theWord Module Download:
Download Readings in the Critical Study of Qur'anic Origins

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theWord Version:
3.x - 4.x

Tab Name:
Crit.Qur'an

This module presents a collection of readings in the critical study of the origin of the Qur'an. The starting place for many Christian assessments of Islam its Islam's own history of its origins. However, there are genuine questions as to the veracity of that history. The first reading, "Is the Qur'an the Word of God," is a good overview of the the critical assessment of Qur'anic origins. The second, "The Origins of the Koran," is a synopsis of an anthology edited by Ibn Warraq, a well-known critic of Islam's claims regarding its origins. The third, "The Transmission of the Kur'an," is a 1916 article by noted Orientalist Alphonse Mingana describing the origins of the Qur'an from two different perspectives; the first is based on Islamic sources, while the second is based on Christian sources. The fourth is a series of articles published by Ibn Warraq in the New English Review, included here with his gracious permission. The last is a review of the recent book by Islamic critic Robert Spencer, provocatively entitled "Did Muhammad Exist?" Accompanying the review is a chronology of key events drawn from Spencer's book.
Hopefully, these readings will familiarize Christian Bible students with a better understanding of the tenuous nature of Islam's claims regarding the origin of the Qur'an and Islamic faith.

Basil "Skip" Copeland

Postscript -- since finalizing this module, I've acquired a copy of another anthology, The Hidden Origins of Islam, edited by Karl-Heinz Ohlig and Gerd-R. Puin. When I'm done reading it, I will prepare a synopsis of it, and update the module. But I do not have a time frame on that, so I'm distributing the module as is for now.