The Qur'an: A User's Guide

✍ Scribed by Farid Esack

• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 225
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Esack explores how the Qur'an came into being and examines its structure as a unique literary work. Blending faith, fact and an innovative approach, this is a concise guide to a major religious text, and invaluable insight into its role in the lives of Muslims.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 8
Acknowledgments......Page 11
Introduction......Page 12
THE UNCRITICAL LOVER......Page 13
THE SCHOLARLY LOVER......Page 14
THE CRITICAL LOVER......Page 16
THE FRIEND OF THE LOVER......Page 17
THE VOYEUR......Page 19
THE POLEMICIST......Page 20
WHERE DOES THIS WORK FIT IN?......Page 21
CLARIFYING TERMS......Page 22
USING THE QUR’AN......Page 23
1 The Qur’an in the Lives of Muslims......Page 24
THE QUR’AN IS ALIVE......Page 28
THE QUR’AN AS THE RECITED WORD OF GOD......Page 29
THE QUR’AN AS CONTESTED SCRIPTURE......Page 32
ISLAM – A QUR’AN BELT......Page 40
2 The Word Enters the World......Page 41
THE STAGES (HISTORY?) OF QUR’ANIC REVELATION......Page 42
THE SOCIAL WORLD OF THE REVELATION OF THE QUR’AN......Page 44
MUHAMMAD, THE RECIPIENT OF THE QUR’AN......Page 47
THE EARLY QUR’ANIC REVELATIONS......Page 50
THE NATURE AND MODES OF REVELATION......Page 53
MECCA – LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE FAITH COMMUNITY......Page 56
THE QUR’AN AND THE CHALLENGES OF A NEW SOCIETY IN MEDINA......Page 58
THE LAST REVELATIONS......Page 63
THE BEGINNING OF DIVERSE CLAIMS ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD......Page 65
DIVISIONS OF THE QUR’AN......Page 67
THE DISJOINTED LETTERS......Page 73
PARTS AND SECTIONS ( AJZA AND AHZAB)......Page 74
THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE QUR’AN......Page 75
THE LANGUAGE OF THE QUR’AN......Page 78
THE LITERARY STYLE OF THE QUR’AN......Page 80
CATEGORICAL (MUHKAMAT) AND ALLEGORICAL (MUTASHABIHAT) VERSES......Page 86
4 Gathering the Qur’an......Page 89
GATHERING THE QUR’AN DURING THE PROPHET’S LIFETIME......Page 90
THE QUR’AN BECOMES A CANON......Page 96
THE SHI’I PERSPECTIVE......Page 100
NON-MUSLIM CRITICAL QUR’ANIC SCHOLARSHIP......Page 102
THE GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE ARABIC SCRIPT......Page 103
VARIANT READINGS OR MODES......Page 104
WORLDS APART......Page 108
5 The Prophet and the Begotten-not-Created Qur'an......Page 111
RECITED REVELATION: DEVELOPMENT OF DOCTRINE REGARDING THE QUR'AN......Page 112
THE DOCTRINE OF INIMITABILITY ( ‘IJAZ)......Page 113
THE DOCTRINE OF THE QUR’AN’S UNCREATEDNESS AND ETERNALNESS (QADIM)......Page 116
THE MU‘TAZILITES AND THE EMERGENCE OF KALAM......Page 117
THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE MIHNAH MIHNAHFOR QUR’ANIC SCHOLARSHIP......Page 120
THE SUNNAH SUNNAH: UNREHEARSED REVELATION......Page 122
THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD AND THE QUR’AN......Page 126
PROGRESSIVE REVELATION ( TADRIJ)......Page 132
MECCAN AND MEDINAN REVELATIONS......Page 133
OCCASIONS OF REVELATION ( ASBAB AL-NUZUL)......Page 135
ABROGATION ( NASKH NASKH)......Page 137
QUR’ANIC EXEGESIS (TAFSIR)......Page 139
SOURCES OF TAFSIR......Page 140
TRADITIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF TAFSIR......Page 142
A NON-CONFESSIONAL TYPOLOGY......Page 148
THE QUR’AN AND HERMENEUTICS......Page 153
FAREWELL TO INNOCENCE......Page 156
7 Belief in the Qur’an......Page 157
BELIEF IN GOD......Page 158
PROPHETHOOD......Page 161
THE HEREAFTER......Page 168
PERSONAL CONDUCT......Page 177
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDUCT......Page 184
INSTITUTIONALIZED RELIGIOUS PRACTICES......Page 195
Postscript......Page 202
Bibliography......Page 204
Index......Page 212