As the living scriptural heritage of more than a billion people the Qur'an (Koran) speaks with a powerful voice. Just as other scriptural religions Islam has produced a long tradition of interpretation for its holy book. Nevertheless efforts to introduce the Qur'an and its intellectual heritage to English-speaking audiences have been hampered by the lack of available resources. The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'an seeks to remedy that situation. In a discerning summation of the field Jane McAuliffe brings together an international team of scholars to explain its complexities. Comprising fourteen chapters each devoted to a topic of central importance the book is rich in historical linguistic and literary detail while also reflecting the influence of other disciplines. For both the university student and the general reader The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'an provides a fascinating entrée to a text that has shaped the lives of millions for centuries.

Part I, Formation of the Quranic Text --The historical context / Fred M. Donner -- Creation of a fixed text / Claude Gilliot -- Alternative accounts of the Quran's formation / Harald Motzki -- Part II, Description and Analysis -- Themes and topics / Daniel A. Madigan -- Structural, linguistic and literary features / Angelika Neuwirth -- Recitation and aesthetic reception / William A. Graham and Navid Kermani -- Part III, Transmission and Dissemination -- From palm leaves to the Internet / Fred Leemhuis -- Inscriptions in art and architecture / Sheila Blair and Jonathan Bloom -- Part IV, Interpretations and Intellectual Traditions -- The tasks and traditions of interpretation / Jane Dammen Mcauliffe -- Multiple areas of influence / Alexander Knysh -- Western scholarship and the Quran / Andrew Rippin -- Part V, Contemporary Readings -- Women's readings of the Quran / Asma Barlas -- Political interpretation of the Quran / Stefan Wild -- The Quran and other religions / Abdulaziz Sachedina.