Traditionally revered as the literal word of God, the Qur>'an serves as Islam>'s sacred book of revelation. Accordingly, its statements and pronouncements rest at the core of the beliefs and teachings that have inexorably defined expressions of the Islamic faith. Indeed, over the centuries, engaging with and poring over the contents of the Qur>'an inspired an impressive range of traditional scholarship. Notwithstanding its religious pre-eminence, the Qur>'an is also considered to be the matchless masterpiece of the Arabic language and its impact as a text can be discerned in all aspects of the Arabic literary tradition. Presenting contributions from leading experts in the field, The Oxford Handbook of Qur>'anic Studies offers an authoritative collection of chapters that guide readers through the gamut of themes, subjects, and debates that have dominated the academic study of the Qur>'an and its literary heritage. These range from chapters that explore the text>'s language, vocabulary, style, and structure, to detailed surveys of its contents, concepts, transmission, literary influence, historical significance, commentary tradition, and even the scholarship devoted to translations. With the aim of serving as an indispensable reference resource, the Handbook assesses the implications of research discourses and discussions shaping the study of the Qur>'an today. There exists no single volume devoted to such a broad review of the scholarship on the Qur>'an and its rich commentary tradition.
Introduction Part I: The State of Qur'anic Studies 1: Andrew Rippin: Academic Scholarship and the Qur'an 2: Oliver Leaman: Modern Developments in Qur'anic Studies 3: Herbert Berg: Islamic Origins and the Qur'an 4: Anna Akasoy: Qur'anic Studies: Bibliographical Survey Part II: The Historical Setting of the Qur'an 5: Muntasir F. al-Hamad and John F. Healey: Late Antique Near Eastern Context: Social and Religious Aspects 6: Harry Munt: Arabian Context of the Qur'an: History and the Text 7: Ahmad Al-Jallad: The Linguistic Landscape of pre-Islamic Arabia: Context for the Qur'an 8: Marianna Klar: Qur'anic Exempla and Late Antique Narratives 9: Reuven Firestone: The Qur'an and Judaism 10: Neal Robinson: The Qur'an and Christianity Part III: The Qur'an: Textual Transmission, Codification, Manuscripts, Inscriptions and Printed Editions 11: François Déroche: The Manuscript and Archaeological Traditions: Physical Evidence 12: Yasin Dutton: The Form of the Qur'an: Historical Contours 13: Mustafa Shah: The Corpus of Qur'anic Readings (qirāʾāt): History, Synthesis and Authentication 14: Sheila S. Blair: Glorifying God's Word: Manuscripts of the Qur'an 15: Sheila S. Blair: Inscribing God's Word: Qur'anic Texts on Architecture, Objects, and Other Solid Supports 16: Efim A. Rezvan: A History of Printed Editions of the Qur'an Part IV: Structural and Literary Dimensions of the Qur'an 17: A. H. Mathias Zahniser: Language of the Qur'an 18: Mustafa Shah: Vocabulary of the Qur'an: Meaning in Context 19: Michel Cuypers: Qur'anic Syntax 20: Muhammad Abdel Haleem: Rhetorical Devices and Stylistic Features of Qur'anic Grammar 21: Nicolai Sinai: Inner-Qur'anic Chronology 22: Mustansir Mir: The Structure of the Qur'an: The Inner Dynamic of the Sura 23: Ayman A. El-Desouky: Discussions of Qur'anic Inimitability: The Theological Nexus 24: Geert Jan van Gelder: The Qur'an and the Arabic Medieval Literary Tradition 25: Stefan Sperl: The Qur'an and Arabic Poetry Part V: Topics and Themes of the Qur'an 26: Ulrika Mårtensson: Revelation and Prophecy in the Qur'an 27: Stephen Burge: Doctrine and Dogma in the Qur'an 28: Joseph Lowry: Law and the Qur'an 29: Ebrahim Moosa: Qur'anic Ethics 30: Sebastian Günther: Eschatology and the Qur'an 31: Anthony H. Johns: