Introduction to the Qur’an

By: Martyn Oliver, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Professor Martyn Oliver

Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

For people of the Muslim faith - nearly 25 percent of the world’s population - the Qur'an represents the most intimate and direct experience of the divine. For the Islamic faithful, the Qur'an is the eternal and perfect Word of God, and it lies at the very heart of their understanding of themselves and the world. And yet, many non-Muslims have little familiarity with or understanding of this influential text. As a result, myths and misconceptions about the Qur'an and how it functions in the Islamic faith abound. In an increasingly global society, it has never been more important to understand the complicated history and message of the Qur'an, and its significance to millions of believers around the world.

Often, much of what is misunderstood about Islam is the result of a lack of information - and some dangerous and prolific myths. To combat these myths and better understand the complex Islamic tradition, Dr. Martyn Oliver, a senior professorial lecturer at American University, presents 12 in-depth lectures to provide you with a multifaceted approach to Muhammad, Islam, and the revelation known today as the Qur'an. You will understand the origins of Islam, as well as its growth and development across the ages, and you will see how the religion is practiced and understood today. Along the way, you will explore familiar terms and ideas that have become complicated by misrepresentation, such as sharia and the concept of jihad. Combining literary, theological, and historical perspectives, Dr. Oliver gives you a rich introduction to a complex and influential religious text. This course is also a rare opportunity to hear the Qur'an recited aloud by an award-winning reciter who brings the beautiful language of the ancient text to life for believers and the curious alike.

Only by understanding the historical, cultural, and religious framework of Islam can we hope to understand the complexity of Islam, both historically and theologically. For those who practice Islam, this course may help believers better understand the ongoing struggle to understand God’s will and to live according to his law, while those who come from the outside can have a better understanding of an often-misunderstood tradition. Introduction to the Qur'an will show you the beauty and the challenge of Muhammad’s revelation, and how it has moved and guided its adherents for centuries.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 The Great Courses (P)2019 The Teaching Company, LLC

A Concise Window Into Islam

it deflates many of the myths and misconceptions about Oslam and defuses several prominent fears.

Good introduction

Good introduction to various ideas in the Quran and Muslim thought. I was hoping for something more critical, such as academic theories of authorship, etc.

OUTSTANDING PRIMER for Islam

This OUTSTANDING PRIMER for Islam gets right to the point immediately and guides one through all the critically-important elements/aspects of Islam so that one quickly learns the basics of Islam's dogma and ontology and theology.

I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone who currently knows nothing about Islam and wants to quickly learn enough to decide whether or not one might want to explore Islam more deeply (or perhaps even become a Muslim).

Professor Oliver clearly explains the true Quranic meanings for Islamic concepts such as Jihad (Greater & Lesser) and Sharia as well as explaining the contexts within which (how/why) intoxication & gambling are discussed in the Qur'an,

An exquisite introduction!

This introduction aptly summarizes the major and central features of the Quran and Quranic traditions with insightful depth. The narrations are as exquisite as informative.

Intro to the Qur’an

The course was very well structured, understandable and a good introduction to the book. The authors well trade in the subject

Drop in the bucket?

This was a good course but I feel it would take a series of courses to begin to get a base understanding. At the moment I feel I am at 1% as if to say I need 99 more of these to feel like I got a good knowledge.

I am not a Muslim but just an outsider curious to know the practices so I can better understand my own belief systems. It would only be fair to look at what there is in the pursuit of truth.

Context around the writing of the book

I liked that it gave a very interesting description about 600 Mecha.

It’s a series of lectures, not that long, but not too short either.

This a good introduction on what to look for and why it is written as it is.

Good grounding in meaning of the Qur'an

This starts out less as an intro to Islam course than an Intro to Qur'an one, which seems obvious or irrelevant but left me a bit more confused than I thought I would be, since I expected an in depth background on Mohammad, Arabian society and what not. But Oliver is excellent and by the end you feel like you've actually begun to fathom the depth of how important the Qur'an is to Islamic society, and why it's more integral than the Bible to Christianity or any other religious text to its respective religion.

Very Educational

From a Christian's point of view, this historic view, was very educational, keeping my attention through story.

Intellectually stimulating

I enjoyed the academic approach to learning about the Qur' an. The problem is that I found it intellectually stimulating and find myself craving more.