![\"Qur'an](\"http:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Quran-1.jpg\" "\\"Qur'an")
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The several parallels between the Book of Mormon and the Qur\u2019an have been noted before: the Qur\u2019an serves as proof of Muhammad\u2019s prophethood, an additional (although superseding) witness of the Bible\u2019s God and salvation history, the source of devotional reading and instruction for believers. It is central to the piety of Muslims and commands their highest esteem. For non-believers to glibly dismiss it offends Muslims the same way we take umbrage when the Book of Mormon is described as something any nineteenth-century, Bible-literate yokel could have tossed off between lunch and dinner.<\/p>\n
In other ways, though, the Qur\u2019an is simply sui generis<\/em>, and to understand it only by comparing it with other sacred texts is to sell it short. For one thing, the Qur\u2019an has long been considered the model of literary excellence in Arabic; the inimitability of its style is an article of faith. For all its other merits, the Book of Mormon hasn\u2019t exactly been widely followed as a paragon of style, even by believers. And nothing in the LDS view of scripture quite parallels the Islamic view of the Qur\u2019an as uncreated, co-eternal with the Creator (God \u201cinlibriate\u201d as one scholar has put it).<\/p>\n But those are topics for another time. My hope today is to promote appreciation for three facets of the Qur\u2019an.<\/p>\n (1) The Qur\u2019an is a complex text. It was compiled over a period of more than 20 years, and the diverse content of the various suras (sections) reflects the changing circumstances of the nascent Muslim community. (Be aware, though, that the canonical order of the suras does not reflect chronology but rather inverse order of length.) It contains great stylistic variety: some suras are characterized by a lyrical beauty and others by pithy, legalistic prose. \u00a0Like any complex text, its message is not reducible to discrete verses or proof texts; some familiarity with the whole is necessary for an understanding of each part. Narratives, for example, are often presented in fragmentary form and must be cobbled together from various passages (the story of Joseph in Egypt in Sura 12 is a notable exception).<\/p>\n Qur\u2019anic language is challenging and sometimes elusive in meaning. Some of this may be attributed to the polysemous nature of Arabic word roots, but some may be inherent in the subject matter. The interpretive challenge of the text gave rise to a rich exegetical tradition with diverse modes of interpretation\u2014linguistic, legalistic, rationalistic, and mystical.<\/p>\n (2) The Qur\u2019an is beautiful. For believers, the aesthetic dimension of the text is inseparable from its spiritual power. Qur\u2019anic language is at once ancient and contemporary. It mixes the cosmic and the intimate in striking ways. Consider this translation (Yusufali) of Sura 93 (\u201cThe Morning Light\u201d), a message of comfort given to Muhammad in a moment of distress:<\/p>\n By the Glorious Morning Light In discussing the beauty of the Qur\u2019an, I should also mention the seminal impact the Qur\u2019an has had on the Islamic arts, including the marvelous calligraphy and illumination tradition\u2014in its pen-and-ink varieties, as well as in plastic, architectural ornamentation (as here from the Mosque of Ibn Qalawun in Cairo).<\/p>\n \n 3) \u201cQur\u2019an\u201d means \u201crecitation.\u201d Much of the impact of the Qur\u2019an comes from experiencing it orally\/aurally. The rhyme patterns, the nasalized consonants, the elongated vowels\u2014these are an integral part of the experience. To give you a sense of what I mean, I encourage you to go to one of the sites that allow one to read and listen to passages of the Qur\u2019an. (This\u00a0one<\/a> has worked well for me.) Listen to Sura 1 (the \u201cOpening\u201d) and read it in translation. This sura is recited by Muslims every time they perform their ritual prayer. Then do the same for Sura 93 (translated above). Listen for the features of Qur\u2019anic prosody. Select another reciter (from the drop-down menu near the top) and note differences in tone and inflection. Even without a knowledge of Arabic, one can get a taste of how believers experience the text and why this experience is powerful for them.<\/p>\n
\nAnd by the Night when it is still\u2014
\nThy Lord hath not forsaken thee, nor is He displeased.
\nAnd verily the Hereafter will be better for thee than the present.
\nAnd soon will thy Lord give thee that wherewith thou shalt be well-pleased.
\nDid He not find thee an orphan and give thee shelter and care?
\nAnd He found thee wandering, and He gave thee guidance.
\nAnd He found thee in need, and made thee independent.
\nTherefore, treat not the orphan with harshness,
\nNor repulse the petitioner unheard;
\nBut the bounty of the Lord\u2014rehearse and proclaim [it]!<\/p>\n![\"Inscription](\"http:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Inscription-4.jpg\" "\\"Inscription")
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