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How to Read the Qur'an
The Qur'an is regarded by Muslims as the direct word of God, timeless and unchanged. It is used not only for prayer and worship but as a path which can lead the believer to a closer understanding of the essence of their relationship with God. In this thought-provoking, considered study of the scripture of Islam, Mona Siddiqui explores the 'big themes' of prophecy, law, sin and salvation from her dual position as a believer and a scholar.
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 11, 2008
About the author
Mona Siddiqui
23 books8 followersMona Siddiqui is professor of Islamic and interreligious studies at the University of Edinburgh. She lives in Edinburgh.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 16, 2015
This is a great book from an academic point of view. It does not tell us how to literally read the Qur'an but rather how to understand the Book and Islam in their social and historical context, to understand how it changed the society at that time for the better. The Qur'an has been an inspiration and it should be used as guidance but bearing in mind the current sociological and cultural circumstances.
The author begins with the prophetic revelation and explains the nature of it and the nature of the Book which rather defines morality and spirituality for it is not a historical book, each story presents a moral.
She goes on to talk about the transformation which took place in seventh-century Arabia up to the modern days when people divided into different social identities and how these identities influenced the evolution and the social-political movements. In her book, she also explains the differences between how Islam was at the beginning, how the text should be interpreted and the controversies and disputes caused by the current understanding and practice of this religion. Muslims tend to separate themselves from the rest of the people, to enclose themselves in their own community without much openness to other believes, other cultures or new ideas. Some may say that this attitude prevents them from development.
Few of the chapters had some weak arguments or a very brief presentation which to me seemed superficial. But generally, I think it is a very useful book which should encourage us to look deeper, to search for further information and gain knowledge.
The author begins with the prophetic revelation and explains the nature of it and the nature of the Book which rather defines morality and spirituality for it is not a historical book, each story presents a moral.
She goes on to talk about the transformation which took place in seventh-century Arabia up to the modern days when people divided into different social identities and how these identities influenced the evolution and the social-political movements. In her book, she also explains the differences between how Islam was at the beginning, how the text should be interpreted and the controversies and disputes caused by the current understanding and practice of this religion. Muslims tend to separate themselves from the rest of the people, to enclose themselves in their own community without much openness to other believes, other cultures or new ideas. Some may say that this attitude prevents them from development.
Few of the chapters had some weak arguments or a very brief presentation which to me seemed superficial. But generally, I think it is a very useful book which should encourage us to look deeper, to search for further information and gain knowledge.
February 19, 2025
Mona Siddiqui is a well regarded scholar of Islam and Islamic law. Born in Pakistan, she was relocated to the United Kingdom as a two year old. I mention this because her personal perspective is that of a woman Muslin who grew up and was educated in the west. I found that perspective to be a bit schizophrenic. Let me explain. Each chapter in the book examines a theme: The Book, Revelation, God’s Oneness, Prophecy, Creation, Ritual, Modesty, Jews and Christians, Law, Scholarship. Her discussion of each includes a history, modern development, and her own commentary. Take for instance fundamentalism. Siddiqui writes that Islam took a pivotal turn toward fundamentalism about 150 years after the prophet’s death. It took another fundamentalist turn in the late 19th center which continues to this day under the umbrella of the Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and similar movements that define religious and social pluralism as evils, and which believe the Qur’an is a complete, infallible and unchanging guide to living. Hence the move to live and govern by Islamic law. About this, Siddiqui writes:
How to Read the Qur’an is a thoughtful discussion of Islamic big ideas and to a limited extent history. Each thematic chapter concludes with the author’s own views which, quite frankly, I related to far more than to her exposition of Islamic belief and ritual, and modern Islamic fundamentalism. I too view things and ideas through a western lens.
If God is mine, he is also yours, for he transcends any particular understanding we impose on him as individuals. This may be difficult for many who are convinced the possess the only truth. Yet is we ignore the more generous interpretation of the Qur’an, we remain constrained by our own faith and not enlarged by the faiths of others.”This of course could be said of other faiths. It is also a western idea. An idea that, in my view, is out of synch with Islam today in many parts of the world. Siffiqui reports that there is a movement of sorts among Moslem women in the west to voluntarily wear the hijab as a sign of identity and faith. I fail to see this as a nod to multicultural pluralism or to the non-Islamic world.
How to Read the Qur’an is a thoughtful discussion of Islamic big ideas and to a limited extent history. Each thematic chapter concludes with the author’s own views which, quite frankly, I related to far more than to her exposition of Islamic belief and ritual, and modern Islamic fundamentalism. I too view things and ideas through a western lens.
