American Qur'an

Book - 2016

At a time when the United States was involved in two wars against Islamic nations, American-born artist Sandow Birk wanted to understand the Qur'an as it is, and always has been intended: a universal message to humankind. But to do so, he first needed to comprehend what Islam's holiest book meant to an American living in the twenty-first century. Indeed, how has the Qur'an related to us, as Americans, in this life, in this time? In an attempt to answer his own question, Birk embarked on the most ambitious work of his career. Following in the traditions of ancient Arabic and Islamic artists, he began hand-transcribing the entire Qur'an as was done in centuries past -- abiding by the traditional prescriptions as to the col...ors of ink, the formatting of the pages, the size of margins and illuminations of page headings and medallions marking verses and passages. He then took each sura and set it against a backdrop from everyday American life, one that reflected his "skate-surf" ascetic. Even before the first images of what became known as the American Qur'an began appearing in public, in 2009, veteran art critics were concerned about its reception. While Birk wasn't illustrating the Qur'an itself, the pairing of Islam's holiest text with scenes from contemporary American life seemed adventuresome, given the climate of the times. The project, however, was not only welcomed by the Muslim community but also celebrated as an "ambitious and valuable undertaking." At the same time, many saw it as taking part in an ancient tradition, one that, according to Yale University professor Zareena Grewal, "eschewed the irony and satire that have become the knee-jerk impulse of so many Western artists." Now appearing in full for the first time, this lavishly designed volume -- containing all 114 suras -- melds the past with the present, East with the West like nothing before it.

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Subjects
Published
New York : Liveright Publishing Corporation [2016]
Language
English
Other Authors
Sandow Birk, 1964- (illustrator), Reza Aslan (writer of preface), Zareena Grewal (writer of added commentary), Iftikhar Dadi (contributor), Catharine Clark
Edition
First edition
Item Description
Based on an 1861 English translation.
Additional essay by Catharine Clark.
Physical Description
xvii, 443 pages : color illustrations ; 42 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 439-440).
ISBN
9781631490187
16314901847
  • How to read over Sandow Birk's shoulder: An American Muslim's notes on the American Qur'an / by Zareena Grewall
  • American Qur'an
  • The aesthetics of the American Qur'an Project / by Iftikhar Dadi
  • The development of Sandow Birk's American Qur'an / by Catharine Clark.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Birk, an American illustrator and graphic artist, dedicated nine years to studying traditional Qur'anic manuscripts and working on this modern homage. He sets the text in a graffiti-inspired handwritten font against scenes of contemporary American life drawn in sharp and loving detail. From the opening page, Birk's art stuns as it depicts a diverse American story with a Midwestern farm, a strip mall, and iconic monuments, each rendered in a distinctive and visually impressive style that begs for close attention. Meanwhile, the juxtaposition of words and images prompts the reader to engage deeply with the text, discovering resonances such as a chapter on charity illustrated with an urban scene where passersby ignore a panhandling homeless veteran. This masterpiece is important as an accessible and enjoyable introduction to the Qur'an for non-Muslim Americans, but even for Muslims and others familiar with the Qur'an, it bears weighty messages, inviting a reconsideration of sacred texts in the context of ordinary American lives. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.