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The Qur'an
The Qur'an
Oct 7, 2024 10:35 PM

Author:Tarif Khalidi

The Qur'an

Considered in Islam to be the infallible word of God, The Qur'an was revealed to the prophet Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel in a series of divine revelations over many years after his first vision in the cave. In 114 chapters, or surahs, it provides the rules of conduct that remain fundamental to Muslims today - most importantly the key Islamic values of prayer, fasting, pilgrimage and absolute faith in God, with profound spiritual guidance on matters of kinship, marriage and family, crime and punishment, rituals, food, warfare and charity. Through its pages, a fascinating picture emerges of life in seventh-century Arabia, and from it we can learn much about how people felt about their relationship with God and their belief in the afterlife, as well as attitudes to loyalty, friendship, race, forgiveness and the natural world. It also tells of events and people familiar to Christian and Jewish readers, fellow 'People of the Book' whose stories are recorded in the Gospels and Torah. Here we find Adam, Moses, Abraham, Jesus and John the Baptist, among others, who are regarded, like Muhammad, to be prophets of the Muslim faith.

Reviews

Even with the incredible trauma and cruelty Archbishop Tutu endured in South Africa during apartheid and the many atrocities he has witnessed in his life, he still radiates love and happiness. This wonderful new book is a great gift to the world and will help all of us celebrate our goodness and oneness

—— Sir Richard Branson, founder and chairman of the Virgin Group

As the author so clearly and beautifully says in this book, "anyone can choose to cultivate compassion." Thank you Archbishop Tutu for helping us all come back home to our true nature, which is inherently good and whole, and touch the peace that is always there for us

—— Thich Nhat Hanh, author of The Miracle of Mindfulness

Desmond Tutu has walked the talk all his adult life. We can all be grateful that, together with his daughter Mpho, he has now shared his secrets for why he has so much hope and joy

—— Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland

[A] heart-wrenching memoir ... the setting, beautifully rendered, recalls early DH Lawrence. It is a world of pain and prejudice, evoked in spare, restrained prose that brilliantly illuminates a time, a place and a family struggling valiantly to beat impossible odds. As an emotional experience and a vivid retelling of the author's past, it exerts uncommon power.

—— New York Times

A remarkable memoir ... vivid, compassionate and notably unsentimental

—— Times Literary Supplement

[An] affecting debut ... the nonagenarian gives voice to a childhood version of himself who witnesses his older sister's love for a Christian boy break down the invisible wall that kept Jewish families from Christians across the street. Yet when major world events touch the poverty-stricken block, the individual coming-of-age is intensified without being trivialized, and the conversational account takes on the heft of a historical novel with stirring success.

—— Publishers Weekly

A fascinating, poignant story ... which leaves one with a sense of hope

—— William Woodruff, author of The Road to Nab End

A superb story ... A delightful, fascinating read which held me spell-bound throughout.

—— Billy Hopkins, author of Our Kid

Soskice tells the story with scholarly conviction... [This] biography is one to be earmarked

—— www.thebookbag.co.uk

An ambitious and attractive book. Its tone is learned, thoughtful and usually intimate...a finely balanced and well-told experiment that will echo with many readers

—— Independent
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