thetwelve chapters in this book address this lacuna by examining multifacetedstages in the Qur?an?s history and transmission through a broad range ofmethodological and theoretical approaches. The volume examines the earliestmaterial evidence of the Qur?an through its manuscript tradition and explorestheir content and form. This includes a focus on the Qur?an?s uniqueorthography and insights into the Sanaa manuscripts. Additionally, this workprovides new insights by broaching upon critical moments in the Qur?an?shistory, such as the codification of Abu Bakr. A crucial component of the bookdeals with approaches to the variant readings of the Qur?an, understood asbeing sanctioned through narrations on thea?ruf. It explores freshinsights into how Muslim scholars theorised such variances and the way theyrelated them to theqira?at,including how they approached thevariant codices of prominent companions. Furthermore, this work exploresunderstudied non-Qur?anic transmissions of the Qur?an alongside the historicaldevelopment of Qur?an translations. This volume advances the field of Qur?anicstudies and Qur?anic history.

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Book SynopsisThe Qur’an has spoken to Muslims for over one thousand years; it is seen as law-maker, moral code, and the word of God. Drawing on both contemporary and ancient sources, Esack outlines the key themes and explains the historical and cultural context of this unique work whilst examining its content, language and style, and the variety of approaches, including fundamentalist, feminist, and modernist, that have been used to interpret it. Other areas covered include: the Qu'ran as evocative oral experience; understanding and interpreting the Qu'ran; the major themes of the Qu'ran, including such issues as truth, justice and gender relations.

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Book SynopsisThis book discusses recent trends and issues in the scholarly study of the Qur’ān and its exegesis. The last few years have witnessed an unprecedented development in qur'anic studies in terms of both the number of volumes that have been produced and the wide range of issues covered. It is not an exaggeration to say that the field of qur'anic studies today has become the 'crown' of Islamic studies. In this book, scholars of diverse approaches critically engage with the Qur’ān and its exegesis, including questions about the milieu in which the Qur’ān emerged, the Qur’ān's relation to the biblical tradition, its chronology, textual integrity, and its literary features. In addition, this volume addresses recent scholarship on tafsīr (qur'anic exegesis), including thematic interpretation, diacronic and syncronic readings of the Qur’ān. Various approaches to understanding the Muslim scripture with or without tafsīr are also discussed.

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Book Synopsis This study examines the marital data preserved within the Arabic genealogical works of the early ninth century CE in order to better understand the tribal relationships of the pre-Islamic Quraysh (the Arabic tribe to which Muhammad belonged). The research establishes the accuracy of the Nasab Quraysh (Genealogy of the Quraysh) and informs a more nuanced analysis of the politics of the Central Hijaz into which Islam was born.

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Book SynopsisThe study of Islam’s origins from a rigorous historical and social science perspective is still wanting. At the same time, a renewed attention is being paid to the very plausible pre-canonical redactional and editorial stages of the Qur'an, a book whose core many contemporary scholars agree to be formed by various independent writings in which encrypted passages from the OT Pseudepigrapha, the NT Apocrypha, and other ancient writings of Jewish, Christian, and Manichaean provenance may be found. Likewise, the earliest Islamic community is presently regarded by many scholars as a somewhat undetermined monotheistic group that evolved from an original Jewish-Christian milieu into a distinct Muslim group perhaps much later than commonly assumed and in a rather unclear way. The following volume gathers select studies that were originally shared at the Early Islamic Studies Seminar. These studies aim at exploring afresh the dawn and early history of Islam with the tools of biblical criticism as well as the approaches set forth in the study of Second Temple Judaism, Christian, and Rabbinic origins, thereby contributing to the renewed, interdisciplinary study of formative Islam as part and parcel of the complex processes of religious identity formation during Late Antiquity.

