This volume rejects the notion that Islam's sacred text is error free and cannot be critically evaluated. The study of the Koran must develop and mature. Scholars of Islam are of course familiar with the book's many errors and contradictions, but these inherent flaws have rarely been revealed to a wider public. This book is an attempt to remedy this deficiency by bringing together classic critical essays which raise key issues surrounding Islam's holy book.
Divided into four parts, this important anthology begins with Theodor Nöldeke's first truly scientific study of the Koran. Part Two focuses on the difficulty of establishing a reliable Koranic text, while Part Three examines the Jewish, Christian, and Zoroastrian sources of Muhammad's "revelation." Part Four is a consideration of the controversial interpretations of contemporary scholar John Wansbrough, who questions the historical reliability of the earliest Islamic sources.
This superb collection, which includes additional selections from Leone Caetani, Arthur Jeffery, David Margoliouth, Andrew Rippin, C.C. Torrey, and more, will prove indispensable to scholars and all those interested in the textual underpinning of one of the fastest growing religions in the world.
Chapter 3: ‘Uthman and the Recension of the Koran
Chapter 4: Three Ancient Korans
Chapter 5: The Transmission of the Koran
Chapter 6: Materials for the History of the Text of the Koran
Chapter 7: Progress in the Study of the Koran Text
Chapter 8: A Variant Text of the Fatiha
Chapter 9: Abu ‘Ubaid on the Verses Missing from the Koran
Chapter 10: Textual Variations of the Koran
Chapter 11: What Did Muhammad Borrow from Judaism?
Chapter 12: The Sources of Islam
Chapter 13: The Jewish Foundation of Islam
Chapter 14: Literary Analysis of Koran, Tafsir, and Sira: The Methodologies of John Wansbrough