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Understanding the Qur'an: Themes and Styles
The tenets of Islam cannot be grasped without a proper understanding of the Qur'an. In this book, Muhammad Abdel Haleem examines its recurrent themes and for the first time sets them in the context of the Qur'an's linguistic style. Haleem examines the background to the development of the surahs (chapters) and the ayahs (verses) and the construction of the Qur'an itself.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
71 people are currently reading
1042 people want to read
About the author
Muhammad A.S. Abdel Haleem
12 books67 followersMuhammad A. S. Abdel Haleem, OBE, is Professor of Islamic Studies at SOAS, University of London in London, England, and editor of the Journal of Qur'anic Studies.
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem was born in Egypt, and learned the Qur'an by heart from childhood. Educated at al-Azhar, Cairo, and Cambridge Universities, he has taught Arabic and Islamic Studies at Cambridge and London Universities since 1966, including courses in advanced translation and the Qur'an. He is now Professor of Islamic Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
In 2004, Oxford University Press published his translation of the Qur'an into English. He has also published several other works in this field.
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem was born in Egypt, and learned the Qur'an by heart from childhood. Educated at al-Azhar, Cairo, and Cambridge Universities, he has taught Arabic and Islamic Studies at Cambridge and London Universities since 1966, including courses in advanced translation and the Qur'an. He is now Professor of Islamic Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
In 2004, Oxford University Press published his translation of the Qur'an into English. He has also published several other works in this field.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 22, 2012
Got through a third of the book, skimmed through the rest based on what I had read so far. Muhammad Abdel Haleem is a Professor at the prestigious SOAS so I figured this would be a good book to pick up during Ramadan to delve into the underlying message of the Qur'an (which I honestly find difficult reading as if it's any other English-language chapter book). I've always enjoyed books about Islam's spiritual message as my personal belief is the breadth of the faith cannot simply be confined to a book, at least not what appears superficially in the Qur'an.
Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed in Abdel Haleem's apologist approach to criticisms of the Qur'an and the always annoying digression of Islam into a lesson on Arabic grammar and syntax. For a professor at SOAS, this book comes off as extremely non-academic and poorly cited. If, as an historian, you're conclusively asserting that the Qur'an is clearly the same as it was for Muhammad, supporting this only using the fact that companions of the Prophet "surely" wouldn't have altered the order of the chapters of the Qur'an because of their self-proclaimed reverence isn't very convincing, particularly when you simultaneously acknowledge that variants had already arisen. I understand that is a belief Muslims are supposed to hold, but it is better to just state that than try to pass it off as historical fact with no supporting citations. Likewise, his other refutations of Orientalist accusations about the Qur'an's origins and organization lack citations and place unnecessary emphasis on the vastness of one Arabic word that prior generations may have missed. This can be a bit tiresome and detracts from positive messages he could be devoting much more time to. Instead, Abdel Haleem comes across more of an apologist than a scholar and seems suited for the Muslim looking for interfaith debate tactics than a general audience wanting to gain spiritual insight. His defensive tone re: certain Christian beliefs/rites(e.g. the Lord's Prayer, contrasting marital misogyny) in "defending" Islam is also unnecessary.
To be fair, Abdel Haleem does have interesting insights on the place of water, marriage/divorce, and other topics, but I was looking for something a little more profound (a la Tariq Ramadan's books). Perhaps I am not the audience intended for this book, but I cannot imagine newbies to this area of study being particularly fascinated by pages of Arabic lexicography and syntax discussions.
If you are a Muslim feeling particularly defensive about his/her faith based on someone's statements about the Qur'an and want to educate yourself a little, then I would recommend reading this book, at least certain portions of it. If you are an Islamic/Arabic Language studies major with an interest in Qur'an translations, then I would highly recommend this book. If you want a more historical and deeper insight into Islamic spirituality and what lessons the Qur'an provides, you'll find some nice insights primarily at the beginning of each of the chapters, but I'd look somewhere else.
Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed in Abdel Haleem's apologist approach to criticisms of the Qur'an and the always annoying digression of Islam into a lesson on Arabic grammar and syntax. For a professor at SOAS, this book comes off as extremely non-academic and poorly cited. If, as an historian, you're conclusively asserting that the Qur'an is clearly the same as it was for Muhammad, supporting this only using the fact that companions of the Prophet "surely" wouldn't have altered the order of the chapters of the Qur'an because of their self-proclaimed reverence isn't very convincing, particularly when you simultaneously acknowledge that variants had already arisen. I understand that is a belief Muslims are supposed to hold, but it is better to just state that than try to pass it off as historical fact with no supporting citations. Likewise, his other refutations of Orientalist accusations about the Qur'an's origins and organization lack citations and place unnecessary emphasis on the vastness of one Arabic word that prior generations may have missed. This can be a bit tiresome and detracts from positive messages he could be devoting much more time to. Instead, Abdel Haleem comes across more of an apologist than a scholar and seems suited for the Muslim looking for interfaith debate tactics than a general audience wanting to gain spiritual insight. His defensive tone re: certain Christian beliefs/rites(e.g. the Lord's Prayer, contrasting marital misogyny) in "defending" Islam is also unnecessary.
To be fair, Abdel Haleem does have interesting insights on the place of water, marriage/divorce, and other topics, but I was looking for something a little more profound (a la Tariq Ramadan's books). Perhaps I am not the audience intended for this book, but I cannot imagine newbies to this area of study being particularly fascinated by pages of Arabic lexicography and syntax discussions.
If you are a Muslim feeling particularly defensive about his/her faith based on someone's statements about the Qur'an and want to educate yourself a little, then I would recommend reading this book, at least certain portions of it. If you are an Islamic/Arabic Language studies major with an interest in Qur'an translations, then I would highly recommend this book. If you want a more historical and deeper insight into Islamic spirituality and what lessons the Qur'an provides, you'll find some nice insights primarily at the beginning of each of the chapters, but I'd look somewhere else.
September 26, 2015
I'm not a fan. I was expecting a critical analysis, but it's mostly a perfect personal interpretation, that makes the Qur'an and Islam the perfect basis for everything ever, where everything is perfect in every imaginable way. In a way that is what Muslims might believe, so in that light it was insightful, but it wasn't what I hoped for when looking at the book.
There are no difficulties in anything, no contradicting verses get mentioned (the ''everyone gets dark eyed virgins'' part of paradise are now all spouses made virgin again, for whatever reason, ''nobody gets mentioned by name or personally isn't being discussed in the light of Sura 111: 'May the hands of Abu Laheb be ruined! May he be ruined too! Neither his wealth nor his gains will help him: he will burn in the Flaming Fire -- and so will his wife, the firewood carrier, with a palm-fibre rope around her neck.'), no orthodox scholars get mentioned, no inter-Islamic ideologies get mentioned, no actual state policies or circumstances get mentioned. Islam is perfectly compatible with everything modern, even though there are tons of people out there violently protesting against it, women are perfectly equal, etc. It's beyond apologetic, it's a utopia with no basis in reality. It's the same old story of ''only defensive wars'' (during the life of the Prophet, perhaps) without explaining how Muslims ''defended'' themselves all the way into Al-Andalus, even under the ''rightly guided caliphs''. I don't even condemn it, I just want to understand the justifications and how the religion is seen to be compatible with it. I understand this isn't a history book, but you can't ''understand'' anything if you don't allow at least a small insight into the reality of the religion and its manifestations.
I've read Haleem's translation of the Qur'an, and that also plays a massive part in this work. A vast section of every chapter is used for semantic debate and translation errors of previous translators, which are really only insightful if you've read these other translations.
All in all, I'm perfectly aware of the fact that Mr. Haleem is far more qualified on every word in the Qur'an than I am, and that his opinion on it carries infinitely more weight, but it's just that when I read ''Understanding the Qur'an'' I didn't expect this much ''How I understand the Qur'an''. I suppose I'll go read Ibn Taymiyyah myself to see where all these beautifully peaceful messages seem to get so distorted.
Basically, it's a short read, but I still don't think it's worth the time. Read the Qur'an, read the Hadith, talk to Muslims, and most of it should be pretty clear to you.
