Summary Of Ingrid Mattson's 'The Story Of The Qur' An

In February 2013, Ingrid Mattson had published her book titled, The Story of the Qur'an, from Malden, MA. Mattson had written this book after she taught a course about the Qur'an at Hartford Seminary and wanted to provide an academic and comprehensible history and interpretation of the Qur'an. She pursued to make the book elaborate enough for anyone interested in the subject, whether or not they were general readers or Islamic researchers. In writing this book, Mattson's goal was to assist people in determining the meaning of the Qur'an and what it contains. The author wanted to provide additional interpretation on the subject and help some people avoid the general perspectives they perceive that the Qur'an contains, without knowing having
any legitimate or prior knowledge. Mattson's intention is to contribute a better understanding of Islamic history to the Western world, as it has become a bigger issue worldwide in recent years. In The Story of the Qur'an, Mattson divided the book into six main chapters which overall contribute to the interpretation of the historical and current prevalence of Islamic religion and culture. The first chapter, "God Speaks to Humanity" is essentially about the basis of Islam such as how the Qur'an was received, the origin of the Meccan Sanctuary (the Ka'ba), how Arabia had existed at the time Islam was introduced, and Muhammad's revelation by the messenger of God, Gabriel. Here the story of Khwala bint Tha'laba complaining about marital abuse, shows us that God sees and hears everything as Allah is The creator and had addressed the injustice through a Qur'an revelation. Also, another key point in the chapter was the story of how Abraham, his wife Hajar, and their son (and future Prophet) Ismail getting lost in a dry desert led to the creation of the Ka'ba and population of Mecca. Similarly, chapter two ("The Prophet Conveys the Message") continues to explain the historical significance of the Qur'an, division of revelations between Meccan and Medinan verses, and the messages/translations of the verses or suras. The author discusses the authenticity of the Qur'an and the fundamental belief that the Qur'an supports monotheism (tawhid) and that those who worship God are considered "Servants of God." Both chapters one and two express the value of having God send messengers to communicate to humans. The following chapters three through six are less about the history behind Islam and more about the involvement of current society. Chapter three, "The Voice and the Pen," is about the preservation and conveying of the Qur'an along the years with all possible forms of reading, writing, and recitation. In this chapter is the story about Reem, an American girl who studied the Qur'an from a young age, who learned to recite the whole Qur'an, and received an ijaza (certificate) from a scholar with a traceable isnad (chain). The Qur'an has remained significant also because it is recited orally with daily prayers. Next, chapter four, "Blessed Words: The Qur'an and Culture" identifies how the Qur'an has influenced architecture and introduction of calligraphy. It includes the general idea that when inscribed on walls, Qur’anic verses are elevated and that there are purification rituals for when handling and reciting the Qur'an. Chapter five ("What God Really Means") is all about the interpretation of the Qur'an and the contextual significance when interpreting the language. Lastly, chapter six is the summary of religious authority and the tension behind Qur'an interpretation. From observation, I believe Mattson's central argument or thesis is that the Qur'an is a complex form of literature that is essential to the Islamic religion, which must be carefully interpreted to fully comprehend on the context and meaning of each of its revelations, Suras, and Ayas. As it was her goal to make the story of the Qur'an understandable to both Muslims and non-Muslims, she proceeded to interpret and translate main components of the Qur'an with clear details within each of the six chapters. Mattson ended her final chapter by restating the importance of being "exceedingly cautious about claiming to have grasped the true meaning of the Qur'an" (264). She included this statement to reaffirm her belief that some people are quick to define or judge the Qur'an without having understood its true meaning. One example of the author's perspective on the Qur'an was when Mattson explained the transmission of the Qur'an into the modern age as printing machines and other inventions allowed Qur'an's to be produced differently.
Mattson believes that "The initial opposition of many scholars to the printing of the Qur'an was not unreasonable" (128). I believe the author's input on this turning point of history is an accurate depiction of how many must have felt as Qur'ans were no longer hand-written by scribes yet copied effortlessly with printing machines. Scholars were concerned about this new innovation because specific purification and mannerly treatment in the production process was no longer used. I can imagine many were hesitant on this new development because they felt the words of God needed greater worship and treatment. Within this section, Mattson did well with analyzing the different processes in which the Qur'an had been transformed into modern society as texts, videos, and Internet
resources. Furthermore, another major perspective the author had regarding the Qur'an was when she described the epistemological challenge. One of Mattson's main arguments is that "The greatest challenge for those who sincerely seek to be guided by the Qur’an is to be able to listen to God's words without imposing on one's own fears and desires upon the revelation" (193).

I agree with Mattson completely on this point because the Qur'an should be observed linguistically and contextually and not on how one might "feel" or "assume" is the meaning of a piece of the Qur'an.
She cited the Qur'an as a few examples that state people should not preach on their pre-conceived notions about God, however they should discover knowledge and find external reliable sources. Similarly, this point of view is connected to Mattson's overall thesis for the book that people need to carefully interpret the context and language of the Qur'an to discover its meaning. One of the downfalls to Mattson's book would be her one-sided use of sources. Throughout the chapters and explanations of historical information, conflicts, and etc., the author chose sources that more favored the Qur'an and traditional views. It would have been more academic and scholarly of Mattson to have included more sources and arguments from both sides on the many issues she touched basis on. Although they may or may not be accurate, providing various sources on a situation or conflict would provide the reader a greater understanding that not all people agree on issues regarding Islam and its
revelations. All in all, Mattson did very well with interpreting and translating the main points and arguments of the Qur'an. From reviewing Islamic history to how the religion evolved with modern times, the author described each in clear enough detail to be comprehensible to Muslims and non-Muslims.