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The holy book of Islam, the 'Qur'an', which according to the Orientalist von Hammer "is as unmistakably the word of Muhammad as the Muslims believe that it is the Word of God", is often treated by the critical non-Muslim reader with lack of appreciation and often with arrogance. This is why he reaches a conclusion about the book which is often subjective, unjust and presumptuous. Whoever decides to read this book should do so with the understanding that it is a holy book-- for centuries a guiding-star for countless human beings. The reader should approach this work if not with a feeling of awe, then at least with respect, and mindful of the warning given by the eighteenth-century scientist Lichtenberg about one's approach to reading a book, should remember the following points.
(139:1)
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