Overview

Few books in history have been as important or as poorly understood as the Qur'an. Sent down in a series of revelations to the Prophet Muhammad, the Qur'an is the unmediated word of Allah: a ritual, political, and legal authority, an ethical and spiritual guide, and a literary masterpiece. It is revered by Muslims throughout the world, in whom it inspires devotion, passion, fear, and sometimes incomprehension. In this book, one of the launch titles in the Atlantic Monthly Press's Books That Changed the World series, distinguished historian of religion Bruce Lawrence shows precisely how the Qur'an is Islam. He describes the origins of the faith and assesses its tremendous influence on today's societies and politics. Above all, Lawrence emphasizes that the Qur'an is a sacred book of signs that has no single message. It is a book that demands interpretation and one that can be properly understood only through its history. Lawrence's work is a beautifully written and, in these increasingly troubled times, invaluable introduction to and exploration of the core sacred text of Islam.

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9798200144075

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"Michael Prichard's comfort with foreign names and words makes the deluge of dogma easier to understand and digest than the text alone. His smooth voice makes difficult concepts...find relevance.-- ""AudioFile"" ""Michael Prichards comfort with foreign names and words makes the deluge of dogma easier to understand and digest than the text alone. His smooth voice makes difficult concepts, including the differences between the Sunni and Shiite sects, find relevance in todays globalized civilization under continuous religious conflicts. Without this pleasant and avuncular narrator, some of the meaning in verses from the ancient book could be painful to absorb."" -- ""AudioFile"""

Author Information

Bruce Lawrence is the Nancy and Jeffrey Marcus Humanities Professor of Religion at Duke University. He is an expert on Islam and non-Muslim religious traditions of Asia, especially Hinduism and Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Bruce is the author or editor of numerous books, including Shattering the Myth: Islam Beyond Violence, Defenders of God, and Messages to the World, an edited volume of Osama Bin Laden's statements. Michael Prichard is a Los Angeles-based actor who has played several thousand characters during his career, over one hundred of them in theater and film. He is primarily heard as an audiobook narrator, having recorded well over five hundred full-length books. His numerous awards and accolades include an Audie Award for Tears in the Darkness by Michael Norman and Elizabeth M. Norman and six AudioFile Earphones Awards. He was named a Top Ten Golden Voice by SmartMoney magazine. He holds an MFA in theater from the University of Southern California.

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