Includes bibliographical references and index

I. The history of the Qur''anic text. Introduction -- Early history of Islam: a brief look -- Revelations and the prophet Muhammad -- Teaching the Qur''an -- The recording and arrangement of the Qur''an -- The written compilation of the Qur''an -- 'Uthm'an's Mushaf -- The evolution of reading aids within the Mushaf -- The histor of Arabic palaeography -- Arabic paleography and orthography in the Qur''an -- Causes of variant reading --The Muslim educational methodology -- The so-called Mushaf of Ibn Mas''ud and alleged variances therein -- II. The history of the biblical scriptures. Early history of Judaism: a brief look -- The Old Testament and its corruption -- Early history of Christianity: a brief look -- The New Testament: its anonymous authorship and corruption -- III. An appraisal of orientalist research. The orientalist and the Qur''an -- Orientalist motivations: a study of subjectivity -- Closing remarks