Repeat After Me

What is the Quran? 

It is among the most published texts in the world, and among the most vilified in the global west. Who was really responsible for the book as we know it today, and how did imperial power play into its history? Why is it that so many interpretations of the text are considered authoritative, and what efforts were made to ensure the acceptance of such ambiguity? The recitations of the prophet Mohammad are controversial, not only in our globalized community, but within early Islam.

According to the myth (foundational narrative), Mohammad never wrote down the recitations he received from Allah (the Abrahamic God) through the angelic intermediary. He may even have discouraged his companions from writing them, though if that's the case, they weren't discouraged for long.

After Abu Bakr compiled an edition of the things Mohammad heard from the angel Gabriel, Uthman put a lot of effort into codifying the most ambiguous text possible--not to create confusion, but to accomodate the varied recitations held sacred by Muslims in several communities. This codex wasn't initially popular with everybody, but the heavy hand of authoritative leadership nearly eliminated every unauthorized version of the Quran, leaving only the one (generously ambiguous) text to rule them all.

In this episode, we explore the nature of the recitations, their content, and the contention surrounding textual variants that exist between versions of the Quran. A lot of great scholarly work has dug into this content, and we just scratch the surface.

All this and more...

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