“The
Quran is the Speech of God.” This declarative statement, seemingly
straightforward, may well be a shared belief among a vast majority—if
not the totality—of the world’s Muslims throughout time and
space. However, just what this statement means to various individual
Muslims, diverse societies of Muslims, communities of interpretations,
and discursive traditions, and what it means for their daily lives—is an
example of the “unity in diversity” found within the Islamic religious
tradition.
A common thread uniting Muslim societies is the importance accorded to the recited words of the Quran. In the piece by Kristina Nelson, “The Sound of the Divine in Daily Life”, you will come to understand one way the Divine Sound of the Quran is encountered in quotidian life. Click here to read this piece.
Please also listen to the audio interview of Navid Kermani below, in which he discusses his book God is Beautiful: The Aesthetic Experience of the Quran.
From Nelson’s article and Kermani’s interview, it becomes apparent that the orality of the Quran is not merely a theoretical statement; rather, there are practical consequences even in the Muslim world today.
You may wish to familiarize yourself with the discussion questions that follow before you engage with this content.
Navid Kermani: "God Is Beautiful: The Aesthetic Experience of the Quran" (Free Thinking, 9/12/14)
https://youtu.be/uTPMWZThxwo
Posts
