Lecture notes - islam sacred texts PDF

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Professor John Young ...

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Islam: Sacred Texts 

2014-11-03

The Qur’an  Key sacred text of Islam  Divided into 114 surahs (chapters) and then subdivided into ayahs (verses)  In length it is about one half the size of the Tanakh or about the same size as the new testament.

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Origin of the Qur’an  In 610 C.E., the prophet Muhammad encounters and angel, jibril (Gabriel) who tells him to recite or read  He is given direct revelations from God via this angel  These revelations continue until Muhammad’s death in 632 C.E. 

Muhammad cannot read and doubts that an angel could come to him

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Eventually persuaded by family members that this angelic encounter indicates that he is a prophet, he opens himself to receive these revelations

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He memorizes what the angel tells him and then shares that with his followers

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These revelations form the Qur’an Two Stages  In 622, Muhammad leads his followers from Mecca to Medina; a pivotal point in Islamic history  Revelations received before 622 are relatively short  Revelations from 622 onward longer, more instructional or oriented to teaching his followers since there is now a Muslim community, these later revelations also deal with community questions and issues.

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Content of the Qur’an  Material intended to inspire, instruct and guide; contains teaching about how persons should live in community and care for the most vulnerable  Includes stories and references to key figures found in both the Tanakh and the Christian bible. 

Islam views many figures associated with Judaism and Christianity to be prophets; hence, one finds references to them in the Qur’an

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These prophets sent by God to try to encourage people to understand that there was only one God and to follow that God

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Four particularly important prophets who were forerunners to Muhammad- Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus

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God is trying one more time to unite all people under one religion.

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Understood to be universally applicable Muhammad is the final prophet All five figures received revelations from the same God, revelations intended for all humanity

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Humanity has not heard or understood Oral to Written Text  Muhammad’s followers learned revelations from him and also memorized them  At some point after his death in 632 CE, concern that these revelations could either be lost or miss-remembered and then missinterpreted; as the years passed, those who had been his companions were dying. 

Some followers had committed some parts to writing but there variations

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Quran can not be added to or changed. Place of the Quran in Islam  Gods final and supreme revelation given to Muhammad  Revelations given in Arabic  Quran is literally, the word of God for Muslims o Direct revelation from God to Muhammad o Gods final Revelation 

Contrast with how Judaism and Christianity understand the key sacred writing

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The Quran, not Muhammad but his received revelations are the most central element for Muslims; Muhammad is the founder of the religious tradition but the Quran is the word of God

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Intended to be recited in Arabic; some understandings may be lost in translation which are seen as interpretations

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One seeks to be in a purified state before reciting the Quran

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Recited publicly and read privately Portions included in each of the five periods of daily prayer

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Other Scared Writings  The Sunnah- Chronicle of the Life of the Prophet Muhammad o While understood to be a human being, the prophet Muhammad’s life seen as a model for exemplary living 

The Hadith o Teachings and sayings of the prophet early commentaries on the Quran

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How Muhammad's companions and immediate successors understood the revelations Muhammad had received.

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These are helpful for Muslims who want to lead the best life possible.

Interpreting the Quran  Resources for interpretation of the Quran are: o The Quran itself o The Hadith and Sunnah o The early commentaries When you look at these texts of the Quran, there are multiple ways of interpreting it. Interpretation is always trying to discern “what does this text mean to me now in 2014”. There is a literal version and a spiritual meaning. They also have a mystic meaning. To some degree, some look at the texts in all three ways.

2014-11-03 

2014-11-03 ...