There are no difficulties in anything, no contradicting verses get mentioned (the ''everyone gets dark eyed virgins'' part of paradise are now all spouses made virgin again, for whatever reason, ''nobody gets mentioned by name or personally isn't being discussed in the light of Sura 111: 'May the hands of Abu Laheb be ruined! May he be ruined too! Neither his wealth nor his gains will help him: he will burn in the Flaming Fire -- and so will his wife, the firewood carrier, with a palm-fibre rope around her neck.'), no orthodox scholars get mentioned, no inter-Islamic ideologies get mentioned, no actual state policies or circumstances get mentioned. Islam is perfectly compatible with everything modern, even though there are tons of people out there violently protesting against it, women are perfectly equal, etc. It's beyond apologetic, it's a utopia with no basis in reality. It's the same old story of ''only defensive wars'' (during the life of the Prophet, perhaps) without explaining how Muslims ''defended'' themselves all the way into Al-Andalus, even under the ''rightly guided caliphs''. I don't even condemn it, I just want to understand the justifications and how the religion is seen to be compatible with it. I understand this isn't a history book, but you can't ''understand'' anything if you don't allow at least a small insight into the reality of the religion and its manifestations.
I've read Haleem's translation of the Qur'an, and that also plays a massive part in this work. A vast section of every chapter is used for semantic debate and translation errors of previous translators, which are really only insightful if you've read these other translations.
All in all, I'm perfectly aware of the fact that Mr. Haleem is far more qualified on every word in the Qur'an than I am, and that his opinion on it carries infinitely more weight, but it's just that when I read ''Understanding the Qur'an'' I didn't expect this much ''How I understand the Qur'an''. I suppose I'll go read Ibn Taymiyyah myself to see where all these beautifully peaceful messages seem to get so distorted.
Basically, it's a short read, but I still don't think it's worth the time. Read the Qur'an, read the Hadith, talk to Muslims, and most of it should be pretty clear to you.
December 23, 2015
This book was quite a disappointment and I had to scan through most of it as it was literally... pointless. This was not about "Themes and Style" of the Qu'ran. It was more so his cherry picking on certain topics that he wanted to go on and on and on about, for no reason. He was also very apologist in his writing in regard to any criticism of the Qu'ran as if there is no legitimate concerns on the accuracy of some of the texts. I do prefer his translation of the Qu'ran to some of the more popular versions such as Yusuf Abdullah Ali (The KJV of Qu'ran translations) but he either rushed this book to print and missed a wealth of actually helpful information or he just likes to talk about points that actually have no value. Either way, 2 stars for the information in the book that can actually be of use.
January 20, 2026
Abdel Haleem has an excellent translation of the Quran, one that is clear to read and understand. This work seeks to expand on his translation through a discourse of themes that interest him. It is important to note that this is a very personal tafseer. The themes discussed are not necessarily the most foundational to understanding the Quran for a layman, but rather the topics that Abdel Haleem finds the most interesting. As an academic and a translator it makes sense that some of these topics include styles of translation, refutation of non-Muslim translators, and comparisons with the Bible. While these topics might be engaging to some, they personally are not the most important topics to me.
This tafseer should be read if any of the chapters interest you. Personally I found the chapters on water, marriage, war, life, the face, and Adam and Eve all interesting, albeit possibly not the most important topics to discuss.
The last chapters on comparing the story of Joseph in the Quran and Bible, the Quran explains itself, and dynamic style did not engage me as much and I found myself skimming through the last dozen pages.
Read the parts that interest you and read sections alongside his translation of the Quran.
This tafseer should be read if any of the chapters interest you. Personally I found the chapters on water, marriage, war, life, the face, and Adam and Eve all interesting, albeit possibly not the most important topics to discuss.
The last chapters on comparing the story of Joseph in the Quran and Bible, the Quran explains itself, and dynamic style did not engage me as much and I found myself skimming through the last dozen pages.
Read the parts that interest you and read sections alongside his translation of the Quran.
May 12, 2021
Largely enjoy the book for its explanations of the author's choice of words in his own English translation of the Qur'an.
The book is actually a collection of essays / discourses the author had produced at various times in the past and edited for the sake of this book. Hence the variety of topics, seemingly randomly chosen as some other reviewers have complained about here.
As a result, some of the chapters are fitting for newcomers to Islam or the curious, while others feature extensive reference to Muslim historians and quote them in transliterated Arabic, making them borderline inaccessible to a curious reader. If you're moderately interested in Islam, I recommend the book.
The book is actually a collection of essays / discourses the author had produced at various times in the past and edited for the sake of this book. Hence the variety of topics, seemingly randomly chosen as some other reviewers have complained about here.
As a result, some of the chapters are fitting for newcomers to Islam or the curious, while others feature extensive reference to Muslim historians and quote them in transliterated Arabic, making them borderline inaccessible to a curious reader. If you're moderately interested in Islam, I recommend the book.