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Book SynopsisSharīʿa Scripts is a work of historical anthropology focused on Yemen in the early twentieth century. Brinkley Messick uses the writings of the Yemeni past to offer a comprehensive view of the sharīʿa as a localized and lived phenomenon in a groundbreaking examination of the interpretative range and insights offered by the anthropologist as reader.Trade ReviewA detailed study of the production, transmission, and transformation of scriptural judicial knowledge among Yemeni scholars, judges, and other legal figures. -- Maurits S., Berger Leiden University * Journal of the American Oriental Society *Skillfully recovers the practice of Shari'a law in the highlands of prerevolutionary Yemen. * Choice *Turns on its head a long history of assumptions regarding categories that have largely remained unquestioned. * Reading Religion *A complex and sophisticated book, one that provides important insights into Islamic jurisprudence and legal practice and forces the reader to think carefully about how these might (or should) be understood and explored. * Islamic Law and Society *In this monumental work, Brinkley Messick presents a richly detailed explication of a ground-breaking approach to the study of the textual traditions of shari'a, combining nuanced ethnography of locally contextualized practices of writingand reading with a sharp critical engagement with the work of philologists and historians of Islamic law and society. * Journal of Islamic Studies *This book is an outstanding achievement that takes the historical and anthropological dimensions of shar¯ıʻa practice seriously * Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute *Sharīʿa Scripts explores debates within an Islamic legal tradition about the status of writing and thus of recorded truth. This is an impressive piece of work that draws upon the author’s four decades of thought and reading. No one else can move among these Yemeni texts with such assurance, and classic works such as Kitāb al-azhār, Sharḥ al-azhār, and Sayl al-jarrār are read more closely than any Western academic has attempted previously. A formative and distinguished book. -- Paul Dresch, St John's College, OxfordMulticentury approaches of the sharīʿa have regrettably transformed law into a banal history of ideas without much connection to practice. Messick’s Sharīʿa Scripts instead takes the sharīʿa right from the economy of the local, that of central Yemen, and places research at a micro level. Historical anthropology makes possible the tracing of genealogical lines of power relations, and the depiction of narratives and discourses in relation to local practices. This book, which takes the logic of texts and their practices to new heights, stands out as a masterful contribution to sharīʿa studies worldwide. -- Zouhair Ghazzal, Loyola University, ChicagoWhat would be an anthropology of an Islamic juridical tradition? Anthropology aims to describe the whole as lived. Hence the ambition is larger than the historical genealogies or analytical interpretation of textual scholarship. This book examines both the structure of the jurisprudential ‘library,’ using the techniques of textual scholarship, and the ‘archive’ of day-to-day documentation of life in law, situating documents in the practices of writing and orality. Such an undertaking is virtually unique: the late survival of scriptural practice, the living interface of Zaydī and Shāfiʿī traditions, and the political centrality of Islamic jurisprudence made never-colonized highland Yemen of the mid-twentieth century a unique site for such an anthropology. The result is a mature work that quietly destroys clichés ever reproduced not only by journalism (and political revivalist movements) but also by textual scholarship. There cannot be another like it. -- Martha Mundy, London School of EconomicsSharīʿa Scripts is a work of tremendous erudition and imagination that provides a veritable roadmap for a new anthropology of Islamic law. It is bound to become required reading for scholars, students and the general public interested in understanding the inner workings of legal praxis in an authentic Muslim society. * Cahiers de'etudes africaines *Table of ContentsMap of Western YemenIntroductionPart I. Library1. Books2. Pre-text: Five Sciences3. Commentaries: “Write It Down”4. Opinions5. “Practice with Writing”Part II. Archive6. Intermission7. Judgments8. Minutes9. Moral Stipulations10. ContractsPostscriptNotesManuscripts and Archival MaterialsBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Navid Kermani has written one of the most insightful books on religion to appear in decades.”Susannah Heschel, Dartmouth CollegeTable of ContentsPreface I. The First Listeners II. The Text III. The Sound IV. The Miracle V. The Prophet among the Poets VI. The Sufi Listeners Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe novel, the literary adage has it, reflects a world abandoned by God. Yet the possibilities of novelistic form and literary exegesis exceed the secularizing tendencies of contemporary criticism. Showing how the Qurʾan invites critical reading, this account of Arabophone and Francophone Maghrebi literature develops a Qurʾanic model of narratology.Table of ContentsNote on Translations and Transliterations | ix Acknowledgments | xi Preface: The Ethics of Reading | xv Introduction. The Quʾran as (Inter)text: Embodiment, Praxis, Critique | 1 Part I: Poetics of Piety 1. Existential Poiesis in Maḥmūd al-Masʿadī’s Mawlid al-nisyān | 37 2. Carnivals of Heterodoxy in Abdelwahab Meddeb’s Talismano | 58 Part II: Ethics of Embodiment 3. Apocalyptic Aftershocks in al-Ṭāhir Waṭṭār’s Al-zilzāl | 83 4. The Polyphonic Hermeneutics of Assia Djebar’s L’amour, la fantasia | 100 Part III: Genealogies of Transmission 5. Tense Eruptions in Driss Chraïbi’s Le passé simple | 119 6. Threads of Transmission in Muḥammad Barrāda’s Luʿbat al-nisyān | 141 Epilogue: Poetics, Politics, Piety | 159 Glossary | 167 Notes | 171 Bibliography | 213 Index | 231

