'The best book I have seen to lead critically minded readers into the myriad issues and complexities of the Qur'an text. Its various chapters, firmly rooted in a wealth of scholarship on the Qur'an, discuss many key questions raised about and by the text, including its literary coherence, its chronology, its "closure" as a body of scripture, its textual stability, and aspects of its content: the relation to Christianity, Judaism and paganism, its key themes, its relationship to the life of Muhammad, and much more. It will serve scholars and novices alike as an invaluable guide.'
Fred M. Donner, University of Chicago

'One of the best critical introductions to the Qur'an which sets in apposite context the latest research discussions, discourses and trends in the field . . . it represents a truly definitive contribution to the study of the text.'
Mustafa Shah, University of London

An accessible and up-to-date introduction to the study of the Qur'an in its historical context

The Qur'an represents both Islam's historical point of origin and its scriptural foundation, inaugurating a new religion and, ultimately, a new civilisation. Yet the text itself can be difficult to understand, and the scholarship devoted to it is often highly technical. This comprehensive introduction to the basic methods and current state of historical-critical Qur'anic scholarship covers all of the field's major questions, such as: Where and when did the Qur'an emerge? How do Qur'anic surahs functions as literary compositions? How do the Qur'an's main themes and ideas relate to and transform earlier Jewish and Christian traditions?

Reading this book gives you the tools needed to work with and understand this vital but complex text.

Key Features
. Engages with alternative arguments and perspectives, empowering readers to find their own way through the complex field of Qur'anic Studies
. Synthesises an intertextual and literary approach to the Qur'an
. Provides specific and accessible examples, including a literary analysis of two Qur'anic surahs and an intertextual case study of the Qur'anic Adam narratives
. Offers a rigorously historical perspective on controversial topics such as Qur'anic militancy and the Qur'an's engagement with Judaism and Christianity
. Includes figures and tables highlighting key facts

Nicolai Sinai is Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at the Oriental Institute, Oxford University, and a Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford. He has published on the Qur'an, on pre-modern and modern Islamic scriptural exegesis, and on the history of philosophy in the Islamic world.

Cover image: Birmingham Quran manuscript (owned by the University of Birmingham, written
c.568-645) © akg-images / Pictures From History

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ISBN [PPC] 978-0-7486-9576-8
ISBN [cover] 978-0-7486-9577-5
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