The Quran is certainly one of the most important texts in human history. But it wasn't originally a text at all. When the Quran appeared in the seventh century, it was a vocal recital performed by an unlettered man named Muhammad. It remains an oral performance for Muslims all over the world to this day.
The Prophet's Whistle is a study of the ancient, nonliterary features of the Quran, many of which are often overlooked by historians and the public. George Archer corrects this striking absence by using observations from the anthropologies of living oral cultures, the cognitive sciences of literacy, and the study of other dead oral cultures. The Prophet's Whistle shows that the thought systems of the Quran are oral, through and through, but by the end of the life of its Prophet, the Quran likewise hints at a personal and cultural embrace of writing and the mindsets of literate people.
| ISBN: | 9781609389451 |
| Publication date: | 26th May 2026 |
| Author: | George Archer |
| Publisher: | University of Iowa Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 182 pages |
| Genres: |
The Koran (Qur’an) History of religion Islam Literacy |
The Quran is certainly one of the most important texts in human history. But it wasn't originally a text at all. When the Quran appeared in the seventh century, it was a vocal recital performed by an unlettered man named Muhammad. It remains an oral performance for Muslims all over the world to this day.
The Prophet's Whistle is a study of the ancient, nonliterary features of the Quran, many of which are often overlooked by historians and the public. George Archer corrects this striking absence by using observations from the anthropologies of living oral cultures, the cognitive sciences of literacy, and the study of other dead oral cultures. The Prophet's Whistle shows that the thought systems of the Quran are oral, through and through, but by the end of the life of its Prophet, the Quran likewise hints at a personal and cultural embrace of writing and the mindsets of literate people.
The Prophet's Whistle features in the following genres: The Koran (Qur’an), History of religion, Islam, Literacy
The Prophet's Whistle is available in Paperback
The Prophet's Whistle was written by George Archer and published by University of Iowa Press
The Prophet's Whistle has 182 pages
£64.80