The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'ān

Jane Dammen McAuliffe

Cambridge University Press, Nov 23, 2006 - History - 332 pages

As the living scriptural heritage of more than a billion people, the Qur'an (Koran) speaks with a powerful voice. Just as other scriptural religions, Islam has produced a long tradition of interpretation for its holy book. Nevertheless, efforts to introduce the Qur'an and its intellectual heritage to English-speaking audiences have been hampered by the lack of available resources. The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'an seeks to remedy that situation. In a discerning summation of the field, Jane McAuliffe brings together an international team of scholars to explain its complexities. Comprising fourteen chapters, each devoted to a topic of central importance, the book is rich in historical, linguistic and literary detail, while also reflecting the influence of other disciplines. For both the university student and the general reader, The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'an provides a fascinating entrée to a text that has shaped the lives of millions for centuries.

What people are saying

User Review -

I was introduced to this work by another sheikh, who was an avid reader and scholar (ra.) Being given the book for my scholarly endeavors, my initial reading of it was for personal reasons but as I continued i found tit to be a good source of information both for lay persons and scholars. I can't say the author is totally unbiased, nor can I say that she's evenly yoked about the information provided herein. I can say that the information proves invaluable for scholars, novice and adept. An informed person should find this information invaluable in establishing sundry points, because this book raises many questions and offers conclusive finds to the same. I rate the book 3.5 stars and recommend it teachers who can properly instruct therefrom. 

Review: The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'an

User Review  - Matt - Goodreads

A very good, articulate and useful secondary introduction to the study of the Qur'an

About the author

Jane Dammen McAuliffe is Professor in the Departments of History and Arabic and Dean of Arts and Sciences at Georgetown University. Her numerous publications have focused primarily on the Qur'an, on early Islamic history and on the multiple relations between Islam and Christianity. Her books include Qur'anic Christians: An Analysis of Classical and Modern Exegesis (1991), and With Reverence for the Word: Medieval Scriptural Exegesis in Judaism, Christianity and Islam (2003), and she has edited the five-volume Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an (2001-2006),

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'ān; Cambridge Companions to Religion; Cambridge collections online; Cambridge companions complete collection; Cambridge companions to philosophy, religion and culture
• Editor: Jane Dammen McAuliffe
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2006
• ISBN: 0521831601, 9780521831604
• Length: 332 pages
• Subjects: History / Asia / General; Philosophy / Religious; Religion / General; Religion / Islam / General; Religion / Islam / Koran & Sacred Writings; Social Science / Islamic Studies