Moses and the Mountain of Knowledge

Abstract

I cannot say that I read scripture very differently because of my involvement in this group. I can say that the group itself was fascinating. And I learned much, particularly about how different Islam’s scripture is from that of Jews and Christians, and how differently they regard it. Neither Jews nor Christians regard their scriptures as themselves an incarnate Word of God, but the Qur’an is just that. And precisely therefore Islamic exegesis is sometimes more literalistic than Jews or Christians usually are, and sometimes-especially among Sufis—far more fancifully figural than Jews or Christians normally allow themselves.