The Koran (al-Qur'an)

The Quran is the central religious text of Islam, believed by over 1.8 billion believers to be the literal word of God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel in 7th-century Arabia. Its 114 chapters, called surahs, range from brief verses to lengthy meditations, weaving together calls to divine unity, narratives of previous prophets, moral exhortations, and legal guidance that continues to shape the lives of Muslims worldwide. The text operates on multiple registers: it is simultaneously scripture, poetry, law, and spiritual practice, a work that has shaped civilizations, sparked philosophical traditions, and informed art and architecture for fourteen centuries. Unlike any other text, the Quran is recited aloud daily, memorized entirely by millions, and serves as the foundational source of Islamic law, ethics, and theology. Reading the Quran, even in translation, offers entry into one of humanity's most enduring attempts to articulate the relationship between the finite and the divine. It is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the intellectual and spiritual foundations of a major world religion.