The Koran (Penguin Classics)
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Book Summary Information
Author: AnonymousEditor: N. J. Dawood
Translator: N. J. Dawood
Introduction: N. J. Dawood
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-09-28
ISBN: 0140449205
Number of pages: 456
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Book Reviews of The Koran (Penguin Classics)
Book Review: Readable, Reliable Rendition of Islam's Sacred Scriptures
Summary: 5 Stars
When I decided to read the Koran, I studied the various translations available, trying to find the most readable, reliable version available. I downloaded all available public domain translations from gutenberg.org and carefully compared them against the translations currently available in print. I bought several, but not all, the translations, and settled upon this translation to read. I chose this translation because it was one of the most readable and because of my long experience of the reliability of Penguin translations.
As one who knows next to nothing about Islam, I was struck by three things: The moral teachings; the martial teachings; and the figure of Jesus.
First the moral teachings: They are quite similar to the moral teachings of the Christian Bible. Indeed, the Koran explicitly recognizes the scriptural nature of the "Torah" and the "Gospel." The moral teachings don't seem to be as plentiful in the Koran as in the New Testament, but I think there's a very good explanation. Mohammed was at war most of his prophetic career, therefore quite a lot of the Koran deals with warfare.
Second, the martial teachings: They are quite prevalent, and one could easily read the martial teachings to the exclusion of all else in the Koran. Something that struck me about the martial teachings was that they stressed non-aggression. The good believer is to fight only in self defense, and only enough to accomplish the defense. After defeating the enemy, then the good believer must be forgiving and merciful.
Martial teachings prevail in number over moral teachings in the Koran because Mohammed was persecuted in his lifetime, driven out of Mecca, attacked in Medina, and forced to defend himself in a bloody war. Quite naturally, if he's engaged in a war during most of the time he's revealing the Suras of the Koran, he's going to be talking about warfare. Thus, warfare can become a significant aspect of Islamic theology.
Third, the figure of Jesus: Jesus occupies a place in the Koran superior to all the prophets who preceded him. Muslim belief about Jesus is very similar to, but also quite different from, Christian belief. So near, yet so far apart.
Reading the Koran isn't going to make you an expert on Islam any more than reading the Bible is going to make you an expert on Christianity. But given the political, religious, and cultural climate of today's world, it is worth the effort to try to learn something about the beliefs of approximately 1,000,000,000 of our fellow-beings on this planet.
Summary of The Koran (Penguin Classics)
"The Koran" is universally accepted by Muslims to be the infallible Word of God as first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel nearly fourteen hundred years ago. Its 114 chapters, or surahs, recount the narratives central to Muslim belief, and together they form one of the world's most influential prophetic works and a literary masterpiece in its own right. But above all, the "Koran" provides the rules of conduct that remain fundamental to the Muslim faith today: prayer, fasting, pilgrimage to Mecca and absolute faith in God.Bible & Other Sacred Texts Books
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