Understanding the Qur'an

Catalog description

The Qur'an is the Islamic scripture. This course explores the history of revelation or words of God in Islam; formation of the Qur'an as a book; its interpretation from medieval to modern time; its major themes; how the Qur'an introduces itself: the book of light, guidance, virtues and Islamic values and standards, or the book of law? the question of translatability; teaching the Qur'an as religious literature from a neutral viewpoint that could be understood from a secular, or non-theological perspective; the lessons one might apply from literary criticism, biblical studies, and historical methodology; and its message for the human beings in the contemporary world.