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Book SynopsisThis book is a selection of forty beautiful Hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud. The Hadith are accompanied with an easy to follow explanation accessible to readership of all levels and all age ranges. The aim of this book is to give the reader a flavour of Hadith literature within Sunan Abu Dawud.  The themes of the Hadith will reflect the unique Hadith collection in Sunan Abu Dawud. The idea is to present a selection of Hadith showing various aspects of the Islamic teachings. The Hadith will mainly reflect themes regarding manners and etiquettes, character of a Muslim, exhortations and admonitions, remembrance of Allah, knowledge and action and beliefs. The goal is to select Hadith with the view to build character, promote spirituality, morals, manners and ethics. Within this volume is a simple discussion of the theoretical parameters of praiseworthy characters every Muslim should aspire to achieve, supererogatory virtuous acts of worship, and the moral philosophy (in particular normative ethics) of these Hadiths. It is hoped that this will open the doors for readers to enquire more about Hadith. Table of ContentsIntroduction Hadith 1 Being Compassionate to Allah’s Creation Hadith 2 Order and Discipline Create Harmony Hadith 3 Suitable Places for Prayer Hadith 4 Islam Teaches us Everything Hadith 5 The Etiquettes of Leaving the Toilet Hadith 6 The Importance of Suhur Hadith 7 It is Natural to Cry for Someone who has Died Hadith 8 Praying for the Dead? Hadith 9 The Three Types of Judges Hadith 10 What Breaks a Fast? Hadith 11 How Much Water Do You Need to Bathe and Make Ablution? Hadith 12 Spiritual Protection from Sudden Illness or Strokes Hadith 13 Remembering Allah while Distressed at Night Hadith 14 What is better than Sadaqah? Hadith 15 Details of the Day of Judgement Hadith 16 The Virtues of Reading the Qur’an Hadith 17 The Virtues of Sitting at the Place of Prayer Hadith 18 Getting our Prayers Answered Hadith 19 The Good Deeds of a Child Hadith 20 The Prophet’s Qurbani (Udhiyah) Hadith 21 The Prophet g Always Offered the Night Prayer (Tahajjud) Hadith 22 What to Break Fasts with Hadith 23 Seeing the Person You Propose to Marry Hadith 24 Do Not Overstay your Welcome Hadith 25 Being Mindful of those who have Lost a Family Member Hadith 26 The Blessings of Honest Trading Hadith 27 The Hide of an Animal Hadith 28 Following Protocol Hadith 29 Ruqyah: Protection from Lucky Charms and Spells Hadith 30 Washing and Observing Modesty Hadith 31 Having Pictures and Dogs in the House Hadith 32 Never Refuse Perfume Hadith 33 The Rights of the Road Hadith 34 Natural Characteristics of People Hadith 35 Wind: The Mercy of Allah Hadith 36 Sending Greetings upon the Prophet Muhammad g Hadith 37 Swearing at Time Hadith 38 Be Good to People Despite How They Are Hadith 39 How the Prophet g Dealt with People on a Personal Level Hadith 40 Control Your Anger