Prophets and Personalities of the Qur'an 32: Stefan Wild: Politics and the Qur'an 33: Asma Afsaruddin: Jihad and the Qur'an: Classical and Modern Interpretations 34: Asma Afsaruddin: Women and the Qur'an Part VI: The Qur an in Context: Translation and Culture 35: Ziad Elmarsafy: Translations of the Qur'an: Western Languages 36: M. Brett Wilson: Translations of the Qur'an: Islamicate Languages 37: Muhammad Abdel Haleem: Presenting the Qur'an Out of Context 38: Bruce Lawrence: Popular Culture and the Qur'an: Classical and Modern Contexts 39: Jeffrey Einboden: The Western Literary Tradition and the Qur'an: an Overview Part VII: Qur anic Interpretation: Scholarship and Literature of Early, Classical, and Modern Exegesis 40: Andrew Rippin: Early Qur'anic Commentaries 41: Maher Jarrar: Exegetical Designs of the Sīra: Tafsīr and Sīra 42: Kees Versteegh: Early Qur'anic Exegesis: From Textual Interpretation to Linguistic Analysis 43: Ulrika Mårtensson: Early Medieval Tafsīr (Third/Ninth to the Fifth/Eleventh Century) 44: Walid A. Saleh: Medieval Exegesis: The Golden Age of Tafsīr 45: Roberto Tottoli: The Corpora of Isrāʾīliyyāt 46: Walid A. Saleh: Contemporary Tafsīr: The Rise of Scriptural Theology Part VIII: Qur anic Exegesis: Discourses, Formats, and Hermeneutics 47: Sajjad Rizvi: Twelver Shīʾī Exegesis 48: Ismail Poonawala: Ismāʾīlī Scholarship on Tafsīr 49: Valerie J. Hoffman and Sulaiman bin Ali bin Ameir Al-Shueili: Ibāḍī Tafsīr Literature 50: Alexander Knysh: Sufi Commentary: Formative and Later Periods 51: Tariq Jaffer: Theological Commentaries 52: Jules Janssens: Philosophical Commentaries 53: Kamal Abu-Deeb: Aesthetically Oriented Interpretations of the Qur'an 54: Robert Morrison: Tafsīr and Science 55: Johanna Pink: Classical Qur'anic Hermeneutics 56: Martin Nguyen: Sunnī Hermeneutical Literature 57: Massimo Campinini: Modern Qur'anic Hermeneutics: Strategies and Development Index of Qur>'an Verses Index of Bible References Index of Hadith Citations Index of Places Index of People
Mustafa Shah studied for his BA in Arabic with Linguistics at SOAS. He later completed his PhD in Islamic Studies with a thesis entitled Religious Orthodoxy and the Development of Arabic Linguistic Thought in 1997. He was appointed a lecturer in Islamic Studies at SOAS in 2002, having previously taught in the Department of Religions and the Near and Middle East Department. He is the editor of Tafs=ir: Interpreting the Qur'an (Routledge, 2012) and The Haḍ=ith: Articulating the Beliefs and Constructs of Classical Islam (Routledge, 2009). Muhammad Abdel Haleem was born in Egypt, and learned the Qur'an by heart from childhood. Educated at al-Azhar, Cairo, and Cambridge Universities, he has taught Arabic and Islamic Studies at Cambridge and London Universities since 1966, including courses in advanced translation and the Qur'an. He is now Professor of Islamic Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. His publications include Understanding the Qur'an: Themes and Style (I. B. Tauris, 2010) and Sharīʿa and the Concept of Benefit: The Use and Function of Maṣlaḥa in Islamic Jurisprudence (I. B. Tauris, 2015).
Reviews for The Oxford Handbook of Qur'anic Studies
Review from previous edition This Oxford Handbook is a much more evenhanded production. Most topics and points of view get a hearing ... More generous than the Itqān, the Handbook makes space for Sufis, Ibadis, philosophers, and various Shi'i groups. * Bruce Fudge, Journal of the American Oriental Society * rich and ambitious * Paul Bishop, Religion * ... this book is a must in all mission agencies that work in the Muslim world as well as in all Christian colleges and other agencies that have a heart for Muslims. * Dr. David Cashin, Evangelical Missions Quarterly *
