The Qur'an and Islam; The Ramayana and other Hindu texts

The focus of The Qur’an and Islam is the Qur’an which is the sacred book for Muslims, the followers of Islam. The aim of the book is to make the Qur’an and Islam accessible to the reader in a simple manner. For Muslims the Qur’an is a unique book, as they believe it is Allah’s (God’s) words as revealed to the prophet Mohammad in order to teach them how to practise their faith and guide them through their lives.

The text is well organised, comprehensive and accurate with reference to verses from the Qur’an as translated from Arabic. After a brief general introduction the origin of the Qur’an is explained as well as its structure, contents and the history of its revelation along with the major events in Mohammad’s life. Muslims believe that it is through the prophet Mohammad that the messages from Allah were communicated. The layout of the book is in keeping with the general theme using Islamic art, calligraphy and actual photographs. Various fonts are used to highlight important Information.

The Ramayana and other Hindu texts tells us about one of the world’s oldest religions, Hinduism, which unlike some other main faiths has more than one sacred text. Hinduism’s holy books from the earliest, the Vedas and the Upanishads, to the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas are all discussed here.

Detailed information is provided about each of the sacred texts. The book also explores the time-line, origin and history of Hinduism. All the holy books detailed are in the form of long poems which were learned by heart and passed on by word of mouth and written down centuries later in Sanskrit, the ancient language of India.

Verses from the holy books quoted in the text are translated and adapted to suit the age-range of readers. Hindus worship a number of gods and goddesses because each deity expresses different aspects of the supreme God, Brahman, who Hindus believe created the Universe. The beliefs and values as set out in sacred texts teach Hindus how to practise their faith, live their lives and attain eventual salvation when their soul merges with Brahman.

The format of the book and illustrations are attractive and appropriate. Both of these titles in the ‘Sacred Texts’ series have a glossary and index.