Wiley Blackwell Companion to the Qur’ān

The publication of a volume devoted to the Qur
ʾ
a
̄
n in the “companion” genre marks the
emergence of the text of Muslim scripture within the canon of world literature in a
manner particularl
y appropriate to the twenty‐first century. This companion is explicitly
designed to guide the reader who may have little exposure to the Qur
ʾ
a
̄
n beyond a curiosity
evoked by the popular media. It aims to provide such a person with the starting point of a
general orientation and take him or her to a well‐advanced state of understanding
regarding the comple
xities of the text and its associated traditions. However, a “compan-
ion” volume such as this is also an opportunity for scholars to extend the boundaries of
what might be deemed to be the “accepted” approaches to the text of the Qur
ʾ
a
̄n because
such a volume provides, it is to be hoped, the material which will inspire future genera-
tions of scholars who first encounter the Qur
ʾan in the classroom and for whom new
avenues of exploration provide the excitement of research and discovery.