The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)
The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics) The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)
Introduction xxv what is common between them: ‘Say, “People of the Book, let us arrive at a statement that is common to us all: we worship God alone, we ascribe no partner to Him, and none of us takes others beside God as lords” ’ (3: 64). The Quran forbids arguing with the People of the Book except in the best way and urges the Muslims to say: ‘We believe in what was revealed to us and in what was revealed to you; our God and your God are one [and the same]’ (29: 46). God addresses Muslims, Jews, and Christians with the following: ‘We have assigned a law and a path to each of you. If God had so willed, He would have made you one community, but He wanted to test you through that which He has given you, so race to do good: you will all return to God and He will make clear to you the matters you differed about’ (5: 48). The Quran allows Muslims to eat the food of the People of the Book and marry their women (5: 5). These are explicit statements which Muslims involved in interfaith dialogue rely upon. Misinterpretation is also observed with regard to the status of women. For example, 2: 228 ‘husbands have a degree [of right] over them [their wives]’ has been variously interpreted by Muslims and non-Muslims to relegate women in general to a lower status, when in fact this cannot be based on this verse. The reference here is not to ‘women’ and ‘men’ but to ‘wives’ and ‘husbands’. The context is in questions of divorce, between wives and husbands. Partly based on a misinterpretation of this verse, for example, most traditional scholars came to the view that Muslim women could not be judges, whereas Abu Hanifa (d. ah 150/767 ce), the founder of one of the four main schools of Islamic law, and modern jurists in many Muslim countries (although not all) do also allow women to be judges. A further example of discrimination against women due to disregard of context is found in the way some scholars interpreted 2: 282. In urging the recording of a debt in writing, the Quran says: ‘Call in two men as witnesses. If two men are not there, then call one man and two women out of those you approve as witnesses, so that if one of the two women should forget the other can remind her.’ 20 The majority view was to generalize this to all testimony and all 20 Many translate tadilla as ‘err’, not realizing that one of the many meanings (wujuh) of the verb is ‘forget’.
THE QURAN
- Page 2 and 3: oxford world’s classics THE QURAN
- Page 4 and 5: OXFORD WORLD’S CLASSICS The Quran
- Page 6 and 7: CONTENTS Introduction ix The Life o
- Page 8 and 9: Contents vii 59. The Gathering [of
- Page 10 and 11: INTRODUCTION The Quran is the supre
- Page 12 and 13: Introduction xi was a great support
- Page 14 and 15: Introduction xiii solidarity betwee
- Page 16 and 17: Introduction xv linguistically made
- Page 18 and 19: Introduction xvii of revelation, bu
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- Page 22 and 23: Introduction xxi The Quran always o
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- Page 30 and 31: 2. THE COW This is a Medinan sura a
- Page 32 and 33: 6 The Quran 2: 21 them they walk on
- Page 34 and 35: 8 The Quran 2: 42 do not sell My me
- Page 36 and 37: 10 The Quran 2: 69 but in between,
- Page 38 and 39: 12 The Quran 2: 92 already have. Sa
- Page 40 and 41: 14 The Quran 2: 114 knowledge say t
- Page 42 and 43: 16 The Quran 2: 136 guided.’ Say
- Page 44 and 45: 18 The Quran 2: 156 property, lives
- Page 46 and 47: 20 The Quran 2: 178 178 You who bel
- Page 48 and 49: 22 The Quran 2: 194 worship ab is d
- Page 50 and 51: 24 The Quran 2: 213 them on the Day
- Page 52 and 53: 26 The Quran 2: 229 Last Day, it is
- Page 54 and 55: 28 The Quran 2: 241 almighty and wi
- Page 56 and 57: 30 The Quran 2: 258 for the disbeli
- Page 58 and 59: 32 The Quran 2: 276 will rise up on
- Page 60 and 61: 3. THE FAMILY OF IMRAN A Medinan su
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- Page 64 and 65: 38 The Quran 3: 46 be held in honou
- Page 66 and 67: 40 The Quran 3: 74 74 and He single
- Page 68 and 69: 42 The Quran 3: 100 100 You who bel
- Page 70 and 71: 44 The Quran 3: 129 God relents tow
- Page 72 and 73: 46 The Quran 3: 155 ‘Everything t
- Page 74 and 75: 48 The Quran 3: 180 would not show
THE QURAN
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