Click here (BBC) for a nice & succinct overview of Islam's holiest text... Do you have any theories/speculations about why such great veneration of the material text is not itself viewed by Muslims as shirk (idolatry)?
3 comments:
Anonymous
said...
The words themselves have a divine provenance. I would think that shirk only applies to interpretations or images created by people. If that is the case, then the material text is the only thing that can be venerated without violation of anti-idolatry rules.
I would agree with what John said: Shirk has to do with veneration of something made by man. The Quran is made by man, but the idea behind it is not venerating the thing (the book itself) but instead the holy words of God. -Valerie
3 comments:
The words themselves have a divine provenance. I would think that shirk only applies to interpretations or images created by people. If that is the case, then the material text is the only thing that can be venerated without violation of anti-idolatry rules.
John
I would agree with what John said: Shirk has to do with veneration of something made by man. The Quran is made by man, but the idea behind it is not venerating the thing (the book itself) but instead the holy words of God.
-Valerie
A subtle yet crucial distinction, to be sure.
pdk
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