SOURCE: Sachiko Murata and William C. Chittick, "Introduction," in The Vision of Islam, Paragon House, 1994, pp. xiv-xxiv.

In the following excerpt, Murata and Chittick examine issues relating to the divine nature of the Koran and the language in which it is written. They also provide a detailed summary of Muhammad's life as it relates to the revelation of the Koran.

To talk about Islam we need to define some terms. Islam is an Arabic word that means "submission to God's will." More specifically, it designates the religion established by the Koran and the Prophet Mohammed. A Muslim is one who has submitted to God's will, or one who follows the religion of Islam. The Koran is a book that God revealed to Mohammed by means of the angel Gabriel. This is the basic story in its most simplified outline. Now we need to fill in some details.

The Koran