Ebook: Wiley Blackwell Companion to the Qur’ān

The publication of a volume devoted to the Qur ʾ a ̄ n in the “companion” genre marks the emergence of the text of Muslim scripture within the canon of world literature in a manner particularl y appropriate to the twenty‐first century. This companion is explicitly designed to guide the reader who may have little exposure to the Qur ʾ a ̄ n beyond a curiosity evoked by the popular media. It aims to provide such a person with the starting point of a general orientation and take him or her to a well‐advanced state of understanding regarding the comple xities of the text and its associated traditions. However, a “compan- ion” volume such as this is also an opportunity for scholars to extend the boundaries of what might be deemed to be the “accepted” approaches to the text of the Qur ʾ a ̄n because such a volume provides, it is to be hoped, the material which will inspire future genera- tions of scholars who first encounter the Qur ʾan in the classroom and for whom new avenues of exploration provide the excitement of research and discovery.

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