August 22, 2017
This is a truly remarkable book. The Qur'an is the supreme authority in Islam, and unfortunately the amount of scholarship on the book in English is very limited. Abdel-Haleem, who is also responsible for a brilliant English translation of the Qur'an (insofar as translations can be brilliant), does an excellent job at explaining various important topics within the Qur'an: water, marriage and divorce, war and peace, the story of Adam and Eve, the story of Joseph, the style of Qur'anic prose, and more. Of course, these are a fraction of the topics within the Qur'an, but one can never encompass all Qur'anic discussions into a single book.
It has been instrumental in helping me to understand more of the Qur'an. Highly recommended.
It has been instrumental in helping me to understand more of the Qur'an. Highly recommended.
January 31, 2014
This book pinpoints a couple of interesting themes and styles in the Quran. Throughout the book, comparisons are made to the Bible in some relatively interesting ways.
There is a heavy focus on Arabic grammar throughout the Quran and it's importance. The author also compares his own translation of the Quran to many others and breaks down some of the inaccuracies in popular translations that exist today.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a little dry at times, but it's not exactly easy to keep perfect attention with an in depth discussion on Arabic grammar and exegeses. The main themes of water, life after death, war and peace, etc are well written and worth a look in my opinion.
There is a heavy focus on Arabic grammar throughout the Quran and it's importance. The author also compares his own translation of the Quran to many others and breaks down some of the inaccuracies in popular translations that exist today.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a little dry at times, but it's not exactly easy to keep perfect attention with an in depth discussion on Arabic grammar and exegeses. The main themes of water, life after death, war and peace, etc are well written and worth a look in my opinion.
September 8, 2020
Abdel Haleem is a very serious and knowledgeable scholar. I did not expect to like this book this much. It was a little bit dry to read initially but after a few chapters it became very interesting and Abdel Haleem's mastery of the topic really was fascinating and lovely to read.
December 7, 2025
Tedious and repetitive. Definitely not geared towards a beginner. Reads like a PhD dissertation on linguistics and classical Arabic grammar. Lots of comparisons to the Bible.
No serious attempts at tackling relevant and controversial topics (evolution, slavery, same sex relationships, women’s rights, although beating you wife gently with a toothbrush is discussed). The rights of a man and wife are discussed in the chapter on marriage and divorce. The husband is supposed to pay a dowry and has certain rights as head of the household because he is the breadwinner. That held true for most of history but certainly not in the 21st century.
Certain examples from history cited (Saladin) as paragons of chivalry and honor when waging war. Plenty of counter examples not cited or discussed of forced conversions and conquest by the sword (could’ve at least said these are not condoned by the Quran).
Was also surprised at how specific the Quran is in certain verses but no explanation as to basis (praying as a group is 27 times more beneficial than praying alone, why 27 and what are the benefits). Found descriptions of heaven quite interesting with lots of water and rivers, fruits, meat and young women (not surprising given how precious and scarce water was in the Arabian desert)
The Quran is mentioned as a guide which I thought was interesting. At times stating that certain verses are metaphorical and not to be taken literally (although the Quran doesn’t indicate which ones). Would’ve been interesting to learn more about the different schools of Islam and why they interpret things differently. The last couple of chapters are a cure for insomnia.
No serious attempts at tackling relevant and controversial topics (evolution, slavery, same sex relationships, women’s rights, although beating you wife gently with a toothbrush is discussed). The rights of a man and wife are discussed in the chapter on marriage and divorce. The husband is supposed to pay a dowry and has certain rights as head of the household because he is the breadwinner. That held true for most of history but certainly not in the 21st century.
Certain examples from history cited (Saladin) as paragons of chivalry and honor when waging war. Plenty of counter examples not cited or discussed of forced conversions and conquest by the sword (could’ve at least said these are not condoned by the Quran).
Was also surprised at how specific the Quran is in certain verses but no explanation as to basis (praying as a group is 27 times more beneficial than praying alone, why 27 and what are the benefits). Found descriptions of heaven quite interesting with lots of water and rivers, fruits, meat and young women (not surprising given how precious and scarce water was in the Arabian desert)
The Quran is mentioned as a guide which I thought was interesting. At times stating that certain verses are metaphorical and not to be taken literally (although the Quran doesn’t indicate which ones). Would’ve been interesting to learn more about the different schools of Islam and why they interpret things differently. The last couple of chapters are a cure for insomnia.
July 21, 2024
The book effectively helps the reader understand the Qur'an by combining thematic, stylistic and comparative approaches.
