Censorship and the Qu’ran
Censorship related to the Qu’ran encompasses various historical and contemporary challenges regarding the text’s accessibility and interpretation. The Qu'ran, regarded by Muslims as the final word of God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, is unique in its composition, consisting solely of revelations received over approximately two decades, rather than being a compilation of multiple authors. The text's significance is underscored by its perceived untranslatability and the belief that only the original Arabic is authentic. Censorship has manifested through both official restrictions and self-censorship, often motivated by the desire to prevent blasphemy or idolatry.
A notable instance of censorship occurred with Salman Rushdie's "Satanic Verses," which sparked outrage among Islamic clerics and led to a fatwa calling for Rushdie's death due to its perceived affront to the Prophet and the Qu’ran. Additionally, the Qu’ran itself has faced bans and restrictions in various regions, from medieval Europe to modern-day countries like Russia and China. Acts of protest, such as book burning, have also targeted the Qu’ran, highlighting the ongoing tensions surrounding its interpretation and societal impact. This complex interplay of reverence, censorship, and cultural sensitivity continues to shape discussions around the Qu’ran in diverse contexts.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Censorship and the Qu’ran
Type of work: Book
Recorded: c. 644–56 c.e.
Messenger: Muhammad (570–632)
Subject matter: Followers of Islam believe this holy book to be God’s last message to humanity
Significance: The Qu’ran has been both a force for and a target of censorship.
The Arabic word qur’ân means “recitation,” specifically a recitation that was given to the Prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel as the final message of God (Allah) to humanity. Unlike Judeo-Christian scriptures, the Qu’ran (also spelled “Koran”) is not a collection of works written by multiple authors compiled over a long period of time. Believed to have been revealed to Muhammad over a period of about two decades, the Qu’ran is neither a book of history, nor a memoir of Muhammad, nor a philosophical treatise. Advocating uncompromising monotheism, its purpose is to proclaim the sovereignty of God, his coming judgment, and humanity’s need to submit to him.
The text of the Qu’ran was recorded on materials such as tablets, palm leaves, and hides. During the rule of Othman, the third successor after Muhammad, its 114 chapters, or suras, were assembled and standardized in their modern form; their total length is close to that of the New Testament. The suras are arranged in approximately descending order of their size, thereby disrupting the message’s chronological and thematic sequence. If the suras were separated so that those revealed in Mecca, when Muhammad was a prophet opposing the established order, and those revealed in Medina after he became the leader of the Arabs, the Qu’ran’s tone and contents would differ profoundly. The former suras are more individualistic and mystical, while the latter are clearly more collective and political.
Muslims believe that the Qu’ran is God’s simplest, clearest, and most comprehensive message to humanity. Its language, eloquence, rhythm, and rhetoric are said to reveal something of how God thinks and feels. The Qu’ran is said to be untranslatable and many regard only the Arabic original as authentic; however it was translated into English in 1734.
Illiterate according to tradition, Muhammad is regarded as merely the Messenger of God. Indeed, in many Islamic cultures to say that Muhammad, rather than God, was the author of the Qu’ran is regarded as criminally blasphemous. Piety is also expressed through the avoidance of idolatry, including representational art in almost any form. Both official and self-censorship have been common to avoid blasphemy and idolatry.
One famous example of censorship in relation to the Qu’ran is that of Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses (1988). The novel includes a schizophrenic dream sequence in which the prophet “Mahound” is deceived by his scribe, who intentionally introduces errors in the transcription that the prophet fails to notice, and is briefly tempted to grant semidivine status to three local goddesses. Islamic clerics condemned the work as blasphemous for raising questions of Qu’ranic authenticity and for mocking the Prophet. Most notably, the Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran issued a fatwa (religious declaration) that Rushdie should be killed, leading to widespread book banning, violence against his publishers, and his seclusion for many years.
The Qu’ran itself has been the subject of censorship. Banned in some parts of medieval Europe, it was restricted in the Soviet Union, China, and other communist countries in the twentieth century; in 2013, Russia prohibited the dissemination of a translation, and there have been calls for it to be banned in other Western countries as well. Book burning has also emerged as another means of suppression and protest. For instance, in September 2013, a minister in Florida was arrested before he attempted to burn nearly 3,000 kerosene-soaked copies of the Qu’ran in his church; he was charged with illegal fuel transportation.
Bibliography
Haq, Husna. “Russia Blacklists Translation of the Quran.” Christian Science Monitor. Christian Science Monitor, 9 Oct. 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
Mojtabai, A. G. “Magical Mystery Pilgrimage.” Rev. of The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie. New York Times Books. New York Times, 29 Jan. 1989. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
Nelson, Steven. “Quran-Burning Pastor Terry Jones’ Arrest Could Be Unconstitutional, Experts Say.” Newsgram. U.S. News & World Report, 12 Sept. 2015. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
Peters, Rudolph, and Peri Bearman. The Ashgate Research Companion to Islamic Law. Burlington: Ashgate, 2014. Print.
Sfar, Mondher. In Search of the Original Koran: The True History of the Revealed Text. Trans. Emilia Lanier. Amherst: Prometheus, 2008. Print.