April 2, 2026
Less an attempt to help people read and understand the Qur’an more an introduction into the Islamic faith placing the Qur’an at the centre of Islam and Allah’s relationship with the Prophet Muhammad. Interesting reflections on the difference between Muhammad and Jesus as the central prophets and broadly Islam and religion’s role within modernity. The author asks whether it is blasphemous to potentially reconsider a text written in the 7th century and engage with it in a way that perhaps challenges it, especially in relation to modernity.
‘The challenge of modernity lies in keep alive a meaningful interface between the divine and the secular. But whereas the Christian world largely embraced the challenge of modernity in the Enlightenment, the Muslim world associate’s modernity with Western colonialism. Modernity subjugated Islam, reducing its political and religious force. Many of the social and ideological tensions of today have arisen from the vestiges of the post-colonial period.’
‘The challenge of modernity lies in keep alive a meaningful interface between the divine and the secular. But whereas the Christian world largely embraced the challenge of modernity in the Enlightenment, the Muslim world associate’s modernity with Western colonialism. Modernity subjugated Islam, reducing its political and religious force. Many of the social and ideological tensions of today have arisen from the vestiges of the post-colonial period.’
August 4, 2013
I first became aware of Professor Mona Siddiqui when she spoke a women's Islamic conference. In my opinion, she presented the most lively speech there; speaking about issues for Muslims and in Islam, and raising questions about how we should view them in the 21st century West. For her effort she was quickly rebuffed by a "shaykha" clad all in black and speaking only in Arabic.
My experience with Dr. Siddiqui could just as well be my experience with her work. In How to Read the Qur'an she presents an intro to Islam and it's holy book by addressing issues that are controversial to many Western audiences. The general overviews are there too, but it's all the interesting little stuff she inserts that I was pleasantly surprised to see in such a "beginner's guide." To draw back to the topic of the book, she inserts quotes from the Qur'an throughout, which pertain to these topics.
However, while issues such as the Muhammad cartoons and hijab bans are brought up, don't expect them to be thoroughly addressed. This is not the point of the book. Also, the book is short - only 120 pages all together, it is amazing she fit them in at all. But Western audiences will find this book very approachable because she has related Islam and the Qur'an through these modern events.
The book is actually part of a series "How to Read..." that has scholars write beginner's guides for books or authors in their field. For being part of a series, it definitely stands alone. I am only surprised that it is so well written.
As a Muslim I am often asked what books I would recommend for non-Muslims to learn about Islam. There are not many if any books I would recommend, until now. Due to the short length, and the concise manner in which Prof. Siddiqui addresses a bevy of heavy issues, I would recommend this book as a great introduction for non-Muslims or even Muslims wanting to learn more about Islam.
Additionally, those who want to learn more will love the bibliography of further reading which is included in the back of the book. If only for the bibliography I would suggest you buy this book, as it is an excellent collection of modern Islamic scholarship.
My experience with Dr. Siddiqui could just as well be my experience with her work. In How to Read the Qur'an she presents an intro to Islam and it's holy book by addressing issues that are controversial to many Western audiences. The general overviews are there too, but it's all the interesting little stuff she inserts that I was pleasantly surprised to see in such a "beginner's guide." To draw back to the topic of the book, she inserts quotes from the Qur'an throughout, which pertain to these topics.
However, while issues such as the Muhammad cartoons and hijab bans are brought up, don't expect them to be thoroughly addressed. This is not the point of the book. Also, the book is short - only 120 pages all together, it is amazing she fit them in at all. But Western audiences will find this book very approachable because she has related Islam and the Qur'an through these modern events.
The book is actually part of a series "How to Read..." that has scholars write beginner's guides for books or authors in their field. For being part of a series, it definitely stands alone. I am only surprised that it is so well written.
As a Muslim I am often asked what books I would recommend for non-Muslims to learn about Islam. There are not many if any books I would recommend, until now. Due to the short length, and the concise manner in which Prof. Siddiqui addresses a bevy of heavy issues, I would recommend this book as a great introduction for non-Muslims or even Muslims wanting to learn more about Islam.
Additionally, those who want to learn more will love the bibliography of further reading which is included in the back of the book. If only for the bibliography I would suggest you buy this book, as it is an excellent collection of modern Islamic scholarship.
May 9, 2016
"If God is mine, he is also yours, for he transcends any particular understanding we impose on him as individuals. This may be difficult for many who are convinced they possess the only truth. Yet if we ignore the more generous interpretation of the Qur'an, we remain constrained by our own faith and not enlarged by the faiths of others".
This is more an essay than a book but covers a lot of topics very briefly from pluralism, environmentalism, role of women and it's really beautifully written.
To be honest, after coming across Sufi poetry, I had got a rather romantic view of Islam's view of God, as God being in everything. My interpretation from this book is that this isn't a widely held belief at all in Islam. Although I like the way she described the Qur'an as inviting 'man to a spiritual, hermeneutical reading of the universe' overall the view is much more anthropocentric than I might have hoped.