Chapter two and twelve explore the first and fifty-fifth chapters of the Qur'an - The Opening and The Merciful. These are both profound and I would recommend these to everyone.
Other chapters discuss themes such as water; marriage and divorce; war and peace; tolerance; life and beyond; Paradise; and more. These are expertly discussed and insightful, however the book seems influenced by Western sensibilities in some cases based on the omission of some topics/verses/opinions from discussion.
The exploration of Qur'anic style was particularly insightful for me. It can often seem difficult to explore the Qur'an due to its unconventional structure. This book has given me tools to do this much better, in particular through the dictum: different parts of the Qur'an explain each other.
Finally, there are chapters comparing the stories of Adam and Eve and Joseph in the Qur'an and the Bible. These are very informative while respecting both scriptures.
Overall, a book worth reading to help understand the Qur'an, accessible to both the general reader and a student of Islam.
Chapter two and twelve explore the first and fifty-fifth chapters of the Qur'an - The Opening and The Merciful. These are both profound and I would recommend these to everyone.
Other chapters discuss themes such as water; marriage and divorce; war and peace; tolerance; life and beyond; Paradise; and more. These are expertly discussed and insightful, however the book seems influenced by Western sensibilities in some cases based on the omission of some topics/verses/opinions from discussion.
The exploration of Qur'anic style was particularly insightful for me. It can often seem difficult to explore the Qur'an due to its unconventional structure. This book has given me tools to do this much better, in particular through the dictum: different parts of the Qur'an explain each other.
Finally, there are chapters comparing the stories of Adam and Eve and Joseph in the Qur'an and the Bible. These are very informative while respecting both scriptures.
Overall, a book worth reading to help understand the Qur'an, accessible to both the general reader and a student of Islam.
June 15, 2025
I'm not Muslim; however, I've read a translation of the Qu'ran (M.A. Abdel Haleem) three times now and have enjoyed reading it and have wanted to learn more, so I thought this book would be a natural next step, but I found it torturous to get through. It's very defensive of the Qu'ran, which I suppose is valid if it's your religion. Makes a lot of comparisons to Christianity, which I found funny, but overall, I don't feel like I learned anything I wanted to learn. I think I just picked the wrong book, as I wanted to know more about the Prophet (peace be upon him), I wanted to know more about how the Qu'ran was revealed, the things in it that have proven to be true, and the different themes and stories. Women in the Qu'ran. I either got the tiniest bit of that or none at all. Instead, I had to force myself through never-ending chapters mentioning every time there was a switch from third person to second person, second person to first person, and first or third. Or a long chapter justifying, defending and analysing the "strike her once" statement. I just found it incredibly dry and difficult to understand. Maybe I'm not the audience for it, who knows? Either way, it's not for me.
January 14, 2025
Knjigu sam prevodio nešto ranije ali smo je prošle godine objavili, tj. ove, još uvijek nama bliže, 2024. godine. Tada sam knjigu ponovo iščitao nakon prijeloma i iznova bio dirnut intelektualnom snagom autora hfz. Muhammeda Abdel Haleema, njegovom erudicijom i nevjerovatnim poznavanjem arapskog i engleskog jezika. Obzirom da sam o knjizi mnogo posvuda govorio, nekakvu prevodilačku recenziju za Goodreads ću ostaviti za drugu priliku. Ovdje ću ostaviti link na kratak "intervju" koji sam obavio za Preporod.info portal, te link na gostovanje ovog učenog i umnog čovjeka u podcastu Thinking Muslim.
Intervju za Preporod.info
Thinking Muslim podcast
Intervju za Preporod.info
Thinking Muslim podcast
April 3, 2025
The book can be broadly be said to deal with three aspects. One is the methodology of Quranic studies and analysis of some more complex grammatical twists in the Quran. The other is the analysis on key topics in the light of this framework including marriage, war, water, etc,. The third is the comparative analysis of key stories in the bible and Quran, giving insights on their differences and superiority wherever Allah (swt) willed. The book is good for someone interested in an introduction as well as intermediate level of knowledge on the Quran.
May 7, 2021
Excellent overview of specific aspects regarding the Quran.
It is increased my knowledge of the wonders and devices of the Quran, and increased my awareness to the literary superiority of its verses.
If I have any critique, it would be of the rare spelling blips and for a glossary to be added.
