Qur’an (Koran)

Questions for Further Study

• 1.: Describe the political circumstances in and around Mecca and Medina in which Muhammad created the Qur'an. How might these circumstances have influenced the shape of the Qur'an?
• 2.: Over the course of history, many religions have risen and fallen. Why do you think Islam, as defined by the Qur'an, took root in the region and survived until today to claim well over a billion adherents? What fundamental appeal did Islam and the Qur'an have at the time?
• 3.: Explain why an English-language translation of the Qur'an is likely to have a title such as The Holy Qur'an rather than just Qur'an.
• 4.: Islam is described as an “Abrahamic” religion. What does this term mean? Who was Abraham? What relationship does Islam and the Qur'an bear to Judaism and Christianity as reflected in the Judeo-Christian Bible? What is meant by “religions of the book”?
• 5.: Throughout religious history there has been a notable strain of mysticism and mystical revelations—not surprising, since religion by its very nature deals with matters unseen and largely unprovable. How would you compare the mystical revelations of Muhammad, as reflected in sura XVII, with the mystical revelations in the Gospel of Thomas or in the Persian Bayan?