Week 3: The Quran Flashcards
Translate ‘bismillah’
Mercy, love, compassion. Has a feminine connotation
Translate ‘surah’ and ‘ayah’
Surah: Chapter
Ayah: Verse
How many surah and ayah are in the Quran?
There are 114 surah composed of 6200 ayah
Why is the Quran important to the development of the Arabic language?
The Quran indicates a transition from oral to written Arabic, improving literacy
What are some everyday uses of the Quran?
Prayer, blessings, recitation, reflection, healing, and art
What are the 6 main themes of the Quran?
- Prayers
- Beliefs
- Stories
- Legal principles
- Social and moral responsibilities
- Reason and argument
What 4 Christian and Jewish figures are included in the Quran?
- Abraham
- Moses
- Joseph
- Jesus
What are the 3 general views/interpretations of the Quran?
- Classical view
- Wansbrough
- Luxembourg
What is the classical view of the Quran?
Muhammad’s divine revelations occur throughout his life after that day on Hira. Literate individuals record these revelations. Other memorise them
What is the Wansbrough view of the Quran?
Quran began with Muhammad but continued to be added to a few generations after his death
What is the Luxembourg view of the Quran?
The Quran is composed of Christian texts modified into Arabic and attributed to Muhamamd
Translate ‘tafsir’ and ‘mufassir’
Tafsir: Commentary on the Quran
Mufassir: A commentator/interpreter
Translate ‘rahman’ and ‘rahm’. Describe their relationship.
Rahman: Merciful. One of God’s names
Rahm: Womb, motherly love
Lingusitic connection implies that God’s love is like that of a mother
What are the 5 ways that Muslims and scholars interpret the Quran?
- Ontological: Fact
- Sensory: Appearance
- Conceptual: Imagination
- Cognitive: Abstract value
- Analogical: Figurative expressions
How do Muslims interpret evolution?
Many Muslims believe that God created humans whilst everything else evolved.
Other Muslims interpret the Quran more conceptually/analogously, not taking creations stories as facts
