Throughout its history the Koran has presented problems of interpretation. Some scholars estimate that at least a quarter of the text is obscure in meaning, not only for Western translators but even native Arabic speakers, who struggle with the archaic vocabulary that is no longer used in modern Arabic. In this in-depth study of the language of the Koran, scholar Christoph Luxenberg dispels much of the mystery surrounding numerous hitherto unclear passages. The key, as Luxenberg shows exhaustively, is to understand that Aramaic the language of most Middle Eastern Jews and Christians of the pre-Islamic era had a pervasive influence on the development of the Arabic text of the Koran. For a thousand years preceding the advent of Islam, Aramaic (or Syriac as it was sometimes called) was the lingua franca of many parts of the Near East. It was the native language of the first Christian evangelists and the main liturgical language of the early Christian churches from Syria to Iran.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By Guido
Format:Hardcover
One of the new series of books about the origins of the Koran produced by objective scholars who are not limited by Islamic tradition.
This book gives evidence for a much stronger influence on the Koran from Aramaic than has been thought before and throws up strong theories suggesting that much of the Koran is actually a development of earlier devotional material used by Syriac Christians outside the control of the Byzantine empire.
The new research by these scholars is still in its infancy but is already throwing up fascinating insights, which if taken on board seriously by devout Muslims will cause them to review their beliefs rather like Christians and Jews have revised their beliefs in the light of the much more extensive research into the Hebrew Testament and Bible, which has shown that most of the material is mythological. In addition the dearly held Muslim belief that the Koran has remained unchanged since it was delivered to Muhammad cannot be sustained.
This book is a vital contribution to the struggle of ideas between a totalitarian concept of Islam advanced by Salafists and Islamists based on the mythology of Islam on the one hand and Liberal Secular Democracy and Humanism on the other hand
This book gives evidence for a much stronger influence on the Koran from Aramaic than has been thought before and throws up strong theories suggesting that much of the Koran is actually a development of earlier devotional material used by Syriac Christians outside the control of the Byzantine empire.
The new research by these scholars is still in its infancy but is already throwing up fascinating insights, which if taken on board seriously by devout Muslims will cause them to review their beliefs rather like Christians and Jews have revised their beliefs in the light of the much more extensive research into the Hebrew Testament and Bible, which has shown that most of the material is mythological. In addition the dearly held Muslim belief that the Koran has remained unchanged since it was delivered to Muhammad cannot be sustained.
This book is a vital contribution to the struggle of ideas between a totalitarian concept of Islam advanced by Salafists and Islamists based on the mythology of Islam on the one hand and Liberal Secular Democracy and Humanism on the other hand
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Shahriar
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is not a lightweight read. One has to persevere and plod through it but its contents could not be more significant.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By M. A. Madha
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This was a highly specialised book for philologist without sufficient explanation of how the key words appear to mean in the different languages and related background for non-specialist readers. Perhaps some more examples of how classical and poetic Arabic differs from Koranic Arabic might be helpful to follow the arguments.
In short not for the ordinary reader but perhaps extremely useful for the specialist.
In short not for the ordinary reader but perhaps extremely useful for the specialist.
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