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Book SynopsisAn essential introductory text for the study of the Qur'an, its content, and its place in Muslim society. An insightful and authoritative introduction to the book at the heart of Muslim life, written by a well-known Islamic scholar Examines the doctrines contained in the Qur'an, providing a comprehensive explanation of their significance to individual Muslims and the societies in which they live Surveys the key themes of the Qur'an, its most significant historical interpretations, and some of the most significant figures who transmitted and taught the sacred scripture over the centuries Considers the influence of the Qur'an on all major aspects of Muslim society, including personal relationships, popular culture, law, art and architecture, political movements, science, and literature Helps the reader to understand the Qur'an, while throwing a much-needed light on what Trade Review?Ingrid Mattson has written a stimulating and scholarly account of Islam, focusing on the Quran. She has a gift for condensing complex material without oversimplifying and her approach, although scholarly, is far from being a dry analysis of well-known historical events and religious debates.? ( Journal of Islamic Studies, September 2009) ?It takes rare skill to make an introduction to scripture compelling, but Mattson has done it. Students will find the text fascinating, a delicate balance of highly scholarly material and inviting anecdotes. Scholars will also find the text of interest, particularly its deft compilation of a remarkable breadth of scholarship. Perhaps most importantly, this text is the first full introduction to the study of the Qur?an from the perspective of a Western Muslim woman, bringing the Qur?an alive in ways only someone fully engaged in and sensitive to twenty-first century realities can do.? Tamara Sonn, College of William & Mary ?The author has been entirely successful in accomplishing her aims: she has written an academically-based, well-documented introduction to the Qur'an which will find wide readership.? Andrew Rippin, University of Victoria ?A balanced, academically-based, and well-documented introduction ? Mattson throws a much-needed light on what it means to be a Muslim.? Islamic Horizons Table of ContentsIntroduction. 1. God Speaks to Humanity. 2. The Prophet Conveys the Message. 3. The Voice and the Pen. 4. Blessed Words: The Qur’an and Culture. 5. What God Really Means: Interpreting the Qur’an. 6. Listening for God. Glossary. Bibliography. Index

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Book SynopsisThe Blackwell Companion to the Qur'an is a reader's guide, a true companion for anyone who wishes to read and understand the Qur'an as a text and as a vital piece of Muslim life. Comprises over 30 original essays by leading scholars Provides exceptionally broad coverage - considering the structure, content and rhetoric of the Qur'an; how Muslims have interpreted the text and how they interact with it; and the Qur'an's place in Islam Features notes, an extensive bibliography, indexes of names, Qur'an citations, topics, and technical terms Trade ReviewA Choice Outstanding Academic Title for 2007 "This substantial volume, consisting of 30 original essays on the Qur'an by leading authorities in the field, is undoubtedly the best single-volume introduction to Islam's sacred text currently available in English … The editor has done a superb job in putting together a volume of generally high-quality essays that will serve the needs of a serious reading public, and also constitute an ideal text for introductory courses on the Qur'an at the university and college level. Essential.” Choice "This scholarly publication should be available in all academic libraries" The Muslim World Book Review “Rippin has kept his feet on the ground with this impressive collection of some 30 analyses of contemporary – mainly exegetical – issues associated with Qur’anic studies.” Reference Reviews “A thorough, scholarly introduction to the complexities of the Qur’an as both a religious text and as a work of literature.” Middle East Journal "These articles cover important and understudied traditions of quranic exegesis." Bulletin of the school of Oriental and African StudiesTable of ContentsList of Contributors. Preface (Andrew Rippin). Part I: Orientation. 1. Introducing (Tamara Sonn). 2. Discovering (Christopher Buck). 3. Contextualizing (Abdullah Saeed). Part II: Text. 4. Linguistic Structure (Salwa M.S. El-Awa). 5. Patterns of Address (Rosalind Ward Gwynne). 6. Language (Mustansir Mir). 7. Poetry and Language (Navid Kermani). 8. Foreign Vocabulary (Michael Carter). 9. Structure and the Emergence of Community (Angelika Neuwirth). 10. Sacrality and Collection (Aliza Shnizer). 11. Written Transmission (Francois Deroche). 12. Context: Muhammad (Herbert Berg). 13. Context: 'Umar b. al-Khattab (Avraham Hakim). Part III: Content. 14. God (Andrew Rippin). 15. Prophets and Prophethood (Uri Rubin)]. 16. Moses (Brannon Wheeler). 17. Argumentation (Kate Zebiri). 18. Knowing and Thinking (A.H. Mathias Zahniser). 19. Sex, Sexuality, and the Family (Khaleel Mohammed). 20. Jihad (Reuven Firestone). Part IV: Interpretation. 21. Hermeneutics: al-Tha'labi (Marianna Klar). 22. Stories of the Prophets (Marianna Klar). 23. Sufism (Alan Goldas). 24. Rumi (Jawid Mojaddedi). 25. Twelver Shi I Ta wil (Diana Steigerwald). 26. Isma ili Ta wil (Diana Steigerwald). Part V: Application. 27. Exegetical Sciences (Jane Dammen McAuliffe). 28. Theology (Binyamin Abrahamov). 29. Jurisprudence (A. Kevin Reinhart). 30. Contemporary Ethical Issues (Leah Kinberg). 31. Narrative Literature (Roberto Tottoli). 32. Recitation (Anna M. Gade). Bibliography. Index of People, Places and Topics. Index of Qur’ an Verses.

