Reciting the Qur’ān and Reading the Torah: Muslim and Jewish Attitudes and Practices in a Comparative Historical Perspective

Verses of Torah and Qur’ān are incorporated into statutory and supererogatory prayers, communal services, talismanic practices, rites of passage and social gatherings of Jews and Muslims. In both traditions correct pronunciation is held to preserve the authentic voice of the revelation and to incur powerful benevolent effects. In Islam, the recital of the memorized text, or parts of it, is the privileged practice; in Judaism – public reading of weekly consecutive portions is ceremoniously performed from special Torah scrolls. While the Qur’ān is absolutely dominant in Muslim liturgy and piety, texts other than the Torah constitute the lion’s share of daily liturgical reading and expressions of piety of Jews.