Considered in Islam to be the infallible word of God, the Qur'an was revealed to the prophet Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel in a series of divine revelations over many years after his first vision in the cave. In 114 chapters, or suras, it provides the rules of conduct that remain fundamentalto Muslims today-most importantly the key Islamic values of prayer, fasting, pilgrimage and absolute faith in God, with profound spiritual guidance on matters of kinship, marriage and family, crime and punishment, rituals, food, warfare and charity. Here too we find Adam, Moses, Abraham, Jesus and John the Baptist and other people familiar to fellow 'People of the Book'.This milestone translation by acclaimed Muslim scholar Tarif Khalidi retains the rhythms and structures of the original Arabic's exquisite poetry, bringing this holy book to life for readers in English.