Summary: <br> This episode briefly introduces the concept of prophecy, its history in the Near East (including the well-developed tradition of Biblical prophets), and the way the Qur'an positions itself vis-à-vis this history. We also discuss the terms nabi and rasul as well as the prominent figures of Abraham and Moses. <br> Sources and Recommended Readings: <br> <br> The Qur'an: a Beginner's Guide by Farid Esack <br> <br> Major Themes of the Qur'an by Fazlur Rahman <br> <br> The Koran: a Very Short Introduction by Michael Cook <br> <br> The Cambridge Companion to the Qur'an by Jane McAuliffe (editor) <br> <br> The Blackwell Companion to the Qur'an by Christopher Buck (editor) <br> <br> The Qur'an: a New Translation by Tarif Khalidi <br> <br> The Qur'an: an Introduction by Abdullah Saeed <br> <br> The Qur'an in its Historical Setting by Gabriel Said Reynolds (editor) <br> <br> Approaching the Qur'an: the Early Revelations by Michael Sells <br> <br> La Pensée Arabe by Mohammed Arkoun
