Introducing the Qur'an

Award-winning professor John Kaltner's new work offers a general introduction and orientation to the Qur'an. It surveys the origin, structure, contents, study, and use of Islam's sacred text. Offering selective rather than comprehensive coverage, the work allows for discussion and analysis of specific themes and issues of interest to modern readers.

John Kaltner is Virginia Ballou McGehee Professor of Muslim-Christian Relations at Rhodes College, Memphis, Tennessee. He is the author of Islam: What Non-Muslims Should Know (2003) and coauthor of What Do Our Neighbors Believe? Questions and Answers on Judaism, Christianity and Islam (2007).

Illustrations and Gallery	p. x
Preface	p. xii
Acknowledgments	p. xiv
Introduction	p. 1
Describing the Qur'an	p. 3
Studying the Qur'an	p. 16
Experiencing the Qur'an	p. 29
Key Terms	p. 41
Further Reading	p. 41
The Natural Environment	p. 42
A Parable	p. 43
A Theocentric Framework	p. 45
The Work of Creation	p. 48
The Works of Creation	p. 49
Nature as Muslim	p. 66
Angels and Jinn	p. 66
Humanity's Place in Creation	p. 70
Key Terms	p. 73
Questions for Discussion	p. 74
Further Reading	p. 74
Family Matters	p. 75
Kinship	p. 75
Love	p. 77
Family Ties	p. 80
Marriage	p. 89
Divorce	p. 92
Inheritance	p. 95
The Family of the Prophet Muhammad	p. 97
Key Terms	p. 101
Questions for Discussion	p. 101
Further Reading	p. 102
Gender and Sexuality	p. 103
Terminology	p. 104
Feminist Readings of the Qur'an	p. 106
The Egalitarian Core	p. 108
Problematic Passages	p. 113
The Veil	p. 122
Menstruation	p. 125
Sexual Activity	p. 127
Key Terms	p. 134
Questions for Discussion	p. 134
Further Reading	p. 135
Muslim/Non-Muslim Relations	p. 136
The Language of Religion	p. 137
Religious Groups	p. 139
Pluralism	p. 155
Key Terms	p. 163
Questions for Discussion	p. 163
Further Reading	p. 163
Jihad	p. 165
A Complex Term	p. 166
Jihad in the Qur'an	p. 166
The Two Forms of Jihad	p. 174
Usama bin Ladin's Jihad and Use of the Qur'an	p. 181
Key Terms	p. 185
Questions for Discussion	p. 185
Further Reading	p. 186
Violence and War	p. 187
The Language of Violence	p. 188
Types of Violence in the Qur'an	p. 189
A Range of Responses	p. 195
Explaining the Violence	p. 198
Key Terms	p. 214
Questions for Discussion	p. 214
Further Reading	p. 214
Death and the Afterlife	p. 215
Reward and Punishment	p. 216
Repentance	p. 219
Death	p. 220
Eschatology	p. 225
Hell	p. 228
Heaven	p. 235
Key Terms	p. 243
Questions for Discussion	p. 243
Further Reading	p. 243
Glossary	p. 245
Index	p. 249
Photo Credits	p. 252
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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Introducing the Qur'an

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials