Anwar - The everything Koran book : understanding the origins and influence of the Muslim holy book and the teachings of Allah

THE

Koran Book

Dear Reader:

When I opened up the Koran to pick a list of subjects for this book, I felt as though I was lost at sea. Id grown up with the Koran in my school backpack. Id studied it with as much attention as Id studied English. So why was I suddenly overwhelmed? I realized that no matter how much I studied this text, Id always discover new things. Problem was, how to get all that into one book.

Regardless, I jotted down some fifty topics and narrowed them down to what I thought readers would probably like to learn about. I kept the hot topics on my list: Heaven and Hell, the jinn, marriage, terrorism, and so forth. The more I wrote, the more I learned. For each subject, I eagerly flipped back and forth through the pages of the Koran to extract what I needed. By the time I had finished writing this book, I sat back, thinking, Now wheres my Ph.D.?

The Everything Koran Book says something about nearly ever ything in the Koran. I learned a great deal writing it and my hope is that you will learn much from it, too. Now turn the page and indulge.

Sincerely,

Editorial

Production

Visit the entire Everything Series at www.everything.com

THE

KORAN
BOOK

Understand the origins and influence of the Muslim Holy Book and the teachings of Allah

Duaa Anwar

For Mom and Dad; you teach well.

Copyright 2004, F+W Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

An Everything Series Book.
Everything and everything.com are registered trademarks of F+W Publications, Inc.

Published by Adams Media, an F+W Publications Company
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com
ISBN 13: 978-1-59337-139-5
ISBN 10: 1-59337-139-X
Printed in the United States of America.

J I H G F E D C B A

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Anwar, Duaa.
The everything Koran book / Duaa Anwar.
p. cm.
(An everything series book)
ISBN 1-59337-139-X
1. KoranTheology. 2. KoranCriticism, interpretation, etc.
3. IslamDoctrines. I. Title. II. Series: Everything series.
BP132.A67 2005
297.12261dc22 2004013265

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, call 1-800-289-0963.

This book, like most others, came together not by the efforts of the author alone, but with the cumulative support, inspiration, and hard work of many people. Although my family was a little concerned about the seriousness of the project at hand, they quickly switched mode and shared their knowledge, digging for facts while I was busy writingthank you, Mom, Dad, and brother Karim. My ever-constructive critic, little sister Lamia, thank you for your honest opinion. Aunt Salwa and husband, thank you for expertly answering my never-ending questions. Im especially thankful to W.A.K.who wishes to remain anonymousfor giving me the confidence to take on this project, and for believing in me.

My eternal thanks to Barb Doyen, my agent, for launching my writing career and putting me in touch with Adams Media. Editors Eric Hall and Christina MacDonald, your patience and dedication have been invaluable.

1. God is one, neither begets nor begotten, and His name is Allah. He is the Supreme Being.

2. The Koran is the literal word of Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammad to be delivered to mankind.

3. Following and trusting Muhammads Sunnah is mandatory. Together with the Koran, they are the teachings that constitute Islam.

4. Allah Himself protects the Koran from alteration or corruption.

5. The universe and all that live in it are Allahs creation. He is aware of every thing that goes on within it.

6. Adam, the first human, was created out of mud, and Eve was created out of Adam. Humans are Allahs vicegerents on Earth.

7. The world will come to an end at a time only Allah knows of. On the Last Day, life will perish, then will be resurrected for judgment.

8. Peoples deeds (both good and bad) are constantly recorded. These deeds, along with the peoples beliefs about God, will count toward reward in Heaven or punishment in Hell.

9. The Koran demands belief in the prophets before Muhammad, such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.

10. Initiating hostilities is condemned in the Koran, but defending ones property, family, faith, or land is required.

The Koran is one of the three surviving Holy Books, revealed after the Torah and the Gospel. Its message is quite different from the others, calling for belief in the one God, Allah. Believed by Muslims to be entirely the word of God, the Koran was the beginning of Islam more than 1,400 years ago. Today, statistics say that Islam is spreading faster than any other religion across the globe. Yet, as Islam grows, so does a storm of opposing ideas.