The Quran #1 S 415

1. The Quran #1 S 415 • Sacred book of Islam • Received orally during 610-632 • Compiled in Arabic by 656 • First in English in 1649

2. The Quran #1 S 415 • Recorded verbatim • 114 chapters (or Surahs) • Delineates God • Addresses spiritual questions, social and legal matters

3. The Quran #1 S 415 • Muhammad's revelations were recorded in the Quran • Intensely personal to Muhammad

4. The Quran #1 Q 416 • “roll off his tongue in measured, highly polished, and moving language, the development struck many miraculous”

5. The Quran #1 S 416 • Sophisticated speaking style • Only Islamic miracle • Traditionally in Arabic • Rejected by many tribes, leaders

6. Background #1 S 417 • Caravans brought in new traditions, ideas, goods to Arab tribes • Christians argued with each other • Arabs knew of Byzantium’s trouble, religious persecution

7. The Quran #1 S 418 • One God • Connects with the Torah and the Bible • Tolerant of the fellow “peoples of the book”

8. Literary Types #2 S N/A • Qusida- • Pre-Islamic • 20-100 verses • Single Rhyme • Love, Journey, Patron

9. Literary Types #2 S N/A • Ghazel- • Love • 5-12 verses • Religious or secular

10. Literary Types #2 S N/A • Maqamah- • Very typical Arabic spirit • Told simple stories complicatedly • Throws grammar out the window • Very witty

11. Literary Types #2 S N/A • Qitah- • Less serious • Everyday life • Jokes, word games

12. Literary Types #2 S N/A • Mashavi- • Rhyming couplet • Up to thousands of verses • Closest to Arabic Epic

13. The Quran #3 Q N/A • “The only true faith in God's sight is Islam” • “You are the noblest community ever raised up for mankind. You enjoin justice and forbid evil. You believe in God” • “Had the People of the Book [Jews and Christians] accepted the Faith, it would surely have been better for them. Some are true believers, but most are evil-doers”

14. The Quran #3 Q N/A • “The righteous shall return to a blessed retreat: the gardens of Eden, whose gates shall open wide to receive them. Reclining there with bashful virgins for companions, they will call for abundant fruit and drink” • “Reclining there upon soft couches, they shall feel neither the scorching heat nor the biting cold. Trees will spread their shade around them, and fruits will hang in clusters over them”

15. The Quran #3 Q N/A • “Abraham and Ishmael built the House and dedicated it, saying . . . "Lord, make us submissive to You; make of our descendants a nation that will submit to You...“” • “This Book is not to be doubted.... As for the unbelievers, it is the same whether or not you forewarn them; they will not have faith. God has set a seal upon their hearts and ears; their sight is dimmed and grievous punishment awaits them”

16. Hadith #4 S N/A • Literally means in Arabic “speech” and “new” • Related to the speaking of Muhammad, but not verbatim • Written by his followers, although is cited by Muslims as being his own word • Sunnah, although it is similar, is not the same as the Hadith; it is the conduct that a Muslim must follow, rather than just the text

17. Bibliography • 1. Moss, Joyce. "The Quran." World Literature and Its times. Vol. 6. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 415-18. Print. • 2. ISLAMIC LITERATURE." ISLAMIC LITERATURE. Cornell University, n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2012. <http://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/mideast/islamlit.htm • 3. Dawood, N. J. "Quotes from and about Islam." Koran Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. <http://www.truthbeknown.com/islamquotes.htm>. • 4.Kamali, Mohammad. “Hadith.” Encyclopedia of Religion. 2005. Online