Communities of the Qur'an

What is the nature of the Qur’an? It might seem a straightforward question, but there is no consensus among modern communities of the Qur’an, both Muslim and non-Muslim, about the answer. And why should there be?

On numerous occasions throughout history, believers from different schools and denominations, and at different times and places, have agreed to disagree. The Qur’anic interpreters, jurists and theologians of medieval Baghdad, Cairo and Cordoba coexisted peacefully in spite of their diverging beliefs. Seeking to revive this ‘ethics of disagreement’ of Classical Islam, this volume explores the different relationships societies around the world have with the Qur’an and how our understanding of the text can be shaped by studying the interpretations of others. From LGBT groups to urban African American communities, this book aims to represent the true diversity of communities of the Qur’an in the twenty-first century, and the dialogue and debate that can flow among them.

Emran El-Badawi is Associate Professor and Director of the Middle Eastern Studies Program at the University of Houston.

Paula Sanders is Professor of History and Director of the Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance at Rice University in Houston, Texas.

Foreword

Reza Aslan



Introduction

Emran El-Badawi and Paula Sanders

PART I: COMMUNITIES OF CULTURE AND EXPERIENCE

1 African-American Communities of the Qur’an

Aminah Beverly Al-Deen



2 Nizari Ismaili Engagements with the Qur’an: the Khojas of South Asia

Ali Asani



3 The Reception of the Qur’an in Popular Sufism in Indonesia: tadabbur among the Ma‘iyah Community

Lien Iffah Naf’atu Fina and Ahmad Rafiq



PART II: BETWEEN GENDER AND COMMUNITY

4 Musawah: Gender Equity through Qur’anic Discourse

Amina Wadud

5 The Reception of the Qur’an in the LGBTQ Muslim Community

Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle



PART III: THE SILENT, SPEAKING AND LIVING WORD

6 The Speaking Qur’an and the Praise of the Imam: the Memory and Practice of the Qur’an in the Twelver Shia Tradition

Sajjad Rizvi

7 The Qur’an and the Baha’i Faith

Todd Lawson



PART IV: COMMUNITIES OF TEXT AND TRADITION

8 How the Qur’an Shapes the Sunni Community

Ingrid Mattson



9 The Qur’an and the Ahmadiyya Community: an Overview

Mujeeb Ur Rahman

10 Why the Qur’anists are the Solution: a Declaration

Ahmed Subhy Mansour



Afterword

Reuven Firestone



Index