Overview

The Qur'an: A Biography is a beautifully written and authoritative account of one of the world's most famous, and most misunderstood books. Few books in history are as poorly read or understood as the Qur'an. Sent down in a series of revelations to the Prophet Muhammad, it is regarded by the faithful as the unmediated word of Allah. It is revered by Muslims throughout the world, it inspires unparalleled levels of devotion, passion, fear and, sometimes, incomprehension. In this book, the distinguished scholar Bruce Lawrence shows precisely why the Qur'an is Islam. He describes the origins of the faith in seventh-century Arabia and looks at why the Qur'an needs to be both memorized and recited by its followers. Lawrence also discusses the book's many doubters and commentators and assesses its important influence in societies and politics today. Above all, Lawrence emphasizes that the Qur'an demands interpretation, and can only be properly understood through its history.

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9781843543992

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Reviews

"""'An exceptionally illuminating and balanced narrative.' Ziuddin Sardar, Independent * 'Lawrence's work could not be finer.' Stuart Kelly, Scotland on Sunday * 'Admirably balanced and informative.' John Gray, New Statesman * 'Compendious, clear and engaged... this series is a big success.' A.C. Grayling, The Times * 'These well written stories of great books serve as finger-licking, appetite-whetting hors d'oeuvre.' Ziauddin Sardar, Independent"""

Can a book that is above time and beyond history be the subject of a biography? Certain folk of a militant bent may say no, but Lawrence (Islamic Studies/Duke Univ.) bravely offers a sympathetic, even ecumenical, portrait of Islam's foundational text.According to Lawrence, the Qur'an, whose name means recitation, sounds better spoken than read silently and is an oral book that is also a scripture, a call to prayer that is the essence of prayer itself. The text-which Muslims believe the archangel Gabriel recited to the prophet Muhammad in the Arabian desert 14 centuries ago-declares itself to be the voice of the true religion ( The true religion with God is Islam ). It also declares, Lawrence holds, that peace (salam) is Islam's overarching priority, which renders problematic the interpretation of jihad as holy war waged literally against nonbelievers. Lawrence ventures that militant Muslims are a small but vocal minority whose emphasis on confrontation obscures the faith. He goes on to examine the life of the merchant Muhammad, whose first preaching of Islam earned him the wrath of his neighbors in Mecca and prompted his flight to Medina, from which the new religion spread. He offers character sketches of early interpreters of the Qur'an such as Tabari, an immensely learned man who would still have been one of the most important Muslim scholars of all time had he confined himself to it instead of writing 30 books on all manner of subjects; and he gently twits Western misappropriations of the Sufi tradition ( Deepak Chopra, Demi Moore and even Madonna have claimed to connect with the Whirling Dervish ). Most usefully-and courageously-he upholds the Muslim tradition against another misappropriation, that of fundamentalist militants such as Osama bin Laden who take the Qur'an to be not a set of moral directives but a mandate for terror.An important work for those seeking to understand-and defend-Islam. (Kirkus Reviews)

'An exceptionally illuminating and balanced narrative.' Ziuddin Sardar, Independent * 'Lawrence's work could not be finer.' Stuart Kelly, Scotland on Sunday * 'Admirably balanced and informative.' John Gray, New Statesman * 'Compendious, clear and engaged... this series is a big success.' A.C. Grayling, The Times * 'These well written stories of great books serve as finger-licking, appetite-whetting hors d'oeuvre.' Ziauddin Sardar, Independent

Author Information

Bruce Lawrence, Professor of Islamic Studies at DukeUniversity, the author of the award-winning book, Defenders of God: the Fundamentalist Revolt against the Modern World, and editor of the acclaimed Messages to the World: The Statements of Osama bin Laden.

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