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Kran By Heart Analysis

Decent Essays

The HBO Documentary, Koran by Heart, directed by Greg Barker, further reiterates the importance of the Quran on the daily lives of Muslims. Though in the past, we have learned that the Quran is the holy text of Islam, making stark comparisons to the holy texts of other Monotheistic religions such as the Bible for the Christians and the Torah for the Jews, but in retrospect, the Quran delves into other matters beyond just religion. Dr. Salem Abdel-Galil, Deputy Minister of Egypt’s Ministry of Religious Affairs, says that the Koran for Muslims is not just a book of worship, but it serves as a guide for life. In other words, the Quran is not just a compilation of religious accounts; rather it holds information to further develop a follower’s interpersonal and communicative skills along with guidance on how to live a tolerant and peaceful life with others. Another takeaway from this film, and what I believe to be one of the central messages that director Greg Barker is trying to convey, is that the Quran is the ultimate source of unification for Muslims. This is apparent throughout the documentary, which initially starts with the description of the annual Quran reciting competition held in Cairo, Egypt. This competition brings together approximately 110 reciters, of all ages and both genders, from a total of 70 different countries. The majority of the participants are not native Arabic speakers, the language of the Quran, but yet they have all memorized the Quran in Arabic.

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