Blogging the Quran

Peace, one and all…

I’ve been reading Ziauddin Sardar’s online project Blogging the Quran recently (I also note, with interest, the Blogging the Bible project).  I have to say that I have enjoyed what I have read so far immensely.  Although I don’t necessarily agree with everything he says, he is undertaking an important and worthwhile task.  What I particularly like about this series (at least as it has developed so far) is that it is explicitly conversational.  I must confess that I also like the fact that comments have been separated out into different posts.

As regular readers will know, I have been doing something similar myself for some time now.  That said, I have not been focusing on this task with Ziauddin’s energy.  At any rate, the next installment has been sitting on my cyber-shelf for some time now.  Insha Allah, I will be finishing it off soon.

I did, however, want to offer a few thoughts here.  One of Ziauddin’s main points is that the Quran must be read with its historical context in mind.  That is, when trying to understand the Quran, you must understand the society to which it spoke.  Whilst this is certainly true, I don’t think this means de-emphasising the Quran’s time-less quality.  Indeed, the fact that it can speak to 7th century Arabs, to 15th century Africans, and to a 21st century Englishman is what inspires me most about the Quran.

This leads me to another important point.  When reading the Quran, it is of course essential to understand its historical and social contexts.  After all, the Quran is aimed at societies and their construction.  However, it is also important to read the Quran personally.  Obviously, as a Muslim, I bring certain understandings to my reading of the text.  That said, it is essential to consider what each passage means to us on an individual level.  The Quran, as with all religious scriptures, has many layers of meaning and this multi-faceted quality needs to be taken into account.

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman