1-1 Tips for New Muslims: Approaching the Qur’an
May 17th, 2008My very first vidcast. This week I talk about approaching the holy Qur’an for new Muslims or people generally interested in gaining a better understanding of Islam through reading a translation of the Islamic scripture.
A Melburnian Muslim convert blogs religion, academia and life in general.
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Asalaamu alaikum.
SHUKRAN! I am currently on a big kick trying to get more intensive in my understanding & appreciation of the Qur’an. I am reading Ingrid Mattson’s book on “The History of the Qur’an” and just picked up Amina Wadud’s “Women & Qur’an” (or is it “Qur’an & Women”?) (don’t agree with her on the female imamate stuff, but thought the book would still be interesting and useful). I will watch this when I get home from the office, inshaAllah!
I have found a couple of very useful books which I would recommend to new Muslims or simply those interested in the Qur’an:
Understanding the Qur’an: Themes and Styles, by Muhammad Abdel Haleem (who also has an excellent readable translation of the Qur’an btw) and The Qur’an: A User’s Guide, by Farid Esack.
Both excellent books and easy to read and follow.
go girl!
Ps hope you’re feeling better. we missed you at The Madness (i think abu yas was glad to escape! hahaha). xxxxxxx
wa ‘alaykumusalam
I think there are some very interesting perspectives in Qur’an and Woman, it’s one of my favourite books on gender issues. (Speaking of gender issues, I have just started Annemarie Schimmel’s “My Soul is a Woman”, which looks very promising, and I think one of the best books for gender issues is Tao of Islam by Sachiko Murata.)
My little vidcast is for brand new Muslims or people who have never even read a translation of the Qur’an before, so you may find it is a bit beginner-level for you. I pray you receive every blessing in your noble endeavour though.
One of the best books I have read that is in English is Neal Robinson’s “Discovering the Qur’an: A Contemporary Approach to a Veiled Text”. He is very respectful of traditional understandings, provides a coherent criticism of the Crane and Cook fantasy that the Qur’an was written centuries after the Prophet, pbuh, and also gives a very good description of the difficulties of trying to trace the chronology of the ayat. Masha’Allah
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wa ‘alaykumusalam Umm Aisha,
I’m sorry I didn’t ring, I was felled by awful cold. Yazzy absolutely had a ball though, she is really going to miss Aisha.
BTW Babes, I am so in awe of you re: Salam Cafe. You guys are just really really cool. I cacked myself over Naz’s “Uncle Sam” this week. And your Cafe 2 Go was really funny, especially asking the vegie whether she’d eaten halal meat hahahah.
[…] I posted my first vidcast “Tips for New Muslims: Approaching the Qur’an,” but I thought I’d do a written post on the topic as well. This is for those who […]
Gosh, you have such beautiful eyes!
And that voice: so sweet!
Oh, the content was pretty good too ;P
All my heart’s love, Tobski
Aww Tob, shucks.
Salaams Umm Yasmin,
Ma sha Allah
! An excellent podcast. Allah 
reward you abundantly.
I posted a broadly similar lecture I gave a couple of years ago to our first year Religious Studies undergraduates. Here’s a link to it: http://thecorner.wordpress.com/2006/04/18/understanding-the-quran-some-lecture-notes/
Abdur Rahman
wa ‘alaykumusalam dear akhee, wa iyyakum,
what a wonderful resource!! I highly recommend everyone to visit it and read it.
lovely video mashaallah and lovely niqab! Did you make it?
[…] at Dervish has posted a video she created about approaching the Holy Qur’an. She has also written a post of text on the […]
No, although it wouldn’t be that hard. I was complimentary with a cotton hijab I bought, but the hijab is slightly too small square-wise, and too thick really to work well as a hijab (it’s more cotton I would use for a blouse). It was the promise of cotton that saw me buy it, but I don’t really wear it.
I once saw a gorgeous photo up on Hijabman’s site of a woman who wears niqab and abaya, but they were a beautiful pale cream colour with patterns and at the time, my thought was “oh wow, you can wear a niqab in a colour other than black???”
Assalaamu aleykum,
I will learn to read Arabic soon, but right now I feel very much in the beginner stage. One of the books is actually Qur’an and Women (I’m reading Gender Jihad at the moment as well) so that ties in nicely. Anyway, thank you so much for this 
my Arabic teacher will be sending me some colored ones soon, but I thought it was really funny when we were talking about it because she was like, “What color do you want? I have lots of different ones!” And I’m like…um…except for my aljilbab.com jilbabs and a few colored scarves, everything I own is black, although sometimes with embroidery. My non-Muslim friends tease me about being in mourning because it’s like black is all I wear, LOL! I just can’t be bothered with coordination.
Shukran! This is such an amazing post and something I need right now as I am very slowly learning how to recite and actually just picked up a couple of books on Qur’an myself. Insha’Allah
Also, I have to add that I love the niqab as well! LOL I had a similar reaction about niqab color. I bought a white half-niqab recently and insha’Allah
Salaams Umm Yasmin,
Jazak Allah
for your kind thoughts. Are you planning on making this a regular series?
Abdur Rahman
Asalaamu alaikum.
Okay, yes, it is simple for the new Muslims, alhamdulAllah. But it is still a beautiful reminder for all, mashaAllah.
I have also read “My Soul is a Woman” and it is quite fantastic. I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks for the recommendation, but did you know that Robinson’s book is $54 in PAPERBACK??? LOL. That’s alot of money… an investment really. 
And I too like the niqab.
Salaams Umm Yasmin and Aaminah,
Robinson’s book costs $54!! What’s that in proper (UK) money?
Abdur Rahman
Assalamu ‘alaykum
Meghan Rose: Jazakallahu khayran, may Allah
reward you and bless you in your effort to imbibe His words. I know what you mean about colour co-ordination, Sunni Sister wears mostly black too. I have to confess I’m a pastel girl.
Abdur Rahman:
Yes inshallah, just small tips on things I think I would have found useful when I was first beginning on the path.
Aaminah & Abdur Rahman: Ummm…. it’s a very good book *sheepish grin*. You can get it for much cheaper ($18.32 + $3.00 postage) on Abebooks.
I have to say I think it’s worth it, but a good university library might have it as well to borrow.
Salaams Umm Yasmin,
Al hamdu lillah, the library here has a copy. I also own a copy. It’s a good book. I had the good fortune to meet Professor Robinson when he was lecturing at University of Wales Lampeter, during the late 90s - early 00s
Abdur Rahman
Alhamdulillah - wow, I’ve always been curious, is he one of those secret academic Muslims?
Salaams Umm Yasmin,
Professor Robinson is a Muslim, and certainly presents himself as such. Physically, he is absolutely huge, with a large bushy beard! But, in terms of manners, he is a very quiet individual.
Abdur Rahman
Salaams again,
Oops… I wanted to mention before that I’ve written other things that might be of use as introductions to things.
Here they are, feel free to use or ignore as you think best:
http://thecorner.wordpress.com/2006/05/08/the-early-development-of-arabicislamic-historiography/
http://thecorner.wordpress.com/2006/06/22/the-life-significance-of-muhammad-2/
http://thecorner.wordpress.com/2006/04/18/when-a-prophet-dies/
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
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