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The Qur'an

A Beginner's Guide

Published by Oneworld Publications
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

Get to grips with one of the world’s most powerful books.

The Qur’an has spoken to Muslims for over one thousand years; it is seen as law-maker, moral code, and the word of God. Drawing on both contemporary and ancient sources, Esack outlines the key themes and explains the historical and cultural context of this unique work whilst examining its content, language and style, and the variety of approaches, including fundamentalist, feminist, and modernist, that have been used to interpret it. Other areas covered include: the Qu'ran as evocative oral experience; understanding and interpreting the Qu'ran; the major themes of the Qu'ran, including such issues as truth, justice and gender relations.

About The Author

Dr Farid Esack has an international reputation as a Muslim scholar, speaker and human rights activist. He has lectured widely on religion and Islamic studies and also served as a Commissioner for Gender Equality with Nelson Mandela's government. He has authored numerous Islamic books and is currently the Visiting Professor of Islamic Studies at Harvard Divinity School.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Oneworld Publications (February 1, 2009)
  • Length: 224 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781780740652

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Raves and Reviews

"No one has placed the Noble Qur'an more fully in its historical and contemporary context. Esack's is a user's guide for all users, and it should enjoy a long shelf life as the most ccessible, and informative, introduction to God's Word in Arabic."

– Bruce Lawrence - Nancy and Jeffrey Marcus Professor of Religion, Duke University and author of 'The

"Extremely learned yet accessible, with fascinating insights on virtually every page. Especially useful for those new to the study of Islam, or newly interested in their inherited Islam…Its clarity makes it suitable for undergraduates but its sophistication makes it of interest to graduates as well."

– Tamara Sonn - Kenan Professor of Humanities at the College of William and Mary, Virginia

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