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The Qur’an Reader’s Companion is a comprehensive thematic guide to reading the Qur’an from a secular and historical perspective. The above book cover is a link to a PDF draft of the whole Companion in it current form (recommended). 

 

Below, earlier drafts of individual sections are put in HTML format (including links to an online Qur’an and other relevant materials).

 

Part I  The Qur’an 

1. Historical context

2. Geographical setting

3. Arabic

4. The Qur’an

5. Muhammad

6. Gabriel

7. The Canon

8.  Abrogation

9. ‘Bismillah’

10. Arabian rhapsodies

 

Part II  God and his Creation

11. Allah

12. God’s Spirit

13. Creation

14. Angels

15. Jinn

16. Adam and his family

17. Iblis and al-Shaitan

18. The Day of Alast

19. Causation and Free Will

 

 

Part III  Past prophets

20.  The Torah and Gospel

21.  Noah

22. The Patriarchs

23. Moses and Aaron

24. The Kings of Israel

25. Jonah and Job

26. Jesus

27. The Arab Prophets

28. The Sleepers in the Cave

29. ‘Al-Khidr’

30. Dhu’l Qarnayn

 

Part IV The Life of Muhammad

31. Muhammad as ‘a beautiful example‘

32. The First Revelation

33. ‘To me my religion and to you yours‘

34. The ‘Satanic Verses’

35. The Night Journey

36. Splitting the Moon

37. The First Permission to Fight

38. The Hijra

39. The Raid at Naklah

40. Changing the Qibla

41. The Battle of Badr

42. The Battle of Uhud

43. ‘There is no compulsion in religion‘

44. The Battle of the Trench

45. The Annihilation of the Banu Qurayza

46. The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah

47. The Capture of Kaybar

48. The Conquest of Mecca

49. the Battle of Hunayn

50. The Battle of Tabouk

51. Jizya

52. ‘The Sword Verse‘

 

Part V  Sharia

53. The Profession of Faith

54. The Salat

55. Zakat

56. Fasting

57. The Hajj

58. Marriage

59. Polygyny

60. Beating one’s wife for disobedience

61. Divorce

61. Weaning

62. Adoption

63. Inheritance

64. Slavery

65. Intercourse with ‘those one’s right hand possesses‘

66. Fornication/adultery

67. Making an unsupported accusation…

68. Homosexuality

69. Theft

70. Consuming alcohol and gambling

71. ‘Working corruption on the earth’

72. Qisas

73. Killing believers and covenantors

74. Dietary rules

75. Usury

76. ‘Women are a tilth‘

77. Modest female attire

78. Testimony of women

79. The domestic affairs of Muhammad

 

Part VI  Virtuous conduct  

80. Honesty

81. Respect for others

82. Generosity

83. Forbearance

84. ‘Repel evil with good‘

85. Justice

 

Part VII  Muslims, believers and others

86. Islam

87. Belief and unbelief

88. Jews and Christians

89. Hypocrites and rebels

90. Unbelievers are ‘the worst of creatures‘

91. ‘Al-wala wal bara‘ (loyalty and rejection)

92. Taqiyyah

93. Jihad

94. Rules of war

95. Martyrdom

 

Part VIII  The End of Days

96. The Last Day

97. Judgment

98. The Heights

99. The Gardens of Paradise

100. The Hellfire

 

Conclusion and Index to verses pending