The Qur'an is the foundational sacred text of the Islamic faith. Traditionally revered as the literal word of God, its pronouncements and discussions form the bedrock of Islamic beliefs and teachings. Notwithstanding its religious pre-eminence and the fact that it is the sacred text for over one billion of the world's Muslims, the Qur'an is also considered to be the matchless masterpiece of the Arabic language. Its historical impact as a text can be discerned in all aspects of the heritage of the Arabic literary tradition. Over recent decades, academic engagement with the Qur'an has produced an impressive array of scholarship, ranging from detailed studies of the text's unique language, style and structure, to meticulous surveys of its contents, concepts and historical contexts. The Oxford Handbook of Qur'anic Studies is an essential reference and starting point for those with an academic interest in the Qur'an. It offers not only detailed reviews of influential subjects in the field, but also a critical overview of developments in the research discourse. It explores the tradition of Qur'anic exegesis and hermeneutics, making it a comprehensive academic resource for the study of the Qur'an. No single volume devoted to such a broad academic survey of the state of the field currently exists.
List of Illustrations List of contributors Mustafa Shah and Muhammad Abdel Haleem: 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 (qir=a'=at): 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 S=ura 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 M:artensson: 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: Translations of the Quraan: 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 Sira: Tafsir and Sira 42: Kees Versteegh: Early Qur'anic Exegesis: From Textual Interpretation to Linguistic Analysis 43: Ulrika M:artensson: Early medieval tafs=ir (800-1000) 44: Walid A. Saleh: Medieval Exegesis: The Golden Age of Tafs=ir 45: Roberto Tottoli: The Corpora of Isr=aa=iliyy=at 46: Walid A. Saleh: Contemporary Tafs=ir: The Rise of Scriptural Theology Part VIII: Qur anic Exegesis: Discourses, Formats, and Hermeneutics 47: Sajjad Rizvi: Twelver Shiai Exegesis 48: Ismail Poonawala: Ism=aa=il=i Scholarship on Tafs=ir 49: Valerie J. Hoffman and Sulaiman bin Ali bin Ameir Al-Shueili: Ib=a.d=i Tafs=ir 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: Tafs=ir and Science 55: Johanna Pink: Classical Qur anic Hermeneutics 56: Martin Nguyen: Sunni Hermeneutical Literature 57: Massimo Campinini: Modern Qur'anic Hermeneutics: Strategies and Development
Mustafa Shahis a Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, where he completed his BA and PhD degrees. He research interests and teaching cover early Islamic literature, Arabic linguistic thought, classical exegesis, theologyand hadith studies. He has edited two major collections on the hadith and Quranic exegesis: The Hadith: Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies, Routledge, (2009), and Tafsir: Interpreting the Qur'an. Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies, Routledge, (2013).He is also editing TheOxford Handbook of Hadith Studies. M.A.S. Abdel Haleem was born in Egypt and educated at al-Azhar, Cairo, and Cambridge Universities. He taught Arabic at Cambridge University and has been teaching Arabic and Islamic Studies in London University for many years. He is currently Professor of Islamic Studies and Director of the Centre of Islamic Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He is editor of the Journal of Qur'anic Studies and the London Qur'an Studies Series. Among his published works are The Quran: A New Translation, Oxford: Oxford University Press, (2004); and The Qur'an: English translation with parallel Arabic text, Oxford University Press (2010); Understanding the Qur'an: themes and style. London: I B Tauris (1999); with Elsaid Badawi An Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur'anic Usage, Brill (2007). His latest work is entitled: Exploring the Qur'an: Images and Reality, I.B. Tauris (2017).
Reviews for The Oxford Handbook of Qur'anic Studies
...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 *
