Chapter VI, Islam, The Standing Miracle, Summary and Analysis

To the Muslim, all of the varied roles Muhammad assumed during his lifetime were exemplary. He gave them the center of their faith, al-qur'an (the Koran), which is probably the most memorized book in the history of the world. The Koran is divided into 114 chapters, or surahs of varying lengths. The words of the Koran came to Muhammad in manageable sections over a period of twenty-three years and presented itself as the culmination of the Old and New Testaments. Translated, it loses the poetic quality of the Arabic language and therefore loses much of its power to move non-Arabic readers or listeners. Muslims prefer that people learn the language it was written in rather than have a translation. Muslims further see the Koran as a transcription of the words of God...