The Aesthetic Experience of the Qur’an

In the latest installment of the Review of Qur’anic Research 2, no. 3, Lauren E. Osborne reviews Navid Kermani’s God is Beautiful: The Aesthetic Experience of the Quran (Malden, Mass.: Polity, 2015). In this book, Kermani argues that the aesthetic experience of the Qurʾan has always been linked to understanding the text as a whole since its initial reception. This aesthetic experience is mainly focused on the hearing. Through his analysis, Kermani brings an innovative hermeneutic strategy to Qur’anic studies. His work also provides an innovative way of analyzing early accounts of the reception of the Qur’an. His work covers close readings of an impressive number of sources, bringing into focus an essential aspect of experiencing the Qur’an.

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