What is the format of IEQ?

IEQ consists of approximately 600 alphabetically arranged entries spread over six volumes of approximately 550-600 pages each. The seventh volume will consist of indices. IEQ uses English-language lemmata, or entry words, for its articles which cover all concepts, themes, names and places mentioned in the Qur’ān.

What is the criterion for IEQ’s entry words?

Carefully chosen entry words are drawn from the Qur’ān itself. In selecting the lemmata, the editors have relied on the internal thematic structure of the Qur’ān. Extensive cross-referencing links articles to other entries. In order to maintain focus on the Qur’ān, the editors have not included allied concepts and themes in IEQ, even though they form an integral aspect of the sciences and arts originating from the Qur’ān. As an example, IEQ’s article on the Qur’ān covers its writing, but there is no separate article on “Calligraphy.” “Pen and Writing,” likewise, originating from the second verse of Surat Nun (By the pen and what it writes), is a lemma, but writing implements in Islamic civilization and their role in the spread of knowledge are an ancillary field, not a direct Qur’ānic theme, and hence it has no entry of its own.

Will IEQ represent all legal schools in Islam?

IEQ is a madhhab-comparative reference work, represented all four Sunni madhahib. The aim of the project is to provide a holistic understanding of the Qur’ān based on established Islamic exegetical literature of the ahl al-Sunna wal-Jama`.

Will the encyclopedia be available in other languages?

It is our intention to make IEQ available in all major languages. In particular, we hope to publish its French, German, Spanish, and Italian editions from amongst the languages spoken in the Western world as well as translations in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Turkish, Malay, and Bahasa Indonesia inshallah.

Who is writing entries for IEQ?

IEQ is an international effort. Muslim scholars writing articles for IEQ live throughout the world. For a list of entries and scholars, please visit the project website. Non-Muslim scholars are not invited to write for IEQ.

Who are the target readers of IEQ?

IEQ will cater to a wide range of readers including academic scholars, graduate and post-graduate students and the educated general public. It will serve as a fundamental reference work. We expect it to become a major source for numerous other works on Islam and the Qur’ān.

How will this work serve Muslims?

Currently, eighty percent of all Muslims do not have direct access to the Qur’ān. IEQ will present reliable, integrated, and authentic scholarship to these Muslims, using the vast repository of classical Islamic exegetical texts. It will be in a language and format that is accessible to contemporary readers.

How will this work be of academic benefit?

IEQ brings to the academic world a unique reference work, sharing with its sources the premise that the Qur’ān is a revealed text while simultaneously maintaining scholarly norms and standards. It provides a window for academia into traditional Islamic approaches and scholarship on the Qur’ān. Academic scholars will, therefore, welcome a reference work on the Qur’ān that presents, in concise form, established mainstream Islamic scholarship.

Who is funding IEQ?

IEQ is being funded by individuals and businesses interested in scholarly projects. Any individual, business, or corporation may contribute financially to the IEQ Project, which strictly requires that funds be drawn from lawful sources.

How are the finances being monitored?

All donations to the IEQ Project go either to the account of the Center for Islam and Science or that of the Society for Qur’ānic Studies. Both organizations are legal entities, registered in their respective countries with relevant governmental agencies, which monitor their financial transactions through their laws and well-recognized auditing systems. Please see the project website for more details.

Will there be an online edition?

Yes, IEQ will be available both in print and an online version. Buyers will have the option to purchase both or either version.

What are publishing and marketing plans for IEQ?

We have three clear publishing and marketing objectives: (i) integrity of the text; (ii) affordable access to IEQ around the world; and (iii) cost-effective and professional distribution and marketing, especially for institutional subscribers and academic readership in the West. IEQ is based on the non-negotiable premise that the Qur’ān is a revealed text, revealed to Prophet Muhammad, upon him blessings and peace, at a certain time and place, but transcending both history and geography—a Book that is for all humanity and for all times. For all Muslims, this is an irreducible, non-negotiable aspect of the Qur’ān. Thus, IEQ is a reference work that excludes references to those sources which do not believe in the Divine authorship of the Qur’ān and this gives IEQ its uniqueness—as well as its perceived “limitations” as far as certain Western scholars and publishers are concerned. We are working with Muslim publishers around the world to draw a comprehensive marketing and distribution plan which will ensure its easy and affordable availability throughout the world.

Are there works similar to IEQ?

There is no reference work on the Qur’ān in English language that takes, as its foundational premise, the Muslim belief that the Qur’ān is a revealed text. The two extant encyclopedias (Brill’s six volume Encyclopaedia of the Qur’ān [2001-2005] and the single volume, 772-page work published by Routledge, The Qur’ān: an Encyclopedia [2005]) have been rejected by Muslim scholars as works steeped in neo-Orientalism. Please visit for reviews.

What will be the retail price of IEQ?

The actual retail price of the first edition of IEQ will be determined once the first volume is ready. Students will be offered a discount. We are making arrangements for local editions in various parts of the world so that IEQ is available at local, rather than international/Western prices. We will be cooperating with local publishers for distribution. This is a not-for-profit project. Please check the project website for details.