The Wiley Blackwell Companion to the Qurʾān

The publication of a volume devoted to the Qur ʾ a ̄ n in the “companion” genre marks the emergence of the text of Muslim scripture within the canon of world literature in a manner particularl y appropriate to the twenty‐first century. This companion is explicitly designed to guide the reader who may have little exposure to the Qur ʾ a ̄ n beyond a curiosity evoked by the popular media. It aims to provide such a person with the starting point of a general orientation and take him or her to a well‐advanced state of understanding regarding the comple xities of the text and its associated traditions. However, a “compan- ion” volume such as this is also an opportunity for scholars to extend the boundaries of what might be deemed to be the “accepted” approaches to the text of the Qur ʾ a ̄n because such a volume provides, it is to be hoped, the material which will inspire future genera- tions of scholars who first encounter the Qur ʾan in the classroom and for whom new avenues of exploration provide the excitement of research and discovery. Fully Revised And Updated, The Second Edition Of The Wiley Blackwell Companion To The Qur'ān Offers An Ideal Resource For Anyone Who Wishes To Read And Understand The Qur'ān As A Text And As A Vital Component Of Muslim Life. While Retaining The Literary Approach To The Subject, This New Edition Extends Both The Theological And Philosophical Approaches To The Qur'ān. Edited By The Noted Authority On The Qur'ān, Andrew Rippin, And Islamic Studies Scholar Jawid Mojaddedi, And With Contributions From Other Internationally Renowned Scholars, The Book Is Comprehensive In Scope And Written In Clear And Accessible Language. New To This Edition Is Material On Modern Exegesis, The Study Of The Qur'ān In The West, The Relationship Between The Qur'ān And Religions Prior To Islam, And Much More. The Wiley Blackwell Companion To The Qur'ān Is A Rich And Wide-ranging Resource, Exploring The Qur'ān As Both A Religious Text And As A Work Of Literature. -- ‡c From Publisher's Description. Preface -- Introduction -- Part I. Orientation: 1. Introducing / Tamara Sonn -- 2. Discovering / Christopher Buck -- 3. Contextualizing / Abdullah Saeed -- Part Ii. Text: 4. Linguistic Structure / Salwa M.s. El-awa -- 5. Patterns Of Address / Rosalind Ward Gwynne -- 6. Language / Mustansir Mir -- 7. Poetry And Language / Navid Kermani -- 8. Foreign Vocabulary / Michael Carter -- 9. Structure And The Emergence Of Community / Angelika Neuwirth -- 10. Sacrality And Collection / Aliza Shnizer -- 11. Written Transmission / François Déroche -- 12. Context: Muḥammad / Herbert Berg -- 13. Context: ʻumar B. Al-khaṭṭāb / Avraham Hakim -- Part Iii. Content: 14. God / Andrew Rippin -- 15. Prophets And Prophethood / Uri Rubin -- 16. Moses / Brannon Wheeler -- 17. Abraham / Carol Bakhos -- 18. Jesus In The Qurʼān / Gordon Nickel -- 19. Biblical Background / Gabriel Said Reynolds -- 20. Other Religions / Mun'im Sirry -- 21. Argumentation / Kate Zebiri -- 22. Knowing And Thinking / A.h. Mathias Zahniser -- 23. Sex, Sexuality, And The Family / Khaleel Mohammed -- 24. Jihād / Reuven Firestone -- Part Iv. Interpretation: 25. Hermeneutics: Al-thaʻlabī / Walid Saleh -- 26. Stories Of The Prophets / Marianna Klar -- 27. Ṣūfism / Alan Godlas -- 28. Rūmī / Jawid Mojaddedi -- 29. Ibn Al-ʻarabī / Binyamin Abrahamov -- 30. Twelver Shīʻī Taʼwīl / Diana Steigerwald -- 31. Ismāʻīlī Taʼwīl / Diana Steigerwald -- 32. Modern And Contemporary Interpretation Of The Qurʼān / Johanna Pink -- V. Application: 33. Exegetical Sciences / Jane Dammen Mcauliffe -- 34. Theology / Binyamin Abrahamov -- 35. Jurisprudence / A. Kevin Reinhart -- 36. Contemporary Ethical Issues / Leah Kinberg -- 37. Narrative Literature / Roberto Tottoli -- 38. Recitation / Anna M. Gade -- Index. Edited By Andrew Rippin, Jawid Mojaddedi. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Content: List of Contributors viii Preface xi Andrew Rippin Introduction 1 Jawid Mojaddedi Part I Orientation 5 1 Introducing 7 Tamara Sonn 2 Discovering 23 Christopher Buck 3 Contextualizing 43 Abdullah Saeed Part II Text 59 4 Linguistic Structure 61 Salwa El Awa 5 Patterns of Address 82 Rosalind Ward Gwynne 6 Language 97 Mustansir Mir 7 Poetry and Language 117 Navid Kermani 8 Foreign Vocabulary 130 Michael Carter 9 Structure and the Emergence of Community 151 Angelika Neuwirth 10 Sacrality and Collection 171 Aliza Shnizer 11 Written Transmission 184 Francois Deroche 12 Context: Muh ammad 200 Herbert Berg 13 Context: Umar b. al Khat t a b 218 Avraham Hakim Part III Content 235 14 God 237 Andrew Rippin 15 Prophets and Prophethood 248 Uri Rubin 16 Moses 262 Brannon Wheeler 17 Abraham 280 Carol Bakhos 18 Jesus 288 Gordon Nickel 19 Biblical Background 303 Gabriel Said Reynolds 20 Other Religions 320 Mun im Sirry 21 Argumentation 333 Kate Zebiri 22 Knowing and Thinking 349 A. H. Mathias Zahniser 23 Sex, Sexuality, and the Family 365 Khaleel Mohammed 24 Jiha d 376 Reuven Firestone Part IV Interpretation 389 25 Hermeneutics: al Tha lab 391 Walid Saleh 26 Stories of the Prophets 406 Marianna Klar 27 S u fism 418 Alan Godlas 28 Ru m 430 Jawid Mojaddedi 29 Ibn al Arab 442 Binyamin Abrahamov 30 Twelver Sh Ta w l 449 Diana Steigerwald 31 Isma l Ta w l 463 Diana Steigerwald 32 Modern and Contemporary Interpretation of the Qur a n 479 Johanna Pink Part V Application 493 33 Exegetical Sciences 495 Jane Dammen McAuliffe 34 Theology 512 Binyamin Abrahamov 35 Jurisprudence 526 A. Kevin Reinhart 36 Contemporary Ethical Issues 543 Leah Kinberg 37 Narrative Literature 562 Roberto Tottoli 38 Recitation 577 Anna M. Gade Bibliography 591 Index of People, Places and Topics 632 Index of Qur a n Verses 651 The publication of a volume devoted to the Qurʾān in the “companion” genre marks the emergence of the text of Muslim scripture within the canon of world literature in a manner particularly appropriate to the twenty‐first century. This companion is explicitly designed to guide the reader who may have little exposure to the Qurʾān beyond a curiosity evoked by the popular media. It aims to provide such a person with the starting point of a general orientation and take him or her to a well‐advanced state of understanding regarding the complexities of the text and its associated traditions. However, a “compan-ion” volume such as this is also an opportunity for scholars to extend the boundaries of what might be deemed to be the “accepted” approaches to the text of the Qurʾān because such a volume provides, it is to be hoped, the material which will inspire future genera-tions of scholars who first encounter the Qurʾan in the classroom and for whom new avenues of exploration provide the excitement of research and discovery.