To Muslims, not just a book

"My love for the Koran began at a very early age - I began to learn Arabic when I was 4 years old in order to read it," he says. "That has helped me have a much more intimate relationship with God, to read what I believe to be God's holy book in the language it was revealed in."

The Koran deals with the nature of reality and the cosmos, moral and spiritual lessons, laws for the individual and society.

Both "its inner meaning, or spirit, and its body ... the text in the Arabic language ... are sacred," Dr. Nasr wrote.

No matter where a Muslim lives, prayers are said in Arabic, and translations of the Koran are seen as "interpretations," with Arabic found on the facing page. This has given rise to the art forms of calligraphy and recitation of the Koran.

Many Muslims memorize the entire book - not quite the length of the New Testament - which is considered a noteworthy achievement. Children vie actively in recitation competitions.

"There's a specific Islamic science called tajwid, which focuses on recitation in a very melodic sense, and I competed in tajwid competitions," says Mr. Iftikhar, who grew up in Chicago. "There are favorite imams around the world, and some have a 'rock star' following. People will buy recitations because they like the sound of his voice."

They also flock to stadiums for performances the way Americans do to sports events or concerts.

"The greatest miracle of Islam is said to be the eloquence of the Quran," Nasr writes. Its beauty has moved Muslims and non-Muslims through the ages and brought converts into the faith.

Aminah McCloud, professor of Islamic studies at DePaul University in Chicago, first picked up the Koran as a teenager and read it daily for five months. "I found it an awesome text, something that not only had stories but challenged you to think," she says.

Not considered a new revelation, but the one truth God has revealed through prophets such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, the Koran includes stories of biblical figures. But Muslims see Muhammad as the final prophet, and the Koran as "the straight path" to fulfilling God's purpose.

Over the 23-year period in which Muhammad received the teachings, his companions memorized them and scribes wrote them down, scholars say; the complete text was put together some 20 years after his death in AD 632.

The 114 chapters are not arranged chronologically or thematically, but run from the longest to the shortest.

"Like the Bible and Torah, the Koran has many stories ... meant to serve as examples for how people should go about their lives," says Iftikhar. "For example, if I have great trials in my life, I think of the story of Job - his faith never wavered."

In response to the desecration controversy, CAIR this week announced it would give a Koran to any interested American (www.cair-net.org).

"Any holy book is a wealth of knowledge; regardless of how often you've read it, you can learn something new each time," Iftikhar says. "That's the marvel - always there is a resource, a comfort, a reaffirmation."

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