Charging Steeds or Maidens Performing Good Deeds: In Search of the Original Qur’ān

Charging Steeds or Maidens Performing Good Deeds: In Search of the Original Qur'ān brings an important contribution to understanding the development of the Qur'ānic corpus. Through a selection of meaningful case studies, the author convincingly argues for a different interpretative approach to the Qur’ānic text. Taking as a starting point the consonantal skeleton of the holy text, known as the ‘Uthmānic rasm, and offering a critical reading of the Muslim interpretive tradition, such an approach produces a clearer understanding of parts of the Qur’ān which have defied Muslim and non-Muslim scholars since the early days of Islam. "Charging Steeds or Maidens Performing Good Deeds: In Search of the Original Qur'ān brings an important contribution to understanding the development of the Qur'ānic corpus. Through a selection of meaningful case studies, the author convincingly argues for a different interpretative approach to the Qur'ānic text. Taking as a starting point the consonantal skeleton of the holy text, known as the ʻUthmānic rasm, and offering a critical reading of the Muslim interpretive tradition, such an approach produces a clearer understanding of parts of the Qur'ān which have defied Muslim and non-Muslim scholars since the early days of Islam"-- Provided by publisher "Charging Steeds or Maidens Performing Good Deeds: In Search of the Original Qur'an brings an important contribution to understanding the development of the Qur'anic corpus. Through a selection of meaningful case studies, the author convincingly argues for a different interpretative approach to the Qur'anic text. Taking as a starting point the consonantal skeleton of the holy text, known as the 'Uthmanic rasm, and offering a critical reading of the Muslim interpretive tradition, such an approach produces a clearer understanding of parts of the Qur'an which have defied Muslim and non-Muslim scholars since the early days of Islam"-- Provided by publisher Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 8 Preface 10 Acknowledgments 12 1 Introduction 14 2 Blessing, clinging, familiarity, custom – or ship: a new reading of the word Īlāf in Q106 (Quraysh) 27 3 The mother’s breasts or the path of good and evil: a new reading of Q90 (al-Balad) 38 4 Angels, death, the soul, stars, bows – or women: the opening verses of Q79 (al-Nāzi‘āt) 52 5 Charging steeds or maidens performing good deeds: a re-interpretation of Q100 (al-ʿĀdiyāt) 70 6 Conclusions 91 Appendix: Reconstructed Verses 104 References 106 Subject index 111 Chapter One: Introduction Chapter Two: Q106 (Quraysh) Chapter Three: Q90 (al-Balad) Chapter Four: The Opening Verses ofQ79 (al-Nāzi‘āt) Chapter Five: Q100 (al-ʿĀdiyāt) Chapter Six: Conclusions References