The Koran For Dummies
by Sohaib Sultan
The Koran For Dummies
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Copyright 2004 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2004103140
ISBN: 978-0-7645-5581-7
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6
1B/RZ/QV/QU/IN
About the Author
Sohaib Nazeer Sultan has studied traditional Islam for several years while living in the Middle East and the United States. He has studied, both formally and informally, with esteemed scholars of Islamic theology and Islamic law.
During his undergraduate studies at Indiana University, Sohaib played a leadership role in the diverse religious community of Bloomington, Indiana, serving as Public Relations Chair, Vice President, President, and Student Advisor for the Muslim Students Union. Sohaib also organized and participated in numerous interfaith dialogues throughout the state of Indiana, including a forum called Healing Our Community in the wake of the tragic events of 9/11. Upon graduating, Sohaib was honored by Indiana University for his cultural diversity efforts and was asked to offer a Muslim prayer at the pre-graduation ceremony of the 2002 graduating class.
Currently, Sohaib lives in Chicago, Illinois, where he works on independent projects as a freelance journalist. He is often invited by churches and synagogues to speak about the Islamic faith and its role in the world today. Most recently, he served as an Islamic affairs analyst for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Radio in a series of dialogues on Muslim-Christian relations in the United States. Sohaib plans to begin his masters in Islamic Studies in the Fall of 2004.
The author invites and encourages constructive dialogue with his readers. You can contact him through e-mail at koranfordummies@yahoo.com .
Dedication
I dedicate this book to my family my mother, Amra Sultan; my father, Talat Sultan; my sister, Sohaira Sultan; and my brother-in-law, Zubair Saeed. I will be forever grateful for their unceasing support, encouragement, and love.
Authors Acknowledgments
I want to thank my Acquisition Editor, Kathleen M. Cox, who initially contacted me about writing this book. Her encouragement and help in the first phase of the book convinced me that Wiley Publishing is the best publishing company to work for. Kathy did a marvelous job of introducing me to the unique, reader-friendly style of the For Dummies series. Thanks to my wonderful Project Editor, Mary Goodwin, this project has been completed on time. I am truly indebted to Mary for her excellent review of the chapters, brilliant new ideas, and patience throughout the project.
I greatly appreciate the work and dedication of the technical reviewer, Dr. Dany Doueiri, a scholar of Arabic and Islamic Studies at University of Southern California San Bernardino. Without his scholarly review of this book, this project could never have been such a success. I deeply respect his sincere advice in every chapter of this book.
I owe a great deal to all of my friends who helped me with this book and enlightened me with their conversations and ideas about Islam and the Muslim world. I would like to especially thank my former roommate and good friend, Jermey Burcham, who suggested my name for this project, and diligently reviewed several chapters in this book. Also, I thank my relatives from all around the world who sent their encouragement and good wishes as I completed this project.
Finally, I send my deepest respects to all the scholars that I have ever learned from. Attending their classes changed my life. Their vast knowledge of the Islamic sciences and ability to teach the Islamic tradition is a reflection of their illuminated hearts, beautiful character, and deep intellects.
Publishers Acknowledgments
Were proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/. Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development
Project Editor: Mary Goodwin
Acquisitions Editor: Kathleen Cox
Technical Editor: Dr. Dany Doueiri