Approaching the Qu'ran is a translation of the early suras -- the short, hymnic chapters at the end of the book. A major event in religious publishing, this book captures the complexity, power and poetry of the early suras and the majesty and intimacy of the distinctive Qu'ranic voice. These early revelations to Muhammad involve little of the political and legal detail found in the suras of his later career. Here they speak directly to every human being, regardless of religious confession or cultural background. Approaching ...
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Approaching the Qu'ran is a translation of the early suras -- the short, hymnic chapters at the end of the book. A major event in religious publishing, this book captures the complexity, power and poetry of the early suras and the majesty and intimacy of the distinctive Qu'ranic voice. These early revelations to Muhammad involve little of the political and legal detail found in the suras of his later career. Here they speak directly to every human being, regardless of religious confession or cultural background. Approaching the Qu'ran is also designed to be as accessible as possible, to offer the full lyric and literary experience to readers: Opposite each sura is a short commentary that explores some of the subtleties and context of the Qu'ranic passages; an annotated glossary explains key Qu'ranic concepts and Arabic terms with English translations; there is even a compact disc of recordings by renowned Qu'ranic reciters chanting the early suras.
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Add this copy of Approaching the Qu'Ran: the Early Revelations to cart. $11.71, good condition, Sold by BooksRun rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Philadelphia, PA, UNITED STATES, published 1999 by White Cloud Pr.
Add this copy of Approaching the Qu'Ran: the Early Revelations to cart. $40.57, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by White Cloud Pr.
This is a very good way to appoach the Qur'an, especially for people with some background in Biblical studies. Michael Sells (now at the University of Chicago Divinity School in the History of Religions) emphasizes the oral character of the Muslim scripture -- that its recitation is a primary religious act. The book has a CD with several styles of recitation of some of the Suras.
The main reason this is a good approach is that it concentates on the early Suras, those proclaiming the power of the Last Judgment, with its wide-ranging imagery from nature and social life. Sells gives fine translations of the Suras from 81 on with brief commentaries. If one is particularly interested in the biography of the Prophet, this is how the revelations began. This is where the emphases were before the more challenging tasks of organizing and governing an 'ummah that was also a state began. Good texts and good sounds!
