The European Qurʾān: Encounters with the Holy Text of Islam from the Ninth to the Twentieth Century, by Jan Loop and Naima Afif (eds.)

What is it about?

The book "The European Qurʾān: Encounters with the Holy Text of Islam from the Ninth to the Twentieth Century," edited by Jan Loop and Naima Afif, explores the complex relationship between Europe and the Qur'an over centuries. This work examines how the Qur'an, the sacred text of Islam, influenced European culture, scholarship, religion, and politics from the early medieval period to modern times._x000D_ _x000D_ Through essays by various scholars, the book discusses the ways the Qur'an was interpreted, translated, and sometimes misunderstood by Europeans. European rulers, scholars, and religious figures engaged with the Qur'an for different purposes—academic, political, and even polemical. This interaction often reflected Europe’s evolving attitudes towards Islam, shaped by periods of admiration, fear, and rivalry._x000D_ _x000D_ Key themes include the early Latin translations of the Qur'an, which allowed Christian scholars to study Islamic teachings, the role of the Qur'an in European art and literature, and how it influenced colonial perspectives on Islam. The book also highlights the contributions of Muslim minorities in Europe, who helped bridge cultural and religious gaps by acting as translators and cultural mediators._x000D_ _x000D_ Overall, this book sheds light on the multifaceted impact of the Qur'an on European identity and cultural development, challenging the view of Islam as Europe’s “other” by illustrating a shared, though often contested, intellectual history.

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