The Persistent Power of the Qur'an

"Why is the Qur'an so powerful? My effort to answer that question has been multifaceted because I am suggesting that the persistent power of the Qur'an is created and sustained through a complex interplay of physical, intellectual, and social factors. Their precise interaction for any given individual or society varies considerably from one place or time to another. Yet the entire constellation, in both its variance and its invariance, rotates around the simple phrase that forms the title of this panel: to believe that the words one recites represent the very voice of God is to give those words unique and irresistible power."

- Jane Dammen McAuliffe, The Persistent Power of the Qur'ān, pp. 345-346