This episode of the podcast is the first part of a short introduction to the scripture of Islam known as the Qur'an (Koran). Where does the term Qur'an come from?  What is a Mus-haf? How is the Qur'an organized? What are the contents of the Qur'an?

Sources and Recommended Readings:

The Qur'an: a Beginner's Guide   by Farid Esack

Major Themes of the Qur'an   by Fazlur Rahman

The Koran: a Very Short Introduction    by Michael Cook

The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'an    by Jane McAuliffe (editor)

The Blackwell Companion to the Qur'an    by Christopher Buck (editor)

The Qur'an: a New Translation   by Tarif Khalidi

The Qur'an: an Introduction   by Abdullah Saeed

The Qur'an in its Historical Setting    by Gabriel Said Reynolds (editor)

Approaching the Qur'an: the Early Revelations   by Michael Sells