God in the Qur'an

God in the Qur'an examines the portrayal and character of Allah through a close reading of Islam's central religious text. Miles, who previously wrote about God's character in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament, applies his analytical approach to understanding how the divine is presented in Muslim scripture. The book follows key narratives and passages from the Qur'an, focusing on stories that overlap with Jewish and Christian traditions but take distinctive forms in Islamic scripture. Miles examines accounts of creation, the flood, Abraham, Moses, Mary, and Jesus to track how Allah interacts with humanity across these sacred stories. As a work of literary analysis rather than theology, the book maintains a secular academic perspective while exploring religious themes. Miles draws comparisons between the God of the Qur'an and the biblical God, noting both parallels and significant differences in their characterization. The work raises questions about how different religious traditions understand and relate to the divine, offering insights into interfaith dialogue through careful textual comparison. This examination of sacred texts invites readers to consider how stories and scripture shape religious identity and belief.

Readers note this academic analysis focuses more on comparing religious texts than providing deep insights into the Quran itself. Several reviewers appreciated Miles' accessible writing style and his balanced, respectful approach to examining Allah's portrayal compared to the God of Judaism and Christianity. Likes: - Clear explanations of Quranic stories and themes - Thoughtful comparisons between religious traditions - Engaging for both religious and secular readers Dislikes: - Too basic for readers familiar with Islam - Limited scope excludes many important Quranic passages - Some found the comparative approach oversimplified Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (257 ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (89 ratings) Notable reader comment: "Miles excels at highlighting the nuances between religious texts, but those seeking deep Quranic analysis should look elsewhere." - Goodreads reviewer Some Muslim readers criticized Miles' outsider perspective, while others valued his fresh analytical framework for understanding similarities and differences between Abrahamic faiths.

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Abraham's Children: Judaism, Christianity, Islam by F.E. Peters This work traces the connections between the three Abrahamic faiths through their shared narratives and divergent interpretations.

The Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, and Historical Criticism by Jon D. Levenson The text explores how different religious traditions interpret and understand the same sacred narratives.

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🔹 Jack Miles won the Pulitzer Prize for his earlier work "God: A Biography" which examined God's character in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament 🔹 The book explores how the Qur'an's portrayal of God differs from Jewish and Christian scriptures, particularly focusing on shared figures like Adam, Noah, and Abraham 🔹 Miles, though not a Muslim himself, approached the text as a literary critic rather than a theologian, offering a unique outsider's perspective on Islam's holy book 🔹 The author specifically chose to use an English translation of the Qur'an by A.J. Droge that maintains the original Arabic name "Allah" throughout, rather than using the English word "God" 🔹 Despite being about a religious text, the book was praised for its accessibility to secular readers and its contribution to interfaith understanding during a time of increasing Islamophobia in the West