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The Quran: Gods RevelationWord, Interpretation, Recitation

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TheThe unmediatedunmediatedword ofword of

GodGod revealed over 23 years

Meccan-Madinan phases 114 Suras, not chapters

Not arranged in the order in which it was revealed

Revealed to an audience with a certain knowledge of

many of its characters and events Traditionally thought to have been collected under

Uthman (d. 656), third caliph

Todays text based on the 1925 Egyptian edition

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TheThe asbab alasbab al--nuzulnuzuland chronologyand chronology 624 8.1-17, 41-44 Battle of Badr

625 3.120-175 Battle of Uhud

59.2-17 Expulsion of Banu al-Nadir

627 33.9-25 Yathrib besieged

33.26f. Expulsion of BanuQurayza

628 48.18-27 Treaty of al-Hudaybiyah 629 9.25f. Battle of Hunayn

9.42-48, 81-3 Expedition to Tabuk

9.107-110 Mosque of Dissensiondestroyed

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Battle of Badr (Q8:1Battle of Badr (Q8:1--9)?9)?They ask thee concerning (things taken as) spoils of war. Say: "(Such) spoils are at

the disposal of Allah and the Messenger: so fear Allah, and keep straight the

relations between yourselves: obey Allah and His Messenger, if ye do believe. For,

believers are those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a tremor in their hearts, andwhen they hear His signs rehearsed, find their faith strengthened, and put (all) their

trust in their Lord. Who establish regular prayers and spend (freely) out of the gifts

We have given them for sustenance: Such in truth are the Believers: they have grades

of dignity with their Lord, and forgiveness, and generous sustenance. Just as thy

Lord ordered thee out of thy house in truth, even though a party among the Believers

disliked it. Disputing with thee concerning the truth after it was made manifest as ifthey were being driven to death and they (actually) saw it. Behold! Allah promised

you one of the two (enemy) parties, that it should be yours: ye wished that the one

unarmed should be yours, but Allah willed to justify the Truth according to His

words, and to cut off the roots of the Unbelievers. That He might justify Truth and

prove falsehood false, distasteful though it be to those in guilt. Remember ye

implored the assistance of your Lord, and He answered you: "I will assist you with a

thousand of the angels, ranks on ranks."

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The Beginning ofThe Beginning of

RevelationRevelationProclaim! (or Read!)In the nameOf thy Lord and Cherisher,Who created -Created man, out ofA (mere) clotOf congealed blood:Proclaim! And thy Lord

Is Most Bountiful -He who taught(The use of) the Pen -Taught man thatWhich he knew not.

(Surat al-Alaq, 1-5)

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The main Themes: GodsThe main Themes: Gods

UnityUnitySay: He is Allah,

The One and Only;Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;

He begetteth not,

Nor is He begotton;

And there is noneLike unto Him.

Surat al-Ikhlas, 1-4

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What is God like?What is God like?

God is the Light of the heavens and the

earth; the likeness of His Light is a nichewherein is a lamp (the lamp in a glass, theglass as it were a glittering star) kindledfrom a Blessed Tree, an olive that is

neither of the East nor of the West,whose oil well nigh would shine, even ifno fire touched it; Light upon Light.(24.35)

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BeliefBeliefTrue piety is this: to believe in God,

and the Last Day, the angels, theBook, and the Prophets, to give of

ones substance, however cherished,

to kinsmen, and orphans, the needy,

the traveler, beggars, and to ransomthe slave, to perform the prayer, to

pay the alms.

(Surat al-Baqara, 177)

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The Quran on Itself: Q3:7The Quran on Itself: Q3:7

He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book; in itare verse basic or fundamental (of establishedmeaning); they are the foundation of the Book:others are not of well-established meaning. Butthose in whose hearts is perversity follow the partthereof that is not of well-established meaning.Seeking discord, and searching for its hiddenmeanings, but no one knows its true meaningsexcept Allah. And those who are firmly grounded inknowledge say: We believe in the Book; the wholeof it is from our Lord: and none will grasp theMessage except men of understanding.

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The Prophetic NarrativeThe Prophetic Narrative

Sent to Warn a People (Abraham Noah, Moses

. . . Muhammad) God often gives them the ability to carry out

miracles; in certain cases sends them with a

Scripture

They face opposition, incredulity; are mocked,called insane or poets

They are of course in the right, and they persist

despite oppression

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Translation and TafsirTranslation and Tafsir

(exegesis)(exegesis) The difficulty if indeed the possibility of translation

The tradition and nature of commentary: what kinds?

who writes them? for whom? What is the aim of the commentator? To explain the

correct meaning of the verse?

al-tafsir bi-l-mathurvs. al-tafsir bi-l-ray

Almost all schools and inclinations of Muslim thoughtrepresented in the diversity of Quranic exegesis -> tafsirvs.

tawil(Tabari vs. Tustari)

Quranic commentary an ongoing effort

Episode of Satanic Verses (link to the doctrine ofabrogation)

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The doctrine of abrogation: the exampleThe doctrine of abrogation: the example

of wine (establishing chronology?)of wine (establishing chronology?)

And from the fruit of the date palm and the vine, Ye get outwholesome drink and food . . .(16.67)

They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: In themis great sin, and some benefit, for men. But the sin in themis greater than the benefit. (2.219)

Approach not prayers when you are intoxicated until ye canunderstand all that ye say (4.43)

O Ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, idols anddivining by arrows are an abomination and some of Satanswork. So avoid it so that you may prosper. Satan onlydesires to stir up envy and jealousy among you, by meansof wine and games of chance, and to hinder you fromremembering Allah and from prayer. So will you stop?

(5.90-1)

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Abrogation: the example ofAbrogation: the example of

stoningstoning

The woman and the man guilty of adultery or

fornication - flog each of them with a hundred

stripes. (24.2)

The mature man and the mature woman, when they

commit sexual immorality stone them outright. (Not

in the Quran; Umar remembered it being in the

Quran).

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The Manuscript TraditionThe Manuscript Tradition

(Kufic and Hijazi scripts)(Kufic and Hijazi scripts)

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The Quran as a work ofThe Quran as a work of

ArtArt

Tunisia, 9-10th century

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The Quran in architectureThe Quran in architecture

(Taj Mahal)(Taj Mahal)(Q36:1-6, 12)

Ya Sin. By the Qur'an, full of

WisdomThou art indeed one of the

messengers. On a Straight Way. It is a

Revelation sent down by (Him) the

Exalted in Might, Most Merciful. In order

that thou mayest warn a people, whose

fathers had received no admonition, and

who therefore remain heedless (of the

Signs of Allah) . . .

Verily We shall give life to the dead, and

We record that which they sent before and

that which they leave behind, and of all

things have We taken account in a clear

Book (of evidence).