She presents some interesting critical scholarship on the Qur'an - she argues that the Qur'an that cannot be divorced from the historical context in which it was written, in 7th Century Arabia. What is really beautiful about the book is the call for more liberal interpretation of the Qur'an and for interfaith dialogue like the quote I opened with. She ends the book;
"If we want to draw closer to God, we must respectfully draw closer to each other"
This is more an essay than a book but covers a lot of topics very briefly from pluralism, environmentalism, role of women and it's really beautifully written.
To be honest, after coming across Sufi poetry, I had got a rather romantic view of Islam's view of God, as God being in everything. My interpretation from this book is that this isn't a widely held belief at all in Islam. Although I like the way she described the Qur'an as inviting 'man to a spiritual, hermeneutical reading of the universe' overall the view is much more anthropocentric than I might have hoped.
She presents some interesting critical scholarship on the Qur'an - she argues that the Qur'an that cannot be divorced from the historical context in which it was written, in 7th Century Arabia. What is really beautiful about the book is the call for more liberal interpretation of the Qur'an and for interfaith dialogue like the quote I opened with. She ends the book;
"If we want to draw closer to God, we must respectfully draw closer to each other"
September 30, 2021
This is a short introduction to the Qur'an. It does a fine job of explaining the Qur'an's place in Islamic thought and contextualising some of the issues around it.
Written from a liberal Islamic point of view it still manages to give some reasons for the more fundamentalist readings of the Qur'an. Indeed, it makes you realism that Islamic fundamentalism - or at least the modern version - arises from colonialism and that Western liberalism is tainted by Western colonialism. That it is us trying to impose our thoughts, which are seen as more relativistic (and, although the book doesn't say this, hypocritical) than Islamic thinking.
It also explains in a little more detail some of the terms we hear bandied about but which we have only a slightly distorted take on.
A good introduction, but obviously there is a lot more to learn.
Written from a liberal Islamic point of view it still manages to give some reasons for the more fundamentalist readings of the Qur'an. Indeed, it makes you realism that Islamic fundamentalism - or at least the modern version - arises from colonialism and that Western liberalism is tainted by Western colonialism. That it is us trying to impose our thoughts, which are seen as more relativistic (and, although the book doesn't say this, hypocritical) than Islamic thinking.
It also explains in a little more detail some of the terms we hear bandied about but which we have only a slightly distorted take on.
A good introduction, but obviously there is a lot more to learn.
May 31, 2019
Academic and scholarly articles on the Quran continue to pose new challenges for the Believer, the believing scholar and the secular scholar.
The perception of the Quran as a closed book which can only be read, recited and obeyed is a problem and is fuelled by many Muslims themselves who see any form of critical engagement with the Quran as a critique of the divine and tantamount to blasphemy.
Muslims are forgetting that intellectualism is itself a pious exercise and that faith and intellectualism are not mutually exclusive
The perception of the Quran as a closed book which can only be read, recited and obeyed is a problem and is fuelled by many Muslims themselves who see any form of critical engagement with the Quran as a critique of the divine and tantamount to blasphemy.
Muslims are forgetting that intellectualism is itself a pious exercise and that faith and intellectualism are not mutually exclusive
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July 7, 2016I didnt like this book. It did not teach me how to read the quran. It was basically an essay on islam broken down into chapters with some verses from the quran to support the author's argument. I think this is a book for someone very familiar with islam, not someone trying to learn how to read the quran. It should've been titled "how to understand islam" not how to read the quran.
December 26, 2019
Une bonne introduction à certaines questions
February 7, 2021
a concise, thoughtful and open-minded intro to islam based on extracts of its sacred scripture.
August 16, 2018
It is a short book to read but it feels more of a thesis or more of the theme of Quran in relation to current situation instead of how to read the Quran. On that note, for those wondering how to read the Quran, pls find a qualified Teacher. The best way to know how to read is to read with a Teacher. Anyway, I noted that the book surfaced equality issue and the need to be tolerant and embrace diversity in this global multiculturalism we are in. Kudos on this point.
January 10, 2018
Ok. Prolly should just read the Quran itself first before diving into guides like this.
I only read it because an acquaintance (who’s not Muslim) at my CrossFit gym handed it to me.
I only read it because an acquaintance (who’s not Muslim) at my CrossFit gym handed it to me.
August 15, 2025
Easy to follow and sooo identical to my faith values, as well as, a unique God Prophet messages that should be implemented not just to the Islamic community... but also to the world itself!
May 3, 2013
An open approach to helping others understand basic ideas in the Qur'an. As a source for fiction work, it was quite helpful.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews