The Qur'an

This volume is one of two edited by Andrew Rippin which are designed to complement one another, and to comprehend the principal trends in modern scholarship on the Qur'an. Both volumes are provided with a new introduction by the editor, analysing this scholarship, and providing references for further study. The Qur'an: Style and Contents reveals the variety of approaches followed within the study of the text. From Nöldeke's examination of style through Arkoun's project for the future, these scholarly statements reflect the historical development of the discipline, while providing overviews of key elements for the understanding of the Qur'an.

Contents: General editor's preface; Introduction; Islam and the Qumran Sect, Chaim Rabin; Jesus and Mary in the Qur'an: some neglected affinities, Neal Robinson; The theology of separation and the theology of community: a study of the prophetic career of Moses according to the Qur'an, M. Causse; And become ye accursed apes, Ilse Lichtenstaedter; What did Muhammad mean when he called his religion Islam? The original meaning of aslama and its derivatives, D. Z. H. Baneth; Towards a periodization of earliest Islam according to its relations with other religions, Jacques Waarenburg; Qur'anic Siggil and Aramaic sgyl, Fred Leemhuis; Two notes, Michael B. Schub; A prophet and more than a prophet? Some observations on the Qur'anic use of the terms 'prophet' and 'apostle', W. A. Bijlefeld; The earliest meaning of Qur'an, William A. Graham; The Qur'anic view of youth and old age, Thomas J. O'Shaughnessy; The divine name 'al-Rahman' in the Qur'an, Jacques Jomier; Saj' in the Qur'an: prosody and structure, Devin J. Stewart; Some notes on the distinctive linguistic and literary character of the Qur'an, Angelika Neuwirth; The beginnings of Muhammad's religious activity, Richard Bell; Abu Lahab and Sura CXI, Uri Rubin; Simple negative remarks on the vocabulary of the Qur'an, Robert Brunschvig; Introduction: An assessment of and perspectives on the study of the Qur'an, Mohammed Arkoun; Sound, spirit, and gender in Surat al-qdar, Michael Sells; The apocalypse of Islam, Norman O. Brown; Method against truth: Orientalism and Qur'anic studies, S. Parvez Manzoor; Index.