August 14, 2023

Creating the Qur’an

"Creating the Qur’an: A Historical-Critical Study" By Stephen J. Shoemaker, University of California Press, 2022.

University of California Press:

Creating the Qur’an presents the first systematic historical-critical study of the Qur’an’s origins, drawing on methods and perspectives commonly used to study other scriptural traditions. Demonstrating in detail that the Islamic tradition relates not a single attested account of the holy text’s formation, Stephen J. Shoemaker shows how the Qur’an preserves a surprisingly diverse array of memories regarding the text’s early history and its canonization. To this he adds perspectives from radiocarbon dating of manuscripts, the linguistic history of Arabic, the social and cultural history of late ancient Arabia, and the limitations of human memory and oral transmission, as well as various peculiarities of the Qur’anic text itself. Considering all the relevant data to present the most comprehensive and convincing examination of the origin and evolution of the Qur’an available, Shoemaker concludes that the canonical text of the Qur’an was most likely produced only around the turn of the eighth century.

Wikipedia:

Stephen J. Shoemaker is an American scholar, specialising in ancient and early medieval Christianity and early Islam. He serves as a professor of religious studies at the University of Oregon. His work has focused on early devotion to the Virgin Mary, Christian Apocrypha and formative Islam and its relationship with Near Eastern Christianity. Shoemaker received his Ph.D. from Duke University.

Video Title: The Qur'an has NO Credibility - Creating the Qur'an with Dr. Jay - Episode 1. Source: CIRA International. Date Published: April 20, 2023. Description:

Al Fadi and Dr. Jay begin a new series focused on the new book by scholar Stephen Shoemaker, “Creating the Qu’ran.” Shoemaker addresses the Standard Islamic Narrative to first establish what is known and believed about the Qu’ran among the Muslims community. He then addressed the issues with these beliefs based on the very real evidence that is now available to us. Watch this gripping series dismantle any and all credibility the Qu’ran ever had.