ABSTRACT
Every book on Islam tends to start with a section on the importance of the Qur’an. The Qur’an is the basis of Islam and at its heart, we are constantly told. Those who write about religion often use the idea of the heart of the religion, something very basic that lies at its core. This seems entirely reasonable, and for religions with a book, a distinction which Islam itself makes, the obvious place to start is the Book. In recent years there has been a remarkable flowering of Qur’anic commentary and accounts of the Book, together with new translations into a variety of languages, not to say encyclopedias and online guides to the Book and Islam. Some of this enthusiasm is based on rather unhealthy motives. The attacks of 9/11 on the United States made the Qur’an appear much more relevant to modern society since the attackers were themselves motivated by their religion, or so they said. It was felt by some that understanding the Qur’an would provide some route into the minds of the attackers and those still to come, and perhaps provide a path to countering their aggressive designs on Western society. The positing of Muslims as dangerous or at the very least suspicious, and the attempt to define the world as split up into different groups who face each other nervously have all helped create an interest in the Qur’an. The positing of Muslims and non-Muslims as each other’s Other has created a good deal of interest into what precisely it is that Muslims believe, and how it is based in the Book, and of course on other sources.
