The Quran : a Biography (A Book that Shook the World)

211 Pages·2013·1.18 MB·English

by  Bruce Lawrence

The Qur’an
A Biography
Other titles in the Books That Shook the World series: Available now:
Plato’s Republic by Simon Blackburn Darwin’s Origin of Species by Janet
Browne Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man by Christopher Hitchens Marx’s Das
Kapital by Francis Wheen Forthcoming:
The Bible by Karen Armstrong Homer’s The Iliad and the Odyssey by Alberto
Manguel Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations by P. J. O’Rourke Clausewitz’s On
War by Hew Strachan

Published in Great Britain in hardback in 2006 by Atlantic Books.
Atlantic Books is an imprint of Grove Atlantic Ltd.
Copyright © Bruce Lawrence 2006
The moral right of Bruce Lawrence to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in
accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
Every effort has been made to contact copyright holders. The publishers will be pleased to make good any
omissions or rectify any mistakes brought to their attention at the earliest opportunity.
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 1 84354 398 2
eISBN 978 1 78239 218 7
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For Dr Ibrahim Abu Nab, who lived the truth of ‘seeking God’s purpose every
day’. (Qur’an, Chapter 55:29)
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements
A Note on Translations
A Note on Romanization
Introduction

ARAB CORE
1 The Prophet Muhammad:
Merchant and Messenger
2 The Prophet Muhammad:
Organizer and Strategist
3 ’A’ishah:
Muhammad’s Wife and Custodian of His Memory 4 The Dome of the Rock:
Jerusalem Landmark, Qur’anic Icon
EARLY COMMENTARIES
5 Ja’far as-Sadiq:
Shi’ite Imam and Qur’anic Exegete
6 Abu Ja’far at-Tabari:
Sunni Historian and Qur’anic Exegete
LATER INTERPRETATIONS
7 Robert of Ketton:
Polymath Translator of the Qur’an
8 Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi:
Visionary Interpreter of Divine Names 9 Jalal ad-din Rumi:
Author of the Persian Qur’an
ASIAN ECHOES
10 Taj Mahal:
Gateway to the Qur’anic Vision of Paradise 11 Ahmad Khan:
Indian Educator and Qur’an Commentator 12 Muhammad Iqbal:
Pakistani Poet Inspired by Qur’anic Motifs
GLOBAL ACCENTS
13 W. D. Mohammed:
Qur’an as Guide to Racial Equality
14 Osama bin Laden:
Qur’an as Mandate for Jihad