Introduction to the Quran

Introduction to the Qur’ ā n 9 2. The changes and shifts between the speaker and the spoken to must be minutely and meticulously observed. Sometimes these shifts are very subtle and at others very apparent. These shifts also account for many apparent jumps, leaps and disjointedness the reader may experience. 3. Characters or entities that were not present in 7 th century Arabia are not discussed simply because the dialogue is between existing entities except if they are referred due to some reason. Hence, Buddhism and Hinduism, for ex amp le, are never brought up in the Qur’ ā n for this ver y reaso n. 4. Since the foremo st a ddressees of the Qur’ ā n are the entities living in Ara bia, it will contain many localized issues that relate only to the beliefs and culture found in 7 th century Arabia. In this regard, it may be of interest to note that certain beliefs of Arab Jews are discussed that were specific to them, for example regarding Ezra (sws) to be the son of God. It is known that other Jews do not have this belief. Similarly, almost two-thirds of the Qur’ ā n deals with the polytheistic beliefs of the Idolaters of Arabia. Readers belonging to the Abrahamic tradition in particular may struggle to understand the relevance of this copious mention if they do not keep this background in mind. ________ Together with this dialogue-genre of the Qur’ ā n, its theme and arrangement should also be understood. They are briefly described below: www.javedahmadghamidi.com www.al-mawrid.org "All rights of this book are reserved for the publisher and the author. This copy is for reading purpose only. This copy cannot be uploaded on any website except those of the publisher and the author."