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Koran for Dummies »

Authors: Sohaib Sultan
ISBN-13: 9780764555817, ISBN-10: 0764555812
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated
Date Published: May 2004
Edition: (Non-applicable)

Author Biography: Sohaib Sultan

Sohaib Sultan is a freelance journalist and student of the Islamic tradition who has studied the Koran and Islam extensively with Islamic scholars in the United States and Saudi Arabia.

Book Synopsis

See what the Koran says about women, family, and law

Grasp the wisdom and power of Islam’s sacred Scripture

Want to understand the Koran? This straightforward guide explains what the Koran says, how it says it, and how believers live according to its guidance. From how the Koran was revealed to Mohammad to how the Book relates to today’s world, you’ll see how to put the Islamic faith in perspective.

The Dummies Way

Explanations in plain English
"Get in, get out" information
Icons and other navigational aids
Tear-out cheat sheet
Top ten lists
A dash of humor and fun

Discover:

How Islam relates to other faiths
What the Koran says about God, prophets, humankind, and the self
The Koran’s teachings on morality
Common misconceptions about the Koran

	Introduction	1
	About This Book	1
	Conventions Used in This Book	2
	Foolish Assumptions	3
	How This Book Is Organized	4
	Icons Used in This Book	5
	Where to Go from Here	6
Part I	Revealing the Word of God: The Book	7
Chapter 1	Getting to Know the Koran	9
	Receiving Revelation Straight from the Source	9
	Guiding the Way: Prophet Muhammad	10
	Discovering the Basic Messages of the Koran	11
	Naming the Revelation	13
	Hearing the Words: The Audience of the Koran	16
	Knowing the Essentials about Islam and Muslims	17
Chapter 2	From Revelation to Written Book	21
	Revealing the Koran to Muhammad	21
	Collecting the Koran as a Book	27
	Memorizing Miracles: Preserving the Koran throughout History	31
	Experiencing the Koran as Divine Art	32
Chapter 3	Mapping Out the Structure of the Book	37
	Discerning the Structure of the Koran	37
	Discovering Surah Names and Themes	40
	Finding Your Way Through the Moral Narrative	46
	Simplifying the Moral Narrative of Shorter Surahs	52
Chapter 4	Discovering the Language of the Koran	53
	Arabic: Plain, Clear, and Eloquent	53
	Literary Style in the Sacred Scripture	57
	Hearing the Voice of the Koran	62
Chapter 5	Relating the Koran to Abrahamic Revelations	65
	Previous Revelations: Between Sacred and Corrupted	65
	Linking the Three Faiths: Common Experiences in the Scriptures	66
	Contrasting the Koran with Judeo-Christian Scriptures	70
Part II	Searching for the Soul of the Koran	79
Chapter 6	Interpreting the Koran	81
	Coming to Know the Guidance	81
	Drawing Out Interpretations	85
Chapter 7	Understanding Interpretations of the Koran Today	93
	Getting to Know Famous Commentators of the Koran	93
	Influential Movements of the Twentieth Century	98
	Another School of Thought: The Shi'ites	104
Part III	Seeing the Koranic Worldview	107
Chapter 8	Meeting God, Prophets, and Mankind	109
	Conceptualizing God	109
	Prophets of God: Preaching a Divine Message	119
	The Status and Nature of Man	128
Chapter 9	Divining Nature, the Universe, and the Unseen	133
	The Divine Ways of Nature	133
	Inheriting the Earth: The Role of Mankind in Nature	139
	The Unseen World: Angels versus Satan	140
	Accounting for the Soul	143
Chapter 10	Taking the Koranic View of Other Faith Traditions	147
	Islam: One Religion under God	147
	Honoring Freedom of Choice and Respecting Diversity	151
	Examining Some Controversial Passages on Interfaith Relations	153
Part IV	Living the Koran	157
Chapter 11	Following in the Footsteps of Muhammad	159
	The Scripture Speaks about Muhammad	159
	Doing as God and His Messenger Do	163
	Looking at Some Key Prophetic Sayings	165
Chapter 12	Putting Meaning into Ritual	169
	Declaring Faith: More than Just Words	170
	Conversing with the Divine: Prayer	170
	Raising the Soul Over the Ego: Fasting	180
	Purifying Wealth, Uplifting the Needy: Almsgiving	183
	Journeying to the House of God: Pilgrimage	186
Chapter 13	Understanding the Koranic View of Self	191
	Connecting the Three Dots of Self Awareness	191
	The Seven Gates to the Heart	194
	Blessed Is the Baby's Soul, a Soul without Sin	198
	The Soul's Journey: From Pre-Birth to the Hereafter	199
	The Muslim Self: A State of Being	201
	The Kafir: A Faithless Self	202
Chapter 14	Achieving Koranic Ethics and Morality	203
	Discovering Ethical Principles in the Koran	203
	Leading the Life of Good Virtue and Character	207
	Purifying the Heart	212
Chapter 15	Raising a Family the Koranic Way	215
	Healthy Family Equals Healthy Society	215
	Looking for a Spouse: Let the Search Begin	216
	Celebrating Marriage as the Basis of Family	219
	Bringing Up Children	224
	A Matter of Inheritance: Who Gets What	228
	Tackling Divorce in the Koran	229
Part V	Relating the Koran to the World	231
Chapter 16	Connecting the Koran to Society	233
	Divining a Community of the Middle Path	233
	Witnessing the Truth	237
	Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil	238
	Uniting a Community with the Rope of God	240
	Leadership and Citizenship in the Koran	243
	Jihad: Struggling in the Path of God	252
Chapter 17	Purifying Society through Islamic Law	255
	Defining Shariah	256
	Extracting and Interpreting Sacred Law	257
	Searching for Rulings and Principals	258
	Exploring the Contents of the Sacred Law	264
	Understanding the Islamic Penal Code	265
	Looking at the Four Schools of Law	270
Chapter 18	Struggling for God: Jihad	273
	Finding the Spirit of Jihad	274
	Connecting Qital with Islamic Law	279
	Understanding Martyrdom	279
	Looking at Jihad in Today's World	280
Chapter 19	Discussing Women in the Koran	283
	Finding Equality in the Scripture	284
	Discerning Women's Rights in Divine Law	290
Chapter 20	The Koran and Modernity	295
	Differentiating between Modernity and Modern Culture	295
	Promoting Social Progress	296
	Focusing on Issues of Modernity	297
	Imagining an Islamic Democracy	302
Part VI	The Part of Tens	309
Chapter 21	Ten Misconceptions about the Koran	311
Misconception #1	Muhammad Wrote the Koran	311
Misconception #2	The Koran Is Incoherent and Unorganized	312
Misconception #3	The Koran Is Void of Reason	313
Misconception #4	The Koran Espouses Polytheism	314
Misconception #5	The Koran Says That God Belongs to One People	315
Misconception #6	God Is Wrathful and Unloving in the Koran	316
Misconception #7	The Koran Preaches Fatalism	316
Misconception #8	Jihad Means "Holy War"	317
Misconception #9	The Koran Discourages Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation	318
Misconception #10	The Scripture Values Men More Than Women	319
Chapter 22	Ten Ways to Dig Deeper into the Koran	321
	Comparing "Translations"	321
	Listening to the Koran	323
	Looking at Different Interpretations	324
	Reading Books	325
	Studying Arabic	326
	Studying the Koran	326
	Surfing Web Sites	327
	Taking Classes	328
	Talking to Muslims	328
	Visiting Your Local Mosque	329
Appendix A	Glossary of Koranic Terms	331
Appendix B	Finding Prophets in the Koran	339
	Index	341

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