What the Koran Really Says: Language, Text, and Commentary

Summary

Title: What the Koran Really Says: Language, Text, and Commentary
Author: edited by Ibn Warraq
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 157392945X

Pro:
•  Provides articles which have never been translated into English before
•  Offers perspectives on Qur'an which you won't find elsewhere

Con:
•  Very academic and very technical at times — may not be for most lay readers
•  No index

Description:
•  Over 40 essays offering a critical look at the origins and nature of the Qur'an
•  Essays argue that traditional Muslim view of the Qur'an should not be taken at face value
•  Includes glossary of Arabic terms and appendices on Semitic languages and scripts

Book Review

Ibn Warraq edited a volume of critical literature entitled What the Koran Really Says: Language, Text, and Commentary. There are over forty essays collected here, some translated into English for the first time. Much of it, however, is probably beyond the needs of the average reader simply looking to learn a bit more than what they see on the news and in magazines. Scholars and students may find it invaluable; most people, however, may simply feel overwhelmed with the technical and linguistic details.

Yet there is a definite need for a book that provides those details. It’s not as though there weren’t much in the way of commentaries on the Qur’an currently — on the contrary, what exists could fill a library. The problem is, those commentaries are very uncritical in their approach. This stands in stark contrast to Biblical scholarship where there are a wide variety of divergent approaches, many of which take a critical or skeptical perspective towards the text and meaning.

Why such divergent attitudes in how the Bible and the Qur’an are treated? There are certainly many things which contribute to the difference, but one of the more neglected reasons may be the ways in which Christianity and Islam regard their sacred texts. Although many Christians revere the Bible, few if any treat it with the same degree of reverence as Muslims treat the Qur’an. Indeed, it is argued that a much closer parallel in Christianity is not the Bible, but Jesus Christ:

”If Christ is the Word of God made flesh, the Koran is the Word of God made text, and questioning its sanctity or authority is thus considered an outright attack on Islam — as Salman Rushdie knows all too well.”

What the Koran Really Says: Language, Text, and Commentary

The scholars in this book, then, are questioning and critiquing the very nature of what might be called the holiest thing in all of Islam. It is argued that there are Coptic as well as other Christian and Jewish sources for much of what appears, negating the idea that the text is a completely original work. It is argued that while the text claims to be “clear,” few of those who even understand Arabic really understand much of the text — an idea well supported by the voluminous commentaries which are necessary. A number of essays are devoted to examining problematic passages and the ways in which they might be interpreted.

Such arguments are not likely to be welcomed by orthodox Muslims, but they constitute an important and neglected feature of scholarship about Islam. If you are interested in a more critical look at the Qur’an than you’ll read in most places, this is a good book to have. Unfortunately, it’s a lot more technical than the casual reader is likely to accept. Scholars, students, and those with a very keen interest in Islam who are willing to put in some effort are sure to get a lot out of this collection.