Other than that, this is a 5/5 introduction to topics involving the Quran and a must-read for those that want to delve into the magnificence of the text.
It is increased my knowledge of the wonders and devices of the Quran, and increased my awareness to the literary superiority of its verses.
If I have any critique, it would be of the rare spelling blips and for a glossary to be added.
Other than that, this is a 5/5 introduction to topics involving the Quran and a must-read for those that want to delve into the magnificence of the text.
March 17, 2025
Muhammad Abdel Haleem’s work is remarkably informative, as he delves into sophisticated topics within the Quran, ranging from water to tolerance, and from paradise to the narrative of Adam and Eve. This is not a critique but an acknowledgment that the work is not exhaustive and does not encompass every dramatic significance found in the Quran. Nevertheless, it is profoundly helpful and offers a deep understanding of the text.
July 17, 2018
An Oxford professor's soft and easy-to-read book on the main themes of the Quran for those that are interested in the message behind the book and that don't have time to read it. A good primer to the Islam's holiest book.
March 7, 2019
Easy to read even for a beginner in Quranic studies like me. This means the content is easy to digest and internalise, even if the book is comprehensive. I love the topics that it touches on too.
October 1, 2024
Very informative
February 3, 2017
Honestly I kind of enjoyed half parts of the book, especially chapter 4 (Marriage and Divorce) to 8 (Paradise in The Qur'an) and 10 (Adam and Eve). But as it reach towards the end, seems to me that the material gets harder to understand and wasn't on the same level as the previous chapters. For example, in chapter 12 (Ar-Rahman). I was expecting more about insights, was okay with the linguistic background, but for some reason it comes off too technical that I ended up losing the big picture of what the chapter is trying to say. More so in chapter 13. Sorry to say, but the explanation gets really tedious that I find it hard to finish. It's not about the content, more about the delivery. Could have given more stars if it could keep my interest better until the end. Anyway, many lessons can be taken from this book. It clears up many misconceptions, although not gonna answer every question. This book might be easier to understand if you have intermediate knowledge of Arabic Language.
July 11, 2016
I have had this book sitting on my shelf since 2012 so I am glad to have finally finished reading it. I can't say that I found this book riveting all the way through; I did need to really motivate myself to get through some of the chapters, especially the last two (which I ended up skim-reading). There were a few chapters that I really enjoyed however - chapters 9 (The Face, Divine and Human, in the Qur'an), 11 (The story of Joseph in the Qur'an and the Bible) and 7 (Life and Beyond).
It was good for me to have Ramadan as a reason to motivate myself to read this, although I don't think I'll be picking it up again anytime soon: the delivery of the contents was, at times, incredibly monotonous and dry, and I think some of its topics have been written about far better in previous books that I've read.
It was good for me to have Ramadan as a reason to motivate myself to read this, although I don't think I'll be picking it up again anytime soon: the delivery of the contents was, at times, incredibly monotonous and dry, and I think some of its topics have been written about far better in previous books that I've read.
July 24, 2015
This book, as the subtitle suggests, divides commentary on the Qur'an into different themes. For my class, I closely read the chapters on the judgment and the afterlife on the one on marriage and divorce, and I very much appreciated the way Haleem groups together passages from the Qur'an and related hadith within these categories. It very much aided my understanding. I anticipate turning to this book when I have questions about a particular theme as I explore the Qur'an on my own now that my class is over. I'm especially intrigued by the chapter "The Face, Divine and Human, in the Qur'an."
September 27, 2013
A good introductory work overall, but I wouldn't recommend it for someone looking for a more complex treatment of the subject. While the selection of themes is interesting, the writing gets overtly and unnecessarily apologetic at times. A broad sweep of the surface rather than an impressive and profound analysis.
January 12, 2011
A very well-written overlook on the Qur'an as it is to be understood. Haleem does a good job of not just stressing but showing the uniqueness and character of the Qur'an and showing its textual relation with the Holy Bible. Excellent Islam 101 material; highly recommendable.
May 15, 2007
Great book on a wide selection of topics. Good intro for anyone interested in the text, themes, rhetoric, etc.
January 3, 2016
read following suras only: 1, 2, 4, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15, 20, 23, 24, 25, 27, 35, 36, 50, 51, 57, 76, 79, 85, 92, 96, 112
August 1, 2025
purchased at the university book shop in dunedin, it has been sitting on the shelf of my parents’ house for almost twenty years. it is academic in style but never boring (how could it be).
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews