Ayman S. Ibrahim - A Concise Guide to the Quran: Answering Thirty Critical Questions

My Earliest Encounters with the Quran

After my many years of teaching on Islam, I am no longer surprised that many Americans have never touched a Quran. Some of them do not even know what it is or what is in it. My experience was different because I was born and raised in Egypt, which is a Muslim-majority country. Before completing elementary school, I had read and even memorized parts of the Quran. This was part of my formal education, although I was born in a Coptic Christian family. I recall my Christian father reciting verses from the Quran on more than one occasion. I heard the Muslim call to prayer five times each day. I knew that Muslims honor and revere the Quran, just as Christians do the Bible. Unlike the Bible, though, the Quran is central to the daily life of all Egyptians. Readings from the Quran are broadcast on the radio and TV daily. The Bible or any Christian teaching is not treated the same in the public sphere. Although Christians in Egypt are recognized as citizens, they are the minority and do not receive the public attention and benefits of the majority population. At an early age, I realized there was a ceiling for Christian participation and involvement in Egyptian society.

As a child growing up in Cairo, I did not choose to read or memorize Quranic passagesit happened naturally. I was surrounded by the reading of the Quranon loudspeakers outside the mosques, in taxis (as many drivers thought listening to the Quran brought good omens), and in school. It was required that all pupils, Muslim and non-Muslim, must be knowledgeable about the Quran and Islamic history. I wanted to impress my Muslim teacher who taught me Arabic in my first year of junior high. He was known as a tough teacher, and I had to work diligently to grasp Arabic, particularly in writing essays. To obtain the best grade, I had to demonstrate good knowledge of the Quran. In my essays, I had to quote ample Quranic verses, cite incidents from Muhammads life, and mention renowned Muslim figures. I was not particularly offended by the immersion in Islam and its scripture, as this was a natural part of life in Egypt.

When I was ten, I enjoyed watching episodes of the American TV show Little House on the Prairie with Arabic subtitles. I used to wait for the show with anticipation as I sat with my sisters in front of our TV. We were fascinated to see scenes of people participating in church meetings, singing hymns, praying before meals, reading Bible verses, and asking God for rain. We loved to watch, and it was evident to us that things were different in Egypt.

It is from within this background that I grew up understanding the Quran. For the most part, I was introduced to the traditional conservative Muslim views regarding the scripture. There was no such thing as a critical view of the Quran or examining it as a book; in Egypt, the Quran is untouchable. Behind closed doors, however, Christians had more freedom to discuss Islam, Muslims, and the Quran. Frankly, some discussions were not only negative but also childish and unreasonable, such as those about the myth that Muhammad called for fasting during Ramadan because he wanted to marry the beautiful wife of a man named Ramadanwho was satisfied that his name would be remembered and gave his wife to Muhammad. Yet some conversations were informed and reasonable (e.g., Why does the Quran refer to Christians and Jews as infidels? What should Christians do about this epithet when they hear it shouted at them in the streets? Why does Allah preserve the Quran while allowing the Bible to be corrupted by evil people, as Muslims claim?).