Publisher's Synopsis
Mondher Sfar is critical of the Muslim doctrine of the authenticity of the Koran and the immutability of the text. He cites several reasons for this: The Quran itself claims that it is only a copy of another authentic text preserved in heaven but inaccessible to humans. God proclaims that he allowed himself to change expressions of the text, that he even inspired his prophet with false verses, that he himself introduced ambiguous verses. Also, the Quran deals with numerous, specific questions about the personal relationship between the Prophet Muhammad and his political, religious, social, and family entourage, which, contrary to orthodox Muslim teaching, underscores the temporary, not eternal, nature of the Quran. The detailed study also shows that the current text bears traces of many changes and insertions. Mondher Sfar, born in Tunis in 1950, has lived in exile in Paris since 1974. He graduated from the Sorbonne with a Diplome Superieur in History and a PhD from the Faculty of Philosophy. He has since specialized in the comparative anthropology of Middle Eastern religions.