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Book SynopsisAllah is the most common and contested name in the Islamic tradition - but who is he? This book introduces a broad range of perspectives, practices and problems linked to Allah, including debates that are intra religious as well as inter religious, concerning differences among Muslims as well as between Muslims and non Muslim others.Trade Review'In his masterfully concise book, Bruce B. Lawrence navigates vast epochs of history and traverses a multitude of cultures, weaving threads of traditions and disciplines into a guide for a brief yet intimate encounter with the infinity of the Divine. This labor of love is an eloquent and erudite inquiry that is compassionate yet candid and keenly probing. The mystery of this fast and vast quest for Allah is that it manages to say so much with superb clarity and wit.' (Abdullahi Ahmed An Na'im, author of What Is an American Muslim?)

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Book SynopsisThe Epistle on Legal Theory is the oldest surviving Arabic work on Islamic legal theory and the foundational document of Islamic jurisprudence. Its author, Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi''i (d. 204/820), was the eponym of the Shafi''i school of legal thought, one of the four rites in Sunni Islam. This fascinating work offers the first systematic treatment in Arabic of key issues in Islamic legal thought. These include a survey of the importance of Arabic as the language of revelation, principles of textual interpretation to be applied to the Qur''an and prophetic Traditions, techniques for harmonizing apparently contradictory precedents, legal epistemology, rules of inference, and discussions of when legal interpretation is required. The author illustrates his theoretical claims with numerous examples drawn from nearly all areas of Islamic law, including ritual law, commercial law, tort law, and criminal law. The text thus provides an important window into both Islamic law and lTrade ReviewThis is a very accurate and eloquent translation.The translators use of suitable English terms makes the text easy to read, unburdened by transliterations or overly cumbersome terminology. -- Ahmed El Shamsy,University of ChicagoThe Epistle on Legal Theory represents one of the earliest complete works on Islamic law, one that is centrally important for the formation of Islamic legal thought and Islamic legal tradition. * Islamic Horizons *Lowry has made a new and assertive offering with his translation of conceptual terminology... a significant achievement. * Journal of Near Eastern Studies *Table of ContentsLetter from the General Editor Acknowledgments Introduction A Note on the Text Notes to the IntroductionEpistle on Legal Theory Notes Glossary of Names and Terms Bibliography Further Reading Index of Qur?an Passages Index About the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute About the TypefacesAbout the Editor-Translator

