Caleb’s Reviews > The Clear Quran: A Thematic English Translation of the Message of the Final Revelation > Status Update

I didn't really expect to find a variation of the prosperity gospel in the Quran. Not only are believers promised a far greater reward in the hereafter, but it is promised that true believers will not lose battles, will never lose the land they have won in war, and are guaranteed prosperous lives and homes. This is essentially the opposite of what Christians are told to expect in life.

I was interested in reading the Quran to understand Islam better, to gain some insight into 7th-century Arabian lore, and because Muslims so vehemently assert that the Quran is unparalleled in its linguistic beauty and its content. My former two goals have been a success. I have been let down in my third motivation. As successive surahs continue to shorten, I'm not hopeful that the linguistic brilliance will improve.

I did not expect to find jinn (aka genies) in the Quran, affirmed as real created beings that are rational and have free will like humans. I knew that jinn existed in Islamic era lore, but I assumed they would be dismissed as pre-Islamic pagan lore.