Publication
Imprint: Ashland, Oregon : White Cloud Press, 1999. Edition: First edition. Responsibility: Introduced, selected and translated from the Arabic by Michael A. (Anthony) Sells. OCLC Number: 40738897. Physical: Text : 1 volume : ix, 219 pages ; 24 cm + 1 sound disc : digital ; 4 3/4 in.. Features: Includes selected further reading.
Call number
GT-I / TX / Quran
ISBN
9781883991265
Collections
CSS Library Notes
Named Word: Quran : Qur'an : Koran .
Description: For many Westerners who do not read or speak Arabic, the effort to get even a basic glimpse of what the Qur'an is about has proved frustrating. The Qur'an is not arranged in chronological order or narrative pattern. Indeed, the passages associated with the very first revelations given to Muhammad, those learned first by Muslims when they study the Qur'an in Arabic, are placed at the very end of the written Qur'an. After a short prayer, the written Qur'an begins with the longest and one of the most complex chapters, one from Muhammad's later career, which engages the full array of legal, historical, polemical, and religious issues in a fashion bewildering for the reader not immersed in the history and law of early Islam.
This volume is an attempt to approach the Qur'an in two senses. First, in the translations and commentary I have tried to bring across some sense of that combination of majesty and intimacy that makes the Qur'anic voice distinctive. Second, I sought to allow the reader who is unfamiliar wit the details of Islamic history to approach the Qur'an in a way that allows an appreciation of its distinctive literary character. The selections presented here are short, hymnic chapters or Suras associated with the first revelations toMuhammad, most of which appear at the end of the written text and are commonly reached only by the most resolute reader. These short Suras are the sections learned first by Muslims in their study of the Arabic Qur'an. They also comprise the verses most often memorized, quoted, and recited. -- from the introduction
Table of Contents: Introduction: approaching the Qurʼan --
Glossary of Arabic terms --
The early suras with commentary --
Hearing the Qurʼan: the call to prayer and six sutras --
Sound, spirit, and gender in the Qurʼan --
Compact disc selections of Qurʼanic recitation.
Biographies of Qur'anic reciters
FY2000 /
Description: For many Westerners who do not read or speak Arabic, the effort to get even a basic glimpse of what the Qur'an is about has proved frustrating. The Qur'an is not arranged in chronological order or narrative pattern. Indeed, the passages associated with the very first revelations given to Muhammad, those learned first by Muslims when they study the Qur'an in Arabic, are placed at the very end of the written Qur'an. After a short prayer, the written Qur'an begins with the longest and one of the most complex chapters, one from Muhammad's later career, which engages the full array of legal, historical, polemical, and religious issues in a fashion bewildering for the reader not immersed in the history and law of early Islam.
This volume is an attempt to approach the Qur'an in two senses. First, in the translations and commentary I have tried to bring across some sense of that combination of majesty and intimacy that makes the Qur'anic voice distinctive. Second, I sought to allow the reader who is unfamiliar wit the details of Islamic history to approach the Qur'an in a way that allows an appreciation of its distinctive literary character. The selections presented here are short, hymnic chapters or Suras associated with the first revelations toMuhammad, most of which appear at the end of the written text and are commonly reached only by the most resolute reader. These short Suras are the sections learned first by Muslims in their study of the Arabic Qur'an. They also comprise the verses most often memorized, quoted, and recited. -- from the introduction
Table of Contents: Introduction: approaching the Qurʼan --
Glossary of Arabic terms --
The early suras with commentary --
Hearing the Qurʼan: the call to prayer and six sutras --
Sound, spirit, and gender in the Qurʼan --
Compact disc selections of Qurʼanic recitation.
Biographies of Qur'anic reciters
FY2000 /
Physical description
ix, 219 p.; 23 cm
Description
Presents translations of the short hymnic chapters, or suras, of the Qur'an, associated with the first revalations of the Prophet Muhammad. It is accompanied by a CD recording of Quranic reciters chanting several of the early suras, allowing readers to hear the Qur'an in it's original form.
Original language
Arabic
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User reviews
LibraryThing member svendwhite
A wonderfully insightful look at the major themes and aesthetic characteristics the Quran. I didn't think it was possible to verbalize the aural majesty of the Quran for Arabic speakers, but Sells somehow pulls it off. A real gem.
LibraryThing member DavenportsDream
A book i had to pick up for a class in undergrad. The book was a real eye opener and a great selection for anyone in "The West" trying to get an introduction to the Qur'an that would like a bit of an idea about how the passage may be interpreted by scholars. Sells does a good job of highlighting
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some of the major themes of the text in a very short space. The book also comes with a CD including the chanting of daily prayers etc..in Arabic. If you are wondering about the Qur'an but don't want to spring for the full deal or would like a decnt gloss for some passages Sell's would be a good place to start. Show Less
LibraryThing member ImperfectCJ
I appreciate the language-oriented perspective of this book, but my favorite part is the list of audio downloads of Arabic recitations of Qur'anic verses. Listening to these helped me better understand the points Sells was making, but it also helped me get a glimpse of the power and the beauty of
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the Qur'an. Some of the recordings gave me chills. Show Less
LibraryThing member csoki637
The author provides a thorough understanding of the background behind Quranic chapters that non-Arabic-speakers would not pick up on otherwise. Very interesting.