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Book SynopsisWhat is so unique about Islam's scripture, the Quran? Who wrote it, and when? Can we trust its statements to be from Muhammad? Why was it written in Arabic? Does it command Muslims to fight Christians? These are a few of the thirty questions answered in this clear and concise guide to the history and contents of the Quran. Ayman Ibrahim grew up in the Muslim world and has spent many years teaching various courses on Islam. Using a question-and-answer format, Ibrahim covers critical questions about the most sacred book for Muslims. He examines Muslim and non-Muslim views concerning the Quran, shows how the Quran is used in contemporary expressions of Islam, answers many of the key questions non-Muslims have about the Quran and Islam, and reveals the importance of understanding the Quran for Christian-Muslim and Jewish-Muslim interfaith relations. This introductory guide is written for anyone with little to no knowledge of Islam who wants to learn about Muslims, their beliefs, and their scripture.Table of ContentsContentsIntroduction: My Earliest Encounters with the QuranPart 1: The History of the Text of the Quran1. What Is the Quran?2. What Does "Quran" Mean?3. Are There Other Scriptures in Islam?4. What Do Muslims Believe about the Quran?5. Who Is Muhammad, the Recipient and Proclaimer of the Quran?6. Did Muhammad Really Exist?7. When and Where Did Muhammad Receive the Quran?8. What Is the Most Important Feature of the Language of the Quran?9. Why and How Was the Quran Compiled?10. Did Uthman Burn False and Forged Qurans?11. What Do Shiite Muslims Believe about the Collection of the Quran?12. Do Sunnis and Shiites Have the Same Quran Today?13. What Do We Know about the 1924 Royal Cairo Edition of the Quran?14. Are There Any Other Qurans?15. Are All Arabic Versions of the Quran the Same?Part 2: Content, Features, and Themes of the Quran16. How Should I Begin Reading the Quran?17. What Are the Recurring Features at the Beginning of All Suras?18. What Is Abrogation in the Quran?19. What Are the Satanic Verses in the Quran?20. What Is the Most Important Concept for Muslims in the Quran?21. Are Jews and Christians Infidels?22. Does the Quran Really Say the Bible Is Corrupt?23. Who Is Jesus in the Quran?24. Who Are the Prophets in the Quran?25. Did Muhammad Perform Miracles?26. What Does the Quran Say about Jihad and Fighting?27. How Do Muslims Treat the Quran's Verses on Violence Today?28. Who Are "the People of the Quran"?29. What Do Today's Non-MuslimScholars Say about the Quran?30. Concluding Question: How Does This All Fit Together?GlossaryIndex

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Book SynopsisDue to the long presence of Muslims in Islamic territories (Al-Andalus and Granada) and of Muslims minorities in the Christians parts, the Iberian Peninsula provides a fertile soil for the study of the Qur’an and Qur’an translations made by both Muslims and Christians. From the mid-twelfth century to at least the end of the seventeenth, the efforts undertaken by Christian scholars and churchmen, by converts, by Muslims (both Mudejars and Moriscos) to transmit, interpret and translate the Holy Book are of the utmost importance for the understanding of Islam in Europe. This book reflects on a context where Arabic books and Arabic speakers who were familiar with the Qur’an and its exegesis coexisted with Christian scholars. The latter not only intended to convert Muslims, and polemize with them but also to adquire solid knowledge about them and about Islam. Qur’ans were seized during battle, bought, copied, translated, transmitted, recited, and studied. The different features and uses of the Qur’an on Iberian soil, its circulation as well as the lives and works of those who wrote about it and the responses of their audiences, are the object of this book.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisThe book is a new and important addition to Quranic Literature. It gives comprehensive information about the plant and animal species cited in the verses of Holy Quran with respect to their biological status, specific characteristics, economic importance and their roles played in evolution and development of human cultures. All the respective verses citing the names of plants and animals or their products have been mentioned in the book and commented upon. The assigning of the proper biological status to them and their specific description have in a better way clarified the events associated with them and the messages and lessons conveyed through them. The book shall prove very useful to the scholars of the Quran and other religious scriptures who integrate science and religion.Table of Contents1. Quranic Plants 2. Quranic Animals

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Book SynopsisAn expressive and moving new translation of the Qur'an, written in simple and straightforward form for the 21st century reader.

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Book SynopsisAysha Hidayatullah presents the first comprehensive analysis of contemporary feminist interpretations of the Quran. Synthesizing prominent feminist readings of the Quran in the United States since the late twentieth century, she provides an essential introduction to this nascent field of Qur''anic scholarship and engages in a deep investigationas well as a radical critiqueof its methods and approaches. With a particular focus on feminist impasses in the Quranic text, she argues that many feminist interpretations rely on claims about feminist justice that are not fully supported by the text, and she proposes a major revision to their exegetical foundations. A provocative work of Muslim feminist theology, Feminist Edges of the Quran is a vital intervention in urgent conversations about women and the Quran.Trade Reviewforays into scriptural interpretation, analyzes and critiques their assumptions and methods, and proposes strategies for moving past the aporias generated by existing exegetical approaches. Combining historical explication, lucid analysis, and theologically constructive critique, Feminist Edges of the Quran is a landmark contribution to scholarship and a must-read for anyone interested in gender, authority, and Islam. * Kecia Ali, author of Sexual Ethics and Islam *This book is a comprehensive introduction to the American Islamic feminist debate. * Dorieke Molenaar, Sehepunkte *Table of ContentsPreface ; Acknowledgements ; Introduction ; Part I: Historical Emergence of Feminist Qur'anic Interpretation ; Chapter 1: History of Tafsir ; Chapter 2: The Frames of Feminism ; Chapter 3: Relationships to Co-Religionists and the State ; Part II: Three Interpretive Methods of Feminist Qur'anic Interpretation ; Chapter 4: Historical Contextualization Method ; Chapter 5: Intra-Textual Method ; Chapter 6: The Tawhidic Paradigm ; Part III: Critiques of Feminist Qur'anic Interpretation ; Chapter 7: Initial Conclusions ; Chapter 8: A Critical Reassessment ; Chapter 9: Confronting Feminist Edges ; Appendix of Qur'anic Verses ; Notes ; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisIn this book, Angelika Neuwirth provides a new approach to understanding the founding text of Islam. Typical exegesis of the Qur''an treats the text teleologically, as a fait accompli finished text, or as a replica or summary of the Bible in Arabic. Instead Neuwirth approaches the Qur''an as the product of a specific community in the Late Antique Arabian peninsula, one which was exposed to the wider worlds of the Byzantine and Sasanian empires, and to the rich intellectual traditions of rabbinic Judaism, early Christianity, and Gnosticism. A central goal of the book is to eliminate the notion of the Qur''an as being a-historical. She argues that it is, in fact, highly aware of its place in late antiquity and is capable of yielding valuable historical information. By emphasizing the liturgical function of the Qur''an, Neuwirth allows readers to see the text as an evolving oral tradition within the community before it became collected and codified as a book. This analysis sheds much needTrade Review...a crowning achievement of Angelika Neuwirth's distinguished career...Neuwirth's groundbreaking work aims to bridge the exegetical polarity between East and West and argues for a new approach to the Qur'an as a product of late antiquity...This hefty and complex tome is a powerful plaidoyer for (re)integrating early Islam into late antiquity. * Ivana Petrovic, University of Virginia *Table of ContentsI. How the Qur'an Has Been Read So Far: A Sketch of Research II. The Qur'an and Scripture III. The Qur'an and History IV. Redaction and the History of the Text V. Sura Structures and Chronology VI. The Liturgical Qur'an: On the Development of Cult at the Time of the Preaching VII. Stages of Communal Formation in the Early Meccan Period VIII. Stages of Communal Formation in the Middle and Late Meccan Periods IX. Stages of Communal Formation in Medina X. Qur'an and Bible XI. Biblical- Qur'anic Figures XII. The Qur'an and Poetry XIII. The Rhetorical Qur'an

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