A Concise Guide to the Quran: Answering Thirty Critical Questions (Introducing Islam)
Overview
What 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.
- Features a question-and-answer format
- Explores the importance of understanding the Quran for interfaith relations
- Addresses critical questions
Part 1: The History of the Text of the Quran
- What Is the Quran?
- What Does “Quran” Mean?
- Are There Other Scriptures in Islam?
- What Do Muslims Believe about the Quran?
- Who Is Muhammad, the Recipient and Proclaimer of the Quran?
- Did Muhammad Really Exist?
- When and Where Did Muhammad Receive the Quran?
- What Is the Most Important Feature of the Language of the Quran?
- Why and How Was the Quran Compiled?
- Did Uthman Burn False and Forged Qurans?
- What Do Shiite Muslims Believe about the Collection of the Quran?
- Do Sunnis and Shiites Have the Same Quran Today?
- What Do We Know about the 1924 Royal Cairo Edition of the Quran?
- Are There Any Other Qurans?
- Are All Arabic Versions of the Quran the Same?
Part 2: Content, Features, and Themes of the Quran
- How Should I Begin Reading the Quran?
- What Are the Recurring Features at the Beginning of All Suras?
- What Is Abrogation in the Quran?
- What Are the Satanic Verses in the Quran?
- What Is the Most Important Concept for Muslims in the Quran?
- Are Jews and Christians Infidels?
- Does the Quran Really Say the Bible Is Corrupt?
- Who Is Jesus in the Quran?
- Who Are the Prophets in the Quran?
- Did Muhammad Perform Miracles?
- What Does the Quran Say about Jihad and Fighting?
- How Do Muslims Treat the Quran’s Verses on Violence Today?
- Who Are “the People of the Quran”?
- What Do Today’s Non-Muslim Scholars Say about the Quran?
- Concluding Question: How Does This All Fit Together?
Top Highlights
“For Muslims, the Quran records the exact words of Allah (kalam Allah). It is without error and totally infallible. It is the last divine revelation given by Allah to humankind. It surpasses and replaces all previous divine revelations, including those found in the Bible. The Quran is the primary source of doctrines and practices.” (Page 10)
“A salafi Muslim is a person who follows the letter of the text.” (Page 129)
“Yet, the Quran strongly rejects any hint of divinity for Jesus or for Mary. Insisting on his mere humanity, Muslims view Jesus as similar to Adam, created from dust: Allah ordered him ‘be,’ and he was (Q 3:59). Jesus is only human, not God or his son. The Quran questions how ‘the Creator of the heavens and the earth’ can have a son (Q 6:101). In particular, this verse claims that Allah can never have a son because he ‘has no spouse.’ It is evident that the Quran rejects the Trinity, assuming it includes Mary and Jesus as partners with Allah.” (Page 112)
“Ali al-Kurani (1944–) uses early primary sources to prove that the Quran underwent interpolation and omission, indicating the addition and the removal of verses, respectively.” (Page 14)
“Ibn Masud and Ubayy. Both possessed Qurans that differed from the one authorized by Uthman, and their copies were not consulted during the compiling of Uthman’s Quran.” (Page 38)
A Concise Guide to the Quran is a wonderful introduction to the sacred text of Islam. It answers many questions non-Muslims have, but it also raises a number of questions we should be asking yet often don’t. Yes, it answers those questions too! I will be recommending this book for any person who wants to understand Islam and the Quran better and more correctly. Thank you, Ayman Ibrahim. You have served us well.
—Daniel L. Akin, president, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Ayman Ibrahim’s new book is an eminently accessible and lucidly written introduction to the contents and contexts of the Quran. Conversant with the latest scholarship and rich with insight, it challenges readers to consider the historical and literary aspects of the Quran without ever losing sight of its importance as a religious text. For those embarking on their first Quranic journey, A Concise Guide to the Quran is a beacon and a roadmap.
—A. J. Droge, author of The Qur’an: A New Annotated Translation
In A Concise Guide to the Quran, Ayman Ibrahim has produced a handy-yet-comprehensive overview of Islam’s most sacred text: its origin, history, message, and impact. Skeptical yet respectful, this book will equip Christians and other non-Muslims to be well-informed about one of the most influential books in world history.
—Mark Durie, pastor and adjunct research fellow of the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam
- Title: A Concise Guide to the Quran: Answering Thirty Critical Questions
- Author: Ayman S. Ibrahim
- Publisher: Baker Academic
- Print Publication Date: 2020
- Logos Release Date: 2020
- Pages: 176
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Qur’an
- ISBNs: 9781493429301, 9781540962928, 9781540963857, 9781493429288, 1493429302, 154096292X, 1540963853, 1493429280
- Resource ID: LLS:CNCSGDCRTCQSTNS
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-09-26T17:35:39Z