The History of the Qur'anic Text: From Revelation to Compilation (2nd Edition) a Comparative Study with the Old and New Testaments

Very insightful text!

Overall, this is a well-researched scholarly work on the Quranic text. A reader with some knowledge of basic Arabic will find some sections easier to conceptualize. This book provides useful insights into the Quran's preservation. It delves into the thorny topic of accusations leveled against the Quran and the so-called Mushaf of Ibn Masud. After reading this book one may appreciate the strict methodology employed in assembling textual fragments. Full disclosure: I mostly skipped over the new testament and old testament sections. Finally, I may not agree with some of the arguments presented, but I am giving the book five stars for the effort and coverage of the subject.

The author indicates that he wanted to write the book due to an existing gap with limited material on the subject in English and virtually all of it written by Orientalists who often used false assumptions or Jewish and Christian methodologies to analyze the holy text. The book gives a good overview of the history of the compilation of the Quran according to authentic Muslim sources and one of the few good explanation of the so-called Ibn Masood Quran. A significant portion of the book is dedicated to refuting some important Orientalist claims as well as providing a brief overview of the history of the compilation of the Tanakh and New Testament. While the book is overall excellent there were a few reasons I gave it only 4 stars. First, the book is very expensive, although it does contain several color images and photos. Some of the material is also a little dated. I wasn't satisfied how the Sana'a manuscripts were dealt with. It's not the fault of the author but just the limited academic material available when he composed the book where I would recommend supplementing with Asma Hilali's The Sanaa Palimpsest. Likewise, while the the comparative study of the New Testament was good, there have been so many books since the publication of the book that are even better, in particular, Bart Ehrman's Jesus, Interrupted, as well as available lecture series by Dr. Ali Ataie on the same subject. Overall, a very good book, and essential for English students of the Quran and Islam.

Excellent book on the quran