The St. Andrews Qur’an
© St Andrews University Library Special Collections, ms19(o)
The Qu’ran is Islam’s “holy writ”. Yet it was also a text that was presented and recited orally. Indeed, the Arabic word qurʾān means nothing other than “reading, recitation”. Ultimately, this dual nature of the Qur’an is rooted in the understanding that its texts are the earthly recitation of a heavenly original. Yet although various passages of the Qur’an strongly emphasize the oral nature of the revelations promulgated by Mohammed, at least some of the lengthy suras in the Qur’an are likely to have been written compositions.
Alongside insights around recent research into this issue, the lecture will also delve into Medieval Islamic debates about whether or not the Qur’an was “created”.
The lecture will be delivered by Professor Nicolai Sinai (University of Oxford) as part of the series Foundations of Islam: Books, organized by the Munich Middle Eastern-Mediterranean-Central Asian Center (4MZ).
The event will be held in German. You can find more information on the 4MZ website.