Book Title: The Event of the Qur’ān – Islam in its
Scripture
Book Author: Kenneth Cragg
Copyright: ©Kenneth Cragg
Publisher: One World Publication, Oxford, England
Published in India by: Gopsons Papers Ltd., Noida
Pages: 208
The Event of the Qur’ān offers an interesting perspective
of a non-Muslim’s effort to understand Islam through its scripture. The author,
Bishop Kenneth Cragg, in the preface, lists three broad concerns which led to
this study:
1. Christian world’s grudging and imperceptive attention to
Quran
2. The Qur’ān has much that Christians can greet and share
3. The Qur’ān presented formidable obstacles to
comprehension by outsiders
Therefore, he states: “the definite text needed to be
explored with hope and realism,” and “trans-religious openness of heart.” In his
attempt to answer what happens in the Qur’ān, he takes his readers along a
fascinating journey. In his words: “The Qur’ān is a fusion, unique in history,
of personal charisma, literary fascination, corporate possession and imperative
religion. In the continuity of its reception since the event we have perhaps the
largest and most sustained expression of what might be called documentary faith.
Throughout we have to do with revelation as literature and with literature as
revelation.”
He explores the relation between words and meanings and the
audience, i.e. the primary addressee of the Qur’ān, how they listened and what
they understood.
In exploring this, the author feels that “to be firmly
planted in the seventh century is not to exclude the Qur’ān from the twentieth;
rather, it is to plant there more intelligently.” The living context is Arabian
paganism where the prophetic mission must be carried out. He explores the events
that are pivotal in the Qur’ān which relate to the struggle to terminate
idolatry and establish the sole worship of God.
Considerable thought is given to the landscape, the
economy, the emigration, and then, in that context, the actual shaping of Muslim
character and conduct – how the pagan mind and heart transforms, embracing and
realizing Islam in thought and action!
As an expert in Arabic language, the author comments that
“the language of the Book illuminates the meaning: the clue is in the Arabic.”
He reasons that had it been in Arabic only because it was the native language,
the adjective mubīn used to describe the language in the Qur’ān (26:195) would
have been superfluous. Considering various meanings of the word mubīn, he
settles with luminous, i.e. a luminous Arabic language.
The Event of the Qur’ān is rich with words and meanings,
and many a passage needs a re-read to understand what the author is trying to
communicate. Some references to chapter and verse numbers are incorrect, but the
text and translation seems okay. In all fairness, the book is an interesting
read, combining the scholarly approach with a reverence and admiration for the
text and the event!
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