Review by Choice Review
In keeping with his progressive stance, Sardar's goal in this work is to free the Qur'an from the controlling influence of the medieval exegetical tradition and, in the process, to open the text up to the light of reasoned reflection and critical methodology. Although Sardar (City Univ., London) is a committed Muslim who views the Qur'an as the word of God, he is also convinced of the place for critical methods in the analysis of the sacred text. He makes a serious effort to apply these methods to select portions of the Qur'an as a way of demonstrating the value of modern exegesis. The volume is divided into three parts: in part 1, Sardar takes up a discussion of the Qur'an's principal literary features; in part 2, he focuses attention on the first two surahs to demonstrate concretely the value of critical methodology; in parts 3-4, he addresses a range of contemporary issues--among them domestic violence, homosexuality, and suicide--in the light of his exegetical findings. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Academic libraries supporting lower-level undergraduates through researchers/faculty; public libraries serving general readers. M. Swartz Boston University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
From a distance, this book may appear too academic, too in-depth to be of use to the average person. And while it is no Dummies Guide, it is still (for the most part) a blog-turned-book. Blogging the Qur'an was started by Sardar in 2007 as a part of his work for the Guardian. He has, of course, considerably expanded the blog content and includes some introductory material, such as the authority of the Qur'an, its style, and its structure. The book's second major section provides translation of two of the Qur'an's more than 100 chapters, with generous, readable commentary. The last half of the book takes a more topical direction, starting with wide-angle themes, like crime/punishment and ethics/morality. The focus narrows in what Sardar calls the Contemporary Topics section, where he explores always through the lens of the Qur'an issues such as politics, polygamy, homosexuality, and suicide. Sardar is passionate in his approach without being dogmatic. Will appeal to many open-minded readers of other faiths and those generally interested in spirituality.--Osburn, Wade Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Sardar, a London-based writer and broadcaster, blogged about the Koran for the Guardian for a year. Here he adapts those blogs into a book addressing how he feels we (both Muslims and non-Muslims) should approach the Koran today. Sardar is writing in response to the rigid and negative ways the Koran is sometimes interpreted by the West-e.g., as rejecting modern science, preaching misogyny, or affirming violent jihad. He seeks to show that the Koran is a dynamic text asking for adaptive interpretation in new circumstances. The book has four parts, with the first providing a general overview, the second addressing traditional topics, the third focusing on broader themes, and the fourth covering contemporary issues such as Sharia, the veil, homosexuality, suicide, science, and evolution, where he seeks to show that we must not see the Koran as a static and reactionary text. VERDICT A helpful book for opening the minds of spiritually engaged readers interested in the place of holy books in today's world.-John Jaeger, Dallas Baptist Univ. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
