Howard Shin

Why Qur'an? Howard Shin

The Qur'an in Islam is held in the highest esteem, considered the uncreated, eternal word of God, which was transmitted to Muhammad through angel Gabriel, word for word. It is believed to be the perfect replica of the original Qur'an called the "Mother of the Book," which is "well-guarded" in heaven. Muslims believe and argue that the Qur'an is the only authentic, perfectly preserved, revelatory address to humanity, whereas all the previous scriptures have become thoroughly corrupt. However, in this book, Dr. Shin exposes the frailty of such claims and shows how the Qur'an is a melting-pot of various mythologies, Judeo-Christin scriptures, Syriac homilies, rabbinic and even heretic literature; how it has been worked on, revised, corrected; and how it has gone through five different standardizations. He also shows the textual variations in the earliest Quranic manuscripts. This book is an invaluable source that offers a precise and reasonable analysis of the Qur'an. It is essential reading for all those who wish to understand the relationship between Islam and the religious context of late antiquity.