Islam: Library Sources for Research

"The Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an is a highly prestigious and competent volume from a superb publisher with contributions by the world's leading experts [...] The entries are designed to stimulate further research as well as present the state of research to this point." 5 vols. (from ARBA review by Linda L. Lam-Easton)

"...Over 40 international experts, representing various academic perspectives and personal religious beliefs, have contributed to this encyclopedia, one of few whose scope is exclusively The Qur'an. Entries are written in a style that is appropriate for both the neophyte and the specialist, and range from concepts as basic as "Death" to terms as specific to The Qur'an as "Aya" (verse) and as intriguing as "Najwa" (secret conversation)." (from the ARBA review by Lucy Duhon)

"Believing that “the Qur’an, like any other book, does have a meaning,” Mir seeks to explain the terms and concepts of the Qur‘an according to his understanding of it, ”without making too many apologies” (xii) for doing so. The book is intended for those who are interested in Islam - "more particularly in the Qur'an." [...] The dictionary, however, makes little use of critical studies of the Qur'an done either by Muslim or other scholars." (from The Muslim World review by Ernest Hamilton)

5 vols.

"In a beautifully written, concise, and insightful study [...] Cook makes clear some of the mysteries of this holy book, in part by his comparison with other scriptures, in part by his excellent examples. He tells about its origins, its content, organization, translation, pronunciation, commentaries and dissemination." (from the Middle East Quarterly review by Daniel Pipes)

"It covers the entire field of Qur'anic studies, including an important chapter on modern developments in the field. Each of the 12 chapters ends with a set of questions for further study and a brief bibliography, thus providing a basis for enterprising students who may want to do independent work." (from CHOICE review by M. Swartz)

"...In this small volume Esack does a remarkable job of covering the major bases, including a number of thorny issues. He assumes more than a passing knowledge of Islam and familiarity with the names of a wide array of Muslim thinkers." (From CHOICE review by S. P. Blackburn)

"The essays are organized under five rubrics, each concerned with a crucial aspect of the Qur'an [...] The editor has done a superb job in putting together a volume of generally high-quality essays that will serve the needs of a serious reading public, and also constitute an ideal text for introductory courses on the Qur'an at the university and college level." (From CHOICE review by M. Swartz)

"Part 1 briefly attempts to describe how the Qur'an is experienced "within the community of faith," [...] But Robinson is also concerned with "the Qur'an in its own right"-an expression somewhat difficult to parse in this context, but it seems to mean that he will engage the Qur'an in the manner of critical scholarship. That, at any rate, is what he does in part 2 [...] Part 3 is the heart of the book and is devoted to a close study of the "morphology, structure and coherence" of the Meccan suras of the Qur'an." Review of the first edition (from the International Journal of Middle East Studies review by F. E. Peters)

This welcome addition to the underrepresented selection of introductory books on the Quran takes a fresh approach and is accessible reading for undergraduates. Haleem’s chapters can be grouped into four main types: chapters on particular surahs (Fatiha, Rahman); chapters on the Quran as a text, concept, and influence; chapters on themes and issues in the Quran; and chapters on narratives of particular figures (Adam and Eve, Joseph). The first chapter is the most general and provides a broad but far too brief and quirky overview of the Quran. Chapters on individual surahs are the best, in which Haleem draws on a number of later classical Islamic Quranic studies. Haleem’s chapter on Quranic style is likewise rich in references to Quran scholarship and useful in its well-organized presentation of information on subject and object switching (iltifat). Review of the first edition (From Religious Studies Review by Brannon Wheeler)

Gatje has provided, primarily for the nonspecialist reader, a very helpful sample of representative Muslim Qur'an commentaries on a number of themes and doctrines set out in the Qur'an. The purpose is to introduce the layman to salient features of the Qur'anic teaching as understood and interpreted by standard Muslim commentators themselves. The passages have been carefully chosen in that they provide a straightforward introduction to the doctrine, ritual, and practice in the Qur'an without involving subtle complexities. In the introduction, the author provides a brief account of Arabia before Islam, Muhammad and his teachings, Islam after Muhammad, and the early development of exegetical schools in Islam. (From The Journal of Religion review by Fazlur Rahman)

This volume is the fruitful product of the conference ’Fourteen Centuries of the Qur’an’ sponsored by the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, in 1990. Broad in scope, Approaches aims to explore the Qur‘anic text together with points of intersection between the Qur'an and other aspects of Islamic culture (ix). As a result, many of the thirteen articles composing the volume reflect literary critical trends in recent scholarship, with a special emphasis on exegesis, whether medieval or modern. The volume ends with a general bibliography and index, which the editors have conveniently provided to summarize and supplement the more detailed bibliographies and notes which accompany individual articles. (From The Muslim World review by Th. Emil Hombrin)

This groundbreaking work by Haverford College professor Sells goes a very long way to bridging the gap that separates the non-Islamic reader from the Qur'an; he translates and extensively annotates a careful selection of the earliest "suras" (revelations), setting them in their cultural context. Further chapters discuss sound and gender in the meaning of the Qur'an, and the book includes an hour-long CD of extraordinary field recordings of male and female Qur'anic reciters. Highly recommended. (From Library Journal review by Graham Christian)

Appreciating Jomier's endeavor presumes, though it does not require, a fair knowledge of Christian theology which serves as a backdrop for playing out the drama of the Qur'an. Jomier proceeds in the pattern of a deftly turned 'explication de texte' whereby he presents citations of varying lengths, chosen to illustrate major themes. He then analyzes these with judicious resort to a commendable repertory of standard resources including classical Muslim commentaries on the Qur'an, as well as drawing upon his own considerable experience as a life-long student-alien among Muslims. Most prominent in Jomier's approach are the extensive and enlightening comparisons of biblical themes, both narratives and personages, with analogous occurrences in the Qur'an. (From The Journal of Religion review by Patrick D. Gaffney)

Quranic Studies, first published in 1977, remains one of the most controversial books written about early Islam. As the subtitle indicates, Wansbrough’s major interest was the extant Quranic exegetical material from the first four centuries of Islam, and his analysis was groundbreaking in several ways...While [Rippin's] foreword provides an excellent introduction to the importance of Wansbrough’s work, his translations and annotations at the end of the book, along with his glossary of technical terminology used by Wansbrough, make the book far more readable, both for the specialist and, particularly, for the layman. Quranic Studies is still a difficult read, but one that is well worth it. Rippin’s new edition has made it much more accessible—physically and intellectually. (From The Journal of Religion Review by Herbert Berg)

11 vols.