Don’t Burn It, Read It

When people become aware of the dangers of Islamization, they tend to take an interest in the Koran. Rather than rely on what the media or Muslims tell them, they decide to examine Islam’s holy book for themselves, and turn to the internet for help.

Needless to say, the best resources on the Koran are on Islamic sites. You can find anything you want from the Koran, in any language. However, the presentation at such sites is from a Muslim point of view, and doesn’t generally point the reader to the wife-beating or Jew-killing or infidel-beheading verses.

That’s not true of TheQuran.com. It contains detailed easy-to-use analysis of the Koran, produced by Arabic-speaking scholars from both Christian and apostate backgrounds. It is one of the more useful reference sites on the subject that I’ve come across: you can look up verses by topic, or you can search on keywords, or simply browse the contents. It also has a series of articles on particular suras and verses of interest.

As the main page says, it is “…a site for all things related to The Quran. This is the first site of its kind to provide a unique interpretation of The Quran unclouded by the myths and legends that surround Islamic heritage. TheQuran.com is the perfect site for anyone with the desire to study The Quran beyond the boundaries drawn by interpreters who are unwilling to contradict traditional Islamic teaching and refused to subject The Quran to literary and scientific critique, either due to their Islamic faith or weakness in understanding the Arabic language of the Quran.”

Also:

A new section has been added to this site to allow the visitor to view all the verses from the Quran relating to specific topics such as jihad, Christians, Jews, women, terrorism and others. You can view the list in different languages and translations.

On this site all registered users have the ability to comment on every abrogation, comparative reading, critical analysis and article. Registration is free.

Visit the Read section to read the Quran in multiple languages and view the commentary and analysis.

[…]

At the TheQuran.com you can:

• Examine many of the historical variant readings of the Quran
  
• Read The Quran more clearly and accurately
  
• See abrogated verses alongside explanations within the text.
  
• Learn more about the history of the Quran.
  
• Examine the current sequence of the Quranic chapters in comparison to other historical codices.
  
• Research many of the grammatical, historical, and scientific errors in the Quran.
  
• Examine a variety of internal contradictions within the Quran.
  
• Enrich your knowledge concerning the teaching of the Quran in areas such as; status of women; treatment of people of other faith; Jihad; and much more.

Plus, you will find many beneficial articles, resources and links to material that will increase your understanding of The Quran. Our goal is to make The Quran more easily accessible and understood while basing all commentary on authoritative Islamic sources.

In the future, visitors will be able to search for specific subjects and keywords within the text and participate in discussion boards! Due to ongoing scientific development and literary dialogue the content of our site will be continually updated with the latest articles and discussions related to The Quran. We welcome comments and suggestions from our visitors as we strive to make this site as user-friendly as possible.

The site’s owners are also promoting their book, The Qur’an Dilemma:

A book of terror or a book of peace? An inspired text or a political agenda? How is one to know the truth about the Qur’an? Where does one even begin? How can an English speaker ever hope to wade through the history, the translations, the sects, and the commentaries to begin making sense of the issues?

During the last decade, interest in Islam and the teachings of the Qur’an has grown globally. In order to allow Westerners to investigate the truth about Islam, this research text was translated from Arabic to give English speaking readers the opportunity to see the Qur’an with clear lenses that are not fogged by propaganda or missionary zeal. This book provides the background of the Qur’an in an objective manner. It also presents the text of the Qur’an with parallel commentary, addressing important issues that Muslim scholars have wrestled with throughout the centuries, shedding light on their attempts to solve them and giving a rounded view of the various schools of thought.

The critical approach in this book is inspired by the courageous tradition of those who have dared to analyze the Qur’an throughout history, while also incorporating the contemporary intellectual productions available in Arabic and foreign sources. The discoveries made through these scholarly critical methods are directed to non-Muslims and Muslims equally:

To non-Muslims who want to unravel the mysteries of Islam, this book presents information that Islamic resources rarely disclose—to allow those who seek the truth to comprehend the full picture with all its outlines, colors, and dimensions.

To Muslims who seek genuine choices far from the culture of “indoctrination,” this book opens a world of understanding to them, so that they can decide for themselves their intellectual and spiritual paths.

The Quran Dilemma (Volume One) — available now both in English and in Arabic — covers the first nine suras (chapters) of the Quran. The remaining suras will be covered in Volume Two, due for release in 2011. Articles and commentary found throughout this masterfully executed book — which explain and analyze each sura — are based on authoritative Islamic sources.

I haven’t really begun to access all the resources at TheQuran.com. I recommend that readers visit the site, and discover for themselves what else can be found there.


Hat tip: Russkiy.