Approaching the Qur'an presents brilliant translations of the short, hymnic chapters, or suras, associated with the first revelations to the Prophet Muhammad. Most of these early revelations appear at the end of the written text and are commonly reached only by the most resolute reader of existing English translations. These suras contain some of the most powerful, prophetic and revelatory passages in religious history. They offer the vision of a meaningful and just life that anchors the religion of one-fifth of the world's inhabitants.

The book includes Sells' 'Introduction to the Qur'an', commentaries of the suras, a glossary of technical terms, and chapters discussing the sound nature and gender aspects of the Arabic text. It is enriched by recordings of Qur'anic reciters chanting several of the early suras, allowing readers an opportunity to hear the Qur'an in its original form. These recordings are freely available as